Beautiful Girls

Kate and her cousin Brandy (Kevin's sister Susan's daughter) are here visiting on their spring break. They arrived Saturday night after a long 8 hour drive. To welcome Kate home I prepared her favorite meal which is my Chicken and Dumplings. Brandy had never had Chicken and Dumplings before but LOVED it. The next day, I took Kate out to shop for some things she needs like new shoes, make-up, shampoo etc etc. We had a wonderful afternoon of Mother/Daughter time which is very few and far between so I cherished it. That night Kate requested BBQ steak for dinner so we bought some beautiful rib eyes and had a wonderful BBQ meal together. We enjoyed hanging out as a family and watched a fun comedy together that night that we had rented. On Monday Kate went to my hairdresser here and had her hair done, while Brandy met her Dad, his girlfriend and her little brother at the mall. (they live 15 minutes away in a nearby town) Once Kate's hair was done, she met up with Brandy and her family and they enjoyed a late lunch together. That night after another meal at home (another request by Kate...spagehtti ie: this girl lives on mac and cheese and other simple foods while in school so she LOVES home cooked meals when she comes to visit!) the girls and I went to the movie to see REMEMBER ME with Robert Pattinson. Since all three of us are big time "Twihards" which means we love anything regarding the Twilight series from the books to the movies...and especially we love our Edward who is played by darling british actor Robert Pattinson. It was fun to see Rob in a role outside of the Twilight films and the movie was WONDERFUL. A drama with a twist at the end that we did not see coming. We loved the movie and I got a kick listening to the girls gush over their heart throb Rob Pattinson. (I don't mind watching him either I might add!)
On Tuesday the girls went to the beach just the two of them and then drove out to Brandy's Dad's house for dinner. Tonight after eating build your own burritos at home, Kevin and I hosted a new Bible Study in our home (more on that later) so the girls opted to go out for a while to grab coffee drinks and then back to Brandy's Dad's to hang out and spend the night there. I took these pics of the girls right before they took off for the evening. Is it just me or are these girls GORGEOUS!? It has been SO FUN to watch the friendship that has developed between the girls over the past year and half as they are attending college together in the same major. Both want to be nurses, so they have LOTS in common and we can tell they share a genuine affection and love for each other. Tomorrow the girls will head to Disneyland for the day and since Kyle and I were just there in January we are letting them go just the two of them. Kate promised to take lots of pics with her camera so I will share those in the next couple of days.

Introducing...the newest member of the family, LILY! Kate called us from school 2 months ago to tell us that she found a Chihuahua breeder who has lost her job and was unable to provide her new litter of puppies with their shots and there fore giving them away for free. Kate has been wanting a dog since she was 4 years old. Sadly, because I am allergic to dogs as is Kyle...we could never have one. When we first found out that she had adopted Lily we were NOT in support. We thought it was not the time for her to take on the responsibility of a dog nor were we willing to pay for her dog in any way. Kate told us that she had been putting aside money for several weeks to pay for the needs of a dog and that she was willing to forgo a portion of her weekly allowance from us to support her pet. We were unsure of the whole idea at the time, but now I have to say that Kevin and I feel that this little puppy has been a God send for Kate. It is so fun to watch the nurturing/caring side of Kate as she cares for her little puppy, and Lily is...well just look at her! She is darling. We are all in love with her and it has been so fun having her here. My allergies are definitely kicked in with the dog here, but as long as I don't hold her and kiss on her like Kate, its not too bad. She does not shed AT ALL, so that is not a concern while she is a puppy. Kate has loved having a new little friend to go through her college days with. Since Kate has practically given up all her social activities while she works to get the highest grades she can this Semester, she is enjoying having Lily to keep her company while she studies. Kate has done an incredible job potty training and crate training Lily. Lily has the best little personality and is really a great little dog. Today when the girls went over to our neighborhood clubhouse and pool for the afternoon, she put Lily in her crate and after a short time of whining, she fell asleep and was quiet as can be for several hours. She brings Kate immense joy and happiness and so for that reason alone, we feel that maybe her having a dog is not a bad idea after all. The girls are here for 3 more days and go back Sunday, so stay tuned for more pics and updates on our time with them.

Scrap book pages

Here is a layout I did incorporating some techniques I've learned in the past few months either from classes I've taken or from tutorial blogs I watch on the internet regarding scrap booking.

I love these flowers that I made from tissue paper. Stay tuned for a tutorial on how to make these soon.

Another new technique I incorporated is paper pleating as can be seen above. The butterfly was cut using a Cricut machine. I don't have one yet, but the scrap booking store I shop at often will cut dies out for you for a small fee.

For these letters, I stamped them onto a thin white chip board. I then cut them out, painted the letters in using acrylic paint and added a clear glitter paint called Stickles to add the glitter effect.

I had  a lot of fun with these pages and my plan for this year's scrap booking is to reach outside my comfort zone and try new techniques and ideas. I love the results on this lay out with Kate. The pics of Kate were taken at my Dad and Polly's house at Thanksgiving.

Cards and paper projects

Here are the projects I made last night at stamp club. I LOVE my stamp club! The projects are always SO much fun. The Happy Easter card above actually has a "Treat cup" incorporated within the card. It was fun to learn how to assemble that. I also love the paper Easter basket and pocket holder for candy, gift card or whatever else you would like to give. I have some special kids in mind whom I'm mailing all these goodies off to!

Every month in Stamp Club we do a "swap" where we bring 9 cards to swap with the other girls. It's fun, because I end up coming home with 8 cards made by the club members. The ladies are all very talented so the cards I bring home are always gorgeous. The above card with the butterfly was my swap for last month and the card below was this month's swap card that I made.

Below is another card that I designed that is the "easel" style that I learned about in club a few months back. I continue to LOVE Stampin Up! and stamp club.

CYT Showcase

Tonight was such a great night for Kyle. For the past 10 weeks he has been taking a weekly class with the Christian Youth Theatre group in our city. (go to http://www.cyt.org/) for more info on this wonderful organization. The class he chose was COMEDY IMPROV. Kyle has LOVED being in this class and has not missed one week. At the end of each 10 week session of classes, CYT has a Showcase event where all the classes come together to perform what they have learned.

Last week Kyle came home from class with his "script" and announced that he would be the Emcee for the night. What?..WOW! We were so impressed and excited for Kyle. He practiced with his script all week and although he did not have to memorize it, he did need to know the material well enough to be able to deliver his lines in an animated way. He did such an outstanding job tonight. He is a natural on stage and did not show a bit of nervousness before or during. We were beyond proud of Kyle.

In addition to his Emcee duties he also had the opportunity to get up on stage with his class and do a comedy improv. His class has approximately 25 kids in it and they vary in age from 13-18. What a fun and talented group of kids! No wonder Kyle has been so excited to go to class each week. Kyle's comedic improv was so funny and off the cuff. He did such a wonderful job.

The BEST part of the evening however was at the end of the night when one of the CYT directors announced the ten teens that have been chosen to be part of the Comedy Improv team representing CYT for our city at the national competition at the major nearby city in our state this Summer. Kyle has been working so hard for the past 10 weeks to earn this, and he did it. Starting in 2 weeks he will be working each week with the team of 10 in preparing for the competition.

It's so great to see Kyle involved with such a wonderful organization doing something he loves. Tonight was definately a blessing in an otherwise continued difficult time for Kyle. He is really missing the socialization that comes along with being in school 5 days a week and talks about it often. In fact, if there was not only 3 months left of school I would do an intradistrict transfer to get him into the public middle school accross town. Until fall arrives and he can attend a regular 5 day a week school again (investigating public and private High Schools now), we just have to keep him as busy as possible and in as many social situations as we can. He is really excited to go to his Church Youth Retreat this weekend which will be a wonderful time of fellowship and friendship building for him.

Recipe of the Week: Salmon Cakes (gluten free)

I've never been a big fan of fish...but everything I read is telling me how incredibly good it is for you. It cuts your chances of Alzeheimers disease among other good things it does for your body. SO...I've been trying to find ways to get more of it in our diets. These Salmon Cakes are INSANELY good and really fun to make. Kev and I were talking about it as we were eating them tonight and we both agreed this is one of our favorite meals right now. They don't taste "fishy" in the least and have this yummy crunchy coating with a soft flavorful center. These Salmon Cakes melt in your mouth..

I got the recipe while watching Food Network back in October. The newest Food Network Star, Melissa d'Arabian was making them on her show and I knew I had to try them. Well, I've been making them ever since. My goal is to start preparing fish once a week. My next fish cooking venture will be a Parmesan crusted Tilapia. Stay tuned for that one!

Here is what you will need to make these yummy Salmon Cakes:

Ingrediants:
2 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, crumbled, bacon fat reserved
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 egg
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 t. sugar
1/2 lemon, zested
1 (14 oz) can wild or pink salmon OR vac packed salmon packets to equal 14 oz.
1 baked or boiled russet potato, peeled, and mashed or fluffed with a fork
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs (or use gfree bread crumbs: buy at health food store...or make your own with gfree bread pulsed in your food processor)
1 T grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 c. vegy oil

Directions:
After you cook your potato by baking it, microwaving it or boiling it,  peel it and mash or fluff it with a fork. (I poked my potato with holes and cooked it in the microwave until done. I then let it cool, peeled it and mashed it with a potato masher) Set aside.

Fry up your bacon, reserving the fat. Crumble the bacon into a medium to large bowl. Set aside. Then add the onions to the reserved bacon fat still in the skillet and cook over medium heat until translucent. Add the cooked onions to the crumbled bacon.

Next, add the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar and lemon zest to the bacon and onions.

Stir well until all the ingrediants are well incorporated.

Next add the potato and the salmon. (I LOVE the vac packed so much better than canned. It's not floating in oil or water like canned and there are no bones to pick out. It is more expensive, but in my book it is so worth it. The vac pacs are 2.6 oz so you will need 3-4 packs if you are cutting the recipe in half (like me) or 6-7 packs if you are making the full recipe. You will yield 12 patties if you halve the recipe and 24 if you make the recipe as I am posting.)

Gently stir to incorporate.

In a pie plate, mix together the bread crumbs and the parm. You are now ready to form your cakes. The salmon mixture in WET. You will need to find your own technique and rythym to preparing the cakes. I like to use a medium stainless steel scoop and scoop up a small ball of the salmon mix.

Then, using your hands; form a small patty. It will be wet/sticky and very delicate to deal with. Then, while your patty is still in the palm of your hand, hold over the bread crumb mixture and using your other hand, sprinkle crumbs over the cake, shaking off the excesss. Carefully, turn the cake over into your other hand, and sprinkle crumbs on the other side. (I've wondered about how to make the mix less wet/sticky...you could add more salmon to bulk it up...however once the patties are refrigerated they become very firm and easier to handle while frying)

Once you have coated both sides with the crumbs, put them on a plate with wax paper on it. When you have made all the patties, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. (I like to make the patties in the morning and let them sit in the fridge all day) I've also, gone right to the fry stage as well..it is however you want to do it.

When you are ready to fry them, pour oil into a skillet and let it heat up a minute or two. (the recipe calls for 1/2 cup oil...I use about 1/2 that amount... I just cover the bottom of the pan evenly with the oil)

Fry the cakes on 4 minutes each side or until golden brown. If you are making the full recipe, then you will have to fry them in batches. Add more oil to the pan in between batches.

You can dip these yummy cakes with your choice of Tartar Sauce. I also serve with a green salad and baked potato for a delicious meal that is also VERY kid friendly. Enjoy!!!! 

Scrap book pages

Here are two scrap book pages I did this weekend. To see them up close and personal click on each pic to get a better look. I loved making the heart in the layout above out of paper flowers. Below I incorporated a few vintage things like the ticket stub and baby blue lace ribbon.

Recipe of the Week: Mushroom and Beef Stew (gluten free)

Time to break out the ol' crock pot again this week to make this wonderful beef stew. If you are not a mushroom lover, it tastes just as fabulous with out the mushrooms. Thank you once again to my friend Beverly who gave me this recipe a while back.

Here's what you will need:

1.5-2 lbs beef stew meat (or buy your favorite cut of beef and cut it into cubes)
1/8 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp Worchestershire Sauce (not pictured)
2 to 2 1/2 cups beef broth (If you use 1.5 pounds beef use 2 cups if you use 2 lbs beef use 2 1/2 cups)
4 shitake mushrooms, diced
2 medium potaotes, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
*Wondra sauce and gravy flour for sauce thickening (if you are gluten free use rice flour or gluten free flour of choice)
*Reynolds Slow Cooker liner

Directions

If so desired, put a liner in your crock pot. Then, place beef into the bottom of the crock pot. In a small bowl mix together flour and salt/pepper. Pour over the beef. Stir to coat all the pieces of meat with the mixture.

Chop all the vegys in small bite size pieces as shown below. I cut the potatoes into a little bit larger chunks.

Add the cut up vegys to the meat. Measure out the beef broth into a medium bowl. Stir in paprika, worcestershire sauce and garlic. Stir well to combine and pour over the beef and vegys.

Add a bay leaf and cover with the lid.

Cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high 4-6 hours. Before serving, if you desire a thicker, gravy like sauce.. push the meat and vegys over to one side of the pot and sprinkle a small amount of Wondra to your stew.  Gently whisk in. Sauce will immediately thicken. Don't use too much Wondra or it will make your sauce bland.

Once you have whisked in the Wondra it is time to enjoy this wonderful rich stew that is great with bread of your choice. I like serving it with country biscuits or corn bread.

                                                                         ENJOY!