So Long, Summer...

I go back to work this week, which is bittersweet... I know I'll be glad once I get in the swing of things but I have REALLY enjoyed Jackson this summer.  He is so independent now--and makes me laugh everyday!  So our last two summer meals are below--

We had chicken tostadas two nights... the night before our anniversary and then Friday night too.  I used the canned chicken breast--my favorite way to make chicken dishes-- and made my own combination of spices (same as turkey enchilada pie).  That was about all the heat we could handle.  The triple digit temperature makes our house stand at about 83 in the evening!!  So hot!  So we added homemade guac, (fat free) refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, cheese & sour cream for some yummy tostadas. 

Chicken Tostadas

2 cans of chicken breasts, shredded,

1 c. water

a blend of mexican chili, garlic, paprika, seasoned salt, cinnamon--

simmer on med-high heat then layer on top of

Tostada shells

Add

refried beans

lettuce

shredded mexican cheese

salsa

tomatoes

sour cream

Homemade Guac:

2 avacados

salsa

tomatoes

garlic

Lawrys guacamole spice

Saturday night Anna hosted a surprise party for Tommy and we had fabulous Dalesandros lasagna and caesar salad!  It was such a fun party! :) 

Tonight, we had Salmon burgers and summer veggies.  Danny called it a 'nuvo' meal...  Whatever that means!  It was fantastic!  Afterwards, it was such a gorgeous evening--first time all summer you could feel a cool breeze--we went on a walk to the neighborhood pond and playground.  It was the perfect way to spend our last summer evening together. 

Below is the recipe for the salmon burgers and summer veggies, although I had Reasor's do all the work as far as the salmon goes:

Salmon burgers

Ground salmon

garlic powder

Salt & pepper

put on the grill for 10-15 min.

For burgers:

whole wheat buns

lettuce

swiss cheese

Summer Veggies

In olive oil on med-high heat:

yellow squash, sliced thin

zuccini squash, sliced thin

okra, left whole

red pepper, julienned

Cover and simmer for ~20 min.

I could eat this everyday! 
Wish I had my own garden with these veggies...
Unfortunately I have no green thumb at all!!

Happy Anniversary!

Jackson is staying the night with Gram & Pop and Danny and I get to celebrate our 5th Wedding Anniversary with a long overdue date night!  We are heading to Biga for dinner.  Then, maybe a movie!  Dinner AND a movie! So excited!  Biga is a phenomenal Italian restaraunt in Tulsa.  My favorite dish is Goat-Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast with Dried Cherries & Walnuts.  OMG! It is to die for!  The best part about Biga--besides the food--is the lemoncello shot they serve you after the meal.  It takes me back to the lemoncello factory I went to when I was in Italy.  Yummy!! 

Under the Sea...

  Jackson had his macaroni and cheese early and then played cars, blocks and balls with Daddy and had a bath before dinner was on the table.  He came running out of the bathtub naked except for the giant white robe Danny had put on him.  We called him a little king and he ran around proudly in his royal bathrobe!  I have video of it, but its got little boy parts in it so I can't share it in the blog!!

We had a very late dinner last night (9pm!)We had our friends Natalie and Matt over after Natalie and I enjoyed our dance class at the gym.  Jackson watched Finding Nemo while we enjoyed Sea Scallops and Chicken with creamy pasta, asparagus and mixed vegetables.  Natalie doesn't eat anything from the ocean so she prepared the chicken breast the same as the scallops.  She made some steamed mixed veggies. We also had garlic bread.  Big carb load--Good thing we worked out! 

Lemon/Garlic Sea-Scallops & Creamy Pasta

Scallops:

Melt about 1/2 c. butter, add garlic to your liking (We like A LOT!)

Saute 1/2 lb. of mini-sea scallops (bay scallops) on medium-high heat until size is reduced and they are slightly browned.  (15 min. or so)

Add juice from 1 lemon. 

Remove from heat and allow scallops to set in the buttery sauce.

Pasta:

I just used the thin spaghetti--although angel hair is my favorite for this recipe

After you boil the pasta, Add:

2-3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil,

garlic to taste

juice from one lemon,

3 oz. cream cheese,

1/2 whole milk, 1/2 c. parmesean, grated

Mix until the cream cheese has melted and spread throughout

Sprinkle a dash of basil and extra parm on top

Easy Boiled Asparagus

Fill a quart-sized pan about 3/4 full of cold water

Add a dash of salt and sugar

Break the asparagus in your hands--don't cut.  They will naturally break where the tender parts start. 

Put the asparagus in cold water.

Turn on high heat. 

Let boil about 3-4 minutes then turn off and remove asparagus immediately--don't overcook!

***Sidenote: The Canebrake (spa my sisters-in-law and I went to last weekend) had prosciuto-wrapped grilled asparagus.  It was so delicious! I can't wait to try making that! 

OLE!

I made homemade enchilada pie tonight. I've bought the "out of the box" kit before but tonight I made it all from scratch... with the exception of the enchilada sauce.

 Since I will be gone this weekend relaxing with my sisters-in law at the spa enjoying no husbands or kids, I decided I'd make one last meal before I go.  (I thought there'd be leftovers! Ah, but no!)  I made some Jackson quesadillas...just tortillas and velveeta--  but he didn't eat that or the meatballs he requested.  So, Danny and I enjoyed dinner for 2 tonight! 

Homemade Turkey Enchilada Pie

1lb ground turkey

seasonings: garlic powder, chili powder, ground mustard, paprika, cinnamon

pam/cooking spray

white corn tortillas

salsa

1 can enchilada sauce

1 bag mexican blend shredded cheese

sour cream

Preheat oven to 375

Brown 1lb ground turkey with garlic, chili powder, paprika, ground mustard and cinnamon

Add about 1/2 c. salsa then about 1c. water.  Let it simmer and continue to break apart the meat.

Spray 8x8 dish with pam and layer the ingredients tortilla, meat, 1/8 of the enchilada sauce and a handful of cheese until all the meat is gone.  On top, lay one tortilla flat, pour on the rest of the enchilada sauce and remaining cheese. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Top w/ sour cream

The "pie" element of the enchiladas was by accident.  I wanted to use corn tortillas because they are healthier.  But, when I tried to roll them, they kept cracking.  So, I layered the tortillas flat to make enchilada pie.  It turned out to be a happy mistake!

I served it with fat free refried beans and corn.  After the first bite, Danny said "Wow! That's really good!" like 4 times.  We ate the entire pan... I'm not proud of that.

Danny is on his own tomorrow night for dinner while I'm at the spa with Anna and Kristin.  I'm guessing this is when the Digournos or frozen corndogs will come in handy! :)

Ramen Noodles??

I bought ramen noodles for the first time since college...(Its not what you think!)

Yesterday we were invited to our sister-in-law, Anna's parents' pool for a cookout and swim.  We had a great time! All 4 cousins played in the pool.  Jackson and Josh enjoyed a paddle boat ride around the pond.  So fun! It makes me wish we could have 3 more months of summer! 

I was in charge of 'veggies' for the meal. I decided to try a new recipe, Oriental Salad. It was a big hit--I will definitetly make this again and again! Here is the recipe (adapted from the Junior League of Norman cookbook):

Oriental Salad

2 bunches romaine lettuce, chopped into thin strips

1 dozen strawberries, thinly sliced

1 can manderin oranges

1 c. walnuts

3 oz. pkg ramen noodles, broken apart

1/2 c. butter

--Mix fruit and romaine together;

Brown walnuts and ramen with butter and sprinkle into salad--

Dressing

1 c. EV Olive Oil

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

4 T. soy sauce

2 T. Terryaki sauce

2 tsp. ginger

dash of pepper

1/2 sugar

----Shake it up really well in a closed container and pour over salad--

What day are we on?

Not sure what day we are on... it has been a lah-hong day!!  We took the cousins for portraits.  3 hours later it was time to make dinner!!! 

DAY 5: Let me back up a bit... Wednesday night I made a great big meal that would surely make my grandma proud!  I made "Geneva Chicken", mashed potatoes and gravy and green bean casserole.  We also had a wonderful loaf of 'everything bread' from Walmart.  I invited the bestie Natalie and her boyfriend Matt over.  We had a good ol' fashioned meal together!

Geneva Chicken--by Danny

I was running late from working out so I called Danny to get the chicken prepared and in the oven.  When I said make sure you wash it really well.  He asked, "Like, with soap?"  hahahaha... I'm pretty sure he was kidding.  Anyway, he ended up following directions well and making the whole thing himself! 

Geneva chicken: 3-4lb.fryer: Wash (w/ just water).  Salt and pepper inside and out.  Put in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Then turn it down to 350 and add 1/2 c. water to the bottom of the pan.  Cook for 1 hr. 

The white stuff--gravy, mashed potatoes and bread!

Green bean casserole

The other stuff is just basic recipes... if you really would like to know how to make green bean casserole or mashed potatoes and gravy let me know... 

The pictures is blurry b/c my camera wasn't working properly...Natalie and Matt--

Nat told Matt to dress nice so he came in his tux!! Gotta love Matt!
We decided we should now have a fancy party where we dress black tie. How fun!!

DAY 6: OK so the next night, Thursday was Fifth Night Concert at Utica and we had sandwiches (and I had 2 chardonnays from Stonehorse)

DAY 7: I've made it one week!  So Friday, today, after the loooong portrait session...I made creamy pasta primavera. My favorite meal to make!

Here's how to make it:

1 box of penne pasta
2 c. chopped chicken (from the geneva chicken the other night) or you can use canned chicken breast

2 chopped red peppers

1 bunch of chopped asparagus

1 c. italian dressing

1 box of cream cheese

1/2 lemon--juice

Mix it all together and add parmesean cheese on the top..

It is so quick, easy and good!!!

It is good hot or cold

Now we have so many leftovers I won't have to cook for at least 3 days! Yay for me! :) 

Pizza & Pork

Day 2: Frozen pizza...
It was one of those days.  I have to say though, Digourno's stuffed crust is phenomenal!  After church, we rushed home to get Jackson down for his nap so we could swim at Camp Loughridge.  We hadn't gone all summer and I was determined to go!  We got home at dinner time and it was nice to just pop it in the oven.  (The leftover mac & cheese was for lunch)

Day 3: Herb-crusted pork loin, parmesean zucchini & yellow squash, pan-fried herb potatoes--(pictures to come)Delish!
I mixed thyme, minced garlic, rosemary and basil in oil and rubbed it over the pork loin.  I think I overcooked it a bit...too dry.  I was following Paula Deen's recipe but hers was for 4 lb loin mine was a little over 1 1/2 lbs.  Its trickier than beef b/c you can undercook beef (esp. since Danny and I like rare steak)  but pork can't be undercooked.  I steamed the squash in the microwave.  (Just put a little water at the bottom of the dish) and microwave for about 5 minutes.  I added shredded parm and salt & pepper.  The potaoes were yukon gold, sliced into bite-sized pieces.  I pan fried them until golded crispy then added the herbs, salt and pepper to them.  It was a wonderful meal--with the exception of the too dry loin.  We had lots leftover, which provided

Day 4: Leftovers :)

I'm glad I didn't have to cook dinner tonight.  Jackson was something else today!!  He was whiney and super ornery with lots of tantrums today.  He dumped out his milk in Bed, Bath & Beyond, pulled my hair and stomped on my healing sprained ankle (on accident) but refused to say sorry.  He spent lots of time in TIME OUT and I was so glad when Danny got home because I was drained and needed my own TIME OUT!!!

I have to say, he was so cute this morning when I went to go vote.  He marched into the voting place and announced, "I wanna vope!" It wasn't as cute when we were leaving and he wanted "more vope" and then laid down near the door and refused to move.  I had to drag him out screaming "MORE VOPING, MORE VOPING!"  Ugh... good thing he's cute!

Long Time No Blog

Seeing that my last blog post was over A YEAR AGO... Its time I get back into it!

My new inspiration for blogging (besides the latest "Jacksonisms") is to post my cooking attempts. 2 days ago, I made a commitment to cook more often. Like, really cook--not just "out of the box" or frozen pizza every night. That is what I had come to... I'm not saying I won't have those nights--we all do!! I just want to make a real effort to cook for Danny & Jackson. I grew up with a big homemade meal everyday with my grandparents. My grandma poured her love into her cooking. I want to do the same for my family. I know how to cook. I enjoy cooking. I just need to do it.

My first meal was BBQ beef and my Grandma Stegge's baked mac & cheese. It was not as good as how she made-- I'll never get there-- but it tasted soooo good! Its amazing how the taste of something can bring back the spirit of someone! The beauty of this recipe is that you really can't follow a written recipe. She showed my Aunt Jan how she made it. After she died in February 2008, I asked that my Aunt Jan cook it in front of me. I tried to follow the written recipe many times, but it just didn't work. Once I saw it done, I understood. It gets better each time I make it. Below are the "recipes" for each part of the meal.

DAY 1:
BBQ beef
Water, bbq sauce and beef for stew in the crock pot for 6 hours. It made great sandwiches the next day, too!

Baked Mac & Cheese (I can't be too specific or my Aunt Jan would kill me!)
Boil the macaroni. Make a gravy with butter, milk cheese and flour. Pour it over the cooked macaroni. Sprinkle with cheese and bake. It makes a delicious cheesy top layer. Salt and pepper. To reheat the next day, you grill it with butter.



Jackson's response to his first bite was, "OOOOOhhh, Cheese!!" He ate about half of it and then wanted to get down and play. That's about all I can expect from Mr. Picky Eater.

"Please Pass the rooooooolls."

If you have seen Father of the Bride Part 2 and remember when George Banks (Steve Martin) takes 2 "VASNICK" sleeping pills and falls asleep at the table while saying "Please pass the rolls..." then you can understand the sleepiness I have felt the last few days!!

This time change has "done me in". I don't know why we even do it. Half of Indianapolis and all of Arizona don't spring forward or fall back and they seem to be doing just fine.

The orange part of the map below is the part of the world that does not participate in Daylight Savings Time. In other words, places I'd rather be right now.

Danny, Jackson and I were dead to the world this morning. We still haven't recovered from the hour we lost on Sunday morning. I literally had to dress a limp noodle of a boy this morning. And Jackson was even worse! (hahaha!) I feel so tired I am brain dead. The saddest part is, as Danny pointed out, we will never get that hour back! I was reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears to my kids today and I looked at Goldlilocks asleep in Baby bear's bed and was so jealous! Sad for me, I know...

So, it is only Tuesday. I have 3 more school days until Spring Break. I hope I can make it!

NEW POSTING

OK So I know I haven't blogged in a while.. but that is not to say nothing exciting has happened... My life has changed (for the good) forever!!! Danny and I found a Dollar movie theater near our house that is actually a nice theater and I'm not disgusted to sit in a seat or touch anything. And, on Tuesdays it is 50 cents!! We take Jackson with us because I figure if he cries and we have to leave we're only out $1.00 rather than $16.00. So, now let me tell you about my Tuesday. After a long and very exhausting day, I came home with Jackson--who was teething so bad and in a rotton mood. All I wanted to do was take a nap with Jackson before the movie we were planning to go see. I walked in the house and I could smell IT right away. There was poop somewhere in the house. I knew it was Sally's brand I just had to find it. So, I put Jackson down to play and I start the hunt. I followed my nose right to the guest room--where, right in the middle of the floor was a huge pile of stinking dog sh*t. I yelled for Sally, and ran to get her. Understand that she NEVER has accidents. The only other time she ever did was when she was a puppy and Danny and I ignored her crying to go out so she peed on the floor. No poop, ever. Now I am chasing Sally around the living room and grab her by the collar to do the old "stick her nose in it" bit. Sally resists to the point of almost pulling the collar off. So I am dragging her from the living room, down the hall into the guest room. She starts growling at me. That, of course upsets Jackson, so he starts crying. I took her into the guest room and made her see it and then slapped her on her doggie backside. I yelled, "NO! BAD DOG!" and all that... After smelling two rancid dog farts after that, I put her outside for the evening. I was so fed up...I was hoping my once beloved Sally would just run away. Which, if you know me, you know that is extreme. Danny came home and--bless his heart--cleaned up the poop and plugged in the scentsy and vaccumed. We did end up going to the movies. What did we see? Oh, Marley & Me. Sally is NOWHERE near the "worst dog ever" as Marley is but just the same, I bawled my eyes out and have never felt so guilty... I really hope that Sally can forgive me. Believe me, she recieved lots of loving after that. Of course, if she poops like that again I may have her stomach removed.

WORST PAIN EVER

I know the pains of labor. I've been hospitalized for a bad kidney infection. I've had my head sliced open... NEVER in my life have I been in such excruciating pain as I was this afternoon at my first bikini waxing. This was a "gift" for Danny for Christmas. Let's just say, after months of not being able to see past my big fat pregnant belly and then really not caring about the upkeep 'down there' I'd become reminiscent of 1980s "Debbie Does Dallas"... So, I go in and make sure they know it is my first time. I'm told to strip down from the waist down and then put on the disposable panties. I kind of laughed when the preteen waxer pointed to this tiny package labeled 'Made in China'. I stripped down and opened up the package after she left. If you aren't familiar with these fine imports...it is an elastic waistband and what looks like a thin strip of toilet paper joining the front to the back. I figured out how to put the dang things on and then hopped up on the bed. She comes back in and does my eyebrows--no sweat, I've had them waxed for years. It is actually my brow waxing experience that convinced me I could go for the v-zone. So she lifts the towel to reveal the Chinese disposables and my untamed naughty area and she just says, "its a little long...would you like to clip it yourself?" I'm like Grrreeeaat... I casually say something like "Well, I didn't really know how to prepare..." Little Miss Preteen leaves (and I'm sure tells the rest of the gals at the salon what a jungle she saw 'down there'. Snip, snip, snip... When I'm through she comes back in. We talk about what specifics I want. I say, "Um pretty much everything up front--but no Brazilian."

NOTHING--I mean NOTHING--could have prepared me for what happens next...

She swipes the first bit of wax, places the strip and YANK! It literally took my breath away. I felt each individual hair ripped out of me all at once. There was so much pain, redness and blood. (Think Steve Carell getting his chest waxed in 40-Year-Old-Virgin) And then the little beeyotch kept going! I was light-headed, hands shaking and just wanted to kick her right in the stomach!! She asked me if I wanted to stop and I said no lets just get it done. I thought it would get better. Nope, it didn't! I had previously said I wanted it all, but we got to a good stopping point and I was told it was only going to get more painful. I was cursing Danny's name. She gave me a couple of lotions to put on. I glopped on about half the bottle and waddled over to my panties and jeans. It hurt to put them on but I did, walked up to the register and paid. The girl was like see you in about 3 weeks if you want to keep it up. Oh, by the way we sell "no scream cream" which numbs the area before you get waxed. I was like, hmmmm... that would have been helpful to know about when I called to make the appointment and mentioned it was my first time. Sadist beeyotch! I'm still hurting tonight. I will be going back to my pain free trusty razor from now on. For those of you who wax and say it isn't that bad, I salute you! As for me and my vag, we are out of the waxing world for good!

Overdue Room Makeover

We've been in our house now almost 4 months and I finally painted and decorated Jackson's room. He had white walls so I really didn't want to hang anything since I knew I wanted to paint. I chose "Sea to Sea" blue which I thought was appropriate for his pirate-themed room. About half way through painting, I realized why the previous owners only painted one wall in most of the rooms... The rooms are huge!! It took a whole day to paint and another day to get Danny to help me hang the pictures and shelf. So, it took me 2 days to redo a room--the same amount of time it takes a whole team of people on Trading Spaces. Not to brag too much, but I think it turned out so cute!

Jackson's First Christmas

I can't believe Christmas has come and gone...so quickly! Not that Jackson really knew what was going on but we sure enjoyed watching him open gifts (or mostly watch us open gifts FOR him) I took the cutest picture with him on Christmas morning, and as I was getting it ready to post--removing my red eyes--I accidentally DELETED it!!! I'm so upset about it. I hardly ever get cute pictures with him, since I'm the one snapping all the pictures--Danny has a ton of cute ones with him. So, the only ones I have are of me not looking at the camera. Anyway, here are some pictures from Christmas Day. If you want to see more, ask me to see the snapfish pictures.

Danny, Danny, Danny, tsk tsk...

--excerpt from Boston Avenue Athletic Club's website-- written by Sonny Dalesandro.
The entire article can be read at

http://www.bostonavenueathleticclub.com/Articles/DB_ARTICLES.cfm?ARTID=120

Official "Fatty"

Well, I did it. I bought clothes from a fat lady store. I NEVER thought I would reach that point, but... thanks to my beautiful son and my lack of will power, I have reached a new plateau. I'm on my way to looking like Gwyneth in Shallow Hal.

I needed some new clothes that actually fit (See "Indecent Exposure") I found Avenue--which is a store for women sizes 14 and up. The good news is I am the smallest size they carry, which makes me kind of feel how I would imagine a size 0 girl feels in a regular store. Anyway, I've gotten some CUTE and comfortable clothes and didn't have to pay much. I hope that I am not a "regular" there for long, but I can't tell you the joy I felt trying on clothes that went on with ease. I am giving myself the holidays and then January 1 I've gotta get my big fat butt in gear!

wow

Teacher parties rule!

AHHHH

I feel completely cut off from the world! My cell phone is in my car, which is in the shop. My only way to communicate is through email. I mean, I can use my school phone but I don't know any flippin numbers anymore b/c I've been handicapped by the ease of scrolling down to a name and pushing send. Nobody checks email as quickly and often as I do throughout the day so I might as well mail a dang letter. The car is supposed to be done Friday which is probably when I'll get my phone because Danny cannot find anytime in his busy busy day to go by the shop and ask for the phone.

UPDATE: Danny went and got it for me and brought it to me at work! Gold Star for Danny! YAY! I have my phone again and all is right with the world again!

Prayers

Thank you Case for sharing your book "Chalkdust". Here are two prayers from that book that are so meaningful to me right now:

FOR THE CHILD I DON'T ESPECIALLY LIKE

Help me, Father.

I don't like this kid.

And I confess I'm inclined to pick on him.
He has a peculiar knack
for being in the wrong place at the wrong time,

and often he bears the blame

when I am mad at the world.

I seem to be after him for every little thing,

but, Father,

there are so many little things.

A more annoying child would be very hard to find.

He gets on my nerves,

and when I'm nervous,

I take it out on him.

It's a vicious circle.

Father, help me as I grapple

with these feelings of irritation and dislike.

Help me, at least, to be fair.

And then perhaps

fairness can lead to kindness

and kindness to affection.

WHEN IT MIGHT BE A "SNOW DAY"

Wow, it's really coming down out there, LORD!

But when is too much snow

enough snow

to close the schools?

I can't imagine

they're going to have school today...

But its 6:17,

and Peggy hasn't called me yet.

The superintendent calls the principal,

the principal calls Peggy,

Peggy calls me,

I call Marilyn and Gary...

It's really coming down!

Oh, LORD, I need a white day---

a day not scribbled up with lesson plans,

a day unmeasured by nerve-jarring bells--

a downy comforter of a day

a marshmallow day

a snow day.

On such a day

I might bake bread

I might read a novel.

I might bake bread and read a novel.

But such a day cannot be taken

when school's going on without me,

and I'm not really sick enough to be home.

No, such a day

can only be given.

Oh, LORD, I need a snow day.
It's 6:38.

The telephone's ringing.

Oh, please, let it be Peggy.

Oh, please, please, please, please, please!

Walmart Bingo

My "choir" group of girls are playing this very soon! I'm very excited!!

Kern v. Case

So I was up late last night--partying hard? mmmm...no. Danny and I were up late playing Wii Mario Cart. We were playing against The Cases on wireless (I'm so high tech now!) We had them

on speaker as we competed hard race after race. I gave it my all, but sadly, I do not possess the skills or experience my worthy opponents have. I thought I'd be cute and choose the baby stroller vehicle to race. If you are not familiar with this vehicle choice, it is much like a real-life stroller--impossible to maneuver! I kept falling off the track, running into stationary objects and losing control of the dang stroller.

My biggest victory last night was coming in 3rd (out of 4). Those that know me well know that I am a very competitive person. So, losing was difficult for me--even harder the next day when it is mixed with fatigue. When my kindergarteners ask, "Why are you yawning Mrs. Kern?" What am I supposed to tell them? It is okay for them to know I am so cool that I play Wii but the shame of losing is to great to share with my little angels. The bottom line is, There can be no more late night races on a school night! Mrs. Kern needs her sleep!

PS Kerns rule Cases drool!