Fun with the Juicer

Rowdy and I decided to break out the juicer this morning because I had two apples that were looking a little like two old men!  But still great for a healthy juice.  I don't like apple very much in my morning smoothie so juice was the best idea to use them up.  And Rowdy loves to use the juicer!

Rowdy added the cut up apple to the top and pushed down the plunger to extract that lovely apple juice.  But, of course, Mommy had to add some veggies to the juice so in went about 4 carrots.  Carrots mix so well with fruits, especially oranges!

We also added one orange for a little more sweetner.  YUM was it delish!  And what a beautiful orange color! 

"This is yummy, Mommy!".  It was quite a fantastic sip if I do say so myself!  And thank you to my friend, Hope, for giving me her juicer for free!  Yes, I am using it, Hope!

Rowdy's Juice

2 large Opal Apples, cut up

4 big carrots (do no cut up or peel)

1 large orange, skin removed and cut into quarters

Juice and enjoy!





Happy Valentine's Day

Rowdy and I made Valentine's for his friends.  I wish I could say these were my idea but I did steal them from my good friend Sheri's daughter.  It was so simple and so unique! 

Mommy cut the holes with an exacto knife and Rowdy was in charge of putting the lollipops in the holes.  He did a fantastic job.  He was very proud of them!

The instructions are very simple.  First just take a picture with their hand out in a fist.  Make sure they smile!  Then open your photo in "paint" on your computer.  I don't have photoshop but paint worked just fine.  Put shapes and doodles all over it.  Save it and get them printed.  Then cut the top and bottom of hand with an exacto knife and insert your treat.  Voila!  A unique and personable valentine for your friends!   The gal that  I got the idea from made cookies, wrapped them, and stuck them to a popsicle stick.  Here is what the valentine looked like before we inserted the lollipop:

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!  







No Buy February Challenge

I have read about this challenge on a few sites (Chiot's Run for one) and I have decided to take the challenge!  The challenge is to not buy anything I don't need - books for my nook, clothes, electronics, etc.  If I need food that isn't in my house and I can justify the cost then I can buy it.  But that's it.  If you don't need it to live by, don't buy it!   

I am also going to go through my house more and purge stuff I don't need.  I am getting stuff together for my yard sale (one of my many new year's resolutions) so this is a great opportunity to do just that!

Anyone else want to join the challenge?  Just say no to consumerism and save some money along the way!  Let's be like George Carlin - no more stuff!



Homemade Granola & New Year's Resolutions

One of my new year's resolutions was to eat more healthier.  I have been dabbling in raw foods and trying to incorporate healthy stuff into my diet.  So I tried my hand at making homemade granola the other day and I have only one thing to say - YUMMY!  Why didn't I ever do this before??  I am putting it in my greek yogurt (it makes it taste alot more like regular yogurt) or eating it with some 1% milk.  Rowdy has also been snacking on it!  We just can't get enough.  I think this will be a staple at the Rowdy and Mommy Homestead!

This is roughly the recipe I used.  I looked at a bunch of different recipes and came up with this one.  It has a lots of healthy stuff in it.  If you don't have all the stuff, you can substitute (use honey instead of agave for instance) or just leave it out.  You can't really mess this up!  If you like dried fruits with your granola (raisins, craisins, etc) add it to the final product after you have baked it.  This amount made 1 Quart jar and 1 Pint jar of granola for me.

Homemade Granola ala Stephanie

4 Cups Rolled Oats (not quick oats)

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 cup raw cashew pieces (or any 2 nuts you like)

2 Tbls ground flax

2 Tbls wheat germ

2 Tbls cinnamon

1 Tbls nutmeg

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup agave nectar

2 tsp vanilla

Mix all dry ingredients in a roasting pan (or a couple of cookie sheets).  On low heat, melt the oil, agave, and vanilla until liquid.  Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and give it a good stir.  Bake for 20 minutes at 275 degrees.  Take out and stir.  Put back in for another 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Let cool and put in containers (after cooling, this is where you will want to add any dried fruit).  Will keep for 2-3 weeks. 

I sat down and made a list of my New Year's Resolutions for 2011.  Many of them will not get crossed off - they will be ongoing - and I may add some or subtract some.  I added them to the right side of my blog.  I really want to make an honest effort to follow this list.  There have been alot of changes in my life in the last few months and I realized that I need to change a lot in my life because of what's happened.  I just want to be a good person and live my life to the fullest. 

I wish everyone a Great 2011!  What are your New Year's Resolutions?







Fire Chief Rowdy Turns 4!

Sorry I haven't blogged since Christmas.  Life always seems to get in the way, but that's ok.  Because it's a good life!

Rowdy's 4th birthday party was a hit and the kids had fun playing with all the new toys and pin the ladder on the firetruck (thanks Pam!).  Everyone was a winner of the game and got goodie bags filled with m&m's, kisses, play dough, stickers, card games, and a fireman's hat. 

James and Seth with James' Mom, Debbie

Rowdy got a lot of cool toys including a nerf tommy gun (that went to Dad's!), carwash, games, Cars Vtech computer, lots of firetruck stuff, and the biggest remote control firetruck you have ever seen, courtesy of Papa!

For the third year in a row, Deb at the PV Safeway made Rowdy's birthday cake.  She always does such a great job.  This year it was a firetruck cupcake cake. 

Banner made by Pam

Everyone enjoyed the cake!

Little Max

James

I always have so much fun planning Rowdy's Birthday parties every year!   I am already brainstorming next years! 

I love you Sugar Booger!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas!  Rowdy and I had a nice time with Uncle Mike and my parents. 

Santa brought Rowdy the chainsaw he wanted.  He started to cut down the tree with it!

He got some nice presents from Mommy and the family. 

Rowdy made sure there wasn't any stragglers left under the tree!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!











Holiday Baking and Canning

This is my favorite cookbook right now (Thanks Mom!).  This has some great small batch canning recipes for hot water bath canning.  And since it's just me most of the time (with a little guy for half of the week) it comes in handy when I don't want to make a big batch of something.  I decided to make some recipes from the book for holiday gifts - and of course to fill my pantry with home canned goodies!  

The first thing I made was "Your Basic Chunky Tomato Salsa".  It was very easy to make and I even added some cilantro to the mix.  I was able to use up the last of the onion I got from Grandpa's house in Utah and the garlic too.  The funniest part was when I cut up the jalepenos and breathed them in!  Rowdy asked if I was ok!  I now know to get plastic gloves to cut them up for next time - and maybe a mask!

I ended up getting 3 pints and 3 half pints of this - four jars for gifts and 2 pints for my pantry!  A co-worker has already cracked open a jar and said it was delish!  I am sure this recipe will be a keeper. 

This was the first time I have ever used cranberries.  I just love the rich red color of them.  So lovely!  With these beauties I made "Festive Cranstrawberry Jam".  I just loved that this recipe called for me to chop up a whole orange - rind and all!  The smell was grand in the kitchen when this was boiling on the stove! 

And doesn't it look lovely in my new Ball jars?  I was able to get 6 half pints out of this - 3 for gifts and 3 for my pantry.  I was a little stingy with this one.  I can't wait to try it!  The next jam I am going to can is Cranana Jam - yep, you guessed it - cranberries and bananas, yum!

Both of the above recipes can be found in "The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving" by Ellie Topp & Margaret Howard.

Now onto Holiday Baking with Grandma White and Rowdy!

There is my kitchen helper - Rowdy.  He is shelling chocolate kisses to use in Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies.  He shelled the whole bag for me.  He was such a big help on Holiday Baking Day with Grandma White! 

His next job was to roll the PB balls in sugar and put them on the pan.  He completed it with ease.  He then helped put the kisses on the cookies!  Voila!  Blossom cookies.

We also made the traditional sugar cookie which he took on sprinkle duty. 

In one day we made PB blossoms, choc chip cookies, sugar cookies, choc chip zucchini bread (where I had a cocoa powder mishap), pb choc fudge, garlic pretzels, and jingle balls (choc covered pb)! 

Most of the goodies went to work as I use these to bribe my employees to do anything I want!  Totally kidding but they do enjoy these treats.  They always ask for the pretzels and jingle balls.  I guess now I am famous for them!  I wish I could take the credit for the recipes but alas, they are not mine.  But they sure are keepers!

  Next up.....I will dabble more into canning cranberry goodies!