Monthly Archives: January 2013

Jan 5

December’s Tasty Treats

December was quite a month. I didn’t cook as much as I wanted too, but I did get a few photos to share.

Cherry pie has become James’ favorite dessert. I think I’m making 2-3 a month now.

I made a couple batches of Chocolate Chip Cookies in December too.

I tried making a Chocolate Cream Pie from scratch as one of my practice pies for Christmas. It was very rich.

Thade wanted to make a cake from scratch. I thought it sounded like a great idea, we grabbed the cook-book, and found what he wanted to make. Cake baking with Thade was fun, and we worked on fractions too.

I also taught him how to make Chocolate Ganache. We whipped it with a little powdered sugar to make icing for the Marbled cake.

It turned out fantastic. Thade is becoming quite the baker.

I’ve been making a big Sunday dinner to finish off the weekend. I like to spend Sunday cooking in the kitchen.

We needed another batch of cookies for after-school snacks and school lunches too.

I had some of the leftover pie for breakfast.

I tested out a batch of Sugar cookies. I hadn’t made them in quite awhile. They were pretty good, but they needed icing and sprinkles too.

James spotted a recipe for microwave brownies in a mug, and it was just what I had been looking for. It took just a couple of minutes to make, and it was egg free too.

We made lots of cookies for Santa this year. We made three different kinds, so we could have some to share with the family too.

The kids decorated iced Sugar cookies for Santa. It was fun and messy.

I made homemade Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas morning. I made them the day before, an let them rise in the fridge over night.

My mother in law brought along some of her awesome homemade fudge for Christmas. Her peanut butter fudge is the best.

One of my goals for the new year is to cut out fast food even more. I’m making homemade “fast food” at home. These are panko chicken sandwiches, and they are crazy good.

I’ve been making homemade bread a few times a month too. They freeze well for future meals.

I raided the Christmas candy and made some cookies for New Year’s eve. The family really liked them.

This month we have Thade’s birthday to celebrate, and I’ll need to make some cake pops for his class. It looks like another month that I’ll be busy in the kitchen.

 

Jan 4

December’s Favorite Photos

December was one of those months that I hoped on getting lots and lots of Christmas pictures. Well, we were sick for most of the month, so that didn’t happen. I did get a few to share.

Thade was all smiles Christmas morning.

He liked decorating cookies this year too.

Dylan wasn’t quite ready for Christmas break. He was missing kindergarten by the second day of his break.

He was super happy on Christmas morning though.

Agnes cheered on her Green Bay Packers.

She was so very anxious for Christmas to arrive. She couldn’t wait to open all of the presents.

The kids tracked Santa all day on Christmas eve.

They had a wonderful Christmas.

I enjoyed the quiet evenings.

Christmas day was so much fun. It was awesome having all of our family there.

I’m still crocheting an afghan. James has claimed it.

I think I’ve been working on it for about six weeks. It is finally too big to carry along with me to crochet in the car.

Mia loved having all of the kiddos home on Christmas break. She chased Dylan and Agnes around the house.

The big kitty attacked the Christmas tree, and lights, and presents as many times as he could. He can be a stinker during the holidays.

January has arrived, and it is too cold to venture out and get any photos. We’ll see what this month brings our way.

 

Jan 3

New Year’s Resolutions

It’s that time of year again. Time to make some new year’s resolutions, and see if I can keep them. I’ve decided on ten, and none of them involve cutting out cookies or exercising.

  1. Keep a cleaner kitchen
  2. Listen more, talk less
  3. Overhaul the grocery budget
  4. Finish a project, any project
  5. Be a happier homemaker
  6. D.I.Y. more: more sewing, more crocheting, and more painting too
  7. Spend more time reading
  8. Stress less, and learn to relax more
  9. Drink more tea… Good-bye carbonated beverages, hello Earl Grey
  10. Plan a date night with my hubby, at least once a month

I think I can stick to a few of these. What about you… Have you made any new year’s resolutions?

 

Jan 2

The Last Day of Christmas Vacation

I was sitting down yesterday at the dining-room table with my trusty shopping list, coupons,  and calculator beside me. Thade popped in to see what I was doing. I told him that tomorrow we would be heading to two stores early in the morning, so we could restock the house. He said o.k., and went into the living-room.

This morning the kids actually slept in. As soon as Thade was up, he asked when we were leaving. I looked at his big brown eyes, and thought if I was eight I really wouldn’t want to spend my last day of Christmas vacation with grocery shopping and errands. I told him, let’s stay in, and play video games all day. He smiled so big.

It is easy for me to forget that my kiddos need down-time too. So we are staying in, I’m catching-up on dishes and laundry, and the kids are playing. I hope they have a great day.

 

Jan 1

January’s Monthly Menu

Happy New Year! And hello 2013! I’m ready to start off a new year, and keep up with my menu planning. In 2013 I’m making trimming the grocery budget/take-out budget even more, so I’ll be in the kitchen a little bit more too. I hope to sneak in a few new recipes, and make lots of snacks for school lunches too. First things first, here’s January’s monthly dinner menu.

  • 1/1/13: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 1/2/13: Chicken Noodles, Mashed Potatoes,  and Homemade Rolls
  • 1/3/13: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Cheese Dip
  • 1/4/13: Hamburgers and Chips
  • 1/5/13: Chicken Chow Mien, Rice, and Chow Mien Noodles
  • 1/6/13: Panko Fried Chicken, Corn, Mashed Potatoes, Biscuits, and Cherry Pie
  • 1/7/13: Beef & Broccoli stir-fry, Rice, and Coconut Cake
  • 1/8/13: Salmon Cakes, Salad, and Homemade Breadsticks
  • 1/9/13: Panko Chicken Sandwiches and Chips
  • 1/10/13: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 1/11/13: Chicken Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Rolls, and Apple Pie a la mode
  • 1/12/13: Homemade Waffles, Bacon, and Cinnamon Rolls
  • 1/13/13: Steaks, Green Beans, and Baked Potatoes
  • 1/14/13: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 1/16/13: Chicken Chow Mien, Rice, and Chow Mien Noodles
  • 1/15/13: Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 1/17/13: Panko Popcorn Chicken, Corn, and Mashed Potatoes
  • 1/18/13: Chili, Saltines, and Cinnamon Rolls
  • 1/19/13: Panko Chicken Sandwiches and Chips
  • 1/20/13: Pot Roast with Potatoes, Homemade Rolls, and Pumpkin Pie
  • 1/21/13: Chicken Burritos,Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, Cheese Dip, and Re-fried Beans
  • 1/22/13: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 1/23/13: Panko Chicken Sandwiches and Chips
  • 1/24/13: Nacho Bar
  • 1/25/13: Panko Fried Chicken, Green Beans, Spaghetti, and Homemade Bread
  • 1/26/13: Hamburgers and Chips
  • 1/27/13: Chicken Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Rolls, and Cherry Pie
  • 1/28/13: Sloppy Joe’s, Potato Chips, and Butterscotch Haystacks
  • 1/29/13: Homemade Pizza and Chocolate Bundt Cake
  • 1/30/13: Spaghetti and Homemade Breadsticks
  • 1/31/13: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, Cheese Dip, and Re-fried Beans

I had better re-stock the house, I haven’t been to the store since Christmas eve. Hello January, and hello 2013.