Are you Ready for a Cooking Challenge?

I've been challenged by one of my new accountability partners to take part in her Christmas Baking Challenge - well she didn't actually challenge me, I just saw this on her blog and said to myself "Hey - you should do this!"  I thought I would share this with you as well - if you want link up - click on the "button" on the left side of my blog and it will lead you to the post where you fill in the "linky" info and be part of the whole deal!  Here's the basics (copied from her site):

Here are the finalized (and revised) details of the 12 Cookies of Christmas Baking Challenge. This is where the button will bring you if/when you post it on your blog.


To participate, please add yourself to the linky below (all the way below the post) with your post about the challenge and what level/goal you are setting for yourself. Be sure to steal my picture above to put on your blog post. And also add the button to your blog so we can get more participants! The more the merrier!

The challenge will run from December 1-December 31st, 2010. The challenge is to bake a variety of types of Christmas cookies, choosing from the categories listed. You may join at the "Baker" level, or the "Pastry Chef" level.

Baker Level: 6 varieties of cookies, 1/2 (3 varieties) that you have never baked before.
Pastry Chef Level: 12 varieties of cookies, 1/2 ( 6 varieties) that you have never baked before.


Here are the Christmas Cookie Categories!
1. Classic
(1 freebie that doesn't fit the other categories)
2. Chocolate or fudgy based cookies
3. Spicy cookies
4. Bar Cookies
5. Red and Green Cookies
6. Minty Cookies
7.Cookies with a Story
(an heirloom recipe, or a cookies that are a tradition in another country)
8. Cut-Out Cookies
9. Difficult to make cookies
(involves several steps, mixes, processes, or complicated decorations)
10. Made by kids
(you only assist in dangerous steps, no cracking the eggs!)
11. Fruity cookies
12. No bake cookies


Everyone completing their goal will be entered into a drawing for a giveaway. Separate giveaway for Baker and Pastry Chef level participants.
Tune in December 1st for information on how to post your blogs detailing (recipes, photos) your creations for the Challenge. Your blog posts MUST be linked/posted by midnight on New Year's Eve in order to count for your entry for the giveaway.

Each week will have a different set of themes for cookies (taken from the list). Extra entries if your cookies for the week match the pre-picked themes.

This means that I will be completing the Pastry Chef level..baking all the categories.
Of course, as host, I will not be a part of the giveaway, but I will enjoy seeing all the cookies you guys come up with!
And, I'm afraid I would just embarrass everyone with my cookie awesomeness if I were just a regular participant...I mean, I DID make THESE cookies one year. *yawn* ha ha! Don't hate, it's all in fun!


Now it's time to start perusing recipes and gathering those one of kind ingredients!


If you have a website for resources you would like to share, please post it in the comments (not the linky) section of this post.


Happy Baking!

So - I haven't completly decided what level - I'm leaning toward the Pastry Chef level just because I bake cookies every week anyway and I had already planned to bake lots of Christmas cookies this year.  Feel free to link up or just watch my blog and you can "steal" my recipes and see pictures of what I bake!

And if you are thinking that it is too early to think about this . .. think again :-)  This give you lots of time to plan, grocery shop, and get ready!

Homemade Birthday Card

Here's my first "crafty" post.  This is really not that original but it's an idea that came to me a few weeks back when I needed to get my husband an anniversary card.  Instead of running to the store, I decide to create one and in doing so I decided that I would start getting a little more creative with cards.  Plus I found that I was seeing the same cards over and over again and probably bought someone the same card a few times in a row! 

Supplies:
1 package blank cards/envelopes
(or card stock cut to size and envelopes)
Markers
Stickers or other decor items
1 picture of that person
(or if it is a wedding card, sympathy card, an appropriate picture)

1.) Cut the picture to size and mat it, if you want, than attach it to the front of the card.

 2) Than decorate  - I just included the date of the picture since it was recent.

3) On the inside of the card, write a note or choose a saying and decorate as you wish. 

And yes, it is that simple!!

I found a website that has some inspiration if you have trouble thinking of things to write (like me!)

http://www.making-birthday-cards.com/birthday-card-sayings.html

I'm sure there are a million other resources out there to use too but this is the one I've used recently.

For this card (which was for my niece's recent birthday) I used a very current picture but you can also use old photos (how fun!) or use a photo from an event or some special time and include the story either on the front of the card or on the inside.  What a great memory!

And, as always, don't forget to fill the card with confetti before you mail it :-)

The cost of this is awesome:  I purchased a 25 pack of cards/envelopes for $5.00 which is only $0.20 a card plus the cost of getting the picture printed which is normally less than $0.20.  So $0.40 for a card is pretty good!

I personally tried doing stamping and could not make those creative cards like others send me - I don't know how they make them so beautiful with all those layers!  So I had to come up with something that worked for me!

Sweet and Sour Crockpot Pork

Yes, it is that time again - Monday!  Which means New Recipe day around here.  Thankfully, this weeks recipe was also a success!
Sweet and Sour Crockpot Pork

Serves 4-6

5 boneless pork chops
1 Tablespoon oil
1 can (15 oz) crushed pineapple (with juice)
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon quick-cooking Tapioca *
3 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Hot, cooked rice

In a large skillet, brown pork chops in oil on both sides.  Drain fat.  Transfer to crock pot.  In a bowl combine remaining ingredients (except rice); mix well.  Pour over pork chops.  Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.  Serve over rice.

Yes, in the picture it looks really "saucy" but I found that it wasn't once we dug down into the rice. 

Notes:

* I did not use quick-cooking tapioca.  It is used in this recipe as a thickener but when I priced it at the store a box did not fit into my weekly budget.  I used cornstarch instead.  I have a feeling that the tapioca would have made the sauce even thicker but it seemed fine with the cornstarch.

* I love crock pot meals that require very little work - I'd prefer not to even have to brown meat (whats the point in using a crock pot if you have to cook first?) but find that I like pork browned first so you get that nice crust. 

** I served this is with freshly steamed broccoli and garlic bread - it was VERY yummy!!

** This tasted very similar to sweet and sour pork; Chinese style.  The difference is that the pork is not breaded.  I have another recipe that tastes exactly like Chinese food but it calls for a lot more sugar so I think I prefer this one!  You could lightly bread the chops in flour before browning them to give them more of that specific flavor.

31 in 31 - Day 20

This is a face you seldom see . . .little Nate.  He is never serious, never!  If the camera is out, he is grinning from ear to ear just waiting for his picture.  If I"m not pointing the camera at him he comes racing from where ever he is at to get his picture taken.   How could this NOT be the picture of the day?

Teaching the Little Ones

I find it kinda funny how God brings things into your life at just the right time.  Since Josh was born, I had been searching online here and there to find a "curriculum" to introduce and incorporate in our day.  I never found anything.  I'm sure at the time God laughed and said "You want to add something ELSE to your day?" Now, when I actually have the time to write lesson plans, create teaching helps and actually "teach" - I have found a fantastic website.  We will be starting "school" after Labor Day.  (Even Nate!)  Now, don't panic - I'm not trying to get my kids reading by the time they are two or push them through school; instead this curriculum is a precursor to the author's older curriculum that is designed to help kids learn their letters.  Each plan covers two weeks and the majority of items (especially for Nate's age) are things you just incorporate into your daily routine.  She covers all topics - Literature (reading the same book every day for a week - kids love repetition!), Bible - a new Bible verse or, for the younger ones, a Bible story based on a rhyme, each week,  Nursery Rhymes, Speech and Vocab. (explaining every day things at bath time, meal time and play time), Indoor Games (for the 1 year old), Classical Music to listen to, Singing Children's songs, Exercising, Arts and Crafts (age appropriate) and even a foreign language. Plus sign language, Nature Study, Musical Exploration, Puppetry and Art Appreciation for the 1 year old.  The babies also get some baby massage thrown in!  Her suggestions/ideas/plans are so simple and just over all great ideas.  Plus - all of her lesson plans are free.  Yes!!!  Free!!  She gives ideas for literature but I am picking books off our own shelves and incorporating them; I got books from the library to help with some activity ideas, and I also plan on checking out the recommended book for Art Appreciation from the library as well (if I don't have it).  Most of the music you can find on youtube (either playing it that way daily or finding a CD to play) I also plan on "substituting" a Children's Worship CD in place of some of the lullaby's - especially for Josh since he loves music so much.  (He is shaking his booty to Jaci V. as I type this LOL)

I am starting Nate right out at the 8 month level but have decided to start Josh at the 18 month level for no other reason than it looks fun and will carry us through to March.  Than I'll move on with this same curriculum through Sept.  I may continue to use this or, I've also been looking at another curriculum to start with him a year from now. I believe kids should be kids - they will be in school for a long time - but we have alot of hours to fill at home and this particular "help" gives some awesome ideas and direction to use with kids.  Plus as with everything - use what you like and ignore the rest :-)

http://letteroftheweek.com/Preparatory.html

Feel free to check it out :-)

Pork Loin Stuffed with Spinach

This is a recipe that Darryl found and made several years ago.  I'm not sure why I don't make it more - it's good and it really is easy!  When we both worked full time, Darryl always cooked Friday night -Sunday night so he found it fun to search for new recipes and most of them were good!!

Pork Loin Stuffed with Spinach

1/2 package frozen chopped spinach; thawed and drained
3 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
3 pound pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Saute spinach, butter, onions, and garlic over medium heat until soft. Add breadcrumbs

Cut tenderloin in half (or butterfly it, depending on the size)

Stuff with spinach mixture.

And secure with kitchen twine

IN a bowl, mix ketchup, orange juice and teriyaki sauce.  Baste tenderloin with 1/2 of the mixture.  Sprinkle pork with cumin.  Place in shallow roaster and bake at 350 degrees uncovered for one hour.  Baste with reserved marinade and cook one more hour, covered.  Use meat thermometer to check for doneness (160-170 degrees F.)

Notes:
1) Obviously, I didn't just cut mine in half, I butterflied it, twice, and than spread the filling across the piece of pork and rolled it up - it's prettier :-)
2) Because I made this for Sunday dinner, I pour all of the marinade over the pork roast and covered it.  It cooked while we were at church.  Next time - I would add some chicken broth to the pan to give it extra moisture (if cooking it this way instead of according to the directions)
3) I threw a few whole potatoes in the pan (like I do with a regular roast) so that dinner was basically all in one pan.  I think if I put chicken broth in for extra liquid - I would also throw Carrots in as well so the veggie
was also done at the same time.
4) Another great thing about this recipe is you can make it the day before and just have to put it in the oven before walking out the door to church.

31 in 31 - Day 19

One of the things I enjoy doing is Cooking . . .both savory and sweet!  When I "used" to work - I didn't have the time nor the energy to cook and bake like I do now.  Actually, I seldom baked because I didn't like taking up a Saturday or Sunday afternoon baking.  Same with cooking nice meals - I stuck to the 20 minute meals because there wasn't time to really cook.  Well, today I had to catch up on some baking since I didn't get a chance to go to the grocery store until Saturday night (Usually, I go on Friday evening and bake on Saturday but Darryl worked a double shift on Friday bringing him home later than normal!)  So, today's picture is of my baking :-)

In the back, the cookies are Lime Dime cookies.  (A recipe I saw on the old Martha Stewart show - I kinda miss her old show . . .I actually got quite a few ideas from her!-; than the bread is a Cinnamon Bread - Darryl used to take Pop-tarts in his lunch every day but we are switching to homemade "breakfast" foods for him to take so I found this recipe and tried it - ;  In the 8x8 pan are lemon bars.  I don't make them often but instead of making a big batch of cookies, I went for two small things (the lime dimes and bars); and finally a Strawberry Cream Pie.  Do you ever look at The Parade magazine that comes in the Sunday paper?  I found this recipe in there several years ago and tried it.  It is really good, really sweet, and really runny! LOL  I don't tend to make it for company because it isn't pretty once you cut it but it is pretty good.  Just as an FYI - my normal baking includes a batch of cookies, one dessert, and now, one loaf of bread or batch of muffins.

One last note - it was HOT today and spending hours in the kitchen makes me anxious for fall!!