New shelf

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"Here's the finished shelf! (minus the gloss finish that will have to wait till it's warmer. It's too stinky to apply in the house)

Before....

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"Before"

Quick Cinnamon Rolls

"Quick cinnamon rolls"

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Start to finish: about 40 minutes

Ingredients:

2 1/4 Cups Original Bisquick mix

1/2 Cup Milk

1 Tablespoon butter or margarine, softened

1/4 Cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 Cup brown sugar

1/4 Cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup cinnamon chips

Glaze:

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 drop cinnamon doTerra essential oil

1 tablespoon milk

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. 
In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix and 1/2 cup milk until soft dough 
forms. Place dough on surface generously sprinkled with Bisquick mix; 
roll in Bisquick mix to coat. Knead 5 times. 

Press or roll dough into 11 x 8-inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1 tablespoon softened butter. In small bowl mix cinnamon and sugar, 
then sprinkle over dough. Sprinkle brown sugar, white chocolate 
chips, and cinnamon chips over dough; press in slightly. Starting 
with an 11-inch side, roll up dough tightly. Cut into 3/4 inch slices 
(I use a piece of thread to cut, slide middle of thread under roll. 
bring ends of thread up around dough, cross and pull till it cuts through 
the dough) Place slices on cookie sheet. Brush sides with 1 tablespoon melted butter, or spray with spray-butter.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes (13 to 15 in high altitude) or until golden brown. 
Remove from cookie sheet; cool 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix 
all glaze ingredients, adding more milk if needed till mixture is thin 
enough to drizzle. Drizzle glaze over rolls. Serve warm.

(You don't have to put the white chocolate chips or cinnamon chips 
in yours. You can add whatever you like in yours...chopped nuts, 
chocolate chips, raisins... Also, don't worry if you don't have 
cinnamon oil....I've just started using and selling the oils and wanted 
to try it in these....but it sure does make them yummy!!!)

I took six of these to Kaleb at work, but he only got to eat 2 of them
....he said they were so good that he shared them with some of his 
co-workers. My boys each ate 3 of them.

Earring frame

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"Earring frame....recycled frame"

I used come chain and eye screws inside an old frame. Love how it turned out.

Jewelry Frame

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"Completed jewelry frame... Chain to hang earrings, hooks for necklaces, bracelets, watchbands"

4th Grader!!

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"Jensen's first day of 4th grade"

5th Grader!!

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"Maxwell's first day of 5th grade!"

Zucchini casserole

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"Zucchini casserole"

This is one is a family favorite! Even my boys gobble it up!!

1 box Stove Top Stuffing

1 cube butter

-melt butter and pour over box of stuffing and let stand

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheese

6 cups cubed zucchini

1 cup chopped onions

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tablespoon olive oil

-In large skillet add olive oil, garlic, and onions. Cook for a couple minutes, then add cubed zucchini and continue cooking until tender. Drain off any extra liquid.

-In a separate bowl, mix cream of mushroom soup, sour cream and shredded cheese and mix well. Then add in veggies. 

-In a 9x13 pan layer 1/3 stuffing mix, then veggie mix, then the rest of stuffing mix.

-Bake at 325 for 25 minutes

Optional items:

-add cubed chicken

-use half zucchini and half yellow summer squash

Garage sale finds

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Garage sale finds....keep watching for finished projects!
Sent from Alicia's iPod

White Chocolate Molten Cakes and Cake Balls

We loved going to Chili's and sharing a dinner plate so we would have room to order a White Chocolate Molten Cake. We decided we would try making one ourselves. I searched the internet, found some recipes and tried one...not too successful...but yummy cake! Second attempt was even worse! The cake never really baked and was just more like a yucky jelly mess! All this time I was trying to do it the "professional" way where the molten part is baked inside the cakes, but finally gave in and decided to do it the "cheating" way. So I used a Vanilla cake mix and make some of the Texas size cupcakes. After cooling I cut the tops off and used a melon baller to scoop out a well in the center. (Save the tops and part you scoop out to make cake balls with...very yummy) Then freeze your cakes, which will keep the molten from just soaking into the cake. I made some white chocolate runny stuff...not really a recipe...didn't have heavy whipping cream and it was Sunday so I didn't want to go to the store. So I melted about 2/3 a bag of white chocolate chips. Added about 1/2 a can of sweet and condensed milk and then just a little bit of regular milk, to get it to a good consistency. Let your mixture cool a little bit and then fill the well in your little cakes and then return them to the freezer. When you are ready to eat one, turn it upside down on a microwaveable plate and cook for around 30 seconds to no more than a minute. Just enough to melt the inside. Then add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt and enjoy! 

This was sooooo yummy!! But I really still do want to try and make it so the molten is just there in the middle...maybe one day!!! And the other day my parent's took us out to dinner at Chili's and the saddest things happened! They took the White Chocolate Molten Cake off the menu!!!!!

Now you probably want to know more about the cake balls! I can't take credit for this, I saw it on Good Things Utah. So if you want the "actual" recipe you can search on their site.

Crumble up your cooked cake and then add enough frosting to make it moist and mold-able. Shape into small balls or some people like to make them into different shapes or even put them on sucker-type sticks. I like to then freeze mine. It helps them hold together better and helps your chocolate coating to dry quicker. After your cake balls are frozen, melt your chocolate coating. White, dark, regular, colored white chocolate....whatever flavor you decide will be the yummiest with your cake. Then dip or pour to cover each cake ball. While the chocolate is still soft you can add sprinkles and any other decorations. Then let them cool completely. We stuck ours back in the freezer, but you could do the fridge. Or if your house isn't too hot I guess you could leave them out in an air tight container. We shared some of these with our friends the McKee's and they all loved them!!

So for Maxwell and Jensen's birthdays this year I'm going to make cake balls! So much easier to serve and so much fun ideas of different ways to make them. Try a google search and you will find tons of ideas!!! But be careful! They are kinda like chips....no one can eat just one!

Chili Rellano Casserole

from Cooks.com

(The easy way to make Chili Rellanos)

1 lg. can whole green chilies 

               OR 

5 to 7 fresh roasted green chilies

1/2 lb. Monterrey Jack cheese

1/2 lb. longhorn or cheddar cheese

Batter:

3/4 cup flour

2 eggs

1 cup milk

salt and pepper

Wash and remove all seeds, split and drain chilies. Place in a buttered casserole dish, alternating with layers of grated cheese. Mix batter ingredients together and pour over layered chilies and cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until light brown.

Not something your kids will eat? Make them some Mac and Cheese! This is too yummy to waste on picky kids!!!

Alicia's Granola

I've tweaked this recipe several times...may not be done tweaking....but here it is:

*I only use raw nuts, because when you cook them you also roast them. Plus I don't want the extra salt and oils that they put on them.

10 Cups Oatmeal

1 cup flaxseed meal

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup cashews

1 cup almonds

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup pecans

1 cup walnuts

1 cup brazil nuts

2 cups shredded coconut

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Mix all above ingredients together. (If you don't like or don't have one of the item, add some more of another item so you end up with the same amount)

Combine and warm:

1 cup honey

1/3 cup molasses

Stir well and then add:

1 cup Applesauce

Mix well and then pour over dry mixture. Stir well to coat all ingredients. Spread on two, deep cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours till browned completely. Pour into a different pan or bowl to cool. 

Then add:

Raisins and Craisins (or other dried fruit) as desired

DO NOT DOUBLE this recipe...unless you can fit 4 cookie sheets in your oven at once. I tried it...but I can only fit 2 cookie sheets...it took forever for the granola to brown because there was way too much on each sheet.

Grandma Swapp's Ginger Cookies

from my Wonderful Grandma!!

1 egg

2/3 cup margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

Mix all above ingredients together. 

Then add:

1 cup flour

1 tsp soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp ginger

Mix till smooth.

Then add:

1 1/2 cup flour  and mix together

Shape into balls and roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes.

I make smaller cookies because they are sooooo yummy that you'll want to eat more than one and you don't feel as guilty eating 2 cookies if they are small cookies, right??

Easy, Delicious Breadsticks

from my sister Shanna

These take hardly any time to make and use your kitchen aid, so super easy. And you don't even have to let them rise if you don't have time to. I like to make a double batch so we can have them for a couple days or freeze half for later.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 min. 

1 1/2 Cups warm water

1 Tablespoon Yeast

2 Tablespoons Sugar

2 teaspoons Salt

3 1/2 to 4 Cups Flour

Add yeast to warm water and allow to proof (increase in size). Then add in sugar, salt, and 3 1/2 cups of flour. (All in kitchen aid bowl) Use your dough hook and mix completely. If the dough clings to the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl you have enough flour. If not, add a little bit more, allowing it to mix well before you decide you need any more. If your dough is not clinging to the hook and cleaning the sides of the mixing bowl it will be too sticky to work with. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut with pizza cutter into strips. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 - 12 mins. at 400 degrees.

Optional ideas:

*After putting on cookie sheet, let bread sticks raise for 1/2 hour

*Dip each stick in butter before placing on cookie sheet

*Twist each stick a couple times or tie in a knot like a pretzel

*Brush with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garlic salt

IMPORTANT NOTE: These bread sticks do NOT darken in color when you cook them. Do not over cook your bread sticks because you are waiting for them to turn golden brown. Instead, cut one open and check if the bread is done.

Sushi!!

My first attempt at making sushi. My friend had a sushi party and taught us all how to make it. I think I did a pretty good job for my first time and it was yummy too!!

What's In My Dehydrator Today?

My poor snack cupboard is bare! No homemade fruit leather, granola bars, or breakfast cookies. In no way am I up to making all of those today, but I do have to start somewhere. So out came the blender, homemade applesauce and fresh blackberries from my bountiful basket. Blend and fill trays....then wait for the dehydrator to do it's work. Nothing better than all natural fruit roll-ups! No high-fructose corn syrup or sugar!!

Look What I Made!!

My blogging has been suffering lately...actually since I started on FB and using the laptop. All of my pictures are on the other computer and blogs with pictures are just so much better! So along with that I've fallen behind in reading and keeping up with my friends blogs. But even FB can only keep your attention for so long!

While reading blogs earlier this week I saw this super cute earring frame and totally wanted to make one! And of course with my crafty mind I found a way to do it for only $2.13. First I took an old frame that wasn't being used. Rummaged through my craft and jewelry boxes and found a chain that I had bought from Michael's and was no longer using. Then I went to the hardware store and bought a small package of teeny tiny screw eyes. Measured, marked and screwed the screw eyes into the inner back of the frame. Then attached lengths of chain between two screw hooks and put a picture hanger on the back and hung it on the wall (All with the help of my super husband, I could have done it all myself but extra muscles are always nice.) Then hung my few earrings on and TADA!! Now I just need to work on having a few more earrings to accessorize my cute frame.

You Get the Good with the Bad

The Good:

• Grandma Debbie is coming to stay with us for 4 days.


• Grandma Dille is coming to stay with us for a week.


• Both Grandmas will get to take the boys to Orchestra practice and hear them play

The Bad:

• On April 12th I am having a hysterectomy


• I'm not a candidate for the less invasive way because I had c-sections


• I won't be able to go to orchestra and play the cello for a while and won't be up to playing in the concert with my boys

The Good:

• The Dr can fix my bladder leakage during the same surgery


• They don't have to take out my ovaries


• We've already met our insurance deductible for the plan year


• My older sister is making us some freezer meals for the days after help is gone


• We live in a great ward that is willing to help with whatever we need

The goods definitely out weight the bad today!! :)

Dear Jensen,

Dear Jensen,

You are so mean because you let people step on me. Everyone yanks me off my hook. You take me outside too much. You hang me up every day for hours 12 hours to be exact. You put me on last to lunch recess every school day.

Sincerly,
Your Coat

************************************************************************************

lol

I found this in the stack of school papers Jensen brought home : )

Memories

So I'm looking through our photos to find ones to post on our adoption profile and I came across my most favorite little video of my two adorable boys! Enjoy!