"Snoooooooow"

That's right.  Linnea has learned a new word.  Emma is in love with the snow and Linnea was out in it for about 2 seconds and has vowed to never go back out in it.

Chuck E Cheese

So Emma's friend birthday party was on the Saturday before her birthday.  On her actual birthday she wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese so that's what we did.  Here are some pictures from that.

How to Eat a Cupcake

Strike a pose!

Silly girl

Such a goof!

Halloween Festivities Part 1: The Pumpkin Patch

A bit late, but better late than never right?  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

The Royal Birthday Party

Emma had a princess birthday party.  The deal I made with her was if she had a princess party this year we weren't doing one next year.  (I'm SO over the princess phase... it IS a phase right??). I had zero ideas for a cake, decorations or games.  So I bagged the game idea and just had the girls play.  They all came dressed up in princess attire and we had a yummy and pretty healthy lunch.  Lunch consisted of PB&J sandwiches cut into the shape of a heart.  Celery with peanut butter, strawberries, bagels with cream cheese and strawberry milk.

The cake... was a disaster.  I had this vision of a full sheet cake with a round cake on top of it.  The round cake would be transformed into a castle and the sheet cake would serve as the court yard.  Brilliant idea right?  Well When I put the round cake on and frosted it it started to slide off.  I should've secured it with wooden dowels but I didn't.  Then the more I tried to make it look cool the worse it looked.  So in the end I took that cake off.  I didn't make enough green frosting for the grass and I didn't get all the crumbs off of the cake so there was cake mixed in with the frosting.  But don't worry, I found a way to cover that up.  Despite all the set backs the cake tasted super yummy and Emma thought it was beautiful.  It's not by any means my best work and I have debated putting it up for the whole world to see, but I'm going to to show that everyone has their bad cooking days.

Can you tell where the castle used to be?  I made up a strawberry filling and injected that into the cake as well.  It was awesome.  Here are some more pictures from the party. I never did get a group picture of all the cuties but oh well.

4 years old!

Today my baby turns 4!  Jacob and I were blessed with the most beautiful, kind and loving daughter anyone could ask for.  Emma shows so much concern and compassion to those around her.  Her love for others radiates from her.  Emma is very soft spoken but very opinionated. She's independent but still needs her mommy sometimes. I love the morning snuggles and kisses I get from a happy girl every morning.  I hope they continue into her teenage years (but I won't hold my breath). 

It's so wonderful to have Emma as a daughter and a friend. She has a sweet and simple testimony of Jesus Christ that is consistently shown through her actions towards others. Emma is a wonderful example to her little sister of how to share, how to eat at the table, how to fold your arms for prayer and so many other things.  Emma, you are truly a beloved daughter of our Heavenly Father.  He loves you even more than I do which I don't understand how that could happen.  You bring happiness and laughter everyday.  Always remember that you are a child of God like you told me the other day while cooking dinner.  I am humbled and honored to be your mommy.  I loved you before you were born and that love continues to grow with each passing day.  I honestly don't know what I would do without you.  You help me in so many ways and I am so grateful for that.  Always keep your head held high and know that you can do anything if you are willing to put in the work.  Love Eternally: Mom

Thanksgiving- TONS of recipes and how I'm organizing my time to make them

So I'm the kind of person who is detail oriented.  I like to plan out my days.  This year  we are hosting Thanksgiving again and I'm pretty excited.  We will have 10-13 people over. (We have a 20 pound turkey and have plenty of left overs).  Cooking is something I have always loved to do and especially in large quantities.  I thought I'd share my menu with you and then break down how I will accomplish it all.  Here it is!

For breakfast we will have Sausage Egg Casserole.  This recipe comes from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound ground pork sausage
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 10 eggs, beaten
• 1 (16 ounce) container low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chile peppers, drained
•  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and set aside. Melt butter in skillet, and cook and stir the green onions and mushrooms until tender.
2. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, cottage cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and chiles. Stir in the sausage, green onions, and mushrooms. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the melted butter. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
5. Bake 40 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

I will probably cut back and only use one can of green chillies since I have little ones.  We will eat some fresh fruit with this as well.  

Now onto the dinner. Of course we will have turkey.  It will be injected with Cajun seasonings. I have a roaster oven so the turkey will bake in that all day.

Here is my stuffing recipe.  I got it off of the Taste of Home website.  I made it last year and it was a hit.

Ingredients

• 9 cups soft bread crumbs
• 1 pound bulk pork sausage
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 3 unpeeled tart apples, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• Progresso ® Chicken Broth
• 1 turkey (14 to 16 pounds)

Directions

• Place bread crumbs in a large bowl; set aside. In a large skillet, cook sausage and onion in butter until sausage is no longer pink and onion is tender; do not drain. Add to bread crumbs. Stir in apples, pecans, parsley, thyme, sage, salt and pepper; stir in apple juice and enough broth to moisten.
• Just before baking, stuff the turkey. Skewer openings; tie drumsticks together. Place on rack in a roasting pan. Bake at 325° for 5 to 5-1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 185°. When the turkey begins to brown, cover lightly with a tent of aluminum foil and baste if needed. Remove all stuffing. Yield: 12-14 servings.
  
  Editor's Note: Stuffing may be baked in a greased 3-qt. covered baking dish at 325° for 70 minutes (uncover for the last 10 minutes). Stuffing yields about 12 cups.

*Edited: Don't double it.  I doubled it this year (2011) and it was WAY too much.

For one of the sides I am going to make Roasted Harvest Vegetables.  This recipes also comes from the Taste of Home website. *Edited: I doubled this recipe this year (2011) and they all got eaten within 2 days afterward.

Ingredients

• 8 small red potatoes, quartered
• 2 small onions, quartered
• 1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, halved and sliced
• 1/2 pound fresh baby carrots
• 1 cup fresh cauliflowerets
• 1 cup fresh broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Place vegetables in a large bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients; drizzle over vegetables and toss to coat. Transfer to two greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans.
• Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Yield: 9 servings.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes are next on the menu.  They are a Martha Stewart recipe.  Last year I tried to make these the way she would've made them and decided that she is a crazy disturbed woman and just put them in a pan and baked them.  Same taste, less frustrating. *Edited: You probably only need a half recipe of these. 

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

(Martha Stewart)

14. Sweet potatoes 
    2 c sour cream

6 T unsalted butter softened, plus 6 cold unsalted butter, cut into ¾ inch thick slices

1 ¾ c packed light brown sugar 

4 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 

salt and pepper

2/3 c pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped

40 large marshmallows, halved crosswise

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork. Bake until soft, about 50 minutes. Let cool slightly on a rack.

Cut a lengthwise slit in potatoes almost all the way through, leaving about 1 inch at each end intact. Scoop out flesh, leaving a 1/2-inch border on skins. Put flesh in a medium nonreactive bowl, then transfer half to a food processor. Process until smooth; return to bowl. Stir in sour cream, 6 tablespoons softened butter, 1 cup brown sugar, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.

Green Bean Casserole is always a must.

Green Bean Casserole

** I usually triple this recipe and I could probably get by with just a double recipe.  Saturday after Thanksgiving this year and I still have 1/4 of a pan left.

2 cans green beans, drained 1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can French fried onion rings

Stir beans and soup together in a greased casserole dish. Top with onion rings. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes, or until bubbly hot. Serve immediately.

We will also have a jello salad, mashed potatoes and gravy and 5 cup salad:

 

Five Cup Salad

One cup of each:

Sour cream

Coconut

Mini-marshmallows

Bananas

Strawberries, peaches or mandarin oranges

Mix ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

I will make a double batch of this salad.

 We will also have rolls.  My favorite recipe is Kris' Basic Rolls from my friend Kris.

Kris’ Basic Rolls

(Kris Riddle)

4 c hot milk 1 c sugar

1 c shortening 1 T salt

4 eggs 3 T yeast dissolved in 1 c warm water

Flour

Mix ingredients in a large bowl or bread mixer. Add flour until it forms dough, not sticky, but softer then bread. Raise once. Shape and bake. Bake at 350 degrees, until golden brown. Makes 64 rolls. (I make up powdered milk with hot tap water to use instead of regular milk)

And finally to drink we will have Cranberry Wassail.  I got this recipe from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 gallon apple cider
• 1/2 gallon cranberry juice
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cups pineapple juice
• 1 large orange, thinly sliced
• 24 whole cloves
• 1/4 cup clover honey
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Garnish:
• 12 fresh mint leaves
• 12 orange slices for garnish

Directions

1. In a large saucepan or pot, combine cider, cranberry juice, lemon juice, pineapple juice, orange slices, cloves, honey, sugar, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer; add nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve warm and garnish each cup with mint and an orange slice. 

 Oh and for dessert we will have Upside down Apple Pie

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons shortening
• 2 tablespoons cold butter
• 5 to 7 tablespoons orange juice
• 
  FILLING:
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted, divided
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 8 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apple (about 1/8 inch thick)
• 
  GLAZE:
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 to 3 teaspoons orange juice

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening and butter until crumbly. Gradually add orange juice, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough into two balls. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Line a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate with heavy-duty foil, leaving 1-1/2 in. beyond edge; coat the foil with cooking spray. Combine 4 tablespoons butter, brown sugar and pecans; spoon into prepared pie plate.
• In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, apples and remaining butter; toss gently.
• On waxed paper, roll out one ball of pastry to fit pie plate. Place pastry over nut mixture, pressing firmly against mixture and sides of plate; trim to 1 in. beyond plate edge. Fill with apple mixture.
• Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim to 1/4 in. beyond plate edge. Fold bottom pastry over top pastry; seal and flute edges. Cut four 1-in. slits in top pastry.
• Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Bake 30 minutes longer or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent over browning if necessary.
• Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Invert onto a serving platter; carefully remove foil. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over pie. Yield: 6-8 servings.

 And Double Layer Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
3. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving. 

I might make a Chocolate Cream pie as well.

I just got overwhelmed by all these recipes.  Good thing I have it broken down to the minute!

On Wednesday I am going to make the desserts, jello salad, 5 cup salad (excluding the bananas), breakfast casserole, green bean casserole (excluding the topping), and sweet potatoes (baked once), 

On Thursday here is what my day will look like:

6:30am wake up and put casserole in oven

7:30am Breakfast

8:00am head to the gym

10:00am come back from the gym and shower

11:00am mix up rolls and bake

12:00am prep stuffing

12:30 stuffing in the oven (Bake at 325 degrees)

1:30 boil potatoes for mashed potatoes

1:40 Green Bean Casserole in oven (325 Degrees)

2:00 Sweet Potatoes in the oven and prep veggies (350 degrees) and mash potatoes

2:20 Veggies in oven (400 degrees)

2:30 Make Wassail

3:00 EAT!

And that's how I'll be spending my Thanksgiving day.