Cows in the Kitchen

So, I may have mentioned before that my Hubby is a good ole boy from Texas.  He wasn't raised on a ranch, but he did raise a few cows.  While most kids I knew were working at fast food joints, my Hubby worked buying calves, raising them and eventually reselling them to ranchers or other farmers.  He treated his cows like most people treat their dogs.  We like to call him The Cow Whisperer. 

Because my Hubby loves cows so much, I tend to buy a few cow trinkets because they remind me of him.  I mostly buy small stuff, like his carved cow Christmas tree ornament.  We even still have the feed bucket he used to use to feed his cows.  It is one of those sentimental things I refuse to get rid of.

So, when you saw the title of this post, I can only imagine what came to your mind.  Was it something like this?

   
or this

No, no, no!  The 80's Holsteins aren't exactly what I had in mind, although I will admit that I did have a fondness for them way back when and I'm only admitting that to y'all.  Tell anyone else and I'll deny it to the end! 

So, remember when Hubby and I were away in Eureka Springs a few weeks ago?  Remember that I told y'all my phone died and I lost my pictures?  Well, Hubby apparently managed to save a few of them and forgot to tell me about it.  You see, one of the places I've always wanted to go in Eureka Springs is a  little shop called Vintage Cargo.  For some reason, we'd never made it there before this year.  As we were admiring the amazing things in this store, we turned the corner and came upon this:

This is actually the small version.  There was a large version we spotted first but I couldn't get a good picture of it.  We asked how much it was.  The guy who worked there told us that the price had been recently lowered to $680.  Well, $680 is just pocket change for me (can you sense the sarcasm dripping from that sentence?).  Hubby asked me where I would want to put it if we could buy it.  "The kitchen" was my response.  So, do you think it's weird to put a cow painting in the kitchen? 

Apartment Therapy via Cottage Living

I think it worked for her.  Very country chic.

EPIC BISCUIT FAILURE!!!

Do you remember what your favorite supper was when you were little?  I used to love when my mom would make breakfast for supper.  I love bacon, sausage, eggs, biscuits, pancakes, etc. 

Cracker Barrell breakfast via Google Images

My kids also love breakfast for supper.  Usually we have sausage, gravy, biscuits, eggs, hash browns and sometimes bacon too.  Here's the thing though, I always make canned biscuits.  I love me some Grands! 

So, today when I picked up the kids from school, I got the same question I get EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.  "What's for supper, mom?"  When I said we were having breakfast, there were actual cheers from the kids.  They love breakast as much as I do.  Only problem was, I was out of canned biscuits.  Why?  Because Kroger has them on sale and I didn't want to buy them for twice the price at Wal-Mart, but I never made it to Kroger.  So, I decided I would, once again, TRY to make homemade biscuits. 

Don't those look yummy?  I got the recipe here.  The photo is from the same sight.  The problem is, I do not have a good biscuit making track record.  They usually turn out heavy and dry.  I have tried dozens of recipes and tons of tips.  Use cold butter.  Don't over mix.  Brush the tops with beaten milk and egg mixture.  UGH!  Wanna see my biscuits?

Looks like a hokey puck!

EPIC FAILURE!  They were AWFUL!  It's like they didn't rise, at all.  They were dry and crumbly.  I have never claimed to be an awesome chef, but I do okay.  I can follow a recipe, usually.  Why can I not make biscuits?  What in the world am I doing wrong?  My baking powder is still in date but there isn't much left in the Clabber Girl tin.  Maybe it's lost it's lift?  I have the same problem with my boobs.   Too bad ya can't slap a bra on the baking powder can. 

So, does anybody have a fail proof biscuit recipe, other than a can of Grands?  Any idea what I am doing wrong?  I'm looking for light fluffy biscuits, not crumbly and dry biscuits.  ICK!  HELP!!!

My Kid Is Outcrafting Me!

So, I know I may have talked a little about my crafty daughter before, but now she is just putting me to shame.  I've been a little, shall we say, unproductive lately.  She, on the other hand, is on some sort of manic crafty high lately.  If she is not doing homework, she is doing something crafty.  She is repurposing all kind of stuff to make other stuff.  That kids is the ultimate green crafter. 

I think she has recovered just about every box we have in the house.  Know what she has in those boxes?  Craft suppies, of course, and journals that she has made.  (Please ignore the black Sharpie marker she got all over her desk.  ugh!)

The one on the left she made out of an old High School Musical game board, scrapbook paper, duct tape, recycled paper and somehow she made it dry erase on the cover.  The one on the left, she made out of the same game board and the inside pages are made of a box of Thank You cards and envelopes. 

Can you tell the pages are envelopes? 

Then there is this:

She painted a ready made cup and made the removable top and out of clay.  Isn't that the cutest?

Seriously, this kid is making me look bad!  She amazes me with her creations.  It's like my creative gene quadrupled when it got to her.  Alright, I'll quit bragging on my kid now. 

Have a great Tuesday!!

Copycat Applebee's Maple Butter Blondie

When Hubby and I met and started dating, we lived in a small town with very few restaurants.  We often traveled to a nearby town on Friday nights to eat at Applebee's.  I liked their Club Croissant and I loved their Maple Butter Blondie.  Now, I usually don't go for desserts that aren't chocolate, but this was the exception.  I loved it and I've been searching for a similar recipe for bout ten years now.  I think I've finally found one that is pretty close.  I found the recipe here. 

Copycat Applebee's Maple Butter Blondie



Serves: 4 (or 1 if your really hungry!)
Ready In: Under 60 minutes
Ingredients:

Dough

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour, sifted
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or more if desired)
1/3 cup butter or margarine (melted)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Maple Butter Sauce
3/4 cup maple syrup (REAL maple syrup )
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Dough
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Add baking powder, baking soda and salt to the already sifted flour. Then sift dry ingredients again.
Add chopped nuts and mix well. Set aside.
Add brown sugar to melted butter and mix well. Then add egg and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Add flour mixture, a little at a time, until mixed well.
Stir in white chocolate chips. Spread out dough in a 9-inch pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Use a toothpick or fork to test if it is cooked in the center.
Serve warm with ice cream and Maple Butter Sauce.

Maple Butter Sauce
In a pan, add real maple syrup and butter, cook over low heat until butter is melted. Next, stir in brown sugar until completely dissolved. If you desire, add walnuts.

Valentine's Day Festivities

Did everyone have a good Valentine's Day?  Valentine's is not a HUGE deal at our house.  I do not expect flowers and presents, etc.  I do not expect a date, although I did just have a weekend away with my Hubby so my date was kind of all weekend long this year. 

Because I wasn't working today, I decided that I would get up early and cook a good breakfast for my family for Valentine's Day.  I made bacon (fried in the pan, NOT microwaved), scrambled eggs and my favorite buttermilk pancakes with pecans added for Hubby.  So, were my kiddos excited?  Well, my little one got up and said, "Um, no......I want a muffin please."  WHAT?!?  You want a Little Debbie muffin over real breakfast?  ugh!  KIDS!  And, I'm mean, so I totally made her eat eggs, bacon and pancakes. 

This is what the kids found at their place at the table this morning.  Valentine's plates and cups filled with candy.  All but L's were filled with chocolate.  L doesn't like chocolate (I still can't believe he's mine and doesn't eat chocolate - WEIRD!).  The gift bags were from my mom.  They were filled with treats too. 

It was a day filled with field trips and school parties and Valentine's crafts.

Tonight I decided to make one of our favorite dinners.  You see, the first meal Hubby ever cooked for me was Chicken Fettucine Alfredo.  He also made it for me the night he proposed.  So, I thought I would make it for him for Valentine's Day.  MMMM!  Throw in a salad and you've got a great meal!  Seriously, you must try it.  You will NEVER eat it at a restaurant again.  Homemade is soooo much better!

Well, it's almost time to put the kids to bed.  Then Hubby and I can have dessert.  I have chocolate covered strawberries in the fridge, hidden from the kids.  Happy Valentine's Day to us!

So, what did y'all do today?  Anything special?

Weekend and Valentine's Day Stuff

So, how was everyone's weekend?  Hubby and I had a wonderful weekend.  Hubby and I took a trip for Valentine's Day.  We went to our favorite little cabin in Eureka Springs, AR.

I had planned on sharing a few pics with you but in my laziness, I used my iphone to take pictures and then it crashed on the way home.  It's up and running again, but I lost my pictures.  ugh!  Oh well!  We had a wonderful weekend anyway.  Thanks to my aunt and mom for keeping an eye on the kiddos.

So, because of work, illness and preparing for this trip, I am waaaay behind in the Valentine's decor department.  I am reusing my Framed Love Note from last year.

E has to bring a decorated box for her Valentine party tomorrow.  So, I bought some scrapbook paper, a heart shaped paper mache box and got out my modge podge.  Okay, so technically I should have let her make it, but I couldn't help myself.  So, I cut and modge podged the paper and she will get to add stickers if she likes.  Wanna see?

Don't ya love the big ole crooked opening I cut for her Valentine cards to go in?  And the way I didn't get the air bubbles out on top of the box so it's all wrinkledy and stuff?  Nice, right?  Have I mentioned that I'm not a perfectionist?  Oh well!  Maybe her sticker placement will distract from my sloppiness. 

Gotta go make a big ole batch of Oreo Truffles for L's teacher for Valentine's Day.  Have a great Monday!

Father Daughter Dance

So, it all started with this:

You see, our school has a Father Daughter Dance every year.  I tried and tried to get my oldest to go when she was in  elementary school, but she never gave in.  The thought of putting on a dress and dancing in public was not her cup of tea.  My daughter, E, is in Kindergarten now.  I was so excited that she wanted to go.  She asked her daddy if he could take her to the Princess Dance and of course, he said yes.  Honestly, I was a little surprised by his enthusiasm.  I can't even get him to even dance with me in the kitchen.  But, I was very excited for my little one. 

E had a great time looking online for dresses.  She picked three or four that she liked, but insisted that it needed to be gray and black.  So, I sort of combined the design of them and bought all the fabric,as seen in the photo above.  Next, I drafted a pattern and went to work.  Wanna see how it turned out?

E's eyes are sensitive to light so she almost always closes her eyes if I use the flash.  ugh!

Here she is getting in the car:

She was so excited! 

This is a closeup of the flower headband I made to match the flowers on her dress.  I used this tutorial to make the flower for the headband and the flowers for the neckline of her dress. 

Eyes open without a flash.

Hubby said she had a great time and danced a lot.  There was a craft station where the girls made necklaces.  They snacked on Chick-Fil-A, cupcakes (or in E's case, icing) and punch.  He also mentioned that there were several moms there taking photos and videos.  I have GOT to get my hands on one of those videos!  Anyway, E had a great time with her daddy.  Can't wait until next year!

Favorite Super Bowl Commercials 2012...

I just had to share my favorite Super Bowl commercial.  After all, I am a child of the 80's.  Love me some Ferris Bueller!

I loved the Twinkies at the end. 

My other favorite was the Doritos dog commercial.  Did y'all see that one?  The dog was bribing the owner not to tell that said dog buried the cat?  I COULD NOT get it embedded, but it was really cute. 

Did you watch the game?  Which commercials were your favorite? 

Skinny Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones

Okay, so I've been on the lookout for some low cal-ish (yes, I made that word up) new recipes.  Because I've been working several days a week lately, I've been searching for recipes for breakfast that I can make ahead of time and have ready to go.  I DO NOT cook on mornings that I go to work.  As I have said before, 5:30 and I are not friends.  I'm not getting up earlier than 5:30 just so I can cook.  NOPE!  Not gonna happen. 

So, I don't know about you, but I had never actually eaten a scone and I had certainly never baked a scone.  I wasn't even sure if I knew what a scone was.  But, oh my gracious, they are fabulous!  So, you ready for the recipe?  Thanks so much to Gina at SkinnyTaste for making my diet not feel quite so much like a diet. 

Skinny Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones

Sevings: 12 • Serving Size: 1 scone • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts

Calories: 199.6 • Fat: 8.1 g • Protein: 3.7 g • Carb: 29.8 g • Fiber: 2.3 g • Sugar: 12.8 g
Sodium: 257.4 mg

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cold buttermilk

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp chilled butter (must be cold) cut into small pieces

3/4 cup chocolate chips

cooking spray

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.  Combine the first four ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender, or you could use 2 knives, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently fold in chocolate chips.

 Add milk mixture, stirring just until moist.

Place dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly four times with floured hands. Form dough into an 9-inch circle onto baking sheet, about 3/4" thick. Using a knife, cut into dough into 12 wedges, cutting all the way through.  Brush egg white over dough and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Bake until golden, about 18-20 minutes, depending on your oven. Serve warm with a big ole glass of milk, skim of course.  MMMMM!