Really, it's just brussel sprouts, but that's what my friend N calls them. I tried this one the other night and it was a hit. Hubby is amazed when I make a brussel sprout recipe that makes him say, "May I have seconds?" Amazes me, too. I got this from Food.com, which used to be recipezaar.com.
Sesame Ginger Brussel Sprouts:
2 (10 oz) containers Brussel Sprouts
2 Tbls low sodium soy sauce
1-2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbls olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbls water
Trim stems and some outer leaves from sprouts. Cut each sprout lengthwise, then into quarters. In small bowl, combine soy sauce, grated ginger, and sesame oil. In nonstick pan, heat olive oil. Add onion and cook until tender. Increase heat to medium-high, add Brussel sprouts and water. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until sprouts soften and begin to brown. Stir once. Remove lid, and stir an additional 5 minutes or sprouts are tender crisp. Stir frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in soy sauce mixture.
I used fresh sprouts and yes, they were organic. I also used ground ginger. I would use a tad more of that if you don't have fresh ginger. Taste your sauce before adding it to your sprouts. If you don't like the sauce, you really won't like it on them. If you don't use low sodium soy sauce, which I don't, don't add salt.
Something easy, simple and delicious. I like those.
Have a great day.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Sunshine Fishing
For a quick family get away, we decided to go to the Sunshine Skyway Pier to do some fishing. Hubby and I used to go all the time, but we haven't been since the boy was still a bun in the oven. He's 9. Our trip had a rocky start and we weren't even sure we were going to make it. I had a migraine the night before and still wasn't 100% by the time we wanted to go. I made it, and even felt better as the night went on.We had the best time. We didn't catch any big fish, but we caught lots of pinfish and grunts. The kids loved the grunts. They liked to hear them make noise. That's why them call them grunts.
We all caught fish. These are the kids with their big catches. The boy even learned how to bait the hooks. He was better with the shrimp than with the squid, but he did a great job. He wants to learn how to take the fish off the hook next. Hubby is all for that. The boy just didn't mention it until it was almost time to go. He's becoming quite the outdoorsman. He even thinks he's ready to go hunting with hubby. I'm the one not ready for that. 
Yeah, don't let her sweet face fool you. That is one awesome fisher person right there. She skunked us all, the little booger. She wouldn't hold them or touch them, but she caught the heck out of them. I'm still a little peaved at her for being so good.
We saw this while we were on the bridge. Carnival Cruise Lines at it's finest. The big girl and I want to go on a cruise. I told her good luck getting your father on one. She said we could take a mother/daughter cruise. Good thinking, big girl, good thinking. We had such a good time. The kids want to go back again and again. We packed a dinner and snacks and drinks. Hubby and the boy smelled like fish no matter how many times they washed their hands. It was 1:30 in the morning when we got home and we were all tired and ready for bed. It was awesome.Have a great day.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Hamster Wheel
Well, now I've gone and done it. Again. I was having a conversation with some friends the other day about our extracurricular activities. I have loaded us down. Again. What happened to all that talk about slowing down and not scheduling us to within an inch of our life?
We're dancing again this year. We will always dance, I'm pretty sure. The two big kids have changed their classes this year. The big girl is taking jazz, which was the first thing she took after her half and half class. She's even in the same class. Of course, the kids are different, but it's the same time slot. What I think is funny is that she will be back dancing with girls she started dancing with when she was four. They are younger than she is and they have all taken different dance paths than she has. The boy is taking hip hop this year. So far he has taken jazz and ballet. This will be right up his alley I think. The baby is dancing, but we aren't sure what yet. There have been some scheduling issues, so we'll see. But it will work itself out.
The big girl is taking voice lessons. We have a very good friend that is teaching her. The big girl is also in a new praise band at church that the youth have formed. She has a great voice, she just needs to learn to use it for good and not evil. No, really, she needs to learn to project and how to breathe when she sings, that kind of stuff. She is having a good time so far. You should hear her singing all through the house. So she has voice and praise band. The two younger ones (see how the boy can be older or younger? He's in great spot.) will be in the children's choir at church. They practice once a week and will perform at service a few times.
We still have our school co-op. We may add some new members this year. This year, so far, is Ancient Rome, explorers, wonders of the ancient world, and composers. We'll see if the new ladies join and what they decide to teach. I need to get a move on with mine, now that I think about it. I need to get my maps printed and see how they fold together to make a globe. We are going to use the map to track the discovery paths of the explorers and when we are done, you can cut it out and glue it together. So on co-op day, no history. I think we'll get enough in co-op to compensate.
Veggie co-op is still on our schedule. That is a long day so I schedule extremely light that day. This year, choir practice is the same day. Co-op in the morning, choir in the evening. I told the kids they just need to do their math and that's it. I don't see the point in stressing ourselves out. Well, not anymore than we will already be.
Our list of extracurriculars are as follows: dance, dance, dance, dance, school co-op, veggie co-op, choir, voice lessons, praise band, youth, park day, book club, book club, and I forgot about chess club. That's only a couple times a month, but it's still on the list. Most of these are in the afternoon and we are usually done with our school work, but sometimes it's just another thing to add to our day. Why did I do this again? Oh, yeah, I'm a glutton for punishment. My crockpot will be working overtime again. Good thing I love my crockpot. Better that I love my kids.
Have a great day.
We're dancing again this year. We will always dance, I'm pretty sure. The two big kids have changed their classes this year. The big girl is taking jazz, which was the first thing she took after her half and half class. She's even in the same class. Of course, the kids are different, but it's the same time slot. What I think is funny is that she will be back dancing with girls she started dancing with when she was four. They are younger than she is and they have all taken different dance paths than she has. The boy is taking hip hop this year. So far he has taken jazz and ballet. This will be right up his alley I think. The baby is dancing, but we aren't sure what yet. There have been some scheduling issues, so we'll see. But it will work itself out.
The big girl is taking voice lessons. We have a very good friend that is teaching her. The big girl is also in a new praise band at church that the youth have formed. She has a great voice, she just needs to learn to use it for good and not evil. No, really, she needs to learn to project and how to breathe when she sings, that kind of stuff. She is having a good time so far. You should hear her singing all through the house. So she has voice and praise band. The two younger ones (see how the boy can be older or younger? He's in great spot.) will be in the children's choir at church. They practice once a week and will perform at service a few times.
We still have our school co-op. We may add some new members this year. This year, so far, is Ancient Rome, explorers, wonders of the ancient world, and composers. We'll see if the new ladies join and what they decide to teach. I need to get a move on with mine, now that I think about it. I need to get my maps printed and see how they fold together to make a globe. We are going to use the map to track the discovery paths of the explorers and when we are done, you can cut it out and glue it together. So on co-op day, no history. I think we'll get enough in co-op to compensate.
Veggie co-op is still on our schedule. That is a long day so I schedule extremely light that day. This year, choir practice is the same day. Co-op in the morning, choir in the evening. I told the kids they just need to do their math and that's it. I don't see the point in stressing ourselves out. Well, not anymore than we will already be.
Our list of extracurriculars are as follows: dance, dance, dance, dance, school co-op, veggie co-op, choir, voice lessons, praise band, youth, park day, book club, book club, and I forgot about chess club. That's only a couple times a month, but it's still on the list. Most of these are in the afternoon and we are usually done with our school work, but sometimes it's just another thing to add to our day. Why did I do this again? Oh, yeah, I'm a glutton for punishment. My crockpot will be working overtime again. Good thing I love my crockpot. Better that I love my kids.
Have a great day.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Almost Like Thanksgiving
I've had a couple of cravings lately. The saying in my house is, "If Mama has a craving, everyone benefits." Every now and then I would love to have a Whataburger, but I can't get one of those. Trust me, if I could, I would buy one for everyone. One of my hankerings got me thinking, and a blog post was born. Today's topic: meatballs.
One of the easiest things to do is make meatballs. You throw some stuff together with some ground meat and there you go. You can use ground beef, pork, chicken or turkey. You could even mix them. You could use chicken, which can be dry, and add a little ground pork or ground beef. Or not. If you don't make meatballs, find a frozen brand you like. I would prefer you didn't, but that's just me. The recipes today are turkey, but you could change them to anything. These both came out of a recipe magazine that I do not know the name of. They came to me already cut out so I don't have any info. If you know where they came from, I would love to share.
Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce:
1 lb turkey meatballs, cooked
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1 can (16 oz.) jellied cranberry sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
Cut cranberry sauce into slices. Place into bottom of crockpot. Add BBQ sauce and soy sauce. Top with meatballs. Cook on low 4-6 hours or high 2-4.
It really is that easy. I don't precook my meatballs. If the crockpot is going to run for 4-6 hours, it can cook those, too. If you want to cook them, place them in a shallow baking dish in a 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes. They may not be done all the way, depending on the size of the meatball, but it will finish in the crockpot. You can use any meat for this. I like the turkey, but I have a feeling ground pork, or a mix of both would be good with this. Use your favorite BBQ sauce or make your own. As I write this, I realize that I should post a recipe for the meatballs. I will post a link to this site that is great and free. I have never had a bad recipe from here.
This one we really like when the weather gets cool. It tastes sort of like fall. The turkey with apples and dried fruit just sort of sets the mood. It is good any time of the year, though.
Apple Cheddar Turkey Meatballs
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 egg
1 tsp kosher salt, ground black pepper, and onion powder
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup dried, unsweetened cranberries
Mix ground turkey with all ingredients. Make golf ball size meatballs and drop into crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, 5-9 hours on low.
I have to admit that I change this one quite a bit. Each time we've had this, I've had to tweak it a little more. The last time was good, though. First of all, use a flavorful apple. If you like a granny smith, that's a great one. I'm not a big fan, but I like them in this. Second, if you can invest in some really good kosher or sea salt, please do. It really makes a difference in taste. And you need more seasoning than that. 1/2 tsp for that much ground turkey leaves you with blandness. I add at least 2 tsp of each. I add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves. You don't have to cut them too fine, just not big hunks. It helps with the flavor. I would suggest the addition of some onion as well. Up the cheese to 3/4 cup if you like. I don't like cranberries, which I discovered when I made this the first time. You could substitute raisins, golden raisins, craisins, anything like that. Golden raisins are yummy. You could use this with the previous recipe.
Please make sure that before you cook either of these that you oil you crockpot. It helps prevent too much stickage. The cranberry and BBQ sauce can get quite messy. Enjoy!
Have a great day.
One of the easiest things to do is make meatballs. You throw some stuff together with some ground meat and there you go. You can use ground beef, pork, chicken or turkey. You could even mix them. You could use chicken, which can be dry, and add a little ground pork or ground beef. Or not. If you don't make meatballs, find a frozen brand you like. I would prefer you didn't, but that's just me. The recipes today are turkey, but you could change them to anything. These both came out of a recipe magazine that I do not know the name of. They came to me already cut out so I don't have any info. If you know where they came from, I would love to share.
Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce:
1 lb turkey meatballs, cooked
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1 can (16 oz.) jellied cranberry sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
Cut cranberry sauce into slices. Place into bottom of crockpot. Add BBQ sauce and soy sauce. Top with meatballs. Cook on low 4-6 hours or high 2-4.
It really is that easy. I don't precook my meatballs. If the crockpot is going to run for 4-6 hours, it can cook those, too. If you want to cook them, place them in a shallow baking dish in a 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes. They may not be done all the way, depending on the size of the meatball, but it will finish in the crockpot. You can use any meat for this. I like the turkey, but I have a feeling ground pork, or a mix of both would be good with this. Use your favorite BBQ sauce or make your own. As I write this, I realize that I should post a recipe for the meatballs. I will post a link to this site that is great and free. I have never had a bad recipe from here.
This one we really like when the weather gets cool. It tastes sort of like fall. The turkey with apples and dried fruit just sort of sets the mood. It is good any time of the year, though.
Apple Cheddar Turkey Meatballs
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 egg
1 tsp kosher salt, ground black pepper, and onion powder
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup dried, unsweetened cranberries
Mix ground turkey with all ingredients. Make golf ball size meatballs and drop into crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, 5-9 hours on low.
I have to admit that I change this one quite a bit. Each time we've had this, I've had to tweak it a little more. The last time was good, though. First of all, use a flavorful apple. If you like a granny smith, that's a great one. I'm not a big fan, but I like them in this. Second, if you can invest in some really good kosher or sea salt, please do. It really makes a difference in taste. And you need more seasoning than that. 1/2 tsp for that much ground turkey leaves you with blandness. I add at least 2 tsp of each. I add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves. You don't have to cut them too fine, just not big hunks. It helps with the flavor. I would suggest the addition of some onion as well. Up the cheese to 3/4 cup if you like. I don't like cranberries, which I discovered when I made this the first time. You could substitute raisins, golden raisins, craisins, anything like that. Golden raisins are yummy. You could use this with the previous recipe.
Please make sure that before you cook either of these that you oil you crockpot. It helps prevent too much stickage. The cranberry and BBQ sauce can get quite messy. Enjoy!
Have a great day.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Ice Skating
This is our youth group. This isn't everyone, but it's quite a few of them. We had a great time. It was cold in there. It felt so good compared to the 105 degree heat index going on outside. We may have to go again just because it was a really good time.
This is hubby with the boy and the baby. Everybody, including me, got on the ice. Of course, I turned around as soon as both feet were on the ice, but I got on. Hubby took off like he was born on the ice and not in the Florida heat. The baby hugged the wall most of the time, but she eventually made it hands free. And the boy skated with one foot pushing like he was riding his scooter, but like the baby, he made it hands free as well.
This is the big girl with two of her friends. They had a blast. The girl in the middle is this side of a professional, but still she hung in there with the big girl. The big girl spent some time on her butt, but so did all of my family. The only reason I didn't was because I took my skates off. I have blogged about Kyle before. It should not surprise you that he was awesome. He looked like he was born with skates. Yeah, I could have smacked him, too. I am just not athletic like that. Give me some key ingredients and I can make you a meal, but don't ask me to run while I do it.
You should see the bruises, hear the moaning and groaning. You would think we had been to battle and not the local ice rink. We are so going again.
You should see the bruises, hear the moaning and groaning. You would think we had been to battle and not the local ice rink. We are so going again.
The boy.
The baby. She still doesn't have her front, top two teeth, She looked like she had been playing hockey with some of the kids that were there. Too funny.
Have a great day.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Pea Pickin', The Pics
You don't get a pic of me very often, so there you go.
This is the garden we picked. It isn't very big, but we got a lot from it. And we had a great time.
This is hubby playing around. Guess where the boy gets it from?
This is a nasty mass of ugly bugs. Look closely. They were everywhere and they are yucky. There were wasps, flies, dragon flies, ladybugs, and things I have no clue what they are. No wonder the big girl didn't want to pick. We didn't realize that the camera was on the wrong setting. The sun was big and bright and HOT. So ready for a little cool front.
Have a great day.
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