Monkey bread is good for me!

Hello All!
It's been a good restful weekend. We have stayed around the house doing things we like to do. Mike is working on a coffee table, I made a dent in the laundry that never goes away, we had friends over last night to play dominoes, great weekend.

The shrimp was 4 stars from the last blog. They will shrink quite a lot in the oven so don't be surprised when you peek in on it. Saturday AM I made monkey bread. I don't recall if I've given you that recipe before....I think just Gorilla bread (that has cream cheese in the middle of each piece) so I'll post the simpler version today. Also this morning I made something for my husband called Doodle Whops. Now I know that sounds like something my golden retriever makes in the back yard, but it was fast and pretty good if you like eggs. I'm not a big egg lover so I tend to shy away from recipes that include runny type eggs. Oh, I don't like jello either, it's a texture thing.

Tonight is the Oscars. It's fun to see the dresses, the hair, and find out what movies I've never heard of are winning awards. Sometimes I make a list of which ones I want to see as I watch the show, helps me to stay current on what's new. Maybe I should go home and tell Mike he has to put his suit on from the wedding and I'll doll up in my pretty black dress and we'll pretend to be at the awards ceremony. We even have a bottle of bubbly we could break out! If it wasn't for the dog hair on the couch I think we could pull it off. Have fun doing what ever you do on a Sunday night 26 days before Spring.

MONKEY BREAD
3 tubes of refrigerated biscuits
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Cut each biscuit in 4 pieces and shake it in the 1/2 cup of sugar and cinnamon that has been mixed together. After each piece is coated thoroughly drop into a bundt or angel food cake pan that has been sprayed with a non stick coating. Occasionally toss in a few of the chopped nuts so they are distributed throughout the bread. Heat the brown sugar and margarine until it comes to a boil. Pour this over the top of the biscuits and bake @ 350* for 30 min. If it looks like it's getting dark on top cover loosely with foil the last 5-10 min. Immediately invert onto a large plate and eat it up!

now....for recipe #2

DOODLE WHOPS
I made 4 so this is what I used:
3 slices of deli ham
4 eggs
grated cheese

Chop the ham and divide between the muffin cups that have been sprayed with a non stick spray. I put some green onion in next, but leave that out if you don't like onion. Crack one egg into each muffin cup, season with salt & pepper. Top with a generous pinch of grated cheese. Cheddar, Colby/jack, whatever you have.
Bake in a 350* oven for 15 min. (over easy stage) to 20 min. (hard boiled). Run a knife around the edge and scoop out with a spoon.

The ham left a bit of water in the bottom of the muffin tin when I did these so I had to mop up a little bit of liquid on the plate before serving. I suppose you could scramble the egg before putting it in if you don't like to see a big old egg yolk on your plate. What ever you do will be right!

Aliens Love Underpants !?!

This blog title is one of my preschool children's favorite books right now When the title showed up in our Scholastic book order I had my doubts, but it's pretty cute. At this age, all you have to do is say the word underwear and they crack up! There are so many great books out there, I love to share them with the kids. Right now we're in the middle of the Cynthia Rylant series about Henry and Mudge. They came about in the late 80's, and I tell my classes that they are chapter books. With a look of confidence and awe I will tell them that they are now big enough for chapter books as we begin the adventures.

It's been a week of highs and lows. Early this week we had catastrophic news about a family that we love, a tragic accident. Later in the week we were sending emails back and forth about a possible house purchase for Nate and Heather. Somewhere in there is balance, God gives us shock absorbers to help protect us from things that seem insurmountable. Those shock absorbers are family and friends. What would we do without them?

Tuesday I made crostini from a couple of baguettes that I bought at Sam's Club. It was just the right texture to make the best ones I've ever turned out. In case you have forgotten, crostini is a baguette sliced thin - maybe 1/4" that has been brushed with olive oil or butter laced with a minced garlic clove. Bake it until golden and use it for dips, my favorite being the good old bacon & tomato dip. Last night I made guacamole, and since it's Friday I feel the need to follow up with another appetizer. I'll admit I have not made this yet, so we'll see.....but it sounds great. Maybe you can try it tonight also, and let me know what you think.

Shrimp with Green Chili Pesto
4 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/4 Cups)
2 cloves garlic
2 - 4 oz cans milk green chilies, drained
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons safflower oil
1 1/2 lb. shrimp - shelled & deveined

In a food processor process cheese, & garlic until blended. Add chilies, pine nuts, parsley, cilantro, & 2-3 tablespoons oil and process to a smooth paste. This pesto may be refrigerated for up to a month.
Toss the shrimp in a bowl with the pesto and refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350* and place the shrimp on a sheet pan and bake uncovered for 15-20 min. Serve warm or at room temp.

Doesn't that sound great??? If the safflower oil is expensive, I'll substitute olive oil. I can hardly wait!

Winner winner - chicken dinner

Today we're having Valentines parties and anticipating snow. There is no sign of anything yet, just cold. We're supposed to get 4" - we'll see. One of my girls brought in ipods for everyone made from a box of candy hearts and 2 Reece's peanut butter cups for the ear buds. Very cute! The same little girl was my snack leader, she made strawberry jello parfaits, they were beautiful.

My husband is off today, nothing to do at work so they were forced to take a day off and use precious vacation time or get no pay. Cause for worry, but hopefully things will pick up again quickly. If we don't make it to Lincoln Saturday I don't know what our plans are for Valentines day. I did buy fresh artichokes to have a fun appetizer with a glass of wine, I also have some raw shrimp and beautiful red potatoes up my sleeve 'just in case'. I bought 2 eclairs from the HyVee bakery yesterday and I was SO disappointed with them. They were awful!! I'll never waste the money on them again, homemade is so much better.

Last night we had a new chicken recipe, and BONUS....it's a slow cooker recipe so it doesn't take much effort. I used chicken thighs and left the skin on, next time I will take it off. It made a lot of liquid and I used 3lbs. of chicken instead of 2 1/2lbs. I also did not find fresh cilantro (which I love) so even though it was probably missing an important flavor I thought it was delicious.

THAI CHICKEN
2 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
1 cup HOT salsa
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Place chicken in slow cooker, mix together salsa, peanut butter, line juice, soy sauce and ginger; pour over chicken.
2. Cover; cook on LOW for 8-9 hrs or on HIGH for 3 -4 hrs or until done.
3. To serve, pour sauce over chicken; sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.

I served mine on rice.

WACKY WEDNESDAY

We celebrated wacky Wednesday today as part of spirit week, and these two girls were so cute. I know you are wondering about the hair, I couldn't figure it out either. I think I'll just keep you guessing - I'm not sure if I should reveal her secret. They did give me permission to put their smiling faces on my blog.

Tomorrow is my first of three Valentines parties at school. I just returned from Walgreen's with little plastic cups, candy hearts, twix bars, & licorice for the little darlins. Every year it seems that a mom will come up with exactly the same thing I did. I have done personalized candy wrappers before, but I didn't get to my son in time to design something wonderful...so I went to Walgreen's.

Mike and I planned to go to Lincoln this weekend, but that dumb weather man is talking about a lot lot lot of snow. Doesn't he know that we're done with that? I really hope it was a really wrong forecast, we want to go see our kids! James has been working on projects in his house and Heather had a birthday almost 2 weeks ago and we haven't seen her yet. Pray for sun!

Last Sunday my friend Kristin had Bible study at her house. She made a dessert that I had not made since....I don't know when, I don't know if my kids even remember this one. My friend Nancy also made this about a month ago, so I'm thinking that what's old is new. I think it's a sign that you also might like to remember an old favorite as well.

Four Layer Dessert
1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1/2 cup pecans
1 cup powdered sugar
1- 8oz cream cheese
1 tub of cool whip
2 packages of instant pudding (any flavor)
3 cups milk

1. Mix flour, butter and pecans. Pat in a 9x13 pan and bake 15 min @ 350* - cool.
2. Cream together powdered sugar, cream cheese and 1/2 of Cool Whip - pour over crust.
3. Mix Pudding with milk and pour over the cream cheese layer.
4. Top with remaining Cool Whip and chill.
You can sprinkle more nuts on top for garnish, refrigerate.

Now you might have guessed that I like a rich chocolate pudding, but the original was pistachio. I've also seen butterscotch used a lot, so that means you can close your eyes and grab a box. Just be sure it's the instant variety.

I hope to make some truffles sometime soon. I'm looking over many recipes, you could let me know if you have a goodie I should try!

I heart you

It's 9 days into the month and this is my first post! Last night I tossed and turned and during one of those rotations, I had a great idea for a recipe. It was a simple one, I wondered if I had done it before, I was quite sure the answer was no, and now I don't remember what it was. So I'm racking my brains thinking about easy cheesy stuff.

'Jalapeno jelly' or just plain 'green pepper jelly' poured on a block of cream cheese. Serve with crackers. Divine.

Brat's cooked in onions & beer then grilled till brown. Serve in a flour tortilla instead of bread. Surprisingly great.

A tall can of salmon drained and stuff removed you don't like to eat. Mix up with 1 egg and about 10-12 saltine crackers crushed. Season and make into patties, brown on both sides with olive oil and margarine mixture. We love these.

Any mixture of greens topped with craisins, sunflower seeds & your favorite dressing. Bacon bits and green onions optional.

Bacon, you must bake it in your oven if you've never done this. It's easy and cooks beautifully. I did not try this until about a year ago, oh how much time I've wasted. Directions are on the package.

If you have never tried press and seal, your missing something great. I buy the freezer kind and I use it on many many things. It is wonderful to double wrap things for the freezer, a layer of p&s and then in a zippie bag. Perfect to cover those dishes that have no lid and it doesn't ball up like saran wrap.

Did you know you can melt fresh grated Parmesan cheese on those silicone mats and make a crispy little cracker type appetizer? I love the taste of Parmesan, fun to try and they look lacey and foo foo.

Bake a pan of box brownies. When they are just barely done sprinkle the top with mini marshmallows and heat with your broiler until they puff up. Top with canned frosting that has been microwaved just enough to thin it so you can drizzle it on, you probably don't need the whole thing. Chill and your friends will think you did a lot more work than you actually did.

I better jet home in the rain to let my doggie out. Talk to you all later!

PS Nate, thanks for being my one and only friend/follower.