Peeks and Food

Last night, a win for the Homecoming team.  Tonight, the bonfire.  Tomorrow night, the dance. 

I've got the in-law diner tonight.  Tomorrow hubby and I are off to a party whose purpose is to collect auction items for the younger boys' schools' Booster Club dance, an adult only fundraiser.  Otherwise, it's fairly low key, which will be nice since the week itself felt hectic.

The lighter schedule this weekend will give me time to start prepping the October kits for shipping.  October kits are filled with fun seasonal papers and rich colors. Here's a peek.

I did plan this week's menu from Pinterest.  I had two days where I didn't cook what I'd planned.  I shuffled one recipe to tonight because I forgot to take out the roast.  So I'll move the roast and other recipe to next week.  With a fundraiser dinner on Monday night, I'll only have to find two more meals.  Love that.

 

Any recipe that is triple anything is good, so it stood to reason that these Triple Fudge Brownies would be awesome.  And they were!  Moist.  Rich.  Super chocolate-y.  I worried because I forgot to toss the chocolate chips in flour before adding them to the batter (a trick that keeps them from sinking to the bottom), but the batter was thick enough to hold them fairly well.

 

I ended up doubling this Creamy Spinach Tomato Tortellini meal to feed us all on Monday.  I'm trying to decide if I could have skipped the doubling because I had a fair amount left over. . .but I was down two diners.  Next time, if I don't double it, I'll add some browned Italian sausage to it.  Either way, it was super simple and a warm comforting meal. 

 

These Lasagna Cups are really easy.  They also were addictive.  Something perfect to make ahead before you retreat to do some crafting.  I made them meatless, but it would be totally easy (and it's mentioned in the recipe) to add ground beef or Italian sausage to the marinara sauce, which I'll try next time.

Outlander is off until April.  The Walking Dead season premier is still a week off.  It's a good thing Hell on Wheels is still on or I'd be suffering from withdrawals of watching hot, brawny, dangerous men.

Happy Friday,

Powder Puff. . .It Ain't for Sissies

Yesterday were the long-awaited Powder Puff games for Homecoming Week.  I was impressed.  There were eight teams of at least 20 girls per team.  Each team would play three games.

I knew from the weather forecasts that it was likely going to be raining and cool.  I could see it coming . . . we got the full driving rain, downpour thing around 3:00; kick-offs were to start at 3:30. The games were postponed until 4:00, when, as only Colorado can do, the clouds parted, blue skies reigned and the temps were perfect.

That is until about mid-game game one.  Then we noticed really low (like you could almost touch them) very fast moving clouds scuttling in.  The winds picked up. . .a lot.  I had tossed in warmer clothes for the 6 y.o., told my daughter about the expected weather and to take some long-sleeved gear.  I also told my 15 y.o. he might want warmer stuff in my car since it was 80's Work-Out day and he was dressed in Day-Glo short shorts, a matching Day-Glo sleeveless t-shirt and lovely, Day-Glo tube socks. . .not exactly gear for rain and cold.  Luckily, they both listened to me.  The bad thing, it wasn't enough.  Not nearly enough for the weather that blew in.   (It took until mid-night to get my feet warm.)

The wind was what did us in.  It just cut clean through us.  I can't imagine the girls. . .mostly in shorts and their t-shirts.  Some had prepared, and those who had, quickly donned their longer gear.  Those who didn't still played on, and huddled together off the field.  Even the "cheerleaders" braved the cold.  For the record though, the only remaining "cheerleader" at the end of all three games, was the one here on top of the pyramid. . .and he was seriously "workin' it."  He was a team unto himself!

If I attended a Powder Puff game when I was in High School, I sure don't remember it.  I know I didn't play.  Those girls. . .well the game isn't for sissies.  They were hard hitting, tough and in at least one case out for blood, as evidenced by the one girl who came up with a wad of tissue stuffed up her nose.

My daughter played center.  She threw picks like I couldn't believe.  She fumbled once.  She had a touchdown where she fought her way over the goal line - flags intact.  And those girls on the other team did their best to make sure she didn't cross.  She has the battle scar to prove it; a giant weltyraspberry on her thigh to show for her score.  It looks like someone's shoe raked across it.  She's bruised and sore, but she is high on the game and proud of her performance.

Ultimately, they won only one (their last game) of their three games and came in seventh. They came back from a 30-0 deficit in the first, to finish 36-22.  They led going into the half of their second game, but lost 36-20.  And won their third 36-24 (I think. . .I'd have to ask her for sure.)

Her only regret was that she didn't play last year.

Happy Thursday,

We Are

• We are all reading and each has his/her "good" book.  Minecraft is his.
• We are still into the whole marching band thing.  I never played, but there's something about watching them and listening to them that I just love.
• We are crafting.  
• We are kicking off Homecoming Week 2014 with Hawaiian Shirt Day.
• We are Seniors, therefore on Generation Day, we are, well, seniors.
• We are thinking they like Generation Day because they all get to stay in their pajamas
• We are wondering why they are bent over in all their photos?
• We are shopping for 80's Workout Day -- loading up on Day-Glo.  What they ended up with is hilarious.

Happy Wednesday,

Kilts and Togas

Up and out this morning to the sight of snow, a lot of snow in the high, back country; at least 10,000 feet and up.  I couldn't see Long's Peak for the shroud of clouds around it, but I suspect it'll be just as snow covered as the others.  

Down here along the front range, it was cold and rainy yesterday.  Today is cool, but sunny.  Tomorrow we are supposed to be cold, with more rain.  All this just in time for Homecoming Week for my two High Schoolers.  My daughter will be playing in the Powder Puff games tomorrow afternoon - I'm guess it'll be more mud-bowl than a flag football, but she's still excited.  I'm just praying for nothing broken, bruised or twisted. . .'cause "flag" doesn't mean squat.

It was a fairly quiet and uneventful weekend.  I spent a fair share watching Outlander, reading Outlander and fantasizing thinking about what I'd seen and read.  We enjoyed a dinner out on Saturday to say good-bye to my sister-in-law, who the week before had dropped off her daughter before heading to Raton, NM for a week of shooting and survival skills.  Sunday the 6 y.o. and I headed to my sister's for some crafting time.  We came home with a haunted house, a banner and a very satisfied with himself 6 y.o.  I dropped a few stitches on some cross-stitch ornaments.  I stood in the fabric line at JoAnn's with a bundle of fabric for Spirit Day, where Seniors are in Togas, wondering, like the four other mothers with similar bundles, "aren't togas made from bed sheets?  Cheap-we-already-have bed sheets?"  We reminisced about days gone by, or rather togas gone by, that didn't require fabric suited more for NY Fashion Week than for togas.  Otherwise I was pretty unproductive.

Happy Tuesday,

Thursday Night Lights, Food and Men in Kilts

It was over 90 degrees yesterday.  Yes.  90.  You know how thrilled I must be by this weather episode.  It's been in the upper 80's all week.  Today doesn't sound like it will be any different.  It's the end of September people!!
 

 
Given the temps during the day, I figured the evening would be lovely; cooling down this time of year isn't an issue.  Hubby had returned home after being gone since Monday.  The High School football game was a Thursday Night Lights affair.  It seemed like a perfect equation for hitting the game ourselves.  So we did.  I sat in my tank top well into the second half before starting to feel the need for my sweatshirt.
 

 

The game, while a win, wasn't much of a thrill with a final of 43 - 9.  RV took the lead early and stayed there.  Go Mustangs!  The evening was also special as the student body and parents honored a player whose mother passed away after last week's game.  It does a soul good to see such an outpouring of support in a community. 
 
With the hubs being gone, I wasn't much for cooking.  I didn't even menu plan.  My menu got shuffled around the week before, with some recipes going uncooked, so I just moved them to this week.
 

 

Last week, for In-law Friday I cooked up these Salted Caramel Apple Cups.  The fall just screams "cook with apples or pumpkins," so I do.  These yummy little things were just the fall-ticket.  Tart, sweet, crunchy, buttery.  A definite do-over, in spite of the multiple steps.
 

 

This Kielbasa, Pepper, Onion and Potato Hash will be a good meal to remake when it's cool.  It was quick and, luckily, when I made it we were down a diner.  It makes a good amount, but would not have fed hubby too, had he been here.  I'll make it again, but I'll double it.  The blogger who made it talks about making it in two pans, to keep the potatoes crisp.  Hubby's gone, I don't have to cook, I'm not using two pans.  I crisped up the potatoes, sort of shoved them aside to brown the sausage.  Shoved all that aside to soften the onions and peppers and then tossed it all together.  In the end the potatoes had that golden, caramelized flavor, they held their shape but had softened a bit.  I was okay with that.  They weren't soggy, just soft, but with flavor.
 

 
This pin for Hot Ham & Cheese with Bacon and Caramelized Onions was down a ways on my board.  It made me wonder if I'd pinned it when the kids were still playing sports.  It's a good meal for doing ahead.  They'd be great served up with soup.  You could probably even set extras in the 'fridge or freezer for reheating.  Add some scrambled eggs and you'd have a good grab-and-go breakfast.  I didn't use the Hawaiian buns, but made these 40 Minute Hamburger Buns instead.  They were really easy and super soft. 
 

This was last Friday's main dish.  The Honey & Spice Baked Chicken was good.  Only getting a "good" rating was mostly my fault because I  used chicken cutlets and overcooked them just a bit.  Next time I'll either use full sized breasts, cook a cutlet less time, or sometimes I like subbing boneless-skinless thighs, which stay juicy.  The sauce was good and the in-the-oven baking meant less time over the stove.

 
I served the Honey & Spiced Chicken with these Mashed Potato Patties with Tapenade Cream.  This recipe has tons of options for flavor mix-ins; the cream topping does too.  I did a cheddar mix in with a Cumin Cream.  They were good, but a little too soft.  The crust just didn't get as crispy as I'd have preferred.  They did have to sit for a bit, which might have contributed to the problem.  Next time I'll use Panko crumbs instead and keep them on the skillet until we're ready to sit down.  Any leftovers would be good with an egg the next morning.  Just use a little butter in your pan to add a bit of crisp back into them.
 
We have an open weekend in front of us.  The weather should be pretty good.  Hubby may hit the lakes again.  Pre-season hockey is on TV.  We are I am now the happy viewer of Starz - bring on the men in kilts.  Or rather the one man in a kilt; I may not leave the couch all weekend.

Happy Friday,

Super Stash Busters Challenge #3

It's been a quiet week, once I'm home, with hubby out of town.  You'd think my crafting time would be off the charts, but no.  

It's been quite a while since my fingers even grazed a craft supply.  I can't even fall back on a child's school project as craft related - unless you count cutting out a paper die to assemble and play a math game with.  I can stretch my kids' craft related activities to pseudo make them into crafting time for me, but even I can't go there with that one.

I do have this layout to share though, from a few weekends ago now.  I used Challenge #3 from the Super Stash Busters class I took at Big Picture.  I used the Simple Stories Hey Pop! line found in the June Smaller kit

The Challenge involved repeating elements.  A cursory glance through a couple jars told me I wasn't gonna find too many multiples of a given element.  Add that I wasn't much feeling like digging into my stash to begin with, and I just went with the kit and luckily it had an Arrow paper - looked repeating enough for me.  There's a bit of repeating with the chevron shape, in the background paper and on the small strip at the bottom of the journaling card.  If I wanted to stretch it, I repeated the use of the Tangerine Mini Brads - but that's really pushing it.

Once I settled on the paper, I did look for some arrows to reinforce the theme, but either the colors didn't work, or I just couldn't make the ones I had work.  In the end, I think it was because of the busy-ness of the photos and then the papers themselves.  I messed around with removing strips of arrow papers, adding arrow papers, combining the number of strips with the arrows I had and I just couldn't get it to look right.  The resulting layout was, ironically, where I started before I messed around for way too long.  In the end, my first set-up was what worked the best.

I did follow the sketch, with the exception of the title being on the journaling card instead of to the left of the photos.  I do need something over there to balance the layout.  Maybe one giant arrow.  Naturally, I think of that now!  Today, though, it's a completed page - arrow or not.

Happy  Thursday,

We Are

I was up and out this morning under crystal clear skies.  Not a cloud or con-trail in sight, save the two hot air balloons that seem to be "regulars" on these autumn mornings - sometimes there are three of them.

The peaks to the west are almost void of all snow, minus the glacier fields - a sure sign that we've come through summer and are just waiting now.

The birthday-palooza that is September for our family continued this past week.

• We are surprised by a visit from my daughter and her friend bearing a PSL and bouquet on my birthday.
• We are hooked on Outlander.  The Starz series, the book series - it's all good.  I received the first three books as a gift.  Watched the first three episodes and yeouch. . .who knew there'd be so much good in watching a man in a kilt?
• We are so proud of this 14 y.o.'s speech and subsequent election to the Student Council. 
• We are celebrating with a donut cake, an almond cake and cupcakes - per requests.
• We are moving into "clothes as a gift" territory.
• We are receiving a new stock of reading material.
• We are getting our birthday recognized for the last time at this school.

Happy Wednesday,