Green Bean Saga and Aunt Lew's Chocolate Chip Cookies

It has been a day! I have made bread (recipe to come later - it is awesome!), homemade dishwasher detergent (will also post after I have tried it out), chocolate chip cookies, and dinner. I also had to run for a couple of hours to verify my daughter's SS#. Did you know that you have to have ID for your 10 month old to get her SS# to file your taxes? I asked if I could just plop her on their desk - they were not amused. Instead, I had to drive to her doctor's office, 30 minutes away, and get a copy of her last medical visit. Dumb! All of this to file taxes, which I don't want to do!!! Let's just say, I was tired and it was a long day!

Then comes the chaos of dinner. My kids are painful at dinner, this is putting it lightly. If it isn't standard kid fare: mac n'cheese, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, I had better prepare for a battle. Tonight, I made grilled pork chops, fettucini alfredo, and the dreaded green beans. You guessed it, there were many tears. Tonight, I was a little tired of the theatrics, and decided to record it for posterity - and all of you! 

After, I asked her if she learned a lesson, she stated "yes, that you are mean!" It only took her 8 years to figure that out! Assisting me in the diabolical plan - her Uncle Chris! Lucky dad is out of town...

The only thing that got her to eat her green beans, was the promise of a chocolate chip cookie. I thought I would share the awesome recipe here!!!

Aunt Lew's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream:

2 C. Shortening

2 C. Brown Sugar

1 C. Sugar

2 t. Vanilla

 Mix in 4 eggs and add the following dry ingredients:

4 C. 8 T. Flour

2 t. Salt

2 t. Baking Soda

Stir in 1 pkg. chocolate chips and nuts (if desired). Mix thoroughly, bake 8 minutes at 375 degrees.

Quick Mix (aka Homemade Bisquik)

My mom calls this "Quick Mix" because you can use it to make dinner quickly! I used this for pancakes tonight for my kids and they loved it! Unlike most of the food I make them eat :-)

4 Cups Flour
3/4 Cup Powder Milk
2 T. Baking Powder
1 t. Salt
3/4 Cup Butter

Mix all together until crumbly. Store in fridge for up to 6 months.

For Pancakes (made about 8):

2 Cups Quick Mix
1 Cup Milk
2 Eggs

For Biscuits:
2 Cups Quick Mix
2/3 Cup Milk

Best Bathroom Cleaner Ever!

I have seen several posts on Pinterest about mixing Vinegar with Dawn and getting a great cleaner. Most of them recommend doing a 1 cup of Dawn, 1 cup of Vinegar mixture. I tried this and it was way too sudsy - it took forever to rinse off. So, I have played with it and found that a good mix is 1 cup of Dawn with 3 cups of Vinegar. I also add some fragrance oil that I found at Walmart for only $2.00! Trust me, the vinegar is strong!!! This at least helps it smell better.

All you have to do is spray it on, let it sit for about 30 minutes and rinse off. It takes care of all of the hard water (which is awful in Herriman). This cleaner is fantastic and super cheap!!!

Fun with my Silhouette Cameo!

My sweet husband bought me a Cameo for Christmas and I love it!!! Today L and I decided to get our craft on...

I had a wooden box that I bought several weeks ago, but wasn't sure what to do with it. I painted it white, dry brushed some pastels on it for texture and then added some vinyl. 

I think it turned out pretty cute - and cheap - which is always good!

Tater Tot Casserole and Parent Teacher Conference

Knowing that I have to spend all afternoon at the school doing parent-teacher conference, I have gone ahead and made dinner. It will be nice to just throw it in the oven and not have to worry about it when I get home.

The only time that I make Tater Tot Casserole is when K is traveling, he is definitely not a fan! But this is one of my favorite dishes! Hopefully the kids appreciate it, although I am not holding my breath. I modified it a little bit to try and make it a little healthier :-)

My favorite part was C bouncing in her jumper to the music while we cooked.

Ingredients
16 oz bag of Tater Tots
1 lb of 96% lean ground beef
Minced Onion (you can put in fresh, but my kids would freak out!)
1 can of Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 can of milk
1/2 cup of Fat Free Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese

Directions
Cook Tater Tots according to package directions.

While Tater Tots are cooking, brown hamburger. I just sprinkle a little minced onion with it and add salt & pepper to taste. Once hamburger is browned, add the soup, milk, sour cream, and some shredded cheese (however much you like!). Mix it all together.

Once Tater Tots are done, place in the bottom of a casserole dish. Pour hamburger mixture over the top and add shredded cheese on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Verdict: must be a gender thing. The men in the family, K&J, are not fans! The ladies, including C, love it! Here is J's mad face at me making him eat it all!

Sausage and Cream Cheese Rolls

Sausage and Cream Cheese Pinwheels

This was a very easy, throw together meal on a Sunday afternoon! I was also feeling really lazy, so I used the precooked sausage crumbles from Jimmy Dean. I did modify it a little bit from the original recipe.

Ingredients
1 lb of cooked breakfast sausage
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
2 cans of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Directions
Combine sausage and cream cheese in a bowl. Open the can of crescent rolls and separate into triangles. Cut each triangle into half length wise. Place approximately a tablespoon of mixture on the large part of the triangle and roll. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, or sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Easy Beef Enchiladas

I got this recipe from my amazing sister-in-law, Nicole. K loves it and is always requesting it for dinner!

Ingredients

2-3 Cans of Enchilada sauce (depends on how saucy you like it :-)
1 lb Ground Beef
8 tortillas (I like flour, can use corn)
Shredded Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Pour approximately 1/2 can of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan and shake to cover the entire bottom.

Brown hamburger in skillet. Once browned, add the other 1/2 can of enchilada sauce and some shredded cheese. Once heated through and the cheese has melted, assemble the enchiladas!

Get one tortilla and place a thin line of meat mixture down one side. Roll up tightly and place seam side down in the baking pan. Continue until all of the mixture has been used.

Then pour an additional can over the top of the completed enchiladas and cover with cheese.

Bake at 350 for approximately 20-25 minutes and enjoy! My husband loves topping them with either Ranch or Sour Cream. Enjoy!

Love Potion

Bubbly Love Potion

I got the recipe for this "love potion" off of Pinterest (of course!). It is amazing. You just mix up frozen pink lemonade concentrate per the directions on the can. You then take 4 cups of the lemonade and 4 cups of raspberry sherbet and mix in blender. Pour in a glass and pour Sprite over the top. It was awesome! Can't tell you what the kids thought, K wouldn't share with them.