Chicken and Cabbage

So here is a supper easy recipe that my whole family has enjoyed. We were at some friends on Sunday and they served this yummy dinner. My family all really liked it so I made it yesterday because it is so easy and it was baseball. I am not a huge cabbage fan, but I really liked this meal and I liked that it was healthy.

Chicken and Cabbage
Chicken Thighs (I used the boneless skinless from Sam's club)
1 Bottle Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce
Cooked Rice (Jasmine or Cal Rose)
Thinly sliced Purple and Green Cabbage

INSTRUCTIONS:
Marinade chicken for the day in 1/2 of the Teriyaki Sauce. Place a Tbs. Olive oil in a large skillet with a lid. Cook chicken on high heat for couple minutes on both sides. Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken and simmer on low for about 20 - 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Place cabbage in individual bowls. Top with hot rice and then the chicken. Spoon some of the hot Teriyaki Sauce over the top. Enjoy.

Grilling Time!

Oriental Steak Skewers
1 Pound Boneless Beef Sirloin Tip Roast

(I actually prefer to use Beef that is already cut for Carne Asada)

1/3 C. Soy Sauce
¼ C. Sugar

½ tsp. Ground Ginger
1 C. water

4 Med. Carrots, Julienne
½ Pound Fresh Green Beans

1 Lg. Sweet Red, Julienne
½ C. Sour Cream

2 Tbs. Honey
1 ¼ tsp. Prepared Horseradish
Cut beef widthwise into 16 slices, ¼ inch thick. In a large resalable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, sugar and ginger; add the beef. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 4 hours. In a saucepan, bring water and carrots to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the beans and red pepper; cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Drain and immediately place vegetables in ice water. Drain and pat dry. Drain and discard marinade from the beef. Arrange three beans, one carrot strip and one pepper strip down the center of each beef slice; roll up. For each kabob, use metal or soaked wooden skewers and tread two bundles on two parallel skewers or just seal individually with toothpicks. If grilling the kabobs, coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray before starting the grill. Grill kabobs, covered, over medium heat or broil 4-6 inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until beef reaches desired doneness, turning once. In a bowl, combine the sour cream, honey and horseradish. Serve with kabobs.

Serves 4.

A Spring Torte

The Side View..

I have a Pampered Chef Cookbook that I have never made anything our of. I decided to give this recipe a try. I turned out really yummy. It is a perfect dessert for spring!

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Torte
INGREDIENTS FOR 16 SERVINGS:
1 Pkg. (16 oz.) Pound Cake mix (plus ingredients for cake)
1 Large Lemon ¾ C. Boiling Water
1 Pkg. (6 oz.) Lemon Gelatin 1 Pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1/3 C. Cold Milk 12 oz. Frozen Whipped Topping, Thawed
1 Pkg. (3.4 oz.) Cheesecake Pudding 1 Kiwi, Peeled, Sliced and Cut in Half
1 C. Blueberries
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400. Line a Stoneware Bar Pan with Parchment Paper. Prepare cake mix as directed; pour into pan, spreading evenly. Bake 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean; cool 10 minutes. Using the edges of paper, carefully lift onto cooling rack; cool completely.
Juice lemon to measure ¼ cup juice. Pour boiling water into a small bowl. Add gelatin and 2 Tbs. of the juice; reserve the remaining for cream cheese mixture. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Prick cake at ½- inch intervals and brush cake evenly with all but 2 Tbs. of the gelatin mixture. Trim
¼-inch. around edge of cake; discard edges. Cut cake into 3 equal layers. In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese and remaining 2 Tbs. lemon juice; whisk until smooth. Add milk; whisk until smooth. Spoon whipped topping over cream mixture (DO NOT MIX). Sprinkle with pudding mix; mix well until smooth (Mixture will be thick). Place 1 cake layer on a platter. Attach open star tip to a decorator bag; fill with filling mixture. Pipe a straight border around the edge of cake layer. Place 4 scoops of filling down center; spread evenly to border. Top with second layer and repeat as above. For third layer, pipe a decorative border around edge. Spread any remaining filling sown center. Arrange kiwi slices on the top of cake. Add blueberries to reserve gelatin mixture; mix gently. (If gelatin mixture has set, microwave on High for 5-10 seconds or until softened.) Spoon blueberries over top of cake; sprinkle with reserved zest. Garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves, if desired.

Caramelized Pears

These were so delicious. I have been craving them ever since I first made them. I bought more pears today which reminded me to share this recipe. We had ours with breakfast but you could easily serve it as a dessert with a scoop of ice cream.

Caramelized Pears
INGREDIENTS FOR 8 SERVINGS:
8 Pears, Peeled and Cored

½ Lb. Unsalted Butter
¾ C. Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla
2 tsp. Cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Peel, then core the pears. Leave the stems on. In a skillet, melt butter, then add brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Stand pears in a baking dish and coat each one inside and out with the hot mixture. Bake for 60 minutes. Reapply mixture to each pear prior to serving,
COMMENTS: To get the pears to cook well, use a mellon-baller to core them. Then slice the bottoms so they are flat and will stand in the pan. It is best to use pears that are quite ripe; younger pears are too firm.

Dinner Time

Dinner time is such an important time of the day. Not only does everyone need to eat, but it is a great time to gather around the table for family bonding time. With that said, dinner is always a crazy time of evening with small children. They are hungry and it is just a busy time of the day; homework is being finished up or sports practices are starting or ending. It is important to me to provide a good cooked meal for my family. This is not always practical at the peek of a busy day. My solution: I try to have dinner prepared before my kids get home from school. If you have even smaller children, you can prepare it while your kidos are napping. When dinner time rounds the corner, you just need to pop something in the oven or finish the final preparations for the meal. It is hard for me to make dinner when I have a hundred other things going on and a 2 year old whining at me because she is hungry and I don't want to give her a snack because otherwise she will not eat her dinner. This is just something that has helped me dramatically. It is probably something that many of you already do but I just thought that I would share it anyways.

Make It Mom's Day All Year Round

I love the Love and Logic Philosophy to raising children. Since Mother's Day is in a few months I thought that this would be a great article to share.


Make It Mom's Day All Year Round --Teach kids how to treat mom with the respect she deserves. By Dr. Charles Fay

Mother's Day is a special day for moms to enjoy some well-deserved relaxation. An effective way for kids to help mom on Mother's Day – and throughout the year – is by assisting with chores around the house.
Chores are an important part of family life. They provide the foundation upon which responsibility, self-esteem, and strong family relationships are built. At the Love and Logic Institute, we've found that kids who make meaningful contributions to their families, such as preparing dinner once a week or completing household chores, are more likely to gain academic achievement, enjoy success in life, and develop a desire to give back to the community.
Here are four practical, easy-to-learn tips to teach children the value of helping their mothers (and fathers) all year round:

Tip #1: Teach kids to do their fair share of the housework without being hounded.It will make mom's life a lot easier if kids complete chores without frequent reminders. With one simple statement, show your kids you mean business in a loving way by saying, "I'll be happy to do the things I do for you as soon as your chores are done."

Tip #2: Guide your kids toward needing less help with completing daily chores.It's never too early to start teaching kids how to take care of themselves. As early as age two or three, kids can learn daily activities, such as getting ready in the morning, putting away toys, and preparing for bed in the evening.
In order to teach kids how to be independent, have them write down a list of daily tasks and mark them off the list as they are completed. If the child is too young to write, such as a two-year-old, draw pictures of the daily tasks with your child.

Tip #3: Assign chores as repayment for withdrawals from your "emotional bank account."When a parent asks a child to stop misbehaving, but the child keeps it up, the parent can say in a loving, soft tone of voice, "How sad! Your behavior has really drained the energy out of me. Now I'm too tired to clean the bathrooms. When you get them done, I'm sure I'll feel a whole lot better."
If the child refuses or forgets to do the chore, wise parents don't lecture or threaten. Instead, they quietly allow their child to "pay" for their bad manners with one of their favorite toys.

Tip #4: Show kids why it is wise to be polite to mom (and dad).When a child talks back, pick one loving statement in response and say it over and over again, such as, "Honey, I love you too much to argue." Kids will learn that they need to use a polite tone of voice and respectful words when requesting assistance from their parents.
It's never too early or late to start raising kids to respect their parents.
I know of a mom with a 15–year-old who had to "go on strike" with her son, because he was very demanding, wanting to know, "Where's dinner? Where are my clean clothes?" In response to her son's rude requests, she said, "I'll be happy to help you when your chores are done and I feel respected." It eased her stress level and before long, her son was a much happier, more respectful and responsible child.



Give Love and Logic a try and join thousands of parents who have discovered easy and effective ways to improve their relationships with their kids and teach positive family values.
Dr. Charles Fay is a parent, author, and consultant to schools, parent groups, mental health professionals around the world and President of the Love and Logic Institute in Golden, CO. His book Love and Logic Magic When Kids Leave You Speechless provides a host of helpful tips for teaching values, as well as handling other perplexing parenting issues. For more information about Love and Logic parenting and teaching techniques, call 800-338-4065.
©2002 Dr. Charles FayPermission granted for photocopy reproduction.Please do not alter or modify contents.For more information, call the Love and Logic Institute, Inc. at 800-338-4065.

Eggs Rio Grande

We had this meal when we stayed at an amazing bed and breakfast in Tahoe. It was called the Black Bear Inn. I like the meal so much that I bought their cookbook. I came home and made it for my kidos. They all loved it. Here is the first recipe. You can serve it with a small dollop of sour cream.

Eggs Rio Grande
INGREDIENTS FOR 8 SERVINGS:
8 Eggs
1/3 C. Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 (16 oz.) Container Cottage Cheese
1 (4oz.) Can Diced Green Chilies (Mild)
Pinch of Salt
2 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Lb. Sausage, Browned and Drained (I used maple flavored)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, until just mixed. Whisk in flour a little at a time, then add baking powder. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour mixture into a prepared 9 x 13 pan and stir slightly for even distribution. Bake for 50 minutes.
COMMENTS: for another variation, substitute Monterey Jack cheese for the cheddar and add ½ C. loosely packed cilantro, chopped.
I made this recipe the night before. I just had to wake up and pop it in the oven.

Roasted New Potatoes
INGREDIENTS FOR 12 SERVINGS:
6 lb. New Potatoes
4 Cloves Garlic, diced
2 Tbs. Fresh Rosemary, Chopped
½ C. Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Slice the potatoes into small pieces. Place in metal baking pan. Drizzle oil over potatoes, then add all remaining ingredients. Bake for 1 hours. Baking time may vary.

Baked Peaches with Craisens
INGREDIENTS FOR 6 SERVINGS:
2 Cans of Peaches
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Vanilla
2 Tbs. Brown Sugar
2 Tbs. Craisens
Shredded Coconut (optional)
Fresh Sliced Strawberries or Blueberries (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 200. Open and drain peaches, reserving juice. Pour juice into a large skillet. Add cinnamon, vanilla and brown sugar. Heat and stir. Fill 6 prepared ramekins nearly to the top with peaches and craisins. Pour sugar mixture over the top. Bake for 20 minutes just to warm it up. Top with coconut or strawberries or blueberries.

Blackberry Pecan French Toast

I love breakfast! My kidos do too. I have one little guy that loves a hot breakfast. As soon as he wakes up he asks, "What's for breakfast?" If I tell him cereal, he will start to cry. It's a good thing that I love to cook. We go through about 10 to 15 dozen eggs a month. I am crazy- I know! Anyways, I love breakfast foods that can be prepared the night before for quicker mornings. This is one recipe that has to be made the night before and is oh so yummy. I made this for our sunday morning breakfast. When we came home from church, we ate it for lunch again. We really liked it!



Blackberry Pecan French Toast
INGREDIENTS:
1 Lg. Loaf French Bread
8 Eggs
3 C. Whole Milk
½ tsp. Grated Nutmeg
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 C. Brown Sugar, Divided
2 C. Blackberries
5 Tbs. Butter, Divided
¼ tsp. Salt
1 C. Pecan Halves
Syrup:
2 C. Blackberries
1 C. Maple Syrup
1 Tbs. Lemon Juice
INSTRUCTIONS:
Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cut bread into 1-inch slices and arrange in a single layer in bottom of baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, nutmeg, vanilla, and ¾ C. brown sugar. Pour evenly over bread. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle blackberries evenly over bread mixture. Put 4 Tbs. butter in a saucepan, add ¼ C. brown sugar and salt. Stir until butter is melted; drizzle over bread mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until liquid is bubbling (a little longer if using frozen berries). In the last few minutes of baking, top French toast with pecans. Watch carefully so not to allow nuts to burn. For syrup: In a saucepan, cook all ingredients over medium heat until berries burst. Pour syrup through a sieve into a heat proof pitcher. Stir in lemon juice.
Comments: For the syrup, I did not pour through a sieve. It was more like a sauce than a syrup but we do not mind the seeds.

I found this recipe in the California Bed and Breakfast Association cookbook.