Hatch Green Chile Casserole

Hatch Green Chiles are here.  Oh, how I love the smell of these roasted.  Our local HEB roasts them for us which makes this recipe so much easier.  Last year, I tried to roast them myself.  I like them pre-roasted,  This casserole is easy to put together and makes your home smell incredible.

I put chicken breasts in my crock pot so that they would be ready and waiting after school. And I used fresh roasted hatch chiles instead of the canned.  Yum!

I found the recipe here.  

Queen Lemon Cakes

 Hannah has become quite the baker!  She made Lemon Queen Cakes for Mother's Day and we LOVED them so much that she made them for Father's Day too.  Delicious!!!

These little cakes are an act of love.  She spends at least four hours making them and bakes them with lots and lots of love.  I would share the recipe with you, but it's a Hannah secret.

I cannot begin to imagine meringue frosting without my kitchenaide!

And licking the beater is always the best part!

After a quick broil to brown the meringue it is time to serve.  They are incredible.  Thank you sweet Hannah for sharing your incredible gift with us. We love you so very much!

You Can be a Pepper too

Remember the Dr. Pepper song?  Okay, I really don't either. I just remember what I wrote in the title. Ha!  Anyway, Dr. Pepper is my Hannah's favorite drink.  And since her daddy and I went to Baylor, where Dr. Pepper is the drink of choice there (even the bears drink Dr. Pepper at the games), we like it too.

Hannah  found an awesome recipe for Dr. Pepper cake and just had to try it. Yum!

Adding Dr. Pepper to the mix makes it foam. Pretty cool!

And while it is baking, makes your house smell so good!  Here is a quick image of the finished cake:

It is super moist and super delicious!  We added a little whip cream to ours.  YUM! And it certainly didn't last long around our house, I think we consumed it in a couple days!  Thanks, Hannah!!!

(click here for the recipe)

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Oh my goodness gracious Cinnamon Roll Pancakes!  They are amazing, incredible, awesome, delicious, and the ban of my dieting existence.  But, after seeing so many pictures of these darlings on Facebook, and with Rachel being home for Easter weekend, we took the dive into these calorie ridden morsels of deliciousness to see if they were all that they were cracked up to be.  And, um, yes they totally are!

Warning, they are messy and it really helps to have a helper the first time you make them.  I followed the recipe, making my own pancake mix and everything, but you could probably save yourself some time and use Aunt Jemima if you like.

The fun part is trying to swirl the cinnamon mixture on the pancakes.  This was my first attemp.  Yes, it's messy and far from perfect!

But after a little bit, it was time to turn these babies over and look how cool they are now:

Somehow, the cinnamon mixture sinks into the pancake and makes the most incredible divots in the pancakes which are perfect for the icing.

Oh, the joys of this icing!  It is so good, I could bathe in this stuff....but that might be especially messy!  Sweet, but messy.  The icing reminds me of Cinnabon's icing which is the best part of a cinnamon roll!

My mouth is already drooling.....sigh back to the carrots.  I think this icing would even make carrots taste good. Ha!

(Click here for the recipe)

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Um, February begins Friday~what?!  That's the month my baby girl turns Sweet Sixteen.  {Be still my heart}

2.  We went Prom dress shopping last weekend and it was so much fun...but kind of made my heart hurt at the same time! Motherhood-a constant mix of special moments mixed with the ever present feeling that time needs to stand still!

3.  Just last week someone stumbled on to my blog because they googled, "Biker babe only wearing chaps." Huh?!!!  Why me???

4.  Turkey Burgers are delicious.  Sorry, fellow Texans!  But, seriously they are.  I didn't snap a picture of ours because I was starvin' marvin' but here is my recipe:  Mix 1 1/2 pounds of lean ground turkey, garlic, minced onions, and 1 cup of salsa.  Form into patties and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  We grilled ours inside because a family of mice has decided our grill is their new home. Oiy!  I added a bit too much salsa so our burgers were not perfect patties but they were perfectly delicious!

5.  My photography business is booked solid until the last week of April....although I am still managing to fit a few more sessions in to my schedule between now and then.

6.  My Rachel is on the Dean's list for last semester's stellar grades.  This seems to be her norm...we are so proud!

7.  Last week, when nearly the rest of the country was snowed in, we had near 70 degree temperatures two days and 50's the rest.  They say if you don't like the weather in Texas, hang on, because it may change that very day!

8.  The hubs and I are are still drowning ourselves with water daily.  We read something about drinking half of your weight in water ounces.  Did that make any kind of sense?  Needless to say, I once thought 8-8 oz glasses use to be difficult...try adding a few more.  Yes, we are still Mr. and Mrs. I.P. Freely!

(found this image on google-it's not mine and I don't know who to credit-sorry!)

9.  I like sweet potato fries!  Not the kind I have to make-who has time for that! I like the pre-cut frozen kind. Delicious!

(Source:  Bed, bath, and beyond)

10.  I like a Ninja! Not just any Ninja....my Ninja blender. It crushes ice in seconds which is perfect for smoothies!!! 

Whew! I made it to ten.  Yes!!!!

Ten on Tuesday

My first Ten on Tuesday of 2013 post.  Woo hoo!  Here are 10 things that caught my eye over this past week or things I want to share:

1.  Inspiring story of an every champion! She totally inspired me...now if I can just get moving too!

 2.  Have you tried a Neti Pot?  They sound gross but really are helpful when you are miserable with the flu or a sinus infection....mine lasted a month!  This is a new version of a Neti Pot.  Just a word of warning, it shoots a pretty quick spray and if you don't have it in your little nostril all the way, you might just give yourself a little shower or not....just saying.  Ha!

3.  Pretty Little Liars returns to TV tonight and my girls are so excited!

4.  We were blessed with 2 inches of snow last week.  yes! I wore my snowflake pajamas that night and had wishful dreams of waking up to a winter wonderland.  It did snow but I didn't get to take a single picture....we had school.  No late start.  Sigh!  But, we were all thankful for the snow and the much needed moisture!

5.  So many new visitors have been visiting my blog lately.  Want to know why?  My mom's taco casserole is a hit on Pinterest!  

6.  I heart Jeggings! Seriously.  I thought they were a bit dorky, but I now love them and wish I had them in every color.  I bought mine at Dillard's, they feel like I am wearing pajamas and they fit so nicely in my boots!

7.  Spotify!  Do you spotify. Rachel told me about it and I love it. It is a great way to listen to a new cd without having to purchase it first.  Plus, you can listen whenever you are on a computer. Easy!

8. This is my favorite moisturizer! It is fantastic, oil free, and so helpful during this dry winter!

9. Do you Pick Your Plum?  Ha! That sounds funny! Seriously, this is such a neat online daily deal thing for DIY projects.  I ordered several Pick Your Plum Deals as Christmas gifts for my girls. The deal is that you have to get it before they sell out.  If you sign up, they send you an email with their daily deals. Sweet!

10.  Tuesday nights are basketball night...one of my favorite nights of the week! I always LOVE watching my baby girl on the court. Tonight, I get to sit by my Rachel as we cheer on her sister together.  No that is what I call delight!!!

Ya'll have a super blessed Tuesday!!!

The Secrets is in the Cream Sauce

"The secret's in the sauce." What movie is that from??? If you guessed Fried Green Tomatoes, you are correct! Way to go! When Rachel was home from college for a short weekend, I made a new pancake recipe. The recipe is from Paula Deen so it had to be yummy! The recipe is Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Cinnamon Cream Sauce. And it is incredibly yummy!!!

Here are the pancakes sizzling on my electric griddle...and yes that is bubbly butter:

I've made chocolate chip pancakes before...I sometimes add peanut butter chips too.  They are a family favorite, but the BEST part is the Cream Sauce.  Oh my goodness it is delicious!!!

The pancakes are nearly done:

Add a dollop of the delicious cream sauce and then a bit of maple syrup...makes me think of Buddy the Elf:

The warm pancakes makes the cream sauce drizzle over the sides.  YUM!

All that's left to do is enjoy!  Here is the recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paulas-home-cooking/chocolate-chip-pancakes-with-cinnamon-cream-recipe/index.html

Egg in a Hole

A few more days of the crazy, busy photography season and maybe life will return to some sort of normalcy! I am forever grateful for my amazing clients but I am looking forward to a little break which just might include fires in the fireplace, cooking actual meals again, and I may even drag the old iron out again (maybe). Our family has had their fair share of Eggs in a Hole lately. It's an easy recipe and most of the time, I have bread, butter, and eggs on hand. Here is an easy recipe if you need one: Use whatever bread you have on hand.

I don't have a cookie cutter this shape or size, so I use the lid of a mason jar to cut out a center hole. I'm sure you could use cute cookie cutter shapes if you like:

After the holes are cut out, make sure you save the holes, I have my electric griddle sizzling with a little Pam or butter just waiting for the bread.  If you butter the griddle, you don't have to butter the hole-y bread.

Then I ask a cute helper to crack one egg into each piece of bread. Yes, I do this right on the griddle:

Oops....look out for the shell!

I add the holes right on to the griddle too!  And then I salt and pepper each egg:

After the egg appears set, I flip the bread and cook the other side too:

And then it's time to eat!  It takes less than 5 minutes and it beats a run to Sonic any day....well except for maybe their Diet Cranberry Limeades.  What is your easy peasy go to meal when you need a quick something?

Hamburgers A La Mr. Incredible!

Saturday was the most gorgeous day! My man and I worked in the yard the day before and he was set on finishing it while I worked on finishing up a gallery and doing laundry and cleaning house. I kept hearing what sounded like my man talking to somebody. I glanced out the window to see him rockin' out to a song he was playing on his ipod. He had his Beats on and was singing at the top of his lungs. It did my heart good to see him so happy! It's been quite stressful at work since the beginning of the year. This was one of his first Saturday's off and he was taking full advantage of enjoying being home. Delight!

As I was moving some laundry over to the dryer, I heard him mention he wanted to cook lunch. He knows I love it when he cooks lunch! A little bit later lunch was ready. He made the most delicious hamburgers:

He called them "Juicy Lucy" hamburgers.  He had seen them on the food network. Here is a link to the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/juicy-lucy-recipe/index.html

They were delicious and juicy...like you needed several napkins or paper towels juicy! They were incredible, just like my man who found a song in his heart again.  What a blessed day!

Snow Ice Cream!

The second week in January brought record snow to our part of Texas and we were thrilled! We have been praying for rain and God blessed us with glorious snow!  I love snow.  Even the mere mention of it in the forecast, and I am donning my snowflake pajamas for the night and dreaming of snow.  What fun to wake up to snow and snow and more snow!  And the early out and late start the next day at school was awesome!

Our Rachel was still home on Christmas break! As soon as Hannah and I got home from our early out, we made snow ice cream.  It reminded me of childhood days in Wichita, Kansas, when my mom would make snow ice cream.

I found a Snow Ice Cream recipe from Paula Deen. Seriously! I knew it would be delicious and it only required 3 ingredients.  Here is the recipe:

Gather 8 cups of freshly fallen snow....and throw a few at your daughters just for fun!

add a can of sweetened condensed milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Have a sweet helper mix it together.  I adore Rachel's hat.  She bought it from Krochet Kids International.  Here is a link to her hat:  http://www.krochetkids.org/shop/the-lucille/
Krochet Kids is a wonderful ministry and I just love it that my mission-minded daughter

purchased two hats from them. 

I added some fresh blueberries and some Reddi Whip to mine~yum!

Hoping it snow again so we can make more snow ice cream!

Chai Tea Latte?

Yes, please!  I found a sweet recipe for Chai Latte and made a few for family and friends.  Whenever I visit Starbucks (I feel like there should be some angelic music playing at the mere mention) I skip the coffee of the day version, and the teas, and head straight for a Pumpkin Spice Latte....yum!

But my man likes the tea.  He mentioned to me that he really liked Chai Lattes.  So, I did a little surfing and found a recipe.   You can click here for the easy recipe.  It makes a lot of tea!  I discovered that I like it too.  I run some hot water through my Keurig and enjoy a cup. 

I put the mix in Mason jars (love mason jars-don't you?) and tied the instructions with rafia.  It's super easy and delicious.  I just noticed my island has something yellow on the bottom cover.  Oops!  Ya'll have a blessed day!

Rainbow Cupcakes A La Hannah

The band's theme this year is everything Beatles.  Some of the band parents and I decorated the band hall right before contest in the 70's Groovy vibe style.  It was fun.  The week of competition I designed t-shirts and sold them with the theme on the front and all of the band member's names on the back.  I sold 126 shirts in one day~crazy!  And right in the middle of all of this, Hannah told me that she wanted to do something special for her fellow band members and directors~70 members in all.

She saw rainbow cupcakes on the internet and really, really wanted to make them for the band.  I promised that we would find the perfect time to make them and thankfully we did. We made them on a Thursday evening after school.  We started at 6:00 and finished at 12:30.  There was lots of joy and laughter in our kitchen and shouts coming from the final World Series game as we rooted for our Texas Rangers. 

My baby girl is blessed with that "P" word (patience) and she worked tirelessly on her cupcakes. We mixed together the cake batter and then carefully added just the right amount of  food coloring to each bowl. 

She carefully lined the pans with foil cupcake liners and then it was time to begin:

She spooned just the right amount of purple in the bottom of each cupcake tin:

Then layered the blue over the top of that and then green, etc.

All of that became much too time consuming. So, we regrouped and poured the colored cake mixture in ziplock bags, cut the tip of the end and used them as if they were icing bags.  This speeded the process up greatly. 

Finally, 72 cupcakes were carefully retrieved from the oven and set out to cool:

We could hardly wait to see what they looked like on the inside.  Hannah carefully, peeled back one side to reveal the awesome rainbow cupcakes:

After they were cooled, we added the canned frosting and sprinkles to the tops. They look like ordinary cupcakes at first glance:

But the groovy-est surprise waits inside!  Hannah was excited to share her creations with her friends.  Making cupcakes for over 6 hours with my baby girl was a blast! 

What a Lunch!

Saturday morning Hannah, my man, and I watched Food Network's newest show, "The Pioneer Woman Cooks."  Ya'll know how much I enjoy her recipes; I enjoy her new show too.  This week she made a delightful dinner consisting of steak, twice-baked mashed potatoes, and a corn casserole.  By the time the show was over, all three of our mouths were watering. 

The food looked so delicious that my man offered to make a run to the grocery store and I gladly took him up on his offer.  In less than an hour, we were feasting on all of her delicious recipes from the show.

I didn't even bother to grab my camera, but my Iphone was close by:

It was delicious!  You can find the recipes here  and here.