Easter in the Country!

 The dining room was ready for guests.

 

Simple flowers decorated the tables.

There were 19 of us, so we set a table in the music room too.

 

 

 

 

Aunt Margaret always brings delicious fruit.

 

 

The moms ran around hiding eggs.

 

The kids anxiously awaited for the Easter Egg hunt to begin!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 It was cold outside, so we were glad to get inside.  Me with my sister in the middle and cousin Ann.

 



My cousin Chris aka our family photographer.

My aunt Anna Marie.

 

My mom and dad.

 

In addition to celebrating Easter, we also celebrated Blossom #1's upcoming 17th Birthday!

She baked a carrot cake to celebrate.

We measured Blossom #2.  Last year at Easter he was a smidge shorter than me.   He's definitely taller now!

We laughed at the book F in Exam!

Everyone got to see Blossom #4's chicks.

 

 

 

It was a wonder day!

 

Karin

 



Karin's Chili Recipe

Recipe:  

2 Pounds Ground Beef, Browned and Drained

1 Can Cento San Marzano Tomatoes (28 oz.)

1 Can Tomato Sauce (28 oz.)

1 Can Italian Style Crushed Tomatoes (28 oz.)

2 Cans Chili Beans, with Gravy (15 oz. each)

1 Jar Salsa (I use our homemade salsa.)

1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

1 Tablespoon Cocoa

1 teaspoon Cumin

1 Chopped Onion

1 Chopped Green Pepper

 

Heat in large crockpot on low.

Top with cheese and sour cream. 

Serve with Cornbread Muffins and Honey.

 

Enjoy!

Karin

 



New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

My favorite chocolate chip cookies!

I use King Arthur Flour and semi-sweet chocolate chips.  The only thing bad about this recipe is that you need to make the dough ahead of time - but the dough tastes good too!

 

Total Time: 45 minutes,

                      plus at least 24 hours chilling

Ingredients:

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note below)
*Sea salt (sometimes I add this, sometimes, I don't)

Directions:

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.

 

Enjoy and have great week-end!

Karin



The Grand Finale Update!

Three of the blossoms entered 4-H projects in the county fair.  Blossom #1 earned Grand Prize for her Scandinavian baked goods!

While at the fair Blossom #4 fell in love with this puppy!  She promised not to ask for a horse, anymore, if we bought the puppy... sounded like a pretty good deal.  So, we've been training this puppy, named Fritz, and I've also mended Blossom #4's dress!  :)

Blossoms #3 and #4 have been playing soccer since the beginning of August.  They love it!

It looks as though I'm not the second tallest in our family now.  Blossom #2 is in heaven about this and loves when I call him Shorty!

Have a great day!

Karin

More To My Update!

Blossom #1 planted and has weeded a garden for the local food shelf as a community service project.

Blossom #1 had an incredible Track season.  She went to state for the 3200 race and set new records for her school, her Conference and her Section! 

Blossoms #3 and #4 were in heaven when their cousins came to our place for a week of Cousins Camp!

Have a great day!

Karin



What I've Been Up To - One!

In April, we celebrated Blossom #1's Sixteenth Birthday!

Have a nice day!

Karin



Biscuits and Chicken Gravy

I forgot to mention in my last post, why I cook so much chicken and make so much gravy at one time.  There are 2 reasons, first of all, Blossom #3 loves to eat chicken drumsticks, so I freeze the leftover drumsticks on parchment paper and then put them in a freezer bag for when Blossom #3 needs a little protein.  The second reason, Biscuits and Chicken Gravy is probably this family's favorite meal, so I need extra chicken and gravy to make this meal.

If you have too much leftover chicken, which I did, freeze it for pesto chicken sandwiches or an easy casserole.

I didn't have too much gravy though!

Here's how to make the gravy:

Put the leftover gravy in your large sauce pan.  Heat it up on low.

When the gravy is warm, add as much chicken as you like and 1 bag of peas and carrots.  Make sure you simmer this long enough to heat the meat and vegetables up.

The biscuits should be made prior to making the gravy, because you can see how quickly the gravy comes together.  (You did the hard work when you made the chicken dinner!)

I have tried many biscuit recipes and this is the one that Mr. Blossom likes the best.

Here's the Angel Biscuit recipe from http://www.thatsmyhome.com/

2 pkg. yeast (I do 4 1/2 teaspoons)

1 T. warm water (I use 2 T.)

2 T. sugar

5 C. sifted flour

3 t. baking powder rounded

1 1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda rounded

1 C. shortening or oleo (I use butter)

2 C. buttermilk

Dissolve yeast in water and sugar.  Sift flour, baking powder, salt and soda into a large bowl.  Cut in shortening.  Add buttermilk to yeast mixture.  Add buttermilk and yeast to flour.  Mix together well.  (I use a fork.)

Turn dough out onto a floured surface.  Knead 2 or 3 times.

Roll dough out to 1/2 inch thick.  Cut biscuits.  Let set 45 minutes to 1 hour to rise.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes.

Note:  Dough may be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until needed.

Serve the biscuits and gravy with a salad.

Have a great day!

Karin

Chicken Dinner

I know I'm not a food photographer, so this dinner actually tastes a lot better than it looks.  And, the best part, everyone loves it!

This is one of my flavor-ite friends!

Sprinkle the Italian dressing on your clean chicken.

Cover the baking dish with foil and

bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours.

When I cook, I cook.  So, I actually had 3 dishes of

chicken to bake. 

When the chicken is just about done baking, start making your gravy.  Here's how:

Melt 1 stick butter in a large pan on low.

Add 1 cup chicken broth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups milk

with 8 tablespoons flour.

Add the flour/milk mixture to the pan.

Whisk to blend with butter and broth. 

When your chicken is done baking, add the juice to the gravy. 

Since I had 3 baking dishes, I just moved the chicken from

pan to pan.  Whisk in the chicken juice.  Also, if you want to, add 1 teaspoon chicken flavor (I used Williams-Sonoma's Chicken Demi Glace), salt and pepper.  If the gravy gets too thick, add more broth.  If it's too thin, add a little flour.  Gravy tends to thicken as it cools, so you could also just turn the heat off and let it cool a bit.

The mashed potato recipe is with my meatball recipe.

The corn was grown in our garden.

Enjoy!

Karin