Saturday, May 18, 2013

May 18 2013

Today I put my garden in. Our new dock also came today. The apple tree is in bloom and the rhubarb is growing up. We have had one rhubarb crisp already.

Friday, May 10, 2013

balsamic baked chicken breasts

Tonight I am going out for dinner with girlfriends!!!  Thanks to my mom and my husband for covering for me with my girls.  Since this was planned at noon today I won't be BBQing for the family as I had planned.  Instead I wanted something my mom just has to pull out of the oven.  Also My husband can reheat when he gets home from work.  So I took some frozen chicken breasts and poured in 1/2 bottle of Kraft balsamic vinaigrette dressing  into the bag of 4 frozen chicken breasts. (complicated, so try to stay with me) I baked them on a cookie sheet for 45 minutes at 350.  Cooking time will vary depending on the size of chicken breast and if they are completely thawed.  I put a piece of aluminum foil on the cookie sheet to protect it.  I also put in 4 washed potatoes to bake.  It smells so good. I am making a salad now.  It will be enough for tomorrow night too when I BBQ the burgers I pulled out for tonight.  Genius! Minimal effort from Mom = healthy wholesome supper!

Ingredients:
cookie sheet
aluminum foil
4 large chicken breasts
Kraft Balsamic Vinegrette
4 large potatoes
Bag of pre-made salad mix.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Thoughts on cake baking

This morning I got up at 5:30 -in the AM, because my husband went to the barn noisily and Emily woke up and called for me.  I got her to go (or so I thought) back to bed.  Unfortunately I started thinking about jobs I have to do to get ready for Ashley's birthday tomorrow. Plus I remembered I forgot to put in a load of laundry last night before bed.  Does anyone else have this obsession? Must put laundry in washer after 7pm in the evening to save hydro? We are also on a well so I run the washing machine in the evening and dishwasher in the morning. I just like my routine I guess. I  am usually not quite so OCD that I would get out of bed at 5:30 to do it, but I remembered wet dishcloths and pee accident pants I threw in the washing machine last night but didn't fill the load or turn it on....stinky.
Anyways, I started back up the stairs to go back to bed and I heard her voice again so we got up and baked muffins. It started as applesauce muffins and cleaning out the fridge. Then I saw a message on facebook from a friend that no one had signed up for snack at our MOPS meeting.  So I thought I could 'whip up' a coffee cake. I tried a new recipe. It was not my best but it was edible.
Then Ashley got up. Today is the day before her b-day. We had planned to go to MOPS then McDonald's (or the french fries store, as my girls call it).  The local movie theater had a free kids movie on this afternoon. The Croods.  So This was going to be Ashley's b-day party.  I wanted to take rice krispie squares for ease and less mess, BUT When Ashley saw the coffee cake she thought it was her b-day cake so I made her a confetti cake from a box mix to take to share after the movie. 'With pink-icing' - yes Ashley, with pink icing.  All before 7 am.
Tomorrow Ashley goes to school with rice krispie squares for her class.  Then we will have another cake with the grandparents at supper. That should be enough icing to last these kiddo's for awhile.  At least until the 28th for Emily's 3rd b-day.