I took the plunge...

This is just a quick post to let those of you who have not seen me recently know that I got a hair cut. It is is true. How cruel is it that I am not posting a picture? I think that I will not so secretly (since my hubby reads this blog) load pictures onto this computer to give you a sneak peak. But it won't be tonight. I am winding down from a very exciting hair bow making party that I hosted tonight. The girls made a ton of great clippies and bows! I am SURE that many of their creations will be all over blogland if not tonight then first thing tomorrow am. They are probably as wound up as I am and blogging it right now! Just kidding. I think. All kidding aside, there was some serious bow making going on here with some really great clips and idea sharing. It was totally fun and the time just flew by!

OK. Back to the haircut. I did it and it felt great. The pony tail was about 16 inches to the very tip. It is well on it's way to Locks of Love- my third and final donation. No regrets and I can still put it in a pony tail...what more could a girl ask for?

Will do my best to post pics soon. Please check back:)

Here are the pics as promised taken the night my hair was cut:)

festive fun food

I made this fun jello salad for Easter at Steve's parent's house. We all got together the Saturday before Easter and had a great time.

Ribbon Jello Salad

1 (3 ounce) package cherry flavored gelatin mix
1 (3 ounce) package lemon flavored gelatin mix
1 (3 ounce) package lime flavored gelatin mix
1 (3 ounce) package orange flavored gelatin mix

1 (3 ounce) package berry flavored gelatin mix (optional)

2 cups milk
2 (.25 ounce) packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup white sugar
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, boil milk and sugar. Cool completely, but do not refrigerate.
Dissolve each package of flavored gelatin separately in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Set aside.
Dissolve unflavored gelatin in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add with sour cream to cooled milk and sugar and vanilla mixture. Set aside.
Spread gelatin of one color on the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Chill in refrigerator until set. Then put 1 1/3 cup of the sour cream mixture on the chilled, firm layer of gelatin. Keep alternating these until all gelatin is used. Be sure to chill after each addition of gelatin.

This was really fun to make and was so colorful but took a loooong time due to letting each layer set. The visual results were totally worth it though! I actually used 5 packs of jello so that is why I added an optional pack in the ingredients. The layers wanted to slide off one another so the next time I make this I will add each layer after about 20-25 mins instead of letting it set completely. I was not very diligent about timing the layers and often would forget about it! Don't let the sour cream throw you....the white layer tastes a lot like cream cheese:)

I also made Bird's Nests. This is a throw back to the days of my youth when Mom would whip these up. Super easy and very cute!

Bird Nest Cookies

1 bag milk choc chips

1 can (5 oz.) can chow mein noodles

1 c. chopped salted peanuts (optional)

1 bag sm. jelly beans

Melt chips in microwave or double boiler. Add noodles, stir until completely coated. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper shaping into nest. Cool completely. Add jelly beans.

There are so many variations on this cookie. You can use white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or combine the butterscotch with the chocolate. You can even add peanut butter. Whatever you would like. I just went for easy and used the milk chocolate chips and the noodles. AND jelly beans of course!

too much of a good thing?

What do you get when you mix a hard boiled egg (before Mass), Life cereal (during Mass), ham and cheese omelet (after Mass aka THIRD breakfast), a sucker, pack of skittles, string cheese (given to you by your big brother without asking Mom who found the wrapper after the fact), a riveting Easter egg hunt followed by 8 jelly beans, a couple of swigs of milk and a chocolate candy???? An upset tummy and a small pile of vomit (resulting in clean sheets) when you are put down for your nap!!!

Happy Easter from a very full Dax who had a little TOO MUCH of a good thing!!

no pictures????

While the basement is under construction and I have no access to my computer, I have been allowed to use my hubby's computer in the office with the request not to download to or inundate the computer with unnecessary "stuff"(read: don't junk up my computer and NO you may NOT put pictures AND editing software on my computer). All kidding aside, I do miss my computer and all of it's "stuff" and "junk". It is not nearly as fun to blog without the photo which is usually the topic of my posts. Soooo if any of you are wondering what the heck is up with the lack of photos or are relieved that you do not have to endure another photo from the Noe family- this is a temporary situation. Thank goodness for that because I am already feeling a serious urge to do some "junking."

Since I cannot show you the photo of the 4 bunnies that live/play in our backyard, you cannot see how cute they are. They love to run and play with each other and boy can they do flips (and dig holes)! The other day I asked Xavier what he thought the bunnies were doing out in the yard. X: I think they are looking for places to lay the Easter eggs:)

Greek Style Garlic Shrimp with Orzo

I recently made a new recipe from Rachel Ray's 365: No Repeats Cookbook. I thought it was really good. The hubby disliked the skins from the grape tomatoes that I used...it's a texture thing with him:)

Greek Style Garlic Shrimp with Orzo

Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2/3 pound orzo
2 teaspoons lemon zest
lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
freshly ground pepper

Season the shrimp with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Cook the orzo according to package directions in salted water. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet. Add the onions, garlic, crushed red pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for an additional minute. Then add the tomatoes, olives, oregano, and parsley. Cook just until shrimp turn pink. Add the wine and remove from heat. Drain the cooked orzo and drizzle with just a touch of olive oil to keep it from sticking together. Toss in a large serving dish with the shrimp mixture and top with the feta cheese crumbles.

I pretty much left the recipe as is this time. I did use grape tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes and begrudgingly left the olives out because Steve doesn't like them. I may try a canned , drained diced tomato next time to see if the hubby will give it a better review. I will be making this again. Don't skip the feta...it MAKES the dish!

A quick funny. I try to take pics of the food to go with the recipe just for fun (although I am slow to add them to the blog!). The other night I was snapping away and Xavier said "Why are you taking pictures of that? Nobody wants to see pictures of our dinner"! OK maybe he is just a tad like his father...that sounds like something straight out of Daddy's mouth! Thanks for your support babe!

the face of determination

The other day we were outside enjoying some of the first tastes of Spring. The boys wanted to do t-ball so we got out the equipment and before long we were batting away. Just lately, Xavier is getting some coordination to actually hit the ball off the t... most of the time. He really amazed me that he could actually hit the ball pretty straight and far. He then asked we we could do "stitch". I had no idea what he was talking about. He said..."You know, when you throw the ball and I hit it". Ohhhh, pitch. You want me to pitch. Sure, why not. So after about 20 pitches with no contact with the ball what so ever, I suggested going back to t-ball.

Me: "Don't you want to go back to hitting the ball off the t? You are really getting good at that. You may not be able to hit the ball while I pitch".

X: "Well then I will just keep practicing and practicing until I can hit it"!

Well said little one! Shame on me for suggesting that you stop something just because you can't do it very well!! What was I thinking???

And so I pitched and pitched and then pitched some more. I think Xavier hit it about 4 times in all. But he DID hit it and boy was he proud when he did....me too!

I took some pictures as he was batting and throwing the ball. It was only after I got them off the camera that I noticed the look of determination in his face. Just as I thought that all the learning would be on Xavier's part as we went outside in the backyard.... I got a little "schooling" of my own FROM my 4 year old. Never underestimate the power of determination!

a weak moment

Trying to hold true to my New Years Resolution of actually trying recipes from my cookbooks instead of just reading about them, I think that I have found a couple of recent keepers. I also told myself that I would NOT be purchasing any new cookbooks (BUT to receive them as a gift, for example is TOTALLY OK...not that I am hinting to anyone...wink ...wink) but I did have a weak moment and found myself with a new cookbook in my hands. Before I could stop myself, I was out the door with it tucked into a cute little bag. I rationalized that I NEEDED a chicken cookbook, because as you may or may not remember...I have a problem with chicken...a chicken allergy (actually poultry in general) which both of my children find the need to remind me of several times during every chicken meal that I serve.

So I got a cookbook totally dedicated to chicken and we are well on our way out of the "chicken rut" that I have put us into. It is still hard for me to make chicken and I have to be careful on how I actually cook it- no top of the stove action for me as it sends me into an asthmatic type reaction. I rarely LOVE a recipe as written....always tweaking the "next time" for my family's specific palate, so leaving it as written and recommending it to others is always a little unnerving to me but that is my problem not yours! Maybe you can help me with the changes. My poor husband is a little tired of the 20 questions on the meal...he really just wants to eat it so please pass on the suggestions for improvement! I am counting on you for your culinary help.

Both recipes are my from my new cookbook Gooseberry Patch Our Favorite Chicken Recipes.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

boneless skinless chicken breasts, one for each person
1T chive and onion flavored cream cheese per breast
1 T butter for each breast
1 slice bacon per breast
salt, pepper
dried tarragon

Flatten each chicken breast to 1/2 inch thickness; spread 1 T cream cheese over each breast, top with 1 T butter, salt, pepper and tarragon. Roll up chicken; wrap with bacon slice and secure with toothpick. Place seam side down in lightly greased baking pan. Bake at 400 for 25 mins or until juices run clear when pierced with a fork.

I omitted the tarragon because I didn't have any and used thick sliced bacon which I would not recommend without precooking it some first. It never really got yummy and crispy. I served with honey mustard that I made from 2 parts honey to one part mustard and used a combo of regular and Dijon mustard. I thought that maybe you could make this with ham and cheese rolled inside. My sister Aimee tried turkey bacon and thought that she would use regular next time. She also suggested adding spinach- super idea! I flattened each chicken breast with a meat mallet between plastic wrap and it worked great. If you do not own a meat mallet you could try to flatten with a rolling pin, a heavy pan, a big can, a wine/liquor bottle or you could just save yourself a whole lot of effort and go get yourself a $4 mallet..... it is up to you!

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
6 oz package herb flavored stuffing mix
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
garlic powder, dried Italian seasoning, salt, pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Arrange chicken cubes in lightly greased 9X13 pan; season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper. Sprinkle with cheese. In medium bowl, combine stuffing mix, tomatoes and water. Stir til just moistened. Top chicken with stuffing mix. Bake uncovered at 400 for 25 mins until chicken is cooked through.

I used 3 breasts cubed and probably added more cheese (used an Italian blend). The family really liked it. When pressed for details, Steve said that if anything needed improvement on this one, it would be the stuffing mix. Maybe a homemade crouton instead of the stuffing mix??? That ups the hassle factor but may be worth it? I served with crispy potato wedges and veggies the first night and got lazier the second night and served it with baked potatoes the second.

Enjoy! If you try them, let me know what you think.