MORE PINTEREST, I KNOW.

successes! all of them! hooray! !!! lots of exclamation points!! just because!!!!

first up are the Peanut Butter Cup Blondies i referenced in yesterday's superbowl post. so, dave doesn't really love peanut butter. and dylan was only going to have one. and hallie said they looked yucky. and lucy wasn't really hungry.

and we pounded almost the entire pan.

these are weight-watchers and only 153 calories a bar. seriously.

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

recipe and photo via pinterest

Ingredients

5 3/5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tablespoons 2% reduced-fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray
4 (0.75-ounce) peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt), stirring well with a whisk. Combine peanut butter and next 4 ingredients (through eggs), stirring well. Add peanut butter mixture to flour mixture; stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Scrape the batter into a 9-inch square metal baking pan lightly coated with cooking spray, and arrange the peanut butter cups over batter. Bake at 350° for 19 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

KERI's Notes:

I used skim milk, and instead of using PB cups (didn't have any), i just sprinkled my leftover PB & milk chocolate chips that i had from the pb cheese ball. next time (and there will be a next time) i will sub splenda and even try ww flour.

i also made a Chicken Alfredo Pizza that turned out great and it was really easy.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

receipe and photo from here.
1 - recipe no fail pizza crust, prepared (see my notes below)
1 - cup prepared Alfredo sauce, or homemade
3 - tablespoon real butter (i used combo olive oil/butter)
1 - clove garlic, finely chopped
2 - cups grilled chicken breast strips, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
4 - provolone cheese slices (omitted)
4 - mozzarella cheese slices (just used sprinkle moz)
1 1/2 - cups shredded Italian Style cheese blend (omitted)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare pizza crust. Spray your pizza pan with non stick baking spray or brush with olive oil. Press the pizza dough into the pan and pre bake for 7 - 10 minutes. Remove crust from oven and set aside.

In a large pan melt the butter and then add the garlic. Cook the garlic for about 2 minutes and then add the cubed chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute' the chicken for about 5- 10 minutes on med-low. Remove from heat and set aside.

Pizza Assembly: Spread one cup of prepared Alfredo sauce evenly on the pre baked pizza crust. Add the sliced provolone and mozzarella cheese (alternating every other cheese). Add half of the cooked chicken and then the Italian cheese blend.

Top pizza with remaining cooked chicken and sprinkle on a bit more pepper. Place finished pizza in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until bottom crust is lightly browned. Remove from oven and let set for 2 to 3 minutes before cutting.

KERI's Notes:

i used a frozen (thawed) loaf of Rhode's bread dough. it was delicious. i used bertolli's alfredo sauce and didn't have two full cups of chicken. i really maybe, maybe, had one? so i added some bacon. YUM. i didn't have any provolone OR moz slices OR shredded italian cheese and just used what i had...which was about a cup of mozarella sprinkle cheese. and it was perfect.

next time i would use LESS of the alfredo sauce - maybe just 3/4 cup.

and then probably my favorite thing that i made was Chicken, Bacon Ranch Quesadillas. dave loved these, hallie didn't like the "white" stuff (ranch) and i loooooved these things. they were supposed to have avacados too, but dave and hallie won't touch them and i didn't have any anyways. oh well. next time for me!

i didn't follow this recipe much at all, but just used the name and made it as easy as possible. see my notes below!

Chicken Bacon Avocado Quesadillas

receipe and photo here

8 medium-sized flour tortillas

1 pound chicken breasts (see below)

Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste (see below)

8 strips of bacon, chopped

1 avocado, sliced (omitted)
Lime juice (omitted)

Shredded Monterey jack cheese (see below)

1. Fry bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Set bacon aside to drain on paper towels. Drain all but 1/2 tablespoon of drippings from the pan.

2. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder and add the chicken to the bacon drippings. Cook until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Let chicken rest for 3 to 5 minutes, then dice very finely or shred. (You can always dice the chicken before you cook it, but I think it’s much more tender if I wait to chop it until after it’s cooked.)

3. Slice avocado and sprinkle with lime juice to preserve color. Top four tortillas with cheese, chicken, bacon, and avocado. Sprinkle with more cheese and top with other four tortillas. Cook each quesadilla until browned and crispy.

KERI's Notes:

i used some of those tyson's pre-grilled chicken strips. i must have had a coupon a few months ago because i apparently bought some, put them in the freezer and forgot about them. they were perfect for this. i also used some of the chipolte cheddar cheese slices that i was going to use for the calzones these were supposed to be. long story. not important.

so basically i took some tortillas, spread with ranch, topped with chicken, bacon and cheese. toasted in the skillet and chowed. so easy, so delicious.

and finally, i made a low/no carb recipe that i was really excited to try. Cream Cheese Pancakes. i ate these last night for supper while dave and hallie at their superbowl yumminess. and they were delicious! the first batch was super thing, so i changed my technique a little - just see my notes below.

Cream Cheese Pancakes

photo and recipe here

Ingredients:

2 oz cream cheese

2 eggs

1 packet stevia sweetener

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Put all ingredients in a blender or magic bullet.  Blend until smooth.  Let rest for 2 minutes so the bubbles can settle.  Pour 1/4 of the batter into a hot pan greased with butter or pam spray.  Cook for 2 minutes until golden, flip and cook 1 minute on the other side.  Repeat with the rest of the batter.  Serve with sugar free syrup (or any syrup of your choice) and fresh berries. 

KERI's NOTES:

these were so good. i zipped them up in my magic bullet and let them rest...but i should have let them rest longer. the first batch was really thin - good, but thin. so the next batch was much better. and i changed my technique...i poured them on, waited a minute and then poured some more batter on top. it made for a thicker, fluffier pancake.

i also got more like 12 small pancakes out of the ingredients above. next time i will double/triple the recipe and freeze the remainder. GREAT snacks or an easy breakfast.

SUPER BOWL & MAH BOYZ.

we had a little family superbowl celebration last night. i made the traditional superbowl foodstuff: pulled pork sliders, queso/chips, pb blondies, yuuuuuum. and then hallie watched tv in our room while we watched the superbowl stuff.

and madonna - i don't even like you much and that half-time show was fantastic. like, my favorite on ever. good job.

right before the superbowl mr. henry was craaaanky. he hadn't napped much and decided to crash on dad's chest. with some sweat head. i love it.

PINTEREST: YOU WIN ONE, YOU (SORTA) LOSE ONE.

i love pinterest so much. i am so...inspired by all of the recipes. last night i even tried to cook a new recipe for dave and he was all - i'm just eating those enchilada leftovers. well fine.

i have tried two more recipes. one was super yummy (and easy) and the other had great potential, but failed to impress. it wasn't bad. it just...wasn't good.

Up first...the GREAT. the POWERFUL. the PEANUT BUTTER CHEESE BALL!!!!!!! (ew?)

it was delicious! and i made it ahead of time and just pulled it out to thaw a bit before people came over. i meant to slice up some apple slices to go with it and totally forgot. i think they would have been perfect. PERFECT.

not my picture! see the link below.

PEANUT BUTTER CHEESE BALL!

link from pinterest here

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (not all-natural)
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
Graham cracker sticks, teddy grahams, and/or apple slices for dipping

Directions:
Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until blended.

Spoon onto a large piece of plastic wrap; bring up all four corners and twist tightly forming into a ball shape.

Freeze for 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm enough to keep its shape. Place peanut butter and chocolate chips in flat dish. Remove plastic wrap from ball and roll ball into morsels to completely cover, pressing morsels into the ball if necessary.

Place ball on serving dish; cover and freeze for 2 hours or until almost firm. (Can be made ahead. If frozen overnight, thaw at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.) Serve with graham cracker sticks, teddy grahams, or apple slices for dipping or spreading.

KERI's NOTES:

i used fat-free cream cheese and low-fat peanut butter. and splenda brown sugar. and it all still worked!

********** 

now...for the less-successful. Deviled Egg Dip. dave sorta gagged when he heard the name, but i thought it sounded delicious. i looooove me some deviled eggs and when i saw the dip had bacon in it i thought - SCORE.

more like, airball.

it was fine. good. too tangy. i forgot i don't like the taste of franks hot sauce very much. if i did it again, i would change a whole bunch. i might go ahead and  try my changes and see if i like it better. but here is the original recipe. see my notes at the bottom for what i would change. 

 

DEVILED EGG DIP

link for recipe and picture via pinterest here.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp FRENCH'S® Classic Yellow® Mustard

1/2 cup mayonnaise

10 oz (5 large) eggs

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp Frank's Red Hot original hot sauce

4 oz bacon

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

12 oz crackers, for dipping

4 cup water

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Put eggs in a sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. When the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and cover for 20 minutes. Allow eggs to cool enough to peel.

2. While the eggs are cooking, fry four slices of bacon until crisp. Drain and crumble bacon into small pieces.

3. In a large bowl, mix together mayo, mustard, hot sauce, vinegar, cheese, and crumbled bacon.

4. In a small bowl, use a fork to mash the eggs into small chunks. You could also use a food processor or a potato masher. Add the eggs to the mayo and mustard mixture and stir together.

5. Serve with crackers or potato chips for dipping.

KERI's NOTES:i will make this again, but will just use miracle whip instead of mayo. then i can just leave out the vinegar and hot sauce and still have the tang. that's how i make my deviled eggs anyway. i will keep in the bacon and the shredded cheese for sure and not put any salt and pepper at all. i think this dip would be fantastic, just simplified a bit.

SICK SICK SICK, SUCK.

poor kiddo. he is such a happy little wheezer.

it's really cute. he likes to hold the mask. and sometimes tries to chew on it. but mostly he sits quietly, breathing in the good, good medicine and watches baby einstein.

he's a good little boy. oh yes he certainly is.

PINTEREST SUCCESS: WHITE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

i tried another recipe - only one million more to go! seriously, i pin food as if i have never eaten before. my mouth waters at all of the delicious recipes!

i tried this one on dave and hallie last night and it was a huge success! i worried it wasn't going to be meaty enough (2 cups of chicken didn't amount to much), but they loved it. i sneaked a few bites and the flavor was fantastic. it was quick, easy and great.

(this is not my picture below. from the original website here)

White Chicken Enchiladas:

10 soft taco shells (i think i only used eight)

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream (i used reduced fat)

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies (i drained a lot of the liquid out)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 pan

2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese.  Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Add broth and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  

4. Stir in sour cream and chilies.  Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.

5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese

KERI's notes:

i cooked my chicken in the crockpot with some chicken broth and taco seasoning. i think it helped the flavor of the shredded chicken.

i got concerned with my butter/flour/chicken broth mixture didn't get "thick" but i just cooked it until it was bubbly and "thick-er" than it was. everything turned out perfectly.

i made this up in the morning and stuck it in the fridge. i cooked it at 350 for about 35 minutes and it was perfect. i didn't bother with the broiler.

DELICIOUS.

FRIDAY NIGHT DELIGHT!

sick as a dog, but loved every minute of it.

especially when i woke up and patty was spooning me. that was pretty funny.

i met my girls (minus sarah, minus kendra) for a quickie overnight in st.louis. we met up with even more friends from college and talked and laughed hysterically for hours. and i ate a whole pizza. and two cupcakes. apparently i was starving.

i blame the nasty cold.



there are five unborn babies at this table! nora (with one), theresa (with one) and alana (with THREE).





THOMAS!!!!



this stinkin' darn kid got his very first ear infection on sunday. we celebrated with some amoxicillin and an early bedtime. poor kiddo. poor mommy - he hates taking medicine. good times.

waiting patiently at prompt care. that teether is his favorite thing EVER.

feeling better yesterday!



after watching Baby Einstein!



A POST OF NOTHING.

i got nothin' today.

oh! did you see what santa put in my stocking for christmas? i love it.

and here's henry:

PINTEREST FAIL: BAKED FRIED CHICKEN.

tastes like KFC? no.

instead, the skin was sorta mushy because of all of the butter in the bottom of the 9x13. it didn't crisp up nicely at all. i think if you just spray or simply use foil it would turn out way better.

that being said...dave loved it. and hallie ate it. so...yeah.

RECIPE:

 

Place thawed chicken breast tenderloin strips in a bowl of milk. Let soak for 20-30 min.

Mix in a Gallon Size Ziploc or Large Bowl:  

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 T Season All

3/4 tsp Pepper

1 c. Flour

2 tsp. Paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 1/2 stick of butter into a few pieces and place in a 9x13 pan. Melt butter in pre-heated oven.

Spread melted butter around the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray the pan, if needed, to make sure that there are no dry spots.

Shake excess milk off of chicken and completely coat each piece with the seasoning mix. You can either shake the chicken in the bag, until coated, or dip each piece in the bowl until coated.

Place each piece of chicken in the pan.

Cook for 20 min. Turn each piece of chicken and continue cooking for 20 more minutes, or until cooked through.

ENJOY! (or not)

YOGA, MORE MOHAWKS AND A STORY ABOUT A LOST IPHONE.

yoga:

mohawks:

and now, a story:

i don't remember where we were or what we were doing (how's that for an intro?), but barb dropped me and the kids off at home early evening on a sunday.

dave was out hitting golf balls in the hard when we pulled in and apparently put his iphone down on the hood of barb's caddy at some point.

do you see where this is going?

barb drives off, dave freaks out, crying ensues.

he went driving, trying to find it. and at some point on a road a little bit aways, his bluetooth kicked on. so apparently it had to be within 60 feet or something. he came back and picked me up while barb stayed with the kids and we drove...and drove...and DROVE. and searched the ditches as it got darker and darker.

and i kept calling and calling, because dave never EVER puts his phone on vibrate (and gets grumpy at me when i do (understatement)) so we were hoping to hear it. but we couldn't find it. i tried calling customer service in jacksonville but they were closed and as i was going through all of the automated "press 1 for english" business here came dave's dad.

i said forget the customer service crap and just kept calling it as mike crept in front of us. i called and about a minute later mike slammed his brakes on and got out.

i told dave "i think he found it!"

his exact words, "he can't see anything ever, how is he going to see my phone?"

WELL GUESS WHAT SUCKAS?! mike found dave's phone...in the ditch. when asked HOW he could possibly see it he said, "i saw the ditch light up, so i figured that's what it was."

brilliant.

he saw the ditch light up because i was calling the phone, where just a MINUTE before i was NOT calling the phone because i was trying to call customer service. and we were driving in the right spot because dave's bluetooth had gone off in that general area (and it never did again!), so BY THE GRACE OF GOD...

we found dave's iphone.

the end.

oh, and his PHONE WAS ON VIBRATE.

SMELLS LIKE A DAISY.

hallie is a girl scout! sort of. we've had like...four meetings this whole year? but regardless, she is and she loves it!

we went to the big cookie rally a few saturdays ago...lots of inflatables, not enough pizza and boy HOWDY was it LOUD. good gravy, my ears were ringing when we left. early. but it was still so much fun.

IF YOU WANT COOKIES, let me know! She is selling them now thru february 5th!

they also had a dj set up and the girls could dance. and that's allllll she wanted to do is dance, dance, dance!

MR HENRY GIGGLES.

oh this kid. my heart.

SNOW & MOHAWKS.

MY KIDS ARE WAY TALENTED.

MORE CHRISTMAS. AND THE NEXT DAY.

DONE.

MORE CHRISTMAS. DAY AFTER.

not as many pictures! not a single one opening gifts. whoops!