Cheesy Bread

This is great alongside pasta or by itself.  Reminds me a little of Little Caesars cheesy bread.

Ingredients

Frozen or fresh pizza dough

Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

Parmesan cheese, shaker style is fine

Fresh Mozzarella cheese

Italian Seasoning

Ranch Dressing

 

Directions

Stretch out dough onto a sheet pan greased with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Pour ranch dressing onto dough and smooth out to the edges.  Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese.  Layer swiss cheese down then dot with the fresh mozzarella.  Sprinkle more parmesan cheese then sprinkle Italian seasoning on top.  Bake at 400 until edges are browned and cheese is bubbly.

 

Alice Springs Chicken (my version)

Yummy!  This recipe is not too difficult but it is so flavorful and delicious.  You can really substitute any of the ingredients and build your own cheesy topped goodness.  I think I might try it dipped in ranch dressing next.  I also added fresh spinach to the top after cooking just to add some green to the plate. 

Ingredients:
Boneless Chicken Thighs or Breast
Honey Mustard sauce or anything similar
Mushrooms
Cheese (any kind you like or combination)
Bacon (or if you are pressed for time bacon pieces from the salad dressing aisle)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
Salt and pepper chicken and sear on both sides in a little olive oil in a frying pan.  After searing on each side dip in honey mustard sauce (both sides).  Then set in a greased baking pan.  Saute mushrooms in frying pan and salt and pepper to taste until cooked through.  Layer mushrooms on top of chicken then top with cheeses (I used mozzarella, cheddar and swiss).  Then sprinkle bacon over top.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked completely.  Be careful not to cook chicken too long so that it doesn't dry out.

Also I have some extra chicken and I plan on using it for quesadillas later on in the week!  Two meals in one is definitely my friend!

Update on the babes

A few months ago cash started saying the s word so we tried to get him to stop by threatening and spankings but he wouldn't stop.  I researched online and found a parent who gave their child "bad juice" (vinegar) so I decided to try it.  It must work because Cash hasn't said a bad word since.  He just says "___________said a bad word".   He does call us out from time to time with words "stupid" and "dumb".   I guess this will prove to be a good thing in a couple of years!

Copy Cat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

1 lb italian sausage
2 large russent potatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup of bacon bits
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups kale or 2 cups swiss chard, chopped
16 ounces chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup heavy whipping cream

     Brown sausage links in pan or cook in oven at 350 for 25 minutes or until done.  Cut links in half lengthwise, then dice into 1/2 inch slices.  Place cooked sausage, broth, water, garlic, potatoes, and onion in slow cooker.       Cover.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours until potatoes are cooked and soft.  Optional, Mash potatoes a bit with a potato masher for texture.
     Add the Kale.  Return the lid for 10 minutes and then add the whipping cream.  May need to add salt and pepper to taste.

This was delicious with a slice of baked bread or by itself!

I froze half of this mixture for another meal:
Directions for freezing:

add all ingredients execpt potatoes, whipping cream and bacon bits.

Freeze for 3-4 months in a ziplock bag.

Defrost in fridge the night before serving.  Add to crock pot the contents in bag and potatoes for 3-4 hours then add kale.  For the last 10 minutes add whipping cream and then serve with bread or by itself.  This was amazing!!!

The babes...September 2012

Well my children are getting way too big way too fast!  I don't know where the time goes.  Cash is going to be 3 in January and Camdyn will be 2 in April.  We decided to put Cash in preschool at a nearby church.  It is only two days a week for 2.5 hours.  I am happy and excited for him but I'm also nervous.  I'm so afraid he will hit another kid or that another kid will bully him.  He is used to playing with his sister and a couple of cousins, but he isn't used to playing with new kids.  The teachers seem wonderful and the are very reassuring.  I know Cash will have a wonderful time once he gets used to it.  Cash is also talking really well now.  He knows all kinds of equipment names like backhoe, bulldozer, big truck, tractor, school bus and train.  He also copies everything other people say...even bad words.  Camdyn talks too.  She says bow, momma, dada, nana, pawpaw, ba, baba, papa, cheese, bite (vitamins), choo choo.  They both love riding in anything with dada, pawpaw or granddaddy whether its a mower bulldozer or dump truck.  They fight all the time over toys food just about anything. 

We went to the museum of life and sciences the week before school started and the kids loved it.  They played in the sand, dug for dinosaur bones, rode the train, played music with the pots and hanging metal, and played in the mist.  I definitely want to take then back soon. Todd and I went in a trip to Indianapolis Indiana for his Dixie Chopper meeting. We have had a great time so far. We stayed at the marriott in downtown. I've enjoyed getting to meet other dealers that Todd knows and a few new people. We toured the factory today and believe it it not it was very interesting. We are on our way back to the airport and depending on how much time we have left we may get to do some shopping. I know I am ready to get back home to my babies that is for sure!

Beach Trip 2012

Oh my I think this was the best beach trip year to date!  We (Our Family, Bama, Pawpaw, Matt, Jake, and Kaitlyn) went to Carolina beach July 14 and stayed for a week.  We've never stayed that long and I thought for sure it would be long enough.  Unfortunately it wasn't.  I think it was because we had so much fun!  The first day we didnt get in until 3:00.  We unpacked then ate dinner that Bama brought along with her and took a short trip to the beach then to the pool.  At first Camdyn Cate didn't really like the beach, she was really afraid of the water and didnt want to get very close to it.  I pretty much ignored her and held her while I went in to my waist and a little lower for a little bit.  After the first and second day she loved the beach.  Both kids loved the sand and eventually Camdyn liked the water as well.  Once on her own she would go close the the water's edge or wherever the waves got to on the surf and then she would run back...she was very smart in that she wanted someone with her if she was to reach the surf!  Cash on the other hand wasn't as scared.  On the second night we had been on the beach for about an hour.  Everyone was out of the water and my brother Matt went running to the surf.  Well Cash followed him trying to fill his bucket up with water for our sandcastle.  My dad yelled at Matt to let him know Cash was following well as soon as Matt turned around Cash stopped.  We all thought Matt had Cash and turned our heads.  Well once Matt realized Cash had stopped he went on into the surf.  We after Cash saw Matt keep going he decided to go in after him.  I saw Cash hit the water and then fall down and I started running then I saw him be completely covered in a wave right before I got to him and I fell into the surf and scooped him up!  I thought for sure the wave that covered him would take him out into the ocean and I would never see my baby boy again!  Thank God I got to him in time and of course Pawpaw was right beside me.  Cash man was really shaken up but after some TLC from Momma he ended up going back in the water right after that.  He kept his distance from the ocean the next few days knowing that he couldnt go in unless a grown up was with him.  You mothers out there know how scared I was and how thankful I was that my son was safe...how many lives do mother's have?  Hopefully more than one because I definitely used one at that moment. 

The next few days we usually woke up around 8 or 9 then went to the beach then to the pool then we would come in for naps (Daddy and the kids, maybe a few others) after that we would eat dinner in the room or go out.  Bama cooked the first night then we had pizza the second night.  We also took a trip to Dicks and Walmart to get some supplies.  We went out to eat at Michaels and we also ate at Gulfstream restaurant the last night but we got it to go so that we could finish packing.  We went to the boardwalk the third night and let Cash ride some of the rides.  Camdyn Cate rode some rides too and I am the proud mother of two "Dare Devil" children.  Good thing I like adventures too.  Daddy not so much!  Haha.  Then on wednesday I decided we should go get some ice cream at Krazy Kones and our banana split was delish!  We had a very upset child on our hands (Cash) because we weren't riding rides that night but planned on coming back the next night.  We also indulged in some Britt's donuts and if you can believe it I had forgotten how good they were!  So thursday we went to the boardwalk and rodes tons of rides and watched the awesome fireworks!  Our time was almost over so once we put the kids to bed Todd and I met my brother's and Kaitlyn at the Shuckin' Shack for a couple of drinks and great food.  The drinks, food, and company were wonderful and we had a lot of fun.  On friday we went to the beach and pool again and got dinner to go.  I think Cash knew we were leaving the next day so he wanted to hit up the beach and pool again.  Thank goodness for uncles and (almost) aunts Jake and Kaitlyn took Cash to the beach and then to the pool while I cleaned the condo a little then we met up with them later and had to force Cash back to the room and to bed.  Needless to say he didnt go to bed until late and even then he woke up a couple of hours later and gave us all a hard time trying to put him to bed again! 

Overall it was a great trip...one to be remembered forever!

Cash Man finally speaks!

Finally after waiting over a year my little boy speaks.  Unfortunately one if the first things he mimicked was "oh shit" from me one evening of watching Americas funniest home videos.  From then on he's been saying colors numbers and other random words not in his vocabulary until now.  He also mimicks all the TV shows he watches...including the fresh beat band and bubble guppies!  He loves to dance around the house and hopefully Todd won't mind me putting Cash in dance classes with his baby sister next year!  I've taught him shuffles and stomps from tap, but he can mimick just about anything he sees!  He and baby sister can do a plie when I ask them to.  It us very cute...for those of you that don't know what a plie is it is a bend of the nite.  Thats all I have to share right now but I'm sure I will remember something later to add.