Updates Coming Soon!!

I have SO much to blog about and not enough time to do it!!

We had Aidan's First Birthday Party on Sunday. It was great, thanks to everyone who came!! I have lots to share about that, from making his shirt to the messy cake-eating experience. I'm also considering hand-making his thank-you cards but I don't know if I'll be able to get around to it. I'll have to get inspired with the Cricut materials.

I have been researching on ancestry.com and familysearch.org and I've found some really interesting things. It's amazing what the internet can do. I have to check my facts a lot more to be sure that I'm really related to these people, but it's like working a puzzle. It's very addicting.

This week I made last week's new recipe (shh...I was a little late, again, but I'm so close to finishing my 6 months I'm going to let it slide). It came from The Pioneer Woman Cooks. Thank you so much Grandma R! She surprised me with it the other day. I am excited to start cooking more from it.

This morning I made Egg in the Hole. I love the name, it's so funny, and practical.

So once I get the house back in order and the new toys sorted through, I have to start packing for our vacation and I'll have LOTS to blog about that as well....so hopefully I'll get these updates I want in before we leave, or it will probably never happen.

Party preppin'. I'm excited but exhausted! More photos coming soon, when i have the energy to get the camera!

Gummi Worms

How awesome is this? I found a recipe for Gummi Worms. Boredom Blasters by Helaine Becker is an interesting book for kids. It's got jokes, games, projects, crafts, and crazy kid candy recipes. It's more meant for kids to read and ask for help when needed, but I found a couple of recipes worth trying.

The Gummi Worms didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. I should have used jumbo straws as the recipe suggests, but all we had were regular. Mine turned out kind of watery as a result.

First I measured some apple juice, instead of 1+2/3 C grape juice. Then I brought it to boiling. 

I did the same with some blueberry pomegranate juice, instead of  1+2/3 C fruit punch. These substitutions were simply because that's what we had on hand, not particularly for flavor. The pomegranate ones were kind of sour. That's ok, but I would have preferred the listed juices.

As I did this, Aidan explored the shelves of the kitchen (carefully). Since we don't let him eat tortilla chips he decided to have a go at them inside the bag. He likes the crunch.

Then I cut my straws in half. We're supposed to have 24 jumbo drinking straws, cut in half.

We need 2 packets unflavored gelatin, 1 Tbs each.

Pour those into a pan. I used these because they were the smallest, closest pans we had.

Next, I poured the boiling juice in...

Some mixing is necessary to get the gelatin even and not clumpy in the juice.

Then I put my straws in...I tried to get all the bubbles out as I could.

Then I put the gelatin in the 'fridge overnight.

They firmed up pretty well, but I decided to let the apple ones chill longer. I began picking them out of the pan, they kind of shlurp out of the pan.

I tried to use a rolling pin to push them out as suggested, but I found it was easier to just pinch the straw and squeeze them out.

This is where it became apparent how unstable they were. I think if I had bigger straws, they would have come out better.

I had some groups of  unused gelatin so I decided to get out my mini cookie cutters and make the best of it. I LOVE my mini cookie cutters, they're so cute. I know I'm going to be collecting more. They're also good for cutting shapes out of sliced cheese. I can't wait to have a little kid to be excited about this stuff...Aidan's on the brink.

The final verdict: today, I'm thinking that buying gummi worms is the better way to go. However, if you've got a kid to entertain and want to make some memories...this is a fun idea. You'll need a patient kid or perhaps do the old TV kitchen trick and make a second batch the day before and magically surprise your audience with your already prepared, set gelatin.

Update: I actually let the apple ones chill for a few days longer and they came out MUCH firmer and overall better. Still not factory-made, filled with preservatives hard, but much easier to work with!

Some New Links

I wanted to take a quick minute and point out the new links I've added because they should stand out.

Free Rice is a quiz-type site where for every correct answer you give the site donates 10 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Programme. The topics vary from English vocabulary, Geography, Foreign Language, Math, and so forth. They start easy and build up with your success level. It's a fun way to make a difference, and you are likely to learn something.

In a different "save the world" type of site, Local Harvest is a site that connects you with local farmers and loads of info I haven't taken the time to explore. They can help you find farmer's markets or CSA subscriptions. Totally cool. I am hoping to get involved with one of these one day...it's on my list of things to do.

Another site I haven't had a chance to check out much but would like to share is Eating Well. They have a Menu Planner that looks fantastic. It requires a free subscription to start up, I haven't registered yet (busy) but one day I hope to do that too....It supposedly will help you keep track of the meals you plan, what you need at the store, how many calories involved, and so on.

I'm off to bed early now, I have a lot of studying I *should* do tomorrow. A clearer head will hopefully bring me more insight and a better mood than I woke up in this morning.

Pot Roast and Memorial Day

Last week's new recipe (I'm down to one month left!!) was Pot Roast out of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. I've got a link in another older post. I use a LOT of the same cook books, maybe it's my way of going through the best of them before moving onto another. I check others sometimes but seem to always end back at the few I always use.

Memorial Day weekend I planned on cooking this Pot Roast on Sunday. For dinner, we ended up going to a cook out at our neighbor's house, so the Pot Roast waited overnight in the fridge, ready to reheat and eat on Monday. I only wish I would have made more...it was goooood.

I made it in the crock pot and it's SO easy. The recipe calls for..1 lb carrots peeled and cut into 2 in. pieces.

Next, we need 2 stalks celery, bias-sliced into 1in pieces. I'm not exactly sure how they mean bias-sliced...so I cut them kind of diagonal, that was my interpretation. 

I didn't have 2 small onions cut into wedges, but I did have one...so I cut it into smaller than usual wedges to spread the flavor out.

 Then I used a few medium potatoes for 12 oz tiny new potatoes or 2 medium potatoes or sweet potatoes.

Then I gathered my spices: 1tsp instant beef bouillon granules, 1tsp dried basil, 1/4 tsp salt. We only had bouillon cubes and it looked about like two made 1tsp...I'm used to being exact with everything but it probably doesn't really matter here, I'm learning to let it go a little.

Next I combined 3/4 C. water, 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce and the spices.

I trimmed some of the fat from the meat. I secretly believe that leaving some on there is good for the flavor. I don't know that this is true...but it makes things somewhat easier for me anyway, though maybe not healthier.

We're looking for 1 2.5-3 lb boneless beef chuck pot roast. 

The beef goes on the top of the veggies, and then sauce/spice mixture gets poured over that.

I cooked it on high for about 5 hours. Anywhere from 5-6 is good.

This is where we got distracted and decided to change our dinner plans.

Aidan LOVES the neighbor's petal tractor.

He also loved the pool...he's already got his own now.

He was a little tired by the time we left. Usually he loves his car.

When we finally DID eat the pot roast on Monday it was delicious if I say so myself. I kind of lost the fuel to keep up the photojournaling. I made mashed potatoes (real ones) and that took a lot out of me. By the time I was done I was way beyond ready to eat.

Next time, I'll try to finish the photography I start.