3 Recipes & Keeping Current

I have a few recipes to share, followed by a few pictures {makes me feel like I'm keeping current on the blog and such}, AND if I don't, I get an e-mail from my Mom that goes something like this... "you need to do a blog entry!".  She's not gonna let me backslide!  I love you, Mom!  Happy Birthday today!!!  I am feeling better every day with the morning sickness, but still hop in bed very early every night to help keep things down.  Thank you to my incredible husband for helping hold the fort down!  My mother-in-law also had the genius idea to try ice chips and I have gotten some relief...yay!  We are so thankful for our little nut on the way and it was so exciting to see the heartbeat yesterday.

I have been craving Starbucks Portland Coffee Cake with a Chai Tea Latte so I sought out a recipe to copy and found a version here.  It has been hitting the spot!

Topping:
1 c flour
1 c light brown sugar packed
1/2 c butter softened
1tsp cinnamon
Cake:
1 cup butter softened
3/4 c light brown sugar packed
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c milk

Preheat oven 325°
Make topping by combining flour w/ brown sugar, stick of butter and cinnamon in medium bowl.
In large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, sugar w/mixer til smooth and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and mix well.
In a Separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt. Add dry mixture to moist ingredients, a little at a time. Add milk and mix well. Spoon batter into 9 x 13 pan, buttered and dusted with light coating of flour.
Sprinkle crumb topping over batter, be sure topping completely covers batter. Bake cake at 325° for 50 mins or until edges begin to turn light brown.

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Judy T. made this recipe for our bible study/home group some weeks back and it is such a keeper!  Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy... yum!!!

Parmesan Oven Fried Chicken
1 frying chicken , cut up (or just chicken thighs or breasts)
1 c. finely crushed soda crackers {I used bread crumbs}
1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup minced onion, dried
3 TBSP dried parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix the above. Remove skin from chicken. Dip chicken piece by piece into 1/2 c. melted butter to coat all over. Roll in the above cracker mixture to coat all over. Arrange in shallow pan lined w/foil. Drizzle pieces lightly with some melted butter.
Bake chicken thighs about 40-45 mins. and bake chicken breasts (white meat) 30 mins. @ 350 degrees uncovered.

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Liza's Secret Family Coleslaw Recipe
We are very lucky to be receiving this recipe as it is a family secret!  I've never liked coleslaw.. sweet, nasty, raisins, ick... until I tasted Liza's {my beautiful sis-in-law} Mexican version.  It is tangy, crunchy and fresh and I could eat it for hours!  I could eat anything she makes for hours- the girl can cook!  She uses cilantro in so many things and it just makes everything BETTER... steamed broccoli with cilantro and lemon pepper... YES!  She also turned me on to Mexican mayo as well... so good!

1 bag of coleslaw
1 bunch of cilantro chopped finely
Mix together:
Juice of 6 limes or 1/4 cup of lime juice
1/4 to 1/2 of a finely chopped Serrano pepper (can be omitted)
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream

Mix with the above ingredients. Serve chilled.  Then eat the whole batch!

As promised, a few pictures to "keep current":

We are now the proud owners of a dog.  I tell you, it is the year for animals for us!  My Uncle was trying to find a new home for him as they live in town and have two big dogs, so we raised our hand and "won"!  He is a gentle, sweet yellow lab.  We named him Buck.

I have always thought SweetP should have a dog.

Yet, Miss O is doing a LOT of playing with/caring for him, too!  She has become quite the animal, farm loving, cowgirl wannabe.  They play cowboys every day!!  She tells David all the time that she is going to grow up and rope steers. 

 
I'm sure David wouldn't admit to liking him, but they are pals.

Now we just need to figure out how to make him stay on the property.  He has acres and acres to explore, but he got out of our sight twice already and headed down the road, giving us a heart attack!  We don't have a fence, and I don't want to keep him chained up, but getting hit would be worse!  Hopefully he learns his turf soon.

 We celebrated our 10 year anniversary!  My husband very thoughtfully suggested a day trip as evenings have been unkind to me, so we headed to the coast for the day sans kids.  It was a tumultuous day at the coast as there were high wind warnings, flooding, roads closed, and nonstop rain, but don't you go to the beach to make out in stormy weather anyway?  We made do!  I love you, babe!

Volcano for home school

The little nuts and my brother, Daniel, have a fun tradition after home group {pretty sweet... Daniel and Liza are in our home group} where he draws whatever animals they request.  They play with the critters, critique his drawing, etc.  I'd say he is pretty good!

Before I sign off, here are a couple pictures my cousins have "shared" with me on FB.

~Jules~

My Grandpa {Dad's Dad}

Is it wrong to say he was a hottie? :-)

Kids will be up soon... bye!!