Grandma Carver's Potato Salad

12 White potatoes, boiled with skins on until tender when poked with a fork, then peeled and chopped small
9 eggs, hard boiled and chopped small
1 bunch green onion, chopped
1 c. mayo, thinned with milk (or more if needed)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients.

Halloween stuff

I felt crafty so I started on my Halloween decorations and costume today. Can you guess who I'm going to be for Halloween?



For Christmas last year, Dan got me a subscription to Martha Stewart Living. I love it. There is always something fun and totally mindless to do from it. This cute pumpkin and other creatures were displayed hanging over a table of food for a party. I think I'll try hanging mine in my windows.

One Hour Dinner Rolls

1 1/2 Cup Hot Water
1/4 Cup Powdered Milk
1/4 Cup Butter
3 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Yeast
1 Tsp Salt
4 Cup Flour
2 Tbsp Butter, Softened

Combine hot water, powdered milk, sugar, and 1/4 cup butter. Stir until butter melts and mixture is warm. Add yeast and salt, let dissolve until yeast reacts. Add flour and mix until combined. Let rise for 15 minutes. Grease muffin tins (12) with cooking spray. Roll out dough on floured surface into a rectangle and spread with softened 2 Tbsp butter. (If dough is sticky knead a little flour into it.) Fold dough in half lengthwise. Cut into strips and tie dough into a knot, tucking ends under and place in muffin tin. Let rise 15 minutes and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Cinnaburst French Toast

Great Harvest Cinnaburst Loaf of Bread
Milk
Eggs
Cinnamon

Mix Milk, eggs, and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Dip sliced bread in egg mixture. Fry over medium heat. Drizzle warm homemade syrup on top.

Parenting

If they only knew what they were in for...

This morning I had a short conversation with my mother about parenting. As I was in the shower I had an idea to create a blog about my parents and memories I have of them. I asked my siblings to post as well so we can get a good perspective on how our parents have impacted our lives. We owe so much to them. It will be fun to see how our relationships have changed over the years through stories. Each stage of life they are and have been there for us. We love you mom and dad... http://veaterkids.blogspot.com/

Scalloped Potatoes

Tonight I made scalloped potatoes for part of Dan's birthday dinner. It's my great grandma Carver's recipe and I love them. I'm not sure if they are better than other recipes but they have a sentimental value for me.


10-12 medium sized potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
1 onion, diced small
Whipping cream or milk
Salt and Pepper
Flour

In a 9X13 pan layer potatoes, onions, salt and pepper, and sprinkle flour over entire layer. Repeat layering until potatoes are gone. Pour cream or milk into pan until it is just about to cover the top layer of potatoes. Place strips of bacon on the top layer of potatoes. Bake at 375 for about an 1 hour or until potatoes are soft. (Place 9X13 dish on a cookie sheet in oven for any spillage.) Let stand for 30 minutes. It will thicken as it cools.

Mint and Chip Ice Cream Cake

Today's Dan's 29th birthday and he wanted an ice cream cake. I found a picture of a mint and chip ice cream cake that Cold Stone does for my inspiration.

Box of Devil's Food Cake

1 Gallon Mint and Chip Ice Cream (Smith's Premium Select Brand)

1 Pint of Whipping Cream - Beat cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar

Oreos

I baked two 9 inch round Devil's Food Cakes. Let them cool, wrapped them in plastic wrap and froze them. Take one 9 inch round and turned it top side down. Cut ice cream into 1-2 inches strips for layering on top of cake. (I pulled the gallon of ice cream out to thaw a little.) Placed second 9 inch round cake top side down on top of ice cream layer. Wrapped cake in plastic wrap and put back into freezer overnight. Frosted cake with whipped cream and decorated with crushed oreos.

Breakfast Burritos

For breakfast Dan requested breakfast burritos.


Cook uncooked torillas in a frying pan until golden brown.

Saute onions

Beat eggs, water, salt and pepper in small bowl.

Add onions to egg mixture and cook over medium heat.

Pile egg mixture, cheese, salsa, sour cream, sausage, bacon, etc onto a torilla.

Pig Lickin' Good Cake

I have a sweet tooth.

Yellow cake mix
1/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1 10oz can of mandarin oranges and juice
Combine all ingredients. Pour into 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until done. Let cool and top with frosting.

Frosting:
1 8oz can of crushed pineapple (drained)
1 8oz tub of cool whip
1 3oz box of instant vanilla pudding

Quiche

I love quiche. It's one of my comfort foods. It's easy to make too, especially if you buy the crust like I did. It's better with a homemade crust but if you're short on time a store bought one will do.




Broccoli Quiche
9 inch Flaky Pie Crust - bake at 375 for 7 minutes, set aside
6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup chopped onion - saute onion
1 1/2 cups steamed and chopped broccoli
4 eggs
2 cups of shredded cheese
1 cup whipping cream or half and half
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients minus 1 cup of cheese. Put one cup of cheese in the bottom of the pie crust and pour the remaining ingredients in pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Fabric Toy Ball

Jacob was given three fabric toy balls. I wanted to make him some more because he loves them. I found a pattern on-line (http://www.pjb.com.au/jug/pdf/two_piece_65mm.pdf) which I enlarged to make a larger ball.

Bottled Salsa

I went to my favorite local farm (The Rasmussen Farm in Draper) and picked up half a bushel of tomatoes to bottle fresh salsa.

50-60 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped

3-4 green peppers, seeded - finely chop 2 and chop the other 1 or 2 in a processor

10 oz. canned mild green chilies

1 1/2 yellow onions, chopped fine in a processor

1 1/2 large sweet white onions, finely chopped

1/2 c. bottled jalapenos, chopped fine in a processor

5 Tbsp. salt

3 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. crushed garlic

1 Tbsp. ground coriander seed

1 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 35-45 minutes. Place in hot pint jars. Seal and process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes. Makes 12-15 pints.This is really good fresh salsa. Save some in the fridge before cooking to eat right away.

Peach Crisp

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup melted butter
1-2 quarts of fruit (add sugar to fruit if not naturally sweet)
*Add cinnamon to fruit if desired

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg and mix. In 9x13 pan or ramekin pour fruit and top with flour/sugar mixture. Pour melted butter evenly over the top. Bake 375 for about 35-45 minutes till golden brown.

Bottled Peaches

I don't know what we were thinking when we decided to buy a bushel of peaches yesterday. It is quite a lot of peaches. We were all excited at the beginning to bottle them but after the first batch of 7 bottles we were losing steam. By the third batch I was hating it. My kitchen was a mess and totally sticky and I was exhausted. Who knows if I'll every do that again. Maybe this winter when I'm enjoying them I'll forget what a pain it was to bottle them and do it again next summer.