Thank you's!

A Simple Thank You


So today is my big boys last day of preschool, sigh.. He will be starting kindergarten in the fall, and I think preschool teachers are some of the hardest working people out there. To let his teachers and bus drivers how much we appreciate them I made them each a pack of birthday and thank you cards. Here is a picture of a variety that I made, simple, but nice I think.

The stamps are from Stampin Up!, and the ribbons are various ribbons that I have picked up and collected over the years. Thanks for looking!

London Broil

Here is a recipe that I use all the time when I make london broil. I love london broil, because it is like getting steak, but on a hamburger budget!

London Broil

1 - 2 lb. london broil
3 tablespoons steak sauce
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or whatever kind of oil you have on hand
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, or plain salt if that is all you have
1 teaspoon pepper

I mix everything together in a large ziploc baggie, and marinate the london broil for at least 8 hours, 1 - 2 days, even better! Grill, or broil in your oven to your liking. Slice thin across the grain, and leftovers are great for steak fajitas, or tacos.

Easy Buttermilk Biscuits

Easy Buttermilk Biscuits

4 cups self rising flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix flour and sugar. Melt butter in microwave, then I add the buttermilk to the melted butter, and stir into flour. Put dough on a floured surface, and dust top with flour then roll out till it is between 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick. I use a pizza cutter and cut it into squares, and brush the tops with butter, and bake on parchment for 12 - 15 minutes. You can also make this the night before, and store in a covered container, then just roll out, and bake.

These are so good I hope you will try them out some weekend!!

Easy Homemade Waffles

I make these for breakfast and for breakfast dinner. Yummy add in's that I use a lot are chopped pecans, and mini chocolate chips. Enjoy!!



Easy Homemade Waffles


1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teas. baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teas. salt
2 cups milk
2 tbl. butter melted

Combine dry ingedients then stir in milk, and butter. So easy, and yummy!! You can also use buttermilk instead of milk. I mix the batter then put it in my waffle maker.

This recipe is for an "alfredo" sauce I make for my family. My boys, all 3 of them, LOVE it, and it holds up well for reheating. I always make steamed broccoli, and fresh bread to go with it. Some grilled chicken would be excellent on top.




Fakey Jakey Alfredo Sauce

2 - 3 Tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. Chopped garlic (I keep a jar in the fridge)
1 block 8 oz. cream cheese (regular or reduced fat, whatever you prefer)
2 cans evaporated milk (regular or fat free, I use what I have in the pantry)
1 - 1 1/2 cups grated parmesean cheese
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped garlic, and saute until translucent. Add block of cream cheese, and then I use a whisk, and smash it down and stir until soft, creamy, and combined with garlic and oil. Once cream cheese is smooth whisk in the cans of milk slowly to make sure that is stays creamy. Then whisk in the parmesean. The amount of parmesean varies depending on what kind of milk you use and how long you cook it. I just add it until it is slightly thickened, and it will thicken more as it cools. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to your liking.



You might have noticed that I don't incorporate meat into many of my recipe's and that is because my hubby does not eat meat, well technically he does eat fish and hot dogs, yes of all things, HOT DOGS, but that is it. I have also noticed that my two little boys aren't big meat eaters either, and I guess I have just coordinated my meals around them. Thanks for reading, and I hope your family enjoys this as much as mine!

Beer Bread

This is a super easy recipe that my Mother in Law gave me years ago when my husband and I got married. I changed it up just a little bit, and have made it enough times that I think I have pretty much perfected it! It is a big hit in my family with a good meal!

Beer Bread

2 1/2 cups self rising flour (Don't have any? I'll put that recipe too :)
1/4 cup sugar
1 - 12 oz. beer (Any kind, but the darker the better!)
Butter for on top

Preheat oven to 375, Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Combine all ingredient, except butter. Stir till the dough is moist. Put in loaf pan, and I put 3 pats of butter on the top. Bake for around 45 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Self Rising Flour

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt

*Note: If you are making your own self rising flour be sure to whisk the dry ingredients to sift them before adding the wet ingredients!*

That is all there is to it! I hope you try this, I know I am making it Thursday evening for dinner!
Enjoy!

A card for my Momma!

Mom Card


Here is another Mother's card I sent out yesterday. This one is the one I made for my Momma. I used the peach and green cardstock, with the cream squares cut out using my scallop square punch, and the rest was cut out with the Cricut and layered. The stamped background is from the "Polka dot punches set". I used my scallop punch (Martha Stewart) at the bottom so the stamped cream cardstock inside could peak out, a little bit of brown ribbon finished it off. Happy Mother's Day Momma! I hope you like it!

Cube Steak Parmesean

I figured since I did my baked pasta recipe a few days ago, that I would do my cubed steak parmesean today, which is really good baked on top of the baked pasta. When this is done it tastes like a flat meatball. Many times what I do, is cut the cube steaks in half to make them go farther. In todays economy, every little bit helps!

Cubed steak parmesan

½ cup Italian style bread crumbs
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
4 – 6 cube steaks

Bread cube steaks in bread crumb, parmesan cheese mixture brown on top on stove in a little extra virgin olive oil (or whatever you have on hand). Place on top of baked pasta, cover with a little spaghetti sauce, and cover. Not doing baked pasta, just bake in your favorite spaghetti sauce for at least 1 hour at 325, and serve over pasta.

Mother's Day Cards

Flower Pot Card


I have been busy trying to finish my Mother's day cards to send out, so I thought I would share one. This one is a flower pot card. I saw lots of them on splitcoast stampers, and decided that I would try them out. They are fun!

Here is a link to the flowerpot tutorial. http://sluman.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2009/01/25/flower-pot-pocket-card/

Easy Baked Pasta

I made this last night, and it is always so good and easy, and my family loves it! So, I thought I would post the recipe. It was so nice to throw this in the oven, and after working outside all day to just be able to sit and eat. I'm sure you could probably do this in the crockpot on low for 6 - 8 hours.


Easy Baked Pasta

2 cans or jars of your favorite pasta sauce doctored up with sugar garlic powder etc...
½ can or jar of water + or -
1 lb of pasta noodles favorite shape (Good quality like Barilla so it doesn't get mushy)
2 cups of mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

Preheat oven to 375
Place sauce, water and uncooked pasta in an oven safe non metal baking dish.
Place in oven and bake covered for 1 – 1 ½ hours depending on shape of pasta, and add a little water if needed. When noodles are done sprinkle with cheese and let melt. Serve with a salad and fresh bread.
*I usually add turkey pepperoni on top of the cheese to part for my boys, then we call it pepperoni surprise! You could also mix in frozen meatballs, or sausage and bake them with the pasta.

I have made quite a few of these little cards because they are so quick, easy, and cute! You could also put Happy Birthday in place of the saying. The lady bug is made using 3 different sized circle punches, just cut the red one in half and place at an angle to look like wings. I saw a card similar on splitcoast stampers and used the materials I had on hand to make one. The flowers are cut out using the cricut, then a 1/2 inch yellow circle in the middle using a dimensional. Thank you for looking!

Pulled Chicken

This chicken is good in taco’s or burritos, a welcome change from ground beef or turkey. This can also be put in the crockpot on low for 6 – 8 hours.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pouch reduced sodium taco seasoning
2 small cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup of water

Place everything in a skillet and cook over low heat, covered, for 1 – 2 hours, or until chicken starts to fall apart. Shred with a fork, and serve with cheese, tortilla or taco shells, and whatever toppings you like. If you don’t have tomato sauce, I have substituted with tomato soup, and just omit the sugar.

Hope you try this! It is a crowd pleaser..