Chicken Tetrazzini!

If you like mushroom and mushroom flavor, you will love this dish!

1 lb uncooked spaghetti
1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 and a 1/3 cups chicken broth ( you can just put one cup of chicken broth and 1/3 cup of sherry if you want)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp pepper
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided


Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a dutch oven, saute the mushrooms, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the soup, chicken, broth (and sherry if you use it), italian seasoning, pepper, and 1 cup cheese. Drain spaghetti and stir into mixture.

Transfer to 9X13 greased pan. (You can also use an 8inch baking pan and freeze the other half if you want to make later). Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until heated thoroughly. If you elect to freeze half of it, it can freeze up to 3 months.

Florida recap!

Mom and I on pontoon boat ride through Everglades National Park

Jeremy and I in the island bay

Getting ready to go for a dip!

Check out that gator in the swamp

We got up at 6am and drove to a state park on the island to watch the sunrise

We took an airboat ride through the Everglades

We all held an alligator. Here is my mom holding it.

HAHA!

Me with the gator

We had a great time in Florida. I am so glad we were able to go and take my mom on this trip. She had such a good time and it was great to see her so happy and not worrying about herself. I wish we were still there. I had forgotten how relaxing it is to lay on the beach, feel the wind in your hair, and the sun beating down on your skin. I am pretty sure it was warmer there than it has been here all summer.

F-L-O-R-I-D-A!!!!

Leaving tomorrow to go to Florida for the week! See ya when we return!!! :)

Pickle Rolls!

This is a family favorite for most members of my family. I actually do not eat them because I do not like pickles, but everyone who does love pickles seems to think they are wonderful!

What you need:

whole baby dill pickles
sliced beef (we usually use the carl budding beef)
cream cheese
toothpicks

Take the slices of beef and cut into halves. Spread cream cheese on the beef and place the pickles on top of it. Roll the beef around the pickle and insert a toothpick!

Chocolate Chip Cheeseball!

My sister brought this to a family event recently, and I HAD to have recipe after trying it. This is amazing!

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter/margarine, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T brown sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
3/4 cup crushed Heath (or pecans if you choose)

Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in powdered sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Now stir in chocolate chips and mix everything together. Sprinkle the Heath or pecans on the bottom of whatever you are going to serve the cheeseball on and then put the mixture on top of it. It is going to be really soft, but form it in a ball and cover it with the remainder of the topping. Refrigerate a minimum of 30 minutes before serving. You can use teddy grahams, graham crackers, or whatever else sounds appetizing to eat with it.

Camping at the Zoo!!

Last Saturday night we camped at the Henson Robinson Zoo with Blayne's Cub Scout troop. I was considering not going because I am not the easiest of campers, but the weather was going to be cool, so I decided I would give it a shot. It was a lot of fun. We got to see some "behind the scenes" stuff at the Zoo like the freezers they keep the food in for the animals. We got to see some of the reptiles that they don't have on display everyday and got a lesson on frogs. The lady who runs the Zoo (not sure what her title is, but her name is Jackie) knew everything about every animal. She was so informative. She has worked with various Zoo's throughout her career, including in Africa and Europe. She fixed us supper and breakfast and fed us under the pavillion they have there in the park. She told us that often times when she shows up in the morning people will have taken their household pets they don't want and tie them to the door outside of the Zoo or they throw them over the fence. She said she has had goats, snakes, turtles, etc out there in the morning.

On a less positive note, trying to sleep in that Zoo was quite a challenge. The wolves began howling and I am pretty sure they set off all the other animals there because they all began going crazy after that. I also woke up at one point with a terrible pain in my hip and realized that all of the air had seeped out of my air mattress and I was lying on the ground. Ouch! My hip was really hurting. And, hello, why was I freezing in mid-July? I wore flannel pants, a hooded sweatshirt and was wrapped up in a fleece blanket and I was freezing cold. Don't get me wrong though, I would have much rather been cold than hot all night! I sleep good Sunday night after all of that, but it was a good time and Blayne was so excited to be able to sleep in the Zoo.

Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore!

Having a picnic in South Dakota on the way
The Teton Mountains at night

The Teton Mountains at dusk

Old Faithful

The town square in Jackson, WY

The boys and I in front of Morning Glory Pool

A grizzly bear that jumped on the road and Blayne took off running the opposite direction as quick as he could run.

We had to hike to this waterfall down the side of the mountain. Going down was fine. Coming back up equaled Aunt Jessica throwing up about 75 feet from the top.

A huge buffalo that was next to our car

After so much driving, and leaving at 2:30 in the morning we made it to Mount Rushmore the first day

We had an amazing time on our vacation. I am not really a nature person, but I loved the trip. We ended up seeing 8 bears, 3 wolves, about 30 mountain goats, 3 moose, and hundreds of elk, deer, and buffalo. Brayden and Blayne did not want to come home at all. They really had a great time. I loved hearing them complain about having to leave. I think this was the first vacation I probably lost weight on. The weather was amazing there. The temp ranged between 42 and 91, with very little humidity. On one of the mountain ranges people were skiing because there was still enough snow there that was possible to do. I thought the variations in temperature would make me sick, but I felt great the whole time, except for the hike up the mountain that got me. I also got an occasional headache from the elevation. I had 485 pictures of the trip, but these were a few of the good ones that I wanted to share.

Vacation!!!

Leaving tomorrow night for Yellowstone National Park with Jeremy, Brayden, and Blayne. See you when we get back!

Pics to follow!!!

Update from Jeremy

Some time ago I posted that I decided to make some lifestyle changes, etc. and provide updates along the way. I'm not exactly sure how long I've been at it, but I can say thusfar I've lost 16 pounds and several inches around the waist. Dietwise, I've tried to eliminate fast food, eat more fruit, and eat everything else in moderation. Exercise has been important as well - I jog anywhere from 2 to 3.3 miles, depending on how I feel any given day. If the legs/shins are too sore from running, I'll jump on the bike and ride anywhere from 8-12 miles (sounds like a lot, but its not bad at all on a bike).

In another month or so, I'll post another update. Until then, take care all.

1...2...3...4!!!!!!!!!

Today, Jeremy and I have been married four years! It has gone by so quickly, and has been such a great four years. I can't even imagine my life without him. He is my everything!!!

Beef Teriyaki

I believe that this recipe was my Grandma's. My mom has always made it and it is one of very few Asian dishes that my family prepares.

1 beef roast or stew meat pack that equal the size of a roast
½ bottle soy sauce
1 tsp ginger
1tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
meat tenderizer as desired
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp cooking oil

If you buy roast, cut the meat into squares. If you buy stew meat then you can skip this step. Combine the above-mentioned ingredients and pour over the meat. Marinate for atleast five hours and bake at 350 degrees until it cooked all the way through.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you mamma's out there!

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” Washington Irving

Change is Coming

Hey all, it's Jeremy here. The blog is normally Jessica's arena, but I'm gonna make an entry tonight. Here goes nothing.......

Changing something - whether it be a routine you get into, a physical feature, habits, etc. - is often tough to do. It's easy to say "I would love for 'this' or 'that' to be different", but taking the necessary steps to make the change is sometimes tough to do. Eventually a catalyst for change comes along.

As you know, I've always been a "bigger" person. I've always been that person described in the paragraph above. I always wanted to lose weight and be in better shape, but for whatever reason I could not find the motivation to make it happen. I'm working on changing that now. I guess I got tired of clothes not fitting right and shopping for clothes bordering on not being enjoyable. Closing in on 30 has also added some motivation as well. Point is, these things have now motivated me to get me off the couch.

My short-term goal is to get in good enough shape to run in a 5K run by the end of this summer or in the fall. I have been jogging in the evenings and watching what I eat through the day. At this point I don't time my runs, but my personal best distance is 2.8 miles. Last week, I sustained an injury at softball practice. I tried fielding a ball with my shin instead of my glove. I've had a knot on my shin all week and it has been pretty swollen. I've taken a break from running this week, but to stay active I've been riding my bike. Tonight I rode 6 miles. Not a tremendous distance, but a good way to stay active. As of this entry, 4/30/09, I have lost 6 lbs. I welcome anyone that wants to "train" and run w/me this fall. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

- Jeremy

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders!

Ingredients:

3 bonless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1/2 inch strips)
2/3 cup bisquick mix
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt or garlic salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tbsp butter, melted

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil and non-stick spray. In a one gallon resealable food storage bag, combine bisquick, cheese, salt, paprika. Dip 1/2 the chicken strips into the egg and place in the bag and shake. Place on cookie sheet and repeat with the other half. Drizzle the butter over the chicken tenders before you cook them. Bake 12-14 minutes, turning them over half way through.

Here comes Peter Cottontail!

My mom and Ann
Jeremy and I

A few babies in my family strike a pose. Zayne (on the left) is the youngest and I believe he is the biggest of them!

Ann with the boys

Me and Mamma snuggling on Easter

Me and my sista's!

Zayne and Jeremy chilling after their bellies were full

My little bunny!

Zayne and Kenna with the Easter Bunny at the mall!

My Korean Sister!

This is Hae-ahn Kwon (we call her Ann), and she is my Korean sister. My family had her as a foreign exchange student back in 2002 and she flew back for a few days to visit us. She is currently an art student at Cooper Union in NYC, and she did one semester at Columbia. Her dad owns an art institute in South Korea, so she comes by her work very naturally. We missed her so much! While we kept in close contact with her, most of us had not seen her since we took her back home to Korea in the summer of 2002. My mom and I managed to arrange her arrival and keep it a secret from everyone else. We said my mom had a dentist appointment and then told my sister we would meet her at the mall after the dentist appointment and then the whole family was going out for supper at 5. The look on all of their faces were priceless when they saw her. Even after seven years, she is still the Ann that belongs to our family, even if not biologically. We all feel very blessed and grateful to have her as part of our lives. We had some very busy days with her here and I am very ready to sleep in tomorrow!

Buffalo Chicken Dip!

This recipe is courtesy of Jeremy...It's okay for me, but he loves this stuff, so therefore he is almost always the one who makes it!!

Ingredients:

2 large cans of white meat chicken, drained
1 cup ranch dressing
1 cup of Frank's Hot Buffalo Sauce
12oz cream cheese (1 and a 1/2 bricks)
4 cups shredded cheddar or cojack cheese

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and bake in a 9X13 pan or split into two 9 inch pie plates. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown on top. Serve with keebler club crackers or tortilla chips.

Homemade Maple Syrup!

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
t tsp maple flavoring

Combine water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add maple flavoring. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Serve hot...Serves about 3

Brainwashing???

Do you think Jeremy has brainwashed my nephews? We went to the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday and look at what they are wearing. That was NOT planned!

Creme Brulee French Toast!

1/4 cup butter
2 1" thick slices of bread (best with homemade) with the crust trimmed
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sliced bananas
1/2 cup slices strawberries

Beat together egg yolks and sugar. Slowly whisk milk and cream into egg mixture. Stir in vanilla. Dip bread in egg mixture. Saute' in butter over medium heat until golden brown. Top with sliced bananas and strawberries. Serve with warm maple syrup.

No More!

As many of you are aware, 2008 was a very rough year for my family. Some of my greatest emotional challenges so far in life took place last year and I have learned many lessons about life through all of that. There were very few months last year that were calm and things didn't go wrong or we didn't get bad news. Here is some of what I am talking about....My dad had a stroke last year in early 2008. Then, late last year he got into a bad car accident (while leaving the emergency room because we thought my mom was having a stroke) where he rolled the car seven times. He spent a couple days in the hospital, and sustained some minor bleeding on the brain, but is okay now. Two of my Aunts (who are twins) were diagnosed with cancer and my mom was re-diagnosed with cancer. After my mom was re-diagnosed she had to have a femoral rodding surgery in which she lost a tremendous amount of blood, then she had a right hip replacement, and a month later had a heart attack. Much of our summer was spent at the hospital. I think that between her, my dad, and my Aunts last year they should have just reserved a suite somewhere in the hospital for our family. It's really sad when hospital employees begin to call you by first name. 2008 did bring us baby Zayne into the world and for that I am very thankful.

We were very hopeful that better things would be in store for 2009, but so far, this year has come at us with a lot of force. On February 2nd, my Grandpa unexpectedly passed away. His friend was driving him to kidney dialysis when he passed out and quit breathing. He was resuscitated and put on a vent and air lifted to Memorial Hospital, but after being evaluated by a team of neurologists it was determined that he had lost most of his brain function. So, my mom, as his power of attorney, made the decision to remove the vent and he passed shortly thereafter. The decision was not easy for her and she spent a lot of time in the bathroom getting sick before deciding. I must say that unexpected deaths are harder on those left behind, but so much easier on the departed. I know he wouldn't have wanted to go any other way and I find comfort in that. It doesn't end there though. Exactly two weeks later on February 16th, one of my twin Aunts who had cancer passed away. She was only 51. She has an 18 year old son and Jeremy and Jason drove all night long Sunday into Monday to get him from college in Indiana so he could say his goodbyes and he made it just in time. I know that God does not give you more than you can handle, and I have found an inner strength I never knew existed, but I am hoping this bad series of events ends here! NO MORE! Thank you to everyone who already knows this and has thought of and prayed for us.

LASAGNA! YUMMY!

Here is my lasagna recipe! This is one of my husband's favorites of the vast array of dishes that I make. If any of you have tried any of these recipes that I have posted, please give me feedback, even if you didn't like it.

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef (can also substitute with some sausage. I usually make it 60/40)
one medium onion, chopped
2 6oz cans tomato paste
1 package of dry spaghetti sauce mix (I usually use the thick & zesty)
1 and a 1/2 tsp parsley flakes
9 lasagna noodles
1 large carton of small curd cottage cheese
2 8oz packages of shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend (I use the Italian cheese blend from Meijer and I use three bags because I like mine really cheesy, but it works with two if you don't like it that cheesy)

Brown beef (or sausage/beef mix) and onion, season with s & p, and drain. Add tomato paste and 2 6oz cans of water. Simmer for a 1/2 hour. Stir in parsley flakes and spaghetti sauce, mix and simmer for 15 minutes. Cook sauce to be very thick and dry. Cook lasagna noodles in salted water until tender. Grease a 9X13 inch pan and layer:
1/2 noodles
1/2 meat sauce (I usually make up my meat sauce the night before)
1/2 cottage cheese
1/2 mozzarella or Italian cheese blend
Repeat Layers

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

TIP: If you use three bags of cheese like I do, you will need to use a pretty deep 9x13 pan. I have a glass dish that is about an inch deeper than the rest of my 9x13 dishes and that is what I use

A fashion career!

Two weekends ago we kept MaKenna and Zayne. MaKenna picked out her own clothes and this is what she came up with. Think she might have a future career in fashion?

Cub Scout Night with the Blues!

The junior blues had Cub Scout/family night last Friday night and we took the boys to it.

It was so much fun!

There was an open skate afterward. I am not sure who is helping who in this picture. :)

No bake Chocolate Pie!

This is for the beginners who get recipes off my blog...I must say though, despite the simplicity of making this pie, it is a staple at every family function on my mom's side because it is so good. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

1 keebler graham cracker crust (works better with a deep dish crust...you can make your own as well...I have done that with crushed graham crackers and melted butter, but with this pie I have found it tastes better with the pre-made crust)
8oz package cream cheese
1 tub cool whip
1 cup powdered sugar
2 small boxes chocolate instant pudding
3 cups milk

Mix the two small boxes of chocolate pudding with the three cups milk and let is set up for a few minutes. Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese, 1 cup cool whip, and 1 cup powdered sugar. The cream cheese mixture is your first layer and needs to be spread evenly on the crust. Then, you top that layer with your chocolate pudding and use the remainder of your cool whip from the tub for your top layer. Chill and serve!

Depending on whether or not you find a deep dish graham cracker crust (because they are hard to find) you may have to add that top layer of cool whip as you are serving it because it tends to get a little taller than the lid can handle.

25 Random Things!

I have facebook and a bunch of people on there are going around tagging people to post 25 random things about themselves, so I decided to carry it over to the blog world. Here are my random 25....come on people, post your 25!

25) I am left handed. It comes from my dad's side of the family, but neither one of my parents are so it was hard to learn things growing up. My mom even tried to switch me at one point and my doctor got mad.

24) When I moved to college it was the first time I had ever moved in my life. This is because my parents still live in the same house they bought when they got married almost 38 years ago.

23) I have been to South Korea, which was awesome.

22) I bite my fingernails something terrible, which I am learning to control better because with braces I can't get close enough to my nails to bite them. It's not a nervous habit, I just do it whenever I feel like they need to be bitten. (Just for the record...Katie tried to pay $30 in high school to stop doing this and I stopped for a few weeks. She didn't pay me, so I bit them all off again. I hope you remember this, Katie you scoundrel!)

21) When I was four I fell into a blazing hot fire at a campground while on vacation in Indiana. My entire body was submerged into the fire and the only injury I sustained was a small burn to my left elbow.

20) In 6th grade, I broke both of my feet at the same time. Seven bones between the two of them. This is the only time I have broken anything.

19) When Jeremy wanted to propose to me I told him that if he bought the huge ring that I wanted I would never ask for another piece of jewelry for the rest of our lives. He bought it for me, and I will never ask for another piece of jewelry again!

18) My younger sister and I are only 13 months apart and I have another sister who is 13 years old than me.

17) Jeremy and I are the only ones in both of our families that do not have children, and we are not the youngest either.

16) I went into emergency surgery 8 days before my wedding and had my gall bladder removed. It was either that or skip my honeymoon to Jamaica to have it done and that wasn't happening.

15) One of my biggest pet peeves is when people have children and then don't take care of them the way they should or take advantage of Grandma and dump the kids on her all the time.

14) Along those same lines, when people brag about all the expensive stuff their kids have and they haven't even bought any of it...family members have.

13) I hate wearing a winter coat. The weather must usually be under 30 degrees for me to wear a coat.

12) I am a very particular sleeper. I must be in a perfect position, and I must have a fan on that does not face me. I need it for the noise. In the college dorms, I slept with my fan on to drown out noise in the hall and after that I developed a dependency for it.

11) I LOVE to cook. I can make just about anything and I love getting new cookbooks.

10) The greatest accomplishment that Jeremy and I have ever done together so far is both get our MBA's together. We sat through every class together and he was one person ahead of me in line at graduation to receive his diploma. I got so caught up in the moment watching him walk across the stage and feeling so proud of him (of us) that I didn't even realize for a second they had called my name.

9) I have recently developed a liking to mushrooms, something I never thought I would like.

8) I grew up on a farm. Yes, I gathered eggs from the chickens, bottle fed animals, ate the cows that were raised in our backyard, etc.

7) Jeremy and I have several items that were in his great great great grandfather's medical office who was a doctor in the 1800's. He was the first doctor in Virden and was also President of the bank in town at the same time.

6) My childhood career goal was to be a cop.

5) Up until the age of about 19 I wanted eight children. Then, I realized how unreasonable that is today.

4) I tend to hold grudges and not let go of things as easily as I should. If you have upset me in the last few years, mark my word, I remember every detail about it. This is something I have been working hard to change.

3) I can lay in bed awake for hours. Jeremy used to think I slept a lot until he realized that it is not uncommon for me to lay there for an hour or two awake after I wake up in the morning, when time permits. I love it!

2) When the time is right (and Jeremy and I will decide together when it is) I can't wait to be a mom. I still have things I want to do before that happens though. I love my sisters' kids like they are my own and I can't imagine loving any child more than I love each of them, but I have heard it is possible. It almost scares me to love a child more than I love them.

1) Jeremy is, and always will be, my best friend and the one person I can count on for anything.

For the pasta lovers....like me!

Linguine Carbonara

Ingredients:

salt
8 oz linguine
1/2 stick butter
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup crumbled cooked bacon (about 10 slices)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 medium egg, beaten
freshly grated parmeson cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook al dente according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper, mushrooms, and crumbled bacon. Saute' over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Add cream; bring to a full boil. Add linguine; return mixture to a full boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add egg, stirring quickly to prevent egg from scrambling.

Put in bowls and top with parmeson!

Part-time job

So, yesterday I went back to work part time. It was definitely different going back to work after being off for so long and just helping my mom most of the time. The job is very flexible though and I basically work when I want so it is a good fit for me and will still allow me to be available for my mom. I am working for a company that assigns you elderly people and you take care of their needs. For example, light housework, cooking, grocery shopping, take them to doctor's visits, etc. Okay, so not the typical job for someone who has a MBA, but it will work for now. So far, I have one regular client Monday-Thursday from 3pm-6pm, and then I am filling in for other people when they can't go to their clients. I think there is a part of me that will feel very rewarded at the end of every day once I get going with this. I hope that someday when I am old and can't do things on my own someone will care for me as good as I intend to care for my clients.

Spinach Dip!

Ingredients:
2 packages cream cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
6 tablespoons real mayonnaise
1 packet onion soup mix
2 packages boxed spinach (unthawed & drained)
1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned salt

Combine all of the aforementioned ingredients and refrigerate a couple of hours before serving. It goes great with just about any dipper. We like to use Hawaiian bread, but I took this to work (when I used to work) and my co-workers liked it with crackers and tostitos scoops.