Sweet Apple Muffins...

This morning we had a house full...

Well a house full of BOY SCOUTS that is! 

And everyone knows that boys are always hungry!  So I thought I would not only feed them but I would feed my own family!  This is one of our family favorite muffins...its been in the family for years!  I remember making these as a little girl (so yes, that is a long, long time ago...how long...I'm NOT telling!!)

(I have to laugh at this picture...as I was taking it, getting ready to give it to my hubby for breakfast...Josh yells "NO wait don't take it yet!"  He starts going through my cabinets looking for something, messing everything up and then brings out my cinnamon and places it on the apples and says "Now its ready for its picture and to be served!"  He is such a nerd!  But ya gotta love the kid!!

 

 

Really this recipe is truly a NO BRAINER recipe!!  PROMISE!! 

 

Hardest part...grating the apples!

 

So easy to mix, you really don't need to use a mixer!

 

Fill your muffin tins 3/4

 

Top with topping and bake

 

Eat and enjoy!!

 

SWEET APPLE MUFFINS

 

1 Egg

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup grated apple

 

Topping:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup broken nuts

1/2 tsp cinnamon

 

Heat oven to 400'.  Grease a 12 muffin tin.   Beat egg, stir in milk and oil, add grated apple.  Mix in remaining ingredients just until flour is moistened.  Batter will be lumpy.  Top with topping.  Bake 25-30 min.  Remove immediately. 

 

ENJOY!!!! 

Blue and Gold Banquet...

I was looking at some old pictures and came across these pictures from Seths last Blue and Gold Banquet!  Its crazy how fast time fly's!  Every year while the boys were in Cub Scouts for the Blue and Gold Banquet my boys always had to make a cake.  Every year it was something different and fun!! They has such creative ideas.  Seth loved going through my cook books looking for ideas and sometimes would pick very hard things to make but this year he did good! 
 
Seth for some strange reason didn't want to do a cake...he wanted to be different and wanted to do CUPCAKES, so that's what I let him do.

This burger is the BEST and BIGGEST you'll ever have and the SWEETEST TOO!!!  YUM!!!

 This Hamburger had the works...lettuce, tomato, catsup, mustard, cheese you name it!! 

And who could forget the SLIDDERS!!! 

 

Seth had so much fun making these for his last Blue and Gold...it was truly and night to remember!! 

Keep your fingers CROSSED...

There are lots of changes happening to our family the next few months! 

 

Now these changes aren't necessary life changing...some are GOOD, some are just SO-SO, and some are just plan BAD! I guess it all depends on how you look at it really and who you ask!

 

The first change happened Sunday! I was released from primary! Now this can go either way, depending on how you look at it and really how I make it!  This could be a GOOD thing or just a SO-SO thing. Now that I'm not in primary I really need to get to know the sisters in my ward better.  When I was younger I really was an out going person.  Over the years I've became a not so out going person, strange!  I've become a little sky, crazy! Strange I know!  So this can be a GOOD thing, be getting out of my comfort zone, which is primary...BUT SO-SO or BAD even cuz if I don't put myself out there it could be a very lonely time at church...KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED!

 

Now the next change happened at the beginning of the month!  Since moving into the ward I've had the same VT partner and route (2 1/2 years now) but this month I got a new route and partner!  It should be fun!  Its a start for me to get to know others...Again KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED!!!

 

Another major change...DJ has been with his unit VCU (Vehiclear Crimes Unit) for years, like 15 years now!  That's a long time to be in the same unit!  I'm not trying to brag BUT HE IS THE BEST AT WHAT HE DOES!!! In fact his unit has stopped him from trying to leave in the past cuz he knows his stuff...but that's all about to change!!  In two weeks he is finally getting his transfer to GIU (General Investigations Unit).  Now this is a GOOD thing cuz it gives him a chance to try something new, to leave VCU after so long, to add to his resume, to get away from certain people and lots of other things...A SO-SO thing cuz he knows what hes doing in his current unit and now he will have to learn new stuff, which could go either way GOOD or BAD.

This could also turn out really BAD cuz right now he can set his own time with work, if theres an emergency at home, he can come home...if he needs to take a day off, he can...We have NO idea if he can with his new unit...guess we will have to wait and see...so KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED FOR HIM!!

 

The next BIG change happens in a few weeks to the boys and DJ...SCHOOL BEGINS!!!  For me this is a GOOD thing!!!  I get my peace and quiet back...WHOOWHO!!!For the rest it could go either way!!

 

For DJ, he starts teaching at the college again.  It usually is a good thing for him.  The hard part is it means getting home later on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Plus the added stress of balancing his church calling with it.  Hes the Scoutmaster.  So that means Scouts on Tuesdays and once a month Scout round tables.  Sometimes balancing that is crazy.  Plus if he gets crazy students it makes for a very crazy and stressful semester...KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT IT ALL GOES GOOD.

 

As for the boys...Josh is starting his 10th year in High School and 2nd year of Seminary and Seth is starting 6th grade this year!  Now things could be GREAT for them or it could just be SO-SO or even BAD...depending on what they decide to make of the year!!

 

If Josh can keep his schedule balanced, stay up on his homework and keep his grades up - I'm pretty sure he'll have a great year!!  As for Seth if he can pay attention, stay calm, not talk too much, keep up on his work and most important - think before he talks - then he will have a great year...SO KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED FOR THEM!!!

 

There is a lot more changes coming our way and I guess its up to us to make it GOOD and not SO-SO or BAD...

SO KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED FOR US!! 

Great Oatmeal Cookies...

Like I said a few weeks ago there are a few things our family takes very serious...one of those things was Chocolate Cookies...

 

...Well, I guess I should of said we take homemade cookies seriously! 

We really love cookies in this family! (if you don't believe me - look at my waistline)  Not just my hubby and kids, but my parents, my brother and sisters families...MY WHOLE FAMILY!  We love our cookies! 

 

This last week Cayla, my parents, brother and his family went to MX.  Now when we go to MX we take all our food (with the exception of bread and tortillas).  My mom asked Cay to make Oatmeal cookies and she would make the Chocolate cookies. 

 

 One problem with making cookies for this trip...Cayla was barely getting back from UT the night before they were all leaving.  So I offered to make the cookies for her. 

 

Now to let you know how much my family loves cookies...according to Cayla and Josh the batch I made was gone the first day...THATS A LOT OF COOKIES! 

 

Enjoy...our family loves them! 

They are so soft! 

Depending on the size you make them you can fit more on your cookie sheet.  

As long as you don't over bake these they will stay soft and moist!

 

3/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt  (be careful not to add too much, you could even add a little less if you'd like)

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp cloves

3 cups quick cooking oats

OPT:  1 cup raisins and/or 1 cup chop nuts

 

Mix thoroughly shortening, sugars, egg, water and vanilla.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Drop dough by teaspoonful's on greased baking sheet. Immediately remove from baking sheet.  Bake 12 to 15 minutes. 

 

YUMMY!!! Enjoy a batch of nice warm cookies!

Comfort Food...Hamburger Quick Casserole



Who doesn't love COMFORT FOOD...

Well my family truly loves it!  Comfort food can be anything!  We have lots of family favorites that are simple, delicious and just plan yummy!

 

Casseroles are always a easy and good meal.  And my family LOVES this recipe!  My mom use to make it all the time for us as kids and we thought it was the BEST thing around.  Then when I started cooking I realized that it was one of the easiest things to cook...you really can't go wrong with noodles, lots of cheese, sour cream and meat!  Those are three of the staples in my opinion for comfort food!! 

 

The other great thing about this recipe...double it and freeze on for another time! 

 



Bring water to boil and add noodles, cook till just al-dente. Drain and set aside. While noodles are cooking chop onion. Then brown meat and onion together, season to taste. Drain and put back into pan.  Next add tomato sauce and set aside.  

Cream together cottage cheese, sour cream and cream cheese...mix well.  

Take a large casserole dish and spray with pam.  Take half of noodles and spread on the bottom. 

Next spread cheese mixture over noodles. 

Top with remaining noodles.  

Then top with Hamburger mixture.  Bake about 45 minutes at 350'.

 

1 1/2 lb ground beef (turkey works really good too) - cooked

Half of a medium onion chopped fine.

Salt and Pepper

1 - 15oz can tomato sauce

1 - 22 oz wide egg noodels - cooked

 

(I usually double the following because we love the thick layer of cheese.  I don't use all of it because the left over mixture is WONDERFUL in omelets)

8oz cottage cheese (double to 16oz)

8oz sour cream (double to 16oz)

8oz cream cheese (double to 16oz)

 

If you are going to freeze make sure you cover it well, then when your ready to eat, defrost and reheat. 

Broccoli and Cheese Calzones with Chef Seth

Meet Chef Seth...

While Josh has been gone this summer Seth wanted to help pick what we were having for dinner.  He sat for hours going through a bunch of my cookbooks and some of our family favorite recipes! 

The kid loves to cook!

 

For his first recipe he picked Broccoli Cheese Calzones...(my kid loves his veggies).

It was fun watching him separate his egg and to work with the dough!  I really tried not to laugh but it was fun!! 

 

Preheat oven to 450'

Steam your broccoli until tender. Let cool slightly, coarsely chop and place in a medium bowl.   

Stir in garlic, ricotta, mozzarella and egg yolk; season generously with salt and pepper. 

Divide the pizza dough into 4 portions and roll into an 8 inch circle.  Place a quarter of broccoli mixture in center of a round and fold dough in half. 

Then seal by rolling edges together toward the center and crimping. 

Using a knife, cute 2 small slits in top of calzone to let steam escape.  Repeat with remaining dough and broccoli mixture.  

Mist a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place calzones on the baking sheet. Brush calzones with olive oil.   

Bake until golden and risen, 13 to 15 minutes.  Serve immediately with your favorite sauce for dipping.

 

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets

1 large clove garlic, minced

3/4 cup ricotta  (you can add more if you want more cheese)

6 oz mozzarella, coarsely grated  (you can add more if you want-Seth did)

1 large egg yolk

Salt and pepper

Your favorite pizza dough recipe, plus we added lots of Italian herbs to ours

1 1/2 tbs olive oil

 

Dinner was great that night.  Plus DJ (dad) and I helped with dinner and made it a little family event.  Lots of fun when working with pizza dough! 

Best part of the meal...Seth cleaned up his mess!

 

Poor poor Seth...

Who would of thought it...

Certainly NOT ME...

BUT I do believe Seth has missed his BIG BROTHER these last few weeks!!

I never thought it possible...OR maybe he hasn't been mission his brother ~ He's just tired of hanging out with his parents!

 

See Josh Hasn't been home the last month and half except for a day here and a day there!

 

It started right after school got out ~ He went to Cayla's for a few days to help watch Eric.  He came home and left for a trek for 4 days with his grandpa.  Then was home one day (sort of...came home on Saturday then left Sunday), then left for a full week to scout camp with his dad.  Got back, was home one day again then left to Cays again.  He was home for a few days and then guess what...Back to Caylas for a week and a half. 

 

When Josh came home Seth grabs Josh's arm and starts pulling him saying "Come on I want to show you..."

 

But it was short live ~ only an hour cuz off to scouts they both went! Poor Kid!!

Then when they got home there cousin Caleb was at our house for a few days.  It was fun for Seth but it wasn't that one on one time he wanted with his brother.  Oh well....

 

Then after a week with Caleb and Josh, Seth might of gotten to much time with Josh...

There was their trip to Utah with their sister, then home for a few hours and then off they went to MX with their sister, plus grandma, grandpa, Uncle Dan and Aunt Trish and Caleb. 

 

So if he was missing his brother, between UT and MX he wont be anymore!!