Raspberry rolls with lemon frosting.

Sorry I don't have a picture. I wasn't really planning to post this.
They are basically cinnamon rolls minus the cinnamon, plus the raspberries and lemon.

Dough

1 cup milk

4 Tbs butter, cut into chunks

3 1/2 cups bread flour

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

 Filling

1 16 oz package of frozen raspberries
2 teaspoons flour
1/4 cup sugar

Icing
1 pkg of powdered sugar {32oz}
1 stick of butter {softened}
4 oz softened cream cheese
3-5 Tbsp. lemon juice. {that depends on how lemony you like it!}
Whole milk as needed to thin. I like it kinda thick.

 {It's the same dough as Our best bites everyday cinnamon rolls}
Dough: Place milk and 4 Tbs butter in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for 1 minute 30 seconds. Butter should be at least partially melted. Stir and set aside. In a large mixing bowl whisk together 2 C flour, yeast, white sugar, and salt. When milk mixture has cooled to warm (not hot) add it to the flour mixture along with the egg while the beater (paddle attachment for those using a stand mixer) is running. Beat until well combined, about 1 minute. (Switch to the dough hook now) Add remaining flour only until dough barely leaves the sides of the bowl. It should be very soft and slightly sticky. Let the dough knead for 5 minutes. Let rest for about 10 minutes while you make the filling.

Filling: Mix together raspberries sugar and flour and kinda smoosh up the raspberries. You want them kinda frozen just starting to thaw.


Assembly: Roll dough into a rectangle about 12 x 14 inches. Spread brown raspberry mixture over the surface. Roll up from the longer side of the rectangle and pinch edges closed. Some of the goop is going to spill out. These things are MESSY to roll. Score the roll into 12 equal pieces and then cut into rolls. Place in a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover pan with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about an hour. In the mean time, preheat oven to 325 degrees.
When rolls have finished rising bake for 25-35 minutes {depending on your oven, These can be tricky to cook all the way through and not burn on the top} or until light golden brown. Spread with icing while still warm. Makes 12 rolls.

pot pie cupcakes...

So, I saw this recipe and had to give it a shot... The result... AMAZING... EVERY one of my kiddos licked their plate clean.  I just changed the recipe a teeny bit to accommodate our "no artificial crap."

Grease the cupcake pan. 

Preheat oven to 400

Smash the biscuits in the pan like so...

Throw all the other stuff in a bowl. And mix

• Cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 a bag of frozen veggies... I used peas and carrots. We don't fancy green beans in this house. 
• 1/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese
• A can of drained fork shredded chicken breasts {I use sams club brand}
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper 
• 1/4 tea onion pwd.

I used a cupcake scoop to put the filling in the biscuit. Bake at 400 for 12-15 min. Seriously, make them... You won't regret it. 

Hawaiian Haystacks

I have been so lazy lately... Well, It's not considered lazy if you're sick right? Another sinus infection... Bleh... And To answer your question, Yes, I did just have sinus surgery to fix that...No, It didn't work.

So, In the midst of being sick, I still had to come up with some dinner options. So, one night, I totally copped out and didn't want to defrost meat and smell that nastiness, {I don't know what I was thinking because I really can't smell anything right now} But whatever, The point is, I needed a 10 minute dinner. I looked through the pantry and saw a can of chicken breast... HMMMM... I've been seeing all these slow cooker chicken taco recipes, I wonder if I could throw some taco seasoning in and simmer this for a few seconds and call it a day?... You wanna know what... It was pretty good. At least the meat was. I ran out of taco shells and baked my own... Yeah, Not so tasty. Gross chewy texture. I don't recommend that. But the other awesome thing... It cost me like $2.00 in meat vs. Like $5 had I used fresh chicken breasts. Eh, I'm not saying I loved it more than regular tacos, But in a pinch, If I'm short on time, or don't have ground turkey, It'll work.

My other go to meal, Is called Hawaiian haystacks. {It's Mike's all time favorite food, Well, It may rank right below Krystals}
It takes like 5 minutes of prep time.
And I think these may be a western food, because when I talk to people from the south, they have no clue what these are, But everyone from Utah, Idaho and California know exactly what they are and have fond childhood memories of mama them on Sunday afternoons... It's kinda like when you ask someone from Utah what grits are... They look at you like you're speaking Chinese... But everyone in the south thinks you're an idiot if you don't know what they are... Anyways, Sorry, I got side tracked...Where were we... Ahhh Yes, The recipe...


You start the rice in the rice cooker.
The gravy is way easy...You ready for this awesome-sauce?...
1 packet of pioneer brand country gravy.
2 cups of chicken broth
1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of cream of chicken soup
Combine the gravy packet and the broth and boil for a minute. Add the milk & soup, and warm.
That's it.

Then you serve buffet style...
Rice on the bottom then the sauce

then you can add any or all of these toppings: {Or whatever else tickles your fancy...}

• Chowmein noodles
  
• toasted coconut
  
• pineapple tidbits
  
• green onions, thinly sliced
• sweet bell pepper, diced or tomatoes
• Frozen sweet petite peas, some people like them thawed and not cooked, I like them cooked and Mike doesn't like them at all.
• water chestnuts, diced
• slivered almonds, toasted
  
• Grated cheese

The other day, I had promised to make Blake cinnamon rolls. However, The cinnamon rolls my mom and grandma make, take overnight. I didn't have that kid of time. I woke up at 7am and needed them by 9am. So, To my luck I tried this recipe and hit the jackpot the first time! 

Quick Cinnamon Rolls

I Adapted this recipe from our best bites.
Dough

1 cup milk

4 Tbs butter, cut into chunks

2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 cups wheat flour

2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg {I use egg powder}

 Filling

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

 

For the Icing. {The worlds greatest frosting, You're welcome.}

1 stick of butter {Softened}

2 oz of softened cream cheese.

4-5 cups of powdered sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla

3-4 {or so} Tablespoons of milk. You want it a bit thick...

{I never actually measure my frosting... Sorry. I just eyeball it.}

Dough: Place milk and 4 Tbs butter in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for 1 minute 30 seconds. Butter should be at least partially melted. Stir and set aside. In a large mixing bowl whisk together 2 C flour, yeast, white sugar, and salt. When milk mixture has cooled to warm (not hot) add it to the flour mixture along with the egg while the beater (paddle attachment for those using a stand mixer) is running. Beat until well combined, about 1 minute. (Switch to the dough hook now) Add remaining flour only until dough barely leaves the sides of the bowl. It should be very soft and slightly sticky. Continue to let the dough knead for 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and let rest for about 10 minutes while you make the filling.
Filling: make sure butter is softened well. Mix with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Assembly: Roll dough into a rectangle about 12 x 14 inches. Spread brown sugar mixture over the surface and use your fingers or the back of a spoon to gently spread around. Roll up from the longer side of the rectangle and pinch edges closed. Score the roll into 12 equal pieces and then cut into rolls. Place in a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover pan with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. In the mean time, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
When rolls have finished rising bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown. Spread with icing while still warm. Makes 12 rolls.

Baked wheat doughnuts... hot, gooey, & moist.

I used to be scared of "dough." Any thing that was of the bread sort scared the daylights out of me. I was scared it wouldn't rise right, or that it would be hard as a brick, or that it would be dry and gross and especially when using whole wheat. However, As we have been more diligent about no preservatives and eating from scratch for budget purposes, I have been forced to get over that fear. I have been shocked as to how simple and easy "dough" can be. And how fluffy and moist home ground wheat flour can be.
Because the grocery budget has been cut so drastically, Cold cereal is out. Now most breakfasts consist of eggs, bread, pancakes, waffles, or the kids new favorites, cinnamon rolls and baked doughnuts!

We don't eat these everyday, But they are very simple, and very yummy, and fill my babies bellies until the next meal. {Cold cereal never does that}

Baked Wheat Doughnuts

Makes: About 15 doughnuts (& doughnut holes) 

I adapted this recipe from a recipe I found on Pinterest...

For the Dough

3/4 cups Warm Milk

2 1/4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast

1 Tbsp. salted Butter

1/3 cup Sugar

1 Egg {I use egg powder}

1 ½ cup bread Flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ tsp. Salt

To make the dough, place ¼ cups of the warm milk in the bowl of your mixer.  Sprinkle the yeast over the milk.  Let sit for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup of milk with the sugar and butter.  Add it to the yeast mixture.  Stir to combine.  Add the egg and stir until incorporated. In the mixer with the dough hook, Add the flour, salt and stir until the dough starts to form.

Knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and has formed a ball.
Cover with plastic wrap.  Let dough rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size. 

Once the dough has risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until ½ thick. Then cut out the doughnuts. {I don't have a doughnut cutter, So I used a mason jar lid and a small circle fondant cutter that I have. We're on a budget, I'm not buying a doughnut cutter! LoL.}

Place the doughnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart.  Cover with a clean towel and let sit for about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven 375 degrees F. 

Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 7 minutes, until lightly golden brown.  Be careful to not overbake these.  You want them to be light and doughy inside. 

Glaze them while they are hot!

I had leftover cream cheese icing from the day before, So I glazed these ones with that. However, you could always do a traditional glaze of milk and pwd sugar, or some cinnamon sugar. Either way... You can't go wrong. 

And if you're wondering if I feel guilty giving my kids sugar for breakfast, No, I don't. There is such a minimal amount after the glaze drips off, I'd let them eat these every day. And, Yes, I think they are better than Krispy Kremes, You don't get that, "I'm going to vomit" feeling after eating them.

Skillet chicken and rice... And a trip to the Dr.

Do you ever have those days where you're glad the day has come and gone? Like, Bedtime is the best part of the day? Not really in a "My kids are driving me crazy" kind of way, just in a "I'm exhausted and just don't have any more to give" kinda way...
Yeah, Today was one of those days. I woke up with a sore throat, So no gym. That was strike one. Then I had to call and cancel the cable and switch our internet provider. Annoying and frustrating don't even begin to describe that process. Then I literally had to clean every room in the house because it was trashed as it always is from the weekend. While I was upstairs switching laundry, I heard Kynzi start to cry. But it wasn't a loud cry, more of a whimper or whine which didn't sound too urgent, So I finished switching the clothes and then headed downstairs. I come down to kids with lotion and water all over their heads and the carpet. And Kynzi doesn't have any clothes on and the top of her diaper has blood all over it... I turn her to the other side and see her beautiful, thick, light brown hair, Stained red and blood covering her stomach and the top of the diaper catching the blood. I started parting her hair carefully to find where she had gashed her head, and found a deep gash about a centimeter long. That was a bit of relief that it was so small. I was expecting something much worse from the amount of blood I saw, and shortly realized it looks far worse because the older two kept pouring water on her head. So I put those 2 in time out for the water damage mess, and rushed kynzi to the bath to get her cleaned up. Long story short, I was waiting to see if it would scab up on it's own before I took her to get stitches or a staple. I called the Dr. and let him know what was going on. I was right, It did scab up after about an hour and a half...And then she pulled it open again and it started gushing blood again. By this time my Mom had gotten to my house, and I chickened out and made her take Kynzi to the Dr's office and I stayed with the others at home. I couldn't stand the thought of having to watch her get a staple in her head. Well, The good news is, She did not have to have the staples or stitches. But that was strike two of the day. Then there was having to take a trip to target to get the juice boxes that I had forgotten on Friday. It took an army to wrangle all 4 kids through the store. That was strike 3. And of course Mike has a customer come in at 6:00 so that means he won't be home until 9 or 10 pm.
Needless to say I needed a fast and easy dinner so that I could get these jokers in bed ASAP.


Skillet Cheesy Chicken & Rice I adapted this recipe from a campbells kitchens recipe.

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 35 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 can {or box} Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1/2 teaspoon lawreys season salt

1 cup uncooked jasmine rice

1 bag frozen vegetables (I use broccoli)

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides.  Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Stir the soup, water, onion powder, salt, black pepper and rice in the skillet and heat to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through the cooking time.

Stir in the vegetables.  Return the chicken to the skillet.  Sprinkle with the cheese.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Pot roast and noodles.

So as I have been trying to drastically reduce our grocery bill. I have found myself reverting back to a TON of recipes that my grandmother used to make. Go figure it was because she was the queen of stretching a dollar!

When I was little, There was a span of time that my mom and I lived with my grandparents, and even after that, for several years we lived 5 minutes away from them. Now, let me give you a little looksie into what that house was like. My mom comes from a family of 15 children. Yes, They are all from my grandparents. No adoptions, no twins, no blended family. Now, As you can imagine, it was always a party. There were always tons of people around, and always tons of grand kids. My grandma, Bless her heart, would allow all of us {grand kids} to have a sleepover on the weekends. At least 10+ kids usually. Those are some of my most cherished childhood memories. Most specifically I remember lining up buffet style at the counter, youngest to oldest, in a line of at least 30+ people, being scooped up a heaping ladle full of pot roast and noodles for Sunday dinner. So, Here's my slacker version of my grandmas pot roast and noodles. 

No Yolks egg noodles. 1/2 of a bag

A can of Costco canned pot roast. NOT DRAINED. Just fork shredded. Don't knock it til you try it. I hate cooking raw meat, and this way you save yourself like 6 hours of crockpot time. And it's cheaper for us this way because we end up throwing meat away if I buy a whole roast. {And P.S these are things EVERYONE should have in their food storage.}

1 can {or box} of cream of mushroom soup.

1 pouch of onion mushroom soup mix.

Cook the noodles. Drain and set aside. 

While noodles are cooking,

Pour cream of mushroom soup and onion mushroom packet in sauce pot. Add 2 Tbs. flour. and 1 1/2 cups of water. Drain the liquid of the can of meat into the pot. {Not the meat yet} run your emulsion blender in the mix to make it smooth. Then turn the heat on and boil for about a minute until the sauce thickens a bit. Now add the fork shredded meat to the sauce. 

Now you can either mix it all together or you can serve the gravy on top of the noodles. We have it with rolls and peas. Super cheap, and it comes together in about 10 minutes. Rachel ray has got nothing with her time consuming 30 minute meals. LoL. Obviously she doesn't have 4 kids ;)

Don't you judge me... I like Tuna casserole.

My name is Kyrsten and I am a stress eater.

Mike and I have made a bit of progress in the home search. Nothing is written in stone yet, But we are pretty sure we have chosen the place. Now we are working on the detail$... Don't worry we aren't going anywhere too soon. I haven't been able to sleep very well, and all I want to do is eat. Now, the good news is I don't really have the time to just sit and eat thank goodness, Or I'd weigh a million pounds. However, When I do sit to eat, all I want is the good ol' comfort food that I grew up on. Enter tuna casserole... Now, I know everyone frowns at tuna casserole and sticks their nose up at it. However, This is not your mama's tuna casserole... It's MY mama's. And it's her mama's...

This is my FAVORITE meal ever. Just FYI It's not healthy. At all.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Grate 1 1/2 lbs sharp cheddar cheese.
One box of ritz crackers

Spray large casserole dish with non stick spray. (6 to 8 quart)
In large sauce pot over medium/high heat: stirring constantly
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon lawry's seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

(this makes the roux)
one the roux has come together

Whisk in 4 cups of warm milk
Boil that for 2 minutes, Whisking constantly.

Take off the heat and stir in 2 cans of strained and for flaked white chunk albacore tuna {Don't use cheap tuna that's just nasty}

Now layer sauce on the bottom, Then crackers, sauce, cheese, crackers, sauce, cheese, Etc. Until you get to the top and end with the last layer being cheese.
Bake for 35-40 min until its slightly browned and bubbly on top.

We serve it with peas~

If you are looking for the food storage version of this send me a message and I will put it up. Powdered milk etc... Also delish!

Chicken Divan {cleaned up a bit}

I'm still sick... I haven't been knocked out like this since I can't remember. I've been hopped up on percoset and Ibuprofen Since Late Sunday night. My "Virus" Turned into a sinus infection, that turned into the mother of all double ear infections. Mike took the last 4 days off to take care of me... And run the house while I was asleep in my bed all week. Really, I probably slept 40 out of 48 hours Monday and Tuesday. I did venture down to the couch yesterday... Today, I really am not feeling any better, But decided that if I wanted a paycheck next month, Mike had better go back to work. He can't sell cars if he isn't there, and if he doesn't sell cars, We don't make any money. Pretty simple really... But I did tell him that if selling cars doesn't work out for him, he'd make a very hot male nurse.
Since I've been out of commission, Dinner {minus the night that Sister Jac "Awesome" Trunk brought us dinner} has consisted of panera take out, outback take out, lots of chick fil a, and some arbys and taco bell. Gross right? Well, I'm still not feeling awesome, But I really want some real food. Homemade goodness, You know? But healthy, So it doesn't sit on my gut and make me feel nastier. So, I know it's not rocket science and everyone has their own take on it, But here's my version of Chicken Divan with rice.

6-8 cups of Brown rice cooked. {Stick it in the rice cooker about 2 hours before you want dinner ready}

2 cups of cooked chopped chicken breasts. {I took the easy way out tonight and bought these}

1 head of broccoli chopped and very Lightly steamed. {You want it to still have a little bite to it. Not mushy}

1 pack {or can} of cream of chicken soup. {you can add another can or mix it with a bit of water depending on how much sauce you like. We don't like a whole lot, And this particular brand is runnier than Campbells}

8 oz of cheese- You can use Parmesan, {More traditional of broccoli divan} But we like sharp cheddar.

Spray a 9x13 casserole pan, And sread rice over bottom evenly. layer chicken and broccoli. Pour the cream of chicken soup over the top and sprinkle with cheese and sea salt and cracked pepper. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 40 for about 20-30 min until cheese is buby.

Giant Chewy Oatmeal M&M Cookies

Everyone grows up with a favorite cookie. These are one of mine. They were definitely my favorite when I was a kid. I remember begging my mom to make M&M cookies. She made hers with a chocolate chip cookie dough. However, Oatmeal cookies are my all time favorite. So, I make mine with oatmeal dough.

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of shortening
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 package of M&Ms {12.6 oz} Today we are using Christmas M&M's

Pre heat oven to 325 degrees

Whisk flour baking powder salt together in a bowl, set aside.

Beat butter shortening and sugars together until fluffy. Add vanilla and beat in eggs one at a time until combined. About 30 seconds. Scraping down bowl and beater as needed.

Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined. Mix in oats and M&M's until just incorporated.

Using 1/4 cup of dough at a time {I use a cupcake scoop} lay 8 cookies per sheet spaced about 2 1/2 inches apart.  Bake for 22-25 minutes. Let cookies cool on pan for 10 minutes.

Freezing instructions.
These freeze great! Portion them out and freeze. When ready to bake, Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and increase baking time to 30-35 min.

Apple Nachos

So, I needed a little treat... But I didn't want it to be too bad... You know, Because there wasn't any more room for error after my Twix fix.

So, Here come the Apple Nachos. I'm only slightly addicted to them :) I found the recipe here.

• 3 crispy and slightly tart apples (we ♥ honeycrisp! yum…)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp creamy natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

The only thing I did differently than she did was melt the chocolate chips. For 2 reasons, I don't like hard chocolate. It has to be melty, Second, I didn't use as much chocolate. I put the peanut butter in a ziplock bag and cut a small hole in the corner and drizzled it that way. Same with the chocolate.

But If Its just me, I cut the recipe in half, Because let's be honest, I'd eat the whole thing myself.

pumpkin cupcakes

It's kind of nice just staying home all week. Just hanging out. However... It's not so awesome to have 3, Soon to be 4 sick kids as I'm sure Blake will get it. And all I seem to do is bake and eat. I'm not a huge pie fan... But I do love pumpkin... And I LOVE cupcakes. So last night I was in a pinch for time and needed a treat for family night... So are you ready for the easiest fastest yummiest pumpkin cupcakes ever? I'm slightly embarrassed as to how simple they are...

3 ingredient pumpkin cupcakes

1 15oz can of pumpkin. NOT PIE MIX. Plain pumpkin.

1 yellow cake mix

1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar

That's it. dump that in the mixer and pop them in the oven at 350 for 17-18 min. No eggs, No oil, no water... Just dry cake mix, canned pumpkin and cinnamon sugar.

Let them cool and frost with 

Cream cheese frosting.

1 stick softened butter

4 oz cream cheese at room temp.

1 tablespoon vanilla

4 ish... cups of confectioners sugar

3-4 tablespoons milk

Depending on how thick you like your icing determines how many cups of sugar and how much milk you use. I like mine pretty thick for these.

Potato cheese soup

Sometimes, You just need some good ol' comfort food. I have fond memories of eating this soup on freezing cold Boise Idaho nights as a kid. It's not, low calorie, But I'm not really a "Low Calorie" person per say... I'm a no artificial processed crap kind of person. Potatoes are healthy, But not "low calorie, or Low carb". I'm an athlete, I need carbs... Lots of them, especially right now, Nursing and training for races, and 6 days a week at the gym...You can't do that on a low carb diet. And have you seen how much my kids run? They need calories too. I'm totally rambling.... So, This recipe isn't for you if you are seriously on a diet... But I do not feel guilty feeding it to my family with a side of homemade wheat rolls.

6 cups of water
8 chicken bullion cubes (or the equivalent, I use the organic better than bullion from Costco)

bring that to a boil
ADD:
2 cups milk ( I use 1%)
1/2 cup flour ( I use whole wheat)
stir soup constantly. bring to a boil and boil for 1 min.
ADD: 3 cups cooked, peeled, and chopped poatoes
Bring to a boil.
Remove from heat.
Stir in 1 pound cheddar  cheese. Yes, You read that right... one pound. (I use 2% sharp cheddar.)


This is the original recipe. I think tonight I'm going to throw in some broccoli, celery, carrots, maybe some squash puree, etc, chopped super fine to get some more veggies in my kids. I mean, Or you could always go crazy and add bacon. I'm not a bacon fan though.

Why do I make dinner?

So last night I thought I'd be brave and give this a try...

Well, You know, My way.
I made a whole wheat pizza crust

1 1/2 cups hot water
1 Tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar OR honey
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups whole wheat flour { Or you can do 2 cups white 2 cups wheat if you don't like whole wheat}
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Just whisk the hot water and yeast together and then add everything else and I just stuck it in the mixer with the dough hook. A warning though. If you have a kitchen aid they are NOT meant for whole wheat dough. {Read the manual, it says it in there} My mom and I have blown through 2 kitchen aids that way. Yes, I still used one of my kitchen aids, The one that the top part doesn't wobble on. But I'm just waiting until both of those completely die before I have to drop a few hundred dollars on a new mixer. So just to save you the annoyance, I thought I'd let you know.

Then I just chopped up the leftover rotisserie chicken breasts from the previous nights dinner. {I told you I haven't made  dinner 2 nights in a row.} Chopped up some fresh broccoli added 4 oz of 2% cheddar cheese and one can fat free cream of chicken soup, and 8 oz of fat free cream cheese. And Added a bit of salt and pepper.
Then you spread your dough on your cookie sheet pretty thin, and then cut it so that you can braid it.
I used a pizza cutter.

Then you put your filling down the middle and braid over top of it.

Bake at 375 for about 30-40 min. depending on how thick your dough  was.

Now would you believe that I went through all  this effort, and NO ONE ELSE WOULD EAT IT! Oh I was so mad. Now you're wondering... Why would she advertise a recipe that no one else would eat? It was good. Like really good. And it totally looks impressive. However... Mike doesn't eat anything and has no taste buds, therefore his opinion means nothing. This is a man who prefers boxed mac n cheese over homemade. And packaged take n break cookies vs homemade chocolate chip. And the man that lives on fast food... I mean, I always thought I'd marry a man who adored me for my cooking and baking skills... {They are off the chain, It's a gift I was blessed with by my sweet mommy} He won't eat 90% of what I make. Need I go on? And well, The kids would have ate it, Had the oldest one not wanted to try it. Monkey see monkey do. So, I have decided that cooking doesn't need to be one of my "priorities" right now. Remember how I was feeling overwhelmed and said I can't do it all. Well, cooking for a family that doesn't care one way or the other if it's homemade or not, has fallen to the bottom of my priorities. Maybe mike's annoying eating habits are a small blessing in disguise right now. Yes, They will be fed healthy food...Mostly it means we will be eating at Nana's more often for a while...

Pumpkin cookies

I found the inspiration for this cookie on Pinterest. However, I had a few issues with the original recipe and so here's my version. I'm going to be honest, These are really freaking good. 

Pumpkin Cookies:
Combine:
1 Cup butter
3 Cups Sugar
Add:
2 eggs
Mix in:
1 large can pumpkin (30 ounces) {NOT PUMPKIN PIE MIX, PLAIN PUMPKIN}
Now add:
1 Tablespoon vanilla
5 cups flour
And then add:
 3 tsp. cinnamon
 1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Now, bake @ 350 for about 10-11 minutes. Let cool.

Cream Cheese Icing:
Combine:
  1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
Gradually mix in: 3-4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
2-3 Tablespoons milk. Until desired consistency is reached.  You want it kind of thick.
{I don't ever measure my frosting I just eyeball it}
Blend until smooth. Ice cookies. {I use a giant piping bag to make the icing pretty.}
These make great sandwich cookies too!
Store in the refrigerator. 

Tacos.

So I know tacos aren't rocket science, But I will tell you that they can be healthier. Here's how we do tacos.

Extra lean turkey breasts.

Whole wheat tortillas. You can find the recipe here.  ( I grind my own wheat,) Or you can just buy them at the store.

Homemade Taco seasoning (If I'm in a pinch I use the target brand packet because it doesn't have any nasty stuff in it.)

2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon onion pwd
1/4 teaspoon garlic pwd

ALWAYS use 0% Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. It tastes identical, But its nutritionally superior to sour cream. { And just a little tip, so you dont just have a huge glob of "Sour cream" in one spot, put it in a zip lock bag and cut a corner off, Then you can use it like a piping bag, and have "sour cream" in every bite, not just one big glob in one bite}

Use shredded spinach, They will never know the difference. Seriously. It's got more nutrients. Iceburg lettuce is basically worthless vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant wise, And spinach is a powerhouse.

If you have to have cheese {and yes, I HAVE to have cheese} Use 2%.

Use black beans instead of refried beans. They taste way better anyway.

And of course load up on avocado, tomato, onion, salsa... Just be sure to check the sodium content of your salsa, Sometimes they sneak a whole bunch of that in there. 

Okay, go eat some nutritionally superior tacos. MMMMMM...... TACOS!

These will be the death of me.

HOLY CRAP THESE THINGS ARE GOOD!... I mean, If I had tasted any, I'd bet that they'd be good. You know, because I'm still on 40-30-30, and I don't cheat. Okay, So I took a little taste. It was teeny though. And it's the first time I have cheated in 4 weeks. My kids ANNIHILATED the pan of them in about 2 seconds.
I can't take credit for this recipe. Pinterest is going to be the death of me... Or the death of seeing 123 pounds on the scale. Will power has been taken to a whole new level folks. I LOVE LOVE LOVE sugar cookies. {As if I hadn't made that clear before} And I KNOW sugar cookies. I've tasted DOZENS of recipes made by a variety of people. And yes, I have my favorites, And no, I'll never tell whose cookies are my favorite. {Probably at least 12 of you reading this are wondering if it's yours... Wouldn't you like to know. It just goes to show how many awesome friends I have that brought a crazy pregnant lady cookies. Thanks guys. I really love you.} However... This recipe might be my new favorite. The texture is perfect, The icing is amazing... It's just LOVE in your mouth. And it's SO SO SO easy and fast.
I hate rolling and cutting sugar cookies and having to wait and refrigerate the dough. They are too much work and too time consuming. Problem solved. This recipe. And if you still really want cut out cookies, you can cut them out after they bake and cool. That's what I did.

Sugar Cookie Bars

Source: BreeAnn Fankhauser

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla {I used a Tablespoon. I like vanilla okay}
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp lemon zest (optional) {I did not use it}

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda and stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan). Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean (they won't look done so do the toothpick test). Cool completely and frost.

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 of an 8 oz block) softened
1 tsp vanilla {I used almond extract and vanilla}
¼ tsp salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
food coloring (if desired)

For frosting combine butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk a little at a time and mix until smooth and spreading consistency. You may not need all the milk! Spread over cooled cookie bars.

My favorite protein shake

The Orangie Porangie. That's what my kids call it.

1 cup orange juice
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 almonds
8 ice cubes. (I like mine thick)
2 packets of truvia

That's it. Blend all that up in the blender and deeeee-lisssshhh.

Nana's homemade whole wheat focaccia.

I feel like death. Seriously moms should not get sick. Especially with mastitis. I can't lift kids, I can't hold kids, I can't hug kids, Life is not fun right now. My sweet Buby is headed to go get my prescription now.  So, seeing that I am in no condition to tend to the needs of 4 cute babies, I headed to my mommy's. While I was over there, I tasted this little piece of heaven...

Homemade whole wheat focaccia...Oh heaven sakes is it pure delight. I wish I had a piece right now... But dangit, Why is my mom such a fantastic cook? {I know everyone says that about their mom, But It's not just my opinion, ask anyone, it's a fact.} I couldn't put the dumb bread down. No, literally I ate it until there was no more... Yes, It's "clean" But lets get something straight... Just because something is "CLEAN" does not mean it will help you lose weight. In this months issue of Clean Eating a reader wrote in and said that she had gained 8 pounds since she started cooking from the clean eating magazine... Hello?!? If you only cook the "clean" desserts they publish, You're still going to get fat. It's still calorie laden, It's just not processed. Okay anyways, Here's the recipe... and a word to the wise, Don't make this if you don't have someone to share it with, because you will eat it all.

Homemade whole wheat focaccia- By Debi Mortensen {Aka my mama}
1 1/2 C. warm water
2 1/2 tea. yeast
1 tea. honey
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 tea salt
4 cups whole wheat flour


Herb mix
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tea garlic pwd
1 tea dried oregano
1 tea dried thyme
1/2 tea. dried basil
1/4 tea fresh ground black pepper

In mixer, Combine water, Yeast, Honey, 2 T. oil and 2 cups flour. Let it rise halfway up the bowl. Add 1 tea. salt and remaining flour and knead for 5 min.
Press onto oiled cookie sheet. Cover and let it rise until doubled. Spread herbed mix over top, Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and with fingers press holes into top.
Bake at 425 for 15 min. or until golden brown.

Carrot cake protein bars.

Okay, Obviously I am not saying that these are as good as a big ol' fat piece of carrot cake. However, I am saying that they taste good and only have about 110 calories per bar. I started out with Jamie Easons carrot protein bar recipe. It was okay, But could have been better, I'm a texture freak and needed some different textures. After a bit of trial and error, Here's my version. I make a 9x13 so that I can freeze them in ziplock bags and take them as on the go snacks.

Carrot Cake Protein Bars

Ingredients:

• 4 cups oat flour  { I grind my own oats so if you use store bought oat flour its 3}
• 4 scoops vanilla whey protein
• 4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 8 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cup Truvia
• 16 oz baby food carrots
• 4 oz water 
• 4 peeled and grated carrots 
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.     Mix flour, whey protein, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.

3.     Mix egg whites, Truvia, in a bowl.

4.     Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together. Fold in walnuts and raisins.

5.     Spray 9x13 glass dish with non-stick spray.

6.     Pour ingredients into dish.

7.     Bake 30+ minutes until toothpick comes out clean from center. Its closer to 40 in my oven.

Cut into 24 bars.