BACON WRAPPED WHAT?!?

the SUPER BOWL is just around the corner.

sure i will watch some football and commercials that night,

but i shamelessly look forward to some good grub.

this recipe is our go-to every new year's eve.

my mom has taken it to their NYE party every year for over a decade.

i have followed her example and done the same.

it's so yummy i've decided it needs to be made multiple times this year.

it's a WINNER, just like the PATRIOTS will hopefully be!

BBQ CHESNUTS...

1 lb. bacon

2 cans whole water chestnuts

1 C ketchup

1/2 C sugar

toothpicks

1) preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) cut bacon in half horizontally and vertically 

(so each piece of bacon is now in four narrow strips).

3) wrap one strip around each water chestnut.

4) place on pan with the edge of the bacon touching the pan.

5) bake for 30 minutes.

6) remove pan from the oven and drain the grease.

7) mix the ketchup and sugar together.

8) pour the mixture over all the bacon wrapped water chestnuts.

9) bake for 30 more minutes.

10) remove from oven and insert a toothpick in each one.

walking in a winterONEderland...

here is my favorite ONE-year-old!

now welcome to his
WINTER ONE-DERLAND!


graham was born at such a joyful time of year,

and i couldn't resist such a fun theme for his first birthday.

"OUR MOUTHS WERE FILLED WITH LAUGHTER,

OUR TONGUES WITH SONGS OF JOY."

-psalm 126:2

DECORATIONS

upon arrival guests signed graham's baby book

as they were greeted by a jolly snowman
(idea found here, with thanks to deela for sharing her florist wisdom).

on the mantle we repurposed his name banner from his sip and see (made by ashley)
and displayed it among candles and trees.

pictures throughout the months were displayed
on garland with snowflake ornaments, and topped with a "G."

tissue paper pompoms resembled snowballs over the serving table (made by mel)

EAT & DRINK

the spread included cake pops (also made by mel),

graham's smash cake (made by me),

reindeer food (carrots),

chicken bites (nuggets from chick-fil-a),

antarctic friends (penguin olives made by following directions found here),

freshly fallen snow mix (i used this recipe for puppy chow trail mix),

and cheese sleds with crackers.

we set up a hot chocolate bar with three flavors of cocoa to choose between

(french vanilla, creamy chocolate, or hazelnut)

and a variety of toppings too

(crushed peppermint, toffee bits, marshmallows, and whipped cream).

outside there was also "yellow snow" (frozen lemonade).

ACTIVITES

there were supplies for the kids to make snowflake collage ornaments,

and winter bird feeders using peanut butter and birdseed.

there was also a "photo booth" where snowflakes hung on the wall

and winter accessories were set out as props.

my favorite activity of all was watching g tear into his cake!

THANKS FOR COMING

bags of flavored hot chocolate mix were given as favors

and pictures of each family in the photo booth were printed
and used as thank you notes. 

it was a special day celebrating the wonderful blessing of this guy!

CONFESSIONS OF A SHORTCUT COOK...

several weeks ago our MOPS (moms of preschoolers) group had an iron chef/recipe night.

each mom brought a favorite go-to recipes for everyone else to sample.

after eating, we were divided into teams and given certain ingredients.

we could win additional ingredients by answering trivia questions correctly.

then we used them all to create new concoctions, as the contestants on iron chef do.

our team's creations turned out tasty and pretty if i do say so myself.

i left that night with many recipes and we have been enjoying them ever since.

below is one of my easy, new favorites-

tomato and bacon basil squares.

ingredients

pizza dough
2C shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4C shredded parmesan cheese
2T fresh basil leaves (OR 2t dried basil leaves, i used italian seasoning)
2/3C light mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 plum tomatoes (OR roma)
8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled (OR real bacon bits)
directions
1) preheat oven to 375.
2) spread pizza crust on rectangular baking stone or sheet.
3) combine mozzarella, parmesan, basil, mayo, and garlic in bowl.
4) spread mixture over pizza dough.
5) thinly slice tomatoes and arrange in a single layer on the cheese and crust.
6) sprinkle evenly with bacon.
7) sprinkle a little more cheese on top.
8) bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly on top and crust is fully cooked.

i've come to realize, there's nothing fancy about the way i cook.

in fact i'll let you in on a little secret,

i'm all in favor of a good shortcut.

there are many products out there that save me time while preparing recipes.

using these items mean i'm more likely to be done in the kitchen, BEFORE someone is cranky or hungry.

for the recipe above i used canned pizza dough, already minced garlic, and precooked bacon.

sure, the real deals might have a tiny bit more taste or be a few cents less.

but these items help me cook more and takeout less so,

i hearby declare some shortcut ingredients worth using!

do you have a favorite shortcut item?

'TWAS THE NIGHT AFTER BUNCO...

... and my stomach was still sore,

from laughter and slumber party snacks galore.
(if you care to try these same tasty treats

the recipes are below, you can make them to eat!)

it was just three months ago in a town near me,

a bunco group formed with these twelve fun ladies.

when september arrived it was my turn to host
and i knew i would love this night (i don't mean to boast)
i just so enjoy having others come to our home,
including some fab substitutes that were willing to roam.

the prizes were wrapped and ready for winning,
the scorecards were out and the music was spinning.this bunco night had a slumber party theme,
so we all wore pajamas to help set the scene.

we took turns frantically rolling the dice,
while sipping on yummy orange drinks with ice.

each person hoped to roll lots of sixes,

and scream, "bunco!" to get their fixes.

eventually the game could go on no more,

all had to be in their own beds by 11:04.

but i heard them exclaim as they drove out of sight,

i'll see you in a month, for our next bunco night!

(here are some recipes worthy of any BUNCO NIGHT, SLUMBER PARTY, or JUST BECAUSE!)

ORANGE JULIUS
(like the good stuff from mall food courts)
INGREDIENTS
1/4 C sugar
6 oz can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 C milk
1 C water
1 t vanilla
10 ice cubes
DIRECTIONS
1) in blender combine all ingredients.
2) blend for 30 seconds-1 minute or until ice cubes are crushed.
3) serve in fun glasses with straws.

POPCORN MADNESS

INGREDIENTS
2 bags of microwave popcorn
1 bag of marshmallows
1 bag of m&m's
butter (i usually use at least 2 tablespoons)
DIRECTIONS
1) grease bundt pan.
2) pop the popcorn. (take out unpopped kernels, biting into one totally kills the party mood)
3) melt the marshmallows and butter.
4) mix popcorn and marshmallows.
5) add m&m's. (use m&m's in seasonal colors for a festive touch)
6) put in bundt pan & let it cool. (i usually spray my hands with pam when I press it down in the bundt pan)
7) turn over & put on cake stand or serving plate.
8) eat too much & get a stomachache.

CINNAMON ROLL-UPS
makes 48 mini roll-ups
INGREDIENTS
1 loaf white bread
8 oz cream cheese
1 stick butter
3/4 C sugar
1 T cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
1) trim crusts off all bread
2) use rolling pin to roll each piece of bread until flat
3) spread some cream cheese on one side of each piece of bread
4) roll up each piece of bread then cut each stick in 1/2
5) melt the butter
6) mix together cinnamon and sugar
7) dip each stick in butter then cinnamon sugar mixture
8) place all pieces on ungreased baking sheets
9) bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes
10) taste the goodness.

PIGS IN A BLANKET
INGREDIENTS
2 cans crescent rolls
1 package lil' smokies sausages
spicy mustard or other dipping sauce
DIRECTIONS
1) preheat oven to 375.
2) tear off small pieces of crescent dough and wrap around each sausage.
3) place on pan and bake for 10 minutes or until done.
4) serve with dipping sauce.

"NOW DIP, BABY DIP." -Tootsee Roll

in honor of my two favorite football teams,

i'm joining in on
BOOMAMA'S DIPTACULAR!

if i'm watching a football game live from the stadium you can bet on the fact i will be eating nachos with extra cheese and a few jalapenos. but if i'm watching a football game on our home tv i can assure you i'll be eating chips and a homemade dip.

since i will be watching the majority of games from our own comfy couch this football season, i am in need of some new fabulous dip recipes! i can't wait to check out others' favorite dips, and start mixing up that sour cream and cream cheese. (click on the picture for more recipes)my current favorite dip recipe originally came from kelli. although you can eat it raw (trust me, i tried it once), this dip really is even better baked. so plan ahead if you can. allow for two hours of torture as a delicious aroma floats from your oven while you wait to eat. if you follow the directions and cook it the bread bowl is toasted, the cheese is melted,the flavors are enhanced, and the baked potato dip (which ironically contains no potato) is truly at its best.

BAKED POTATO DIP
1 8oz. container of sour cream
1 8oz. of WHIPPED cream cheese
1 pkg. shredded cheddar cheese
1 package real bacon pieces
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
chopped chives (optional)
1 loaf of hawaiian bread

1) mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
2) scoop out the center of the bread to make a bowl and pour in the dip mixture.
3) cover with foil and bake in the oven on 350 for 2 hours.
4) eat with wheat things or the scooped out pieces of bread.


or if you are looking for a dip appropriate to cure any sweet tooth then let me suggest my favorite solution for that. i took a recipe from my mom's kitchen that i already loved and added the toffee pieces thanks to a suggestion from my friend megan. it is perfect for fall, and perfectly delicious...
HEATH CRUNCH CARMEL DIP
1 8oz. package softened cream cheese
1 C brown sugar
2 t vanilla flavoring
heath bar toffee pieces
granny smith apples

1) combine all ingredients in a bowl.
2) chill.
3) serve with sliced granny smith apples (or eat by the spoonful).

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?
then
DIP BABY DIP!

A TALE OF TWO DIPS (well techincally one dip, tried two different ways)...

the beginning of greatness.











what we thought was the finished product.











the real deal.
baked to perfection and everything.










last weekend i saw a dip recipe that my houston friend, kelli shared on her blog. immediately i knew it would be perfect to try while our dallas friends, michael, abbe, and avery, were visiting.

i printed out the recipe. i made a list of the needed ingredients. i spent way too many minutes dreaming of how delicious this was going to taste and anticipating the perfection.

finally, the moment arrived to test out its greatness. after an afternoon spent swimming at the noah's ark pool, we returned home hungry and in need of a mid-day snack. the guys resorted to ice cream sandwiches but abbe and i had our hearts set on something more. we quickly went to work preparing the dip, all the while oohing and ahhing about how tasty we knew it would be.



about the time i opened the box of wheat thins i hear abbe shout something i refused to comprehend. she noticed a detail that we have somehow missed up until this point. evidently the directions tell us to place the dip in the oven for two hours. we laugh in the face of those directions and begin rebelliously dipping fistfuls of wheat thins in the bread bowl. there is no way we are waiting two hours to try this delicacy. it was indeed quite tasty even in its raw state.

but there came a point that we had to stop snacking and get ready to go to dinner. we gathered every ounce of self-control within us and broke away from the baked potato dip. i covered it's remains in foil, and placed it the fridge.

the next night as we got the kids ready for bed, something shiny caught my eye when i opened the fridge for milk cups. it was none other than the foil covered baked potato dip, which whispered to me that it was time to preheat the oven to 350 degrees. once books had been read, and prayers had been said, i made my way back to the kitchen to place the dip in the oven. i set the timer for two hours, which quite honestly seemed like an eternity. around 10:30pm, we heard the buzz of a timer and the true feast began.


somehow this dip really is even better baked. so plan ahead if you can. allow for two hours of torture as a delicious aroma floats from your oven while you wait to eat. if you follow the directions and cook it the bread bowl is toasted, the cheese is melted,the flavors are enhanced, and the baked potato dip (which ironically contains no potato) is truly at its best.

BAKED POTATO DIP

1 8oz. container of sour cream
1 8oz. of WHIPPED cream cheese
1 pkg. shredded cheddar cheese
1 package real bacon pieces
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
chopped chives (optional - I don't use them because I don't like them)
1 loaf of Hawaiin bread

1) mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
2) scoop out the center of the bread to make a bowl and pour in the dip mixture.
3) cover with foil and bake in the oven on 350 for 2 hours.
4) eat with wheat things or the scooped out pieces of bread.