Thursday, May 28, 2009

What to Eat Wednesday



Chicken Olive Calzones
I first learned to make calzones from Jay's mom. She makes them the best-(of course!) My friend Donna shared this one with me. It was different from the way my Mother-in-Law makes them, and a fun addition to our recipe book
I am pretty sure I got this from her when we were living in Utah. When Janelle was over a few weeks ago she requested it for our lunch. She remembers eating it when we both lived there. Here is an odd tidbit of info- Janelle thinks I say the word "calzones" funny. The way I stress certain portions of it. She laughs when I say it.


1 ½ cups chopped cooked chicken (18 ounces)
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ cup pitted ripe olives
½ teaspoon dried basil crushed
¼ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup soft style cream cheese with chives and onion
1 10 ounce package refrigerated pizza dough
(or frozen Rhodes rolls or bread dough thawed and risen)
1 beaten egg
1 Tablespoon water
Parmesan cheese
Spaghetti sauce

For filling, in a medium bowl stir together chicken, jack cheese, celery, ripe olives, basil, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir in soft- style cream cheese. Set aside.
For calzones, unroll pizza dough. On lightly floured surface roll out dough into a 15 x 10 inch rectangle. Cut into six 5-inch squares. (Or use the Rhodes dough and divide into pieces and flatten out) Divide chicken olive filling among the dough. Brush edges with water. Lift one corner and stretch dough over to the opposite corner. Seal edges of dough well with tines of a fork. Arrange calzones on a greased baking sheet. Prick tops with a fork. In a small bowl combine egg and 1 Tablespoon water, brush over the calzones. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.. Serve with heated spaghetti sauce, if desired.


Tuesday, May 26, 2009

SPT

lelly issued the repeat challenge from last year

for may

something old

something new

something borrowed

something blue

I loved last years SP- the memories are wonderful to relive!
But this year's blue SP is not as beautiful, or relaxing.
I was privileged to take a nap yesterday. I woke, put on my swimsuit in preparation to take the kids on the first day of summer swim. I got downstairs and found out that my sister-in-law Jennifer called to say that there would be no swimming. My mom's neighborhood pool had no water in it! WHAT?!?!?!?!? This is the pool I have been swimming at since I was 6! How could there not be water in it? The pool always opens on Memorial day. We went by last night to check it out. There was a sign up saying that a new drain was going to be installed and a possible date of June 15th for opening. Everyone (minus Jay) was blue.
So out of desperation this morning on a trip to Walmart for insect repellant and anti-itch relief spray we bought a "blue" blow up pool. There was a little argument between Tucker and Luke about what color to get. Tucker won. (and so did I- because it worked for my SP!) I am hoping this will keep everyone entertained briefly. It is foreign to me to think of having to find a place to go swimming. It would be strange to buy passes somewhere. If for some reason the pool does not open, we may have to think about it.

Big puffy cheeks- blowing up the pool.


Lets see just how many we can fit into the itty bitty pool at once?

Family night - 5-25-09 memorial day


Family Night- a time set aside

Song- We sung patriotic songs all the way from our house to the cemetery. It took 3 songs with only a few versus each to get there. America the Beautiful, The Star Spangled Banner, My Country tis of Thee.

Prayer-Dad

Lesson- Mom & Dad We talked about why we celebrate Memorial Day.

Who we honor and why.

Jay talked about the blessing of having the gospel of Jesus Christ, and knowing that we will be with our family members again.
We remembered things about our Grandparents, living and passed on. Jay remembered our kids swinging with their great-grandparents at their house on the front porch swing. He remembered Grandaddy making the kids bowls of ice cream. Luke said he remembered getting popsicles and ice cream from Grandaddy. Jack remembered going downtown for ice cream with Grandaddy.
I told the kids how every time we go with Grandpa Spear to the cemetery, he brings cleaning supplies to wipe down and clean up the headstones. Everyone got to work cleaning up. It became a little bit of a competition/contention. (nothing like arguing at the cemetery!)


Activity- planting flowers in a little pot to leave at the cemetery.




Then driving over to visit Nan. My brother had brought over the swing from my Grandparents house that we had been remembering earlier. The kids jumped right on.


Treat- Popsicles


Thursday, May 21, 2009

Family night - 5-18-09 recap birthday edition!

Family Night- a time set aside

Song- Happy Birthday to You

Prayer- Tucker


Thought- Savanna-Working together we get stuff done.

Lesson- Everybody-What we love & wish for Mom!
Savanna: That she documents everything. She takes pictures of everything. I wish that she can not break her camera.
Jack: Oh I could write a whole book about her. Glad she brought me alive. Artistic skills and cooking. I wish she gets better at the stuff she already is.
Jay (Dad): I love mom's smile. I love when she is happy. I love her writing. i love her singing. I love her cooking. I love her friendship. My wish: a new minivan this year.
Luke: Mom's cooking skills. I wish someday mom will work in a restaurant because she is good at cooking.
Tucker: "Kutney Dude" (cooking food) His wish? More dessert.

Activity- play outside in sprinkler, help put together tree house.







Treat- Trifle "soup"- (it needed longer to set)

a very special union

Today I had the fortune to attend a wedding.
Not just any wedding.


The lucky couple and their attendants were so well behaved.



Although one got a little shy.

The preacher shared quips of past relationships that just did not work out.


U's relationship with P- just stunk. It was P---U!
The relationship with I- was all wrong. It had an "all about me" attitude- "I" this, and "I" that.
The relationship with M was mmmmmmmmm- kind of boring.
But once Q & U got together they knew they could do great things. They promised to stick together.

You can't attend a wedding without treats, and cupcakes are all the rage these days.


I hope the years pass quickly, quietly, with no quarreling.

Today's wedding bliss reminded me of another wedding much like this one about 3 years ago.



Ahh memory lane. Weddings will do that to you.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

What to Eat Wednesday-Carmel Dip



I debated whether to use my chef or cupcake logo- this is borderline food/sweet. I serve it with fruit but it really is just sugary goodness.
My friend Meghan shared this with me while she lived here in Oklahoma. She got it from a friend in Utah. She said it was so easy to remember because the ingredients are: a cup, a cup and a cube. Seriously, this is so yummy. Good with every kind of fruit. Even watermelon!


Carmel Dip for Fruit


1 cube butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sour cream

Melt butter over medium heat, add brown sugar until light color then add sour cream.

sheering sheep

My friend Hillary keeps leaving such nice comments about the boys hair. She thinks I am cutting it. It's time for me to come clean. Let the truth be known!

When I lived in Payson Utah, Hillary moved in 3 doors down. We lived in townhomes and she moved in 3 doors down, so it seemed like 1 home away! She cut hair- and occasionally we would trade. I would make her a meal and she would cut someones hair. Sometimes that was great, other times not so great. (I am remembering a "new" recipe, a pork roast with some kind of apple raisin chutney, that no-body cared for. so sorry Hill) Evenutally she started helping me to learn to cut the boys hair. (maybe that was so she would not have to eat my food any more!)
After moving to Oregon, I continued to cut the boys hair. Then we moved to Oklahoma- where I have many a family member. Not only do I have many a family member here, but also almost every single one cuts hair!

I have contemplated giving my hand another try over the summer. I am sure I am losing points in the thrifty-self-reliant category. But it is so nice to have someone else cut it.

So on Saturday, when one of my cousins called and said she could get all 3 boys in if I wanted to run up to the shop. I squealed yes- and rounded them up. I felt like a farmer trying to round them all up into the pin to get sheered.

It was time to shave off the winter and get ready for spring/summer.

Jack had such long bangs. And puffy hair. It is so course and thick that it is like one big puff. With a little tail going down his neck. He has not wanted it cut. A while back he said he wanted "baggy" hair. Whatever that is.

Ahhh- there is Jack! He said it felt better, lighter after getting it all cut.



Now Luke- He gets a peacock thing going on the top back of his hair. It just grows that way.
Before:
After:

Then there is Tuck: His hair seems to be a mix of Jack and Luke- puffy and peacock.
Before
After:

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

SPT-something borrowed-revisited

Lelly's SP challenge for the month of May-
"going back into the vault this month, to an spt challenge i really loved! hope you will join along!!

tuesday, may 5 something old
tuesday, may 12 something new
tuesday, may 19 something borrowed
tuesday, may 26 something blue

Its that time of year when things are crazy for everyone- not the holidays but the end of school.
Like Kristie and Lori, I find myself wanting a little more time and a little more patience.
I have a list of things to do before the kids get out of school, a list of things to blog about, a list of things to do for/with the kids before school gets out, a list of things to tackle this summer etc. etc. The list goes on and on.
Amid all this craziness and business I have that pull to do something else.
Something I want to do. Something I want to learn.
I have been wanting a camera for a long time, but after my camera woes this year I gave up saving for one. I thought that this must not be my season. And really, do I have time to learn something new right now? I kept consoling myself saying, No.
But, a few weeks ago I borrowed a camera from Kristie.

I fell in love.
I had been talking myself out of moving up to a better camera for so long that I really did not think it would be that big of a deal.
Not so! Not so! I took photo after photo- experiementing, marveling at how different it was to move up to a digital SLR. I gave it back and started dreaming of getting one of my own.
Jay saw how excited I was and brought me one from a co-worker to borrow.


Like I said I have many other things to do right now than learn how to use a camera. But it is so fun! I have captured some moments in the last few days that would have been documented with the other camera, but look so much better with this one! The details, the light.

SO glad I borrowed Kristie's camera. (thank you Kristie!) So glad I borrowed one from Jay's co-worker.

But now I don't have to borrow one. I got one of my own.

I keep wondering how to use it, and I am trying to learn. Last night Jay encouraged me saying- "You can't plant corn tonight and expect corn on the cob for breakfast. Keep working at it."
So I will.