Bad Decision

I love love love banana pudding, and Publix makes a really good batch. I miss Publix and their commercials that make you cry, because there are none here in Kentucky. I also miss my mom getting groceries for our family. She is the best grocery shopper because she gets all the goodies, and this one time she got banana pudding…for my dad. But I didn’t know it was for my dad. Actually, I think I did, and that’s why I planned on only eating a little bit. But like I said, Publix makes a good batch and so I ate the whole thing. That was bad choice numero uno.

Bad choice number two came soon after. My friend and fellow buttercreamer Sarah and I made the dum dum decision to make it up to my dad by trying to make him some homemade banana pudding…no Jello pudding but the real stuff. We bought the ingredients and headed to my house, and this is where things fell apart. We had to use a double broiler, which we had no clue what that was and the recipe said to stir constantly. So that is what we did for the next 5 hours. We would take turns, but this stuff would not turn to custard. I really don’t think I’m exaggerating either with the 5 hours. 

This was just one of the many memories that came to me as I delved into making a homemade banana cream pie. I’ve never made anything this seriously homemade before.

I started by cooking a Pillsbury crust, which is not homemade and knowing Grandma Brocco would have disapproved I caved and made Grandma and Betty Crocker’s crust.

I read to put beans in the crust to weight it down.

I cooked the crust and simmered the custard, and things almost went awry because I didn't know simmer means to almost boil without actually boiling, but things worked out. And yes, Jack and I ate the whole thing! It's hard to give 5 stars, but this is as close as its gonna get! 

Here's the link to the recipe if you want to try.

And here's the link for the homemade pie crust.

Enjoy!

"Everyone needs a good pot roast recipe..."

...or at least that's what I've been told. As a cook, I'm still a major novice, and I'm still figuring out if the meat is from a cow or a pig and which part its coming from. It's tricky stuff. But this is what I've figured out so far. I used eye of round for the roast, and that was just because there was a sticker on the meat that said pot roast and it was on sale so I figured I was on the right track.  Jack told me that the meat was from a cow and so I found this chart, and grosssss. But this roast was SUPER easy, and made the house smell really good. I give it 4.5 stars! 

Ingredients 

• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 5 1/2 pounds pot roast
• however many you like baby carrots.
• 
  
• Directions

1. In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture. Add carrots around the roast.
2. Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours. 

Bottoms up!

Easter Sunday

At church this past Easter Sunday the choir sang "By Faith" by the Gettys and it was amazing, so I thought I would share the song.

In His Victory,
Laura

Oh, so cheesy chicken enchiladas.

Keeper. This is a good solid, simple recipe especially if you are cooking for kids.
Rating: 4 stars

	Ingredients -1 can (18.5 oz) ProgressoTraditional Chicken and Cheese Enchilada Soup (I've only been able to find this at Walmart.
	-1 can (10 oz) hot or mild enchilada sauce
	-2 cups shredded cooked chicken
	-2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz)
	-7ish tortillas (it depends how packed you want your enchiladas)
	-2 medium green onions, thinly sliced Directions

1. 1.Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, stir together soup and enchilada sauce. Spread 1 cup soup mixture in ungreased 11x7-inch baking dish.
2. 2. In large bowl, mix 1 cup soup mixture with chicken and 1 cup of the cheese; reserve remaining soup mixture. On microwavable plate, stack tortillas and cover with paper towel; heat on High 1 minute to soften. Place 1/4 cup chicken mixture along middle of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam sides down in baking dish with sauce.
3. 3. Pour remaining soup mixture over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Sprinkle green onions on top. Bake about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly around edges.
4. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Chocolate Bread with Creamy Chocolate Honey Butter

I love chocolate and I love bread, so this is food after my own heart. You can also make it & freeze to pull out on a whim for friends or family. Super Yummy!!
Rating:4.5
adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk (I used low fat).
• 
  
• CHOCOLATE HONEY BUTTER:
• 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
• 
  
• Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In separate bowl combine the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Fold in pecans.
2. Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.
3. In a small mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add honey and chocolate syrup; mix well. Serve with the bread.

Enjoy!

My sincere apologies...

...to my roommate I lived with my senior year of college. I know it was close quarters in our little loft, and I know I'm not the cleanest. You dealt with my lack of domestic skills with so much grace. Thank you for letting me mooch off what you cooked, since the only thing I could cook was cereal. And so, Nicole Robison, this dish is for you!

Almond Cheddar Appetizers (Taste of Home)

Rating: 4 star

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup slivered almonds, chopped
• 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1 loaf (1 pound) French bread

Directions

• In a bowl, combine mayo & Worcestershire sauce; stil in cheese onion, almonds and bacon.

• Cut bread into 1/2" slices (unless you buy the skinny French bread). Spread with cheese mixture. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: about 4 dozen.

Enjoy!

FOODIE:

(noun): one who loves and enjoys food so so much.

It was a combination of watching "Julie & Julia" and my Ministry of Hospitality class with Mrs. Mohler that I have been on a bit of a cooking kick. When I got married almost 2 years ago, I only knew how to make spaghetti and taco pie, and so that is what we ate. Every night. This is one of the ways that Jack and I are very different. He really could eat spaghetti every night and be totally content, and I love that about him because he's really easy to please. But me on the other hand, I am an absolute foodie and I need variety.

And because of this cooking kick, I have found that I really love cooking! I'm not one of those people who can just think of a bunch of ingredients that would go good together, so the hard part for me is finding a good recipe. So, I thought I would start sharing the recipes that I've enjoyed and the ones I've enjoyed not so much.

So here's the run-down of the rating scale.

***** (5 star) SUPER yummy. Insert self-control [here] because I could eat it all in one sitting. Will definitely make again.
****(4 star) SOLID. A good solid recipe. Will make again.
*** (3 star) eh... probably won't make again unless it's quick, easy, and cheap.
**(2 star) Pretty bad. Definitely won't make again.
* (1 star) Disgustingly horrible.

There ya go! Recipes coming soon.

I got so carried away...

...that I forgot to post Silas' 5 month picture!

And this picture just made me laugh.

5 months

Our house is quiet. I just put Silas to bed, and I'm enjoying my evening downloading pictures and videos of our precious boy. He is 5 months old today! It's hard to tell how much he's changing, because I get to see him everyday, but when I look back over his newborn pictures, I can tell he's changed so much. Some of Silas' favorites pastimes are playing in his exersaucer, kicking on his changing table, going to Target with mom, watching basketball with dad, eating and playing with his toys.

I'm not sure what happened, but somewhere around 3.5 months, Silas was able to eat better. This was a huge answer to prayer because since he couldn't eat very much at one time without hurting, I was feeding him all the time. He now eats  about 5-6 oz. He's been sleeping for longer stretches at night, usually 7 to 9 hours.

So, what is little boy able to do this month that he wasn't able to do last month?

-Well, he can roll over from his tummy to his back. He's only done it a few times. He reallllyyy does not like tummy time.

-He can lean forward in his bathtub so I can wash his back. Super helpful.

-He kicked a hole in the pad on his changing table hence his nickname "hammer heel." Other nicknames include "little stink(erton)" and pork chop.

-There has been definite improvement on eating from a spoon.

He loves all his toys. They are some of his closest friends.

-He can hold his bottle. (We still haven't totally mastered this.)

That's all for now. We will keep you posted.

Love,

Laura