Priscilla Bakes

Blog Decision!

2011-04-13T11:13:00.002-05:00

Hello my faithful blog readers, first off. Thank you SO MUCH for all the comments and encouragement to keep blogging. I didn't even know that I still have blog followers after not blogging for two years! Niiiice surprise :)

I have decided that I AM going to blog my baking adventures, but on my "other" blog....http://www.priscillajoyphotography.blogspot.com/. It is my photography blog but I also do personal/random posts sometimes and I am going to add baking posts there. This blog will still be open, but all my new baking posts will be on my other blog.

I will have a new recipe up on the blog this weekend, can't wait to do this again. I have missed it!

Hope to see some of you all there!!! :)

Hello?

2011-03-09T09:06:00.004-06:00

I have no idea how many readers still follow this blog but I am realizing how much I miss baking and sharing recipes with you all. I can't bake nearly as often as I did with a full time job but I can on the weekends.

So this post is pretty much asking if anyone still reads this and if you guys would still be interested in me posting again? I've been gone awhile, and I miss it!

Visit Me Here Now!

2009-10-23T16:05:00.002-05:00

Hello blog readers, I am no longer going to be blogging here. But I am still going to be keeping this open for those of you who asked me to for the recipes. I haven't baked/cooked in a VERY long time....but you can visit me at this new blog:

Priscilla Joy Photography

Thank you again for being great blog readers!!

Already Middle Of September..??

2009-09-18T15:35:00.000-05:00

Hello Blog Readers! I'm sorry...for such another long time with no posting. Thing is, I honestly haven't baked anything for months. Why, I don't know. But I have something up my sleeve for tomorrow. A Neopalitian Banana Cake....we will see how it turns out.

Right now I am currently taking this semester off school and working. And in-between doing photo sessions, frisbee games, hitting the mall, trips to the theater w/family or friends, multiple trips to get ice cream with friends, church activities, and then of course the usual...spending time with family and friends.

Annnd, last Friday was a whole new experience for me. I'm currently the 2nd baseman on our softball team and well. Last Friday, which was our last game for the season....I ended up spending most of the evening in the ER. During the game I went to catch a fly ball and the ball ended up landing on my face instead of the mit.
I fractured my nose and received 2 black eyes. It was also my first time ever in the ER....a tough night.
Buuut, God has healed me amazingly. My black eyes are almost completely gone and I got my stitches out yesterday. My family took amazing care of me and I found out during my week of recovery that God has truly given me the "best" family and friends in this world.

I also think I had enough injuries for the year. Lets see...a fat bruised lip from snowboarding, breaking my middle finger when the wind shut the door on my hand, and a fractured nose....hmmm. Yup. Hopefully that is all.

And Lord willing. Next softball season. I will be back out on that field.

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My latest photo session was of my softball coach's family.

Ohhhh Adalyn. She is my very favorite 1 year little girl. Her pigtails are melting. Her little smile with 2 bottom teeth and 2 top teeth are equally melting. I think we have a future Miss America on our hands.

Have a wonderful Friday! We have had 20 days of sunshine and beautiful weather....I couldn't ask for anything better. See you with a recipe very soon!!

Savoring the last days of Summer.

2009-09-02T11:00:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe it is already September. Seriously, this summer was the fastest summer ever. I have no doubt now that as you get older time goes by faster. Because that is how I have been feeling.

Frisbee. How we all love it.
Want to know something funny? Until this year we had never heard of Ultimate Frisbee. Sure we knew what a frisbee was...but playing a sport with a frisbee...my brothers and sisters and I were thinking how dumb does that sound. Ha. That was until we played. And um...simply. We are addicted now. Another sad thing about summer winding down. Frisbee winds down too. Until next spring.
My brothers sometimes forget we aren't playing Tackle Football and decide to take out players. I can say I survived being smashed by my 19 year old brother who is over 6 ft. My sisters and I have kinda learned to play rough in sports....with 3 brothers. I think it is a bit hard not too.

Steven (in the tan cargos)...why he is leaning up against the pole...I do not know.

I'm in the blue shorts on the far left and my sister Lisa is on the right in the blue shorts. We bring a LOT of players...ha. 6 of us.

Park Days with friends on a sunny day. Pretty sweet.

We are sane. I assure you.

Our Church Softball Team. My 3 brothers and I played. We have a couple more games and then sadly we have to wait until next summer.

I will be back in not too long with a food post. Thank you guys for sticking around while I was taking a break from blogging this summer!!

God gave me a amazing summer and one I will remember forever. He is good.

I love you Friday!

2009-08-14T12:41:00.003-05:00

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Can I say summer is flying by way too fast?! Popping in to say have a great weekend. Off to enjoy a full Friday!

Perfectly Rounded Choc. Chip Cookies.

2009-08-03T19:30:00.000-05:00

Good Monday everyone! Whew. Crazy weekend. But a blast. I love Mondays because they are the only day all of us are home evenings.

Ever since getting this recipe from a friend, I haven't been able to stop making these! They are superb. I prefer these with Chocolate Chunks but I don't always have those on hand so sometimes I use Chips. Still delicious either way.
To get those perfectly rounded cookies....you must use a cookie scoop. My Mom bought one at some Amish Country Store but I bet Wal-Mart or any other store with cook/baking ware would have one. My size is about medium. I started using it a couple months ago and haven't stopped. Can't use spoons anymore!

Perfectly Rounded Choc. Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter or stick margarine, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 tsp. vanilla

1 large egg

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups chocolate chips (or 1 bag of chocolate chunks)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat sugars, butter, shortening, vanilla, and egg in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips/chunks. Using a cookie scoop, drop onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light brown. Cool 1 to 2 minues; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

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We recently discovered Ultimate Frisbee earlier this summer. Wow. We had no clue what we were missing out on. All 6 of us kids play. And we love it. It is a bunch of friends that get together weekly.

We can get rough with each other....grabbing the frisbee from someone else or crashing and taking out other players. But with most of us under 25....I think that is pretty normal.

Mr. Joe...sporting his new haircut.

Yeah...that is me with those red shorts.

It is good to be back! Looking forward to another busy week...see you in not too long with another food post!

Final Check-In Post...Because I'm Back Now!

2009-07-29T14:23:00.005-05:00

Hello blog readers. This is my final check-in summer post. I am excited to get back in the kitchen...and start cooking up some recipes! Thank you much guys for sticking with me thru my blogging break.

You can't really tell but we are all sweaty and gross here. A few of the many friends that we play frisbee with. Ignore my brothers shoe tan....he thanks you.

(my Mom on the far right)

1st day of VBS! It was pretty amazing to see God working thru the hearts of the children. The praise and worship time was the best.

Dancin' and singing with Miss Hailey. One of my favorite little people.

Oh Miss Maggie. My favorite 3 year old blonde little girl.

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I will see you next with a post for the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe ever and I found out how to make your cookies perfectly round! Have a great rest of a week and see you soon!

Summer, Summer, Summer.

2009-07-20T09:41:00.005-05:00

I'm still here. I've come to the conclusion that summer is going by way "too" fast. Way too fast. But I'm soaking it all up. We have been busy with softball practices, softball games, Ultimate Frisbee, swimming, being with friends, and now this whole week VBS. We were able to go to our county fair last week....it was pretty hard to get one of everyone smiling. Thus resulting in the above picture.

Softball and more softball. Teaches you a lot.

My sisters and I with a friend....yeah I'm a total goof.

Have a great rest of a week and I will see you with another update in not too long!

Summer Days....Summer Fun.

2009-07-03T09:12:00.001-05:00

Whew, good Friday everyone! Hope your summer has been going well. Mine has been very busy but beyond fun. We are heading into another packed 4th of July weekend....which will include lots of food. I will be back with some food posts next week and lots more pictures. Thank you again guys for hanging in here with me!

Ultimate Frisbee is amazing.

We had spent the day at a friends graduation party and then playing ultimate frisbee afterwards. Here we are just goofin off....a must for our famalies.

L to R: Steven, Me, Lisa, & Joe. Personally...I think we look nothing alike.

Happy 4th of July!

Summer Break.

2009-06-10T15:04:00.004-05:00

I'm still here. I'm sorry for the absence. I won't be around for much this summer (LOTS of new things happening) so if you could bear with me while a take a break, I would love that. For those of you who decide to stick around...thank you so much! Not blogging for the summer doesn't mean I won't be popping in occasionaly to update you guys.

This is the kind of face you get when playing Catch Phrase...nice Andrew.
Katherine I love your earrings. I love how they match your shirt. The tongue thing, yes I love that too.

Fish lips are the latest thing...that is what I heard anyway...my friend Joss and me at Disneyland.

Lemon Poppy Seed & White Cupcakes.

2009-06-05T10:11:00.000-05:00

Good Friday everyone! Whew, feels good to be back to creating recipes.
California was a total blast....we got to go to Disneyland for the first time. I love that place! We were planning on going to Raging Waters in San Dimas Friday but they weren't open yet during the week. So we hopped on over to Knotts Soak City instead. How I missed going to Raging Waters again. Saturday was my friends graduation - pretty emotional time. We celebrated afterwards at Pat & Oscars. I thought Olive Garden had the best breadsticks....Pat & Oscars beats them by a longshot! California is pretty amazing.

I love simple recipes. I was at Wallyworld the other day and thought about why not mix a white cake mix with a muffin mix? Mmm, the results are delicious. You can use whatever muffin mix, not just Lemon Poppy Seed. I'd try the Blueberry one for sure. I bet you can even change the cake mix to your liking!

Swirled Lemon Poppy Seed White Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 white cake mix, prepared according to box directions

2 (7.6 oz) Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Mix, prepared according to package directions

DIRECTIONS:

Grease 2 muffin tins. Fill 2/3 full with white cake mix batter. Pour 1 tbsp. over white cake mix batter and swirl. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until ready. Cool.

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We left for California early Wednesday morning. Thursday was my friend's graduation beach party. Early Thursday we packed up food, boogie boards, chairs, wood for a fire, and headed to Oceanside. It was 64 degrees there. But that didn't stop us crazy girls from going in the water. And since I only get to go to the beach once a year...I wasn't going to pass this up.

I did swallow too much salt water though and felt like puking...the waves were pretty big and kept going over my head.

We had a blast at the beach party....I still can't believe we are both done with High School Joss! So glad I was able to be there with you!

The mature graduate...right JR?

Tonight is my brothers and mine second softball game...can't wait for it! Off to enjoy some sunny weather and a run...have a great Friday and weekend everyone!

I'm Staying.

2009-06-04T08:32:00.003-05:00

Thank you. Wow. For all your sweet comments. I've decided that I will continue to blog. I know I would miss it and after your comments I don't think I can stop blogging!

Look for a new food post tomorrow....we finally got to go to Disneyland when we were in California. AH-mazing. The Indiana Jones ride is my absolute favorite. Here is my sisters and I (L to R: Anna, Lisa, Me) in front of the castle. Have a great Thursday!

Thinking Of Closing My Blog.

2009-06-03T08:43:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone! I'm back. I had a blast in California.

Upon arriving back from Cali, I was thinking about possibly no longer blogging. Closing my blog down. While I love blogging, sometimes it gets a bit much....and this season of life has me busier than ever.
So, I am either thinking of shutting it down for good, taking another month off, or continuing to blog 3 times a week.

Before I make my decision, what do my readers think? Sometimes from the lack of comments, I think not many people read my blog. And, for those of you who comment often...thank you!

Vacation From Blogging.

2009-05-20T11:30:00.002-05:00

Hi Blog Readers. I've decided that I'm going to be taking a break from blogging until I get back from my vacation. Life is pretty busy right now and I need a break. Between graduations, softball games, birthdays, flying to California, getting ready to leave for a week, I don't have that much time to be in the kitchen right now. I think I could use a short break too.

So, I hope you guys understand and I'll see you June 3rd with some tasty recipes and pictures from Cali!

My blog is also acting up, will be getting it fixed pretty soon.

Kick Off Your Monday W/A Giveaway!

2009-05-18T09:07:00.003-05:00

Good Monday! I apologize readers for being such a slacker this past week in my blogging. Preparing for my party and cooking up goodies wasn't possible.
Since I will be leaving again next week (I'm heading to California for a week to attend my good friend's graduation) this week will be filled with lots of posts. I'm going to try to post every day this week, so....it won't all be food though. I have lots and lots of party pictures I must share with you guys. But, it is up to you.

I thought I'd kick my one-a-day post week with a giveaway. Dawn at Ferguson Pottery has a pretty amazing store. I'm not your biggest pottery fan, but her work is beautiful! I am loving her bowls. I'd love to have this bowl too, but she graciously let me have this to give to one of you guys.

To enter, tell me do you want me to do a post every day? Or is that too much? It'll be a challenge but I am up for it!

Deadline is tomorrow at 3 o'clock PM CST.

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Have fun guys and see you tomorrow! Have a great start to your week!

Sneak Preview.......

2009-05-17T08:50:00.004-05:00

......of one of the MANY graduation party pictures snapped yesterday. Since boys usually stand about 10 ft. away from each other when in pictures, I told these guys to act like they "liked" each other. Thus the hugging all around. L to R: David, Steven (hey brother!), Austin (giving me, um, what do you call that look?), and Tim.

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I'll see you tomorrow with lots more pictures! It was a total blast! Have a good Sunday!

Ice Cream Sugar Cookies, W/A Twist.

2009-05-12T14:32:00.004-05:00

Good Tuesday everyone! I have so been enjoying this beautiful and cool spring weather.

I finally got to see Hannah Montana. I absolutely loved it! The music was very well done, and yes I was singing in the theater. Seriously, it is hard not too. I won't say anymore in case some of you guys haven't seen it, but I can't wait to go see it again! I loved the addition of Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift. Guh, I love Taylor Swift's music.

I love sugar cookies. Soft and gooey sugar cookies with a glass of milk, yum. I will have to be pulled away to stop eating. We love this sugar cookie recipe we got from a friend. They are so simple to make but they are the best tasting sugar cookie I've had homemade. I thought why not add ice cream to these and make them ice cream sandwich cookies with sprinkles? Mmmm, they are delicious. Any kind of ice cream though I bet would be tasty in these, I am thinking of chocolate.....

Sugar Ice-Cream Cookies

Ingridents:

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

3 well beaten egg yolks

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cream of tarter

4 cups of vanilla ice cream (or half of a 1.75 qt. of ice cream)

Colored sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar. Add yolks, mix well. Add flour, soda, and tarter. Add vanilla. Roll into balls. Dip in sugar. Bake for 9 minutes. Cool. Take 2 cookies, on one side spread ice cream. Top with other cookie. Roll in sprinkles. Eat right away or cover with Saran Wrap and freeze.

**To keep these soft and chewy, make sure you put them in foil or cover them - they harden quickly. Also, do "not" overbake these for this recipe, hard sugar cookies in an ice cream sandwich doesn't taste good! Underbake them a little.**

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I have been going thru pictures from when I was born until now. I need pictures for my collage for my party this weekend. My parents had 6 babies at one point or another....I didn't win cutest baby out of us kids. I was chubby, red, and had a double chin. My little sister Anna took the title for cutest baby. I was very weird then, and I still am. I am also a known clutz. I get injured often.

Some people in life have everything in perfect order and in tact, I have never been one of them. Don't think I ever will.

This week and weekend is hectic crazy so I won't be seeing you guys until Monday. I've got lots of things to still do before my party this weekend....not to mention our church's first Softball game is this Friday evening. I'll be back with lots of pictures and another tasty recipe! See you next week!

We Jump.

2009-05-10T19:08:00.003-05:00

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Congrats to the Winner of the Hello, Cupcake book picked by random.org:

Laura who said: for me it's food! Love the food.

Congrats Laura! Please email me at priscilla91@iowatelecom.net so I can get your book out to you!

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(I am getting a 10x13 of this one for our wall...)

Good Sunday afternoon! Goodness, what a busy weekend. House work, workout, softball practice, taking our Mom out to dinner, shopping, more shopping for graduation party clothes, church....whew! And this week isn't going to be any less busy. I know I will survive.

I am so glad to know you all (most of you...can't please everyone) enjoy my blog just the way it is! Getting comments like that are encouraging....so thank you! I am going to see what I can come up with for some more breakfast, appetizer, and side dish recipes.

So, I thought a jumping shot would be pretty amazing of all 6 of us....little brother in brown polo shirt thought otherwise. See how in the 3rd picture from the top, he is about 4 inches off the ground but completely upright? Not to mention a interesting look. Don't worry, we still love you Joe.

This isn't even close to all the pictures we took, the rest will be popping around here and there in the upcoming months. I am trying to decide which ones to hang up on the walls, choices choices!

See you guys with that cookie post next that will have you scurring to make them yourselves! Happy Mothers Day to all you Mom's and especially to mine!

Hello, Cupcake Book Giveaway!

2009-05-07T10:44:00.002-05:00

This is a giveaway to thank you guys. To thank you for always leaving such nice comments. I love blogging but you guys truly make it funner. Even those of you who are readers but don't comment. Thank you readers. For reading my blog. Trying my recipes. For sending me emails and letting me know how much your family loved my recipes. Thank you!

So, I am giving away a copy of "Hello, Cupcake" to 1 of my readers. I've looked thru the book and there are some pretty neat ways to dress cupcakes up. The Panda Bears really caught my eye. I'd have a hard time eating those cuties. And the spaghetti cupcakes....whoa! Amazing!

To enter, tell me what you'd like to see more of on Priscilla Bakes. Less family pictures? More food recipes? More giveaways? Tell me in a comment and you'll be entered for this contest.

Deadline is Sunday at 3 PM CST.

Have a fantastic weekend guys. I'll be back with a cookie post next!

Also check this youtube video out, I have been listening to this non-stop since I found it!

Buttered Egg Noodles W/Parmesan Chicken.

2009-05-06T13:16:00.003-05:00

Good Wednesday everyone!

My family and I love love eating at Noodles & Company. If you guys haven't ever tried their food you are seriously missing out. My sister and I love to order "Buttered Noodles". They are noodles fried in butter, mixed with seasonings, and topped with Parmesan Chicken and Mozzarella Cheese. That and a Coke for dinner....that is real living.

I wanted to try to see if I could come up with something similar to Noodles' version. Let me say I got pretty close! For the breading I mixed up different seasonings, Parmesan Cheese, and salt and pepper. Dipped it then in egg and fried until done. The breaded chicken alone was very good. The family loved this, it was great to see my brother and sister saying..."mmm this is pretty good".

Buttered Noodles: My Version

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, thawed

3 cups egg noodles, cooked

2 sticks of butter

3 eggs

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

3/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Italian Seasoning

1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cut chicken breasts into strips. Beat eggs in a bowl and set aside. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Place 3 tbsp. of butter in pan over stove on low-medium heat. Melt all over pan. Dip chicken in eggs (let excess egg mixture drip off) and then roll in bread crumb mixture. Place in pan and cook for 2 minutes or until done, turning as needed. In another pan, melt 5tbsp. of butter on medium-high heat. Pour the egg noodles into the pan and cook until crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with Italian Seasoning and salt and pepper. Mix. Put noodles in bowl and top with chicken and Mozzarella Cheese. Yield: 2 servings.

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We did it. We took pictures. It is a big accomplishment because if we don't go get them done, you will never see a decent picture of us 6 together. There will be pictures of us 6. But they don't go past our family seeing them.

The weather was perfect, couldn't have asked for a better day...especially nice since it had been raining the previous days. All I could say was "thank you God....for no rain and a beautiful day to boot".

So, here we are. These 5 (not including our parents) are the ones that devour all of the food you see on my blog. Those 3 boys are the ones who I have to thank. The 2 girls are the ones I have to thank for keeping me somewhat girly. And my youngest brother. Joe. He is perfectly fine. He wasn't being tortured. He doesn't like to smile for the camera. Thus the uncovincing grins.

These are only some of the many pictures we took, would my readers like to see more? Hope you all are enjoying summer weather....looking forward to seeing Star Trek this Friday. Hopefully it will be a good one!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix Added Into Brownies.

2009-05-05T15:27:00.002-05:00

Good Tuesday! I am glad to say we are all finally getting over colds we've had for 2 weeks. But now my sister has Larengidus....these past few months have been tough with us all getting colds often and the 24 hour flu thrown in the bunch. I hope this is the last of it for a while! Not until I am sick do I realize how great it is to be healthy.

I currently have an addiction of making brownie mixes and adding different twists to them. I know this isn't helping those of us who are trying to loose some of that weight for summer! This will be the last one for a little while!

I saw the Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix (Betty Crocker) on the shelf and thought why not add the cookie mix with cream cheese and sugar and then swirl it in the brownie batter....and top it off with frosting? Mmm, it is good. This chocolate frosting is one of my all time favorites...I love to eat the leftovers! I also love to eat Brownie batter....almost better than cookie dough batter.

Swirled Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

Ingredients:

Batter:

1 brownie mix

1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 (17.5 oz) Chocolate Chip Cookie mix

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie mix according to box directions. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Beat cream cheese for 1 minute. Add eggs and sugar. Beat well. Dump cookie mix in and mix until blended. Drop spoonfuls of the cookie batter on brownie batter. Swirl lightly with knife. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until ready. Cool. Frost with below frosting recipe.

FROSTING:

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 stick salted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Combine cocoa, butter, and buttermilk in a pan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Pour over brownies and spread. Let sit until hardened. Cut into squares and serve.

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This brother is one of the three I have to thank. For doing something very significant in my life. Thank you Steven. Thank you for making me a girl who others would say...."is your sister coming to the airsoft games? She looks like a strong one". Or..."I saw your sister signed up for the softball team and wait, she is a sports fan...so is she a tomboy?"

Growing up with 3 brothers I will admit it is a bit of a hard task to remain completely girly. I did also grow up with 2 sisters but for some reason outdoor activites and the boys games have always looked so much more exciting to me than playing dolls inside or having a tea party. And to 3 boys...Andrew, Steven, and Joe, guys....from the bottom of my heart I have to thank you. For making me who I am today.

Hope you all enjoy a Tuesday afternoon! Not sure if you guys are familiar with a restaurant called Noodles...we love that place. I will see you next with a dish I created from that place that I get every time I go there! I'll also see you with some new family pictures we had taken, getting the boys to take pictures is a big accomplishement!

Sugar Cookie Mix Banana Bread.

2009-05-01T17:13:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday everyone! It is a beautiful summer day and I am looking forward to heading out with my family for dinner and to the theater. So this is going to be a quick post.

We had some very ripe bananas on the counter that needed to be used up so I took my banana recipe and tweaked it. Instead of adding a chocolate cake mix I added a sugar cookie mix and some milk. Yum, the sugar cookie mix adds a wonderful flavor. This makes lots of batter so I would suggest not pouring it all into the 13x9 inch pan. Maybe make some cupcakes with the rest. I made the mistake of using all the batter in the pan and it takes forever to bake and turns overcooked slighty.

Sugar Cookie Mix Banana Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. vanilla
3 medium bananas, ripe and smashed
5 tbsp. sour cream
1 (17.5 oz) sugar cookie mix
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 in pan (and a muffin pan). Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt together and add to creamed mixture. Add vanilla, bananas, sour cream, and cookie mix. Mix very well. Pour into greased baking pan and muffin tin. Bake for 45 minutes or until ready.

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Graduation party date has been set. Invitations have been mailed. Decorations, food, and all the fun stuff is coming now. Choices.

This is the picture we used for the invitations....maybe it is just me but I do not really care for this picture of myself. But since the world doesn't revolve around me (what?!) I didn't say anything. And knowing myself, I always critque pictures of people way too much...so ignore me.

Enjoy a beautiful weekend! Busy weekend ahead, picture time for us 6 kids and my Senior Pics tomorrow! See you with some more yummy food soon!

Italian Chicken Rotelle W/Broccoli & Cheese.

2009-04-28T13:15:00.002-05:00

Good Tuesday everyone! I'm back with a food post. I love cooking, baking, and creating new recipes, but I do also love having breaks from the kitchen. Especially from those nasty dishes. I can pile stacks of dishes in no time....

I still haven't seen Hannah Montana yet due to different complications, but my little sister and older sister got to. They came out raving and raving. I am hoping I can see it this weekend. But Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and X-Men are coming out this Friday and I am being pulled in 3 directions. Not sure what I'll see!

I created this recipe when I saw my Mom had some Rotelle on the shelf. I love pasta....especially when it is cold. I added in some chicken for a more balanced meal. The broccoli and provolane cheese take it up a notch. I was out of the bottled Italian Dressing so made my own. A quick meal for those busy week nights. Chilled or eaten at room temperature, it is good.

Italian Chicken Dressing Rotelle

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz.) bag of Garden Rotelle

2 cups chicken, cubed, cooked, and cooled

1 cup broccoli, chopped in small pieces

1 1/2 cup provolane cheese, cut into cubes

DIRECTIONS:
Cook pasta according to directions. Cool. Combine all ingredients together. Set aside. Make dressing and pour all over Rotelle. Refrigerate 4 hours or until chilled or eat room temperature.

Italian Dressing:

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. onion powder

1 tbsp. white sugar

2 tbsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tbsp. Italian Seasoning

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tbsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup white vinegar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients together in a jar or bowl. Stir very well.

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Andrew has always loved sports. He has loved being outside ever since I can remember. Baseball is what he does best. He's never been a big camera lover....he'd take pictures but would never ask to have a picture taken of himself. A lot of times he'll give a look, which means get that horrid thing out of my face. Or he'll do the craziest things for the camera. He can also break out in the cheeseiest grins. The last picture is one of his many cheesy grins.

Have a good Tuesday, hopefully you are having some beautiful sunny weather. We are having cloudy cool weather. See you next with a dessert!

Cake Mix Winner And I'm Boring You.

2009-04-27T08:57:00.002-05:00

Good Monday morning everyone! I think weekends need to be much longer. Much longer. But on second thought maybe they wouldn't be as sweet. I love you Saturday and Sunday. Don't ever leave me. Thank you.

Thank you to all of you who made it in my Naturally Nora contest. I enjoyed reading your cake mix preferences! Chocolate edged everything else out by far. A big congrats to the winner picked by random.org:

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Anna who said: Cookie cookie looks and sounds heavenly!!!

Please contact me at priscilla91@iowatelecom.net so you can get your goodies.
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Some of you were asking where you can purchase Nora's cake mixes at. You can find them available here.

And, since I was too busy all weekend to be creative and create something up, I am going to bore you all with more pictures of my friend's senior session. Thank you for letting me bore you.

Have a good one and I will have a recipe post very soon! I am looking forward to a Cubs game tonight....beat them D'backs!

Win Free Cake Mixes And Frosting Mixes!

2009-04-24T13:50:00.004-05:00

Good Friday everyone!

I was recently sent a box full of cake mixes from Nora at Naturally Nora for me to try. And let me tell you, they are delicious! But the amazing thing is they are full of all natural ingredients. There are NO artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and there are NO hydrogenated oils or trans fats. While I normally think of healthy and all natural foods as dull, these are not. They are very flavorful.

Here is the fun part. Nora has allowed me to give one of my readers one years worth of free cake mixes and frosting mixes. Which would be 12 free cake mixes and 12 free frosting mixes. One of you guys can get to sample what I am talking about!

To enter, Visit Naturally Nora and then leave me a comment on this post telling me which out of the cake mixes you like best. Surprising Stars is one of my favorites. Contest ends Sunday the 26th at 12 PM CST MIDNIGHT.

Brownies W/Caramels, Coconut, & Chocolate.

2009-04-22T08:45:00.002-05:00

Good Wednesday Earth Day (note: not an environmentalist) everyone! Hope you are having a good week so far. I have been really enjoying sunny spring weather. I have waited a long time to be able to not wear a jacket!

There aren't words for these brownies. They are chewy, moist, stomach-pleasing, and eye-catching. I have been seeing other bakers making homemade Somaos all over the internet. I thought why not make a brownie Somaos? I am so glad I thought of making these. They are now my favorite brownies I have ever made and they make for amazing pictures. I also got thumbs up from my brother.

Brownie Somoas

Ingredients:

1 brownie mix

3 1/2 cups shredded coconut, toasted

(2) 14 oz. package of caramels, unwrapped

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tbsp. milk

3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare brownie mix according to box directions. Cool. Place the caramels, salt, and milk in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 3-5 minutes. Stop occasionaly to stir. Cook until all caramels are melted and smooth. Add coconut and mix together. Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate 4-5 hours or overnight. Cut into bars and drizzle with melted semi-sweet chocolate.

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I bet most of us have little sisters. Anna is 5 years younger than me. Anna loves to laugh at my jokes. I know if I make a joke she will usually laugh, while my siblings usually pass looks that say that was dumb. She says some pretty funny things. She is full of energy. Which is good, because in this family no one is quiet. While my brothers usually say nothing about my baking but keep eating it, Anna is the first to tell me what I made was good. And last year she let me cut her hair for the first time ever in her life. It was also my first time ever cutting hair. That took some courage. She usually does let me do things like to her. Amazing - right?

Enjoy your Wednesday, and I will have a non-dessert recipe next! Got a busy afternoon/evening ahead of me!

What I Shoot With & More Pics.

2009-04-20T20:03:00.001-05:00

Some of you guys have been asking what kind of camera I use for shooting and other questions about my photography so I decided to do a post on it for you all and link it on my sidebar.

I am currently using a Canon Rebel xTi with a 50 mm lens. I purchased the body only here and then purchased the lens here. I bought the camera body and the lens separate because I found out from other photographers that buying the 50 mm lens (instead of the whole camera deal like this) gives you a much better lens. One drawback to this lens is you cannot zoom in or out. You have to be the zoom, which gives me more exercise. I love this lens.

I purchased this camera about 2 months ago, and can't imagine taking pictures without it. The pictures straight from the camera are beautiful and stunning. I take my picutres on usually, "Portrait" or "Close-Up". Portrait is my favorite setting/mode to shoot in, it takes 4 or 5 pictures in a row for you. Great setting/mode for action shots. While it is pricey, I personally think it is worth every penny. I saved up for a while for this camera and am so glad I did.

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"Straight Out Of The Camera Pictures"
Senior Photography Session With Katie Jones.

Hope this answered those of you who asked me photography questions and I will see you next with that deadly brownie recipe! Have a great Monday night!

Baseball Season Has Sprung.

2009-04-18T23:11:00.000-05:00

Good Saturday night!
Baseball/Softball season is in full swing here. One of the many advantages of having 8 members in a family is you practically have a baseball team right there. After school, many of us will head out to the field and get some practice in. We are going to need lots with our church's softball league starting soon. My oldest brother can crank balls out of the field/diamond like nothing....which leaves me thinking I am so glad I am not the ball.

Have a great remaining weekend and I'll have a diet-damager brownie recipe post soon! And, this is up to you. Would you guys care to see some more of my friend's senior pictures?

Banana Bread Made W/A Chocolate Cake Mix

2009-04-16T09:40:00.001-05:00

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Winners picked by random.org:

Natalie who said: i can't believe you're going to make me choose. seriously! they all sound amazing so i'm just going to wait and see if i win (fingers crossed) and then pick if i absolutely have to :)

AND

Abigail who said: Those two ingredient cupcakes look amazing.

Please email me ladies at priscilla91@iowatelecom.net so you can get your treats!

__________

Good Thursday everyone! Hope you are having a wonderful week with sunny weather. I cannot wait to see Hannah Montana this weekend, I wasn't able to make it last week with my friend for opening week to see it. We can't wait to see it Saturday. My favorite characters would have to be Lilly, Ricco, Jackson, and Hannah. Ricco is so amusing.

I needed to use some bananas up we had and came up with this recipe. I love the addition of a chocolate cake mix. The sour cream and bananas add much moisture to this cake and the chocolate chunks or chips knock this cake up a notch. This was devoured instantly but with 3 man eating brothers I honestly think devouring anything isn't hard.

Chocolate Cake Mix Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. vanilla

3 medium bananas, ripe and smashed

5 tbsp. sour cream

2 cups of a chocolate cake mix, straight out of the box

1 1/2 cups chocolate chunks or chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 in pan. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt together and add to creamed mixture. Add vanilla, bananas, sour cream, cake mix, and chunks/chips. Mix very well. Pour into greased baking pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until ready.

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I love my friends. But you all know that.

Katie and I are the last two to graduate from high school out of our friend's group. We both leave 12th grade next month. While it sounds exciting to no longer be in high school, it is also scary for me. I am stepping into a place I have never been before. My whole life I have always been in either elementary, junior high, or high school. But I know I have a great big God who will walk with me as I tread these new days. And I have to graduate sometime, I wouldn't want to be 40 and still in 12th grade.

(Easter 2009)

One of my favorite songs by Third Day. I find it simply amazing that the God who holds this world in the palm of His Hands and created this universe, loves me. And died that I might live.

Which Would You Pick If You Won?

2009-04-14T09:50:00.000-05:00

A different kind of giveaway. A giveaway where the prize is any of the below desserts.
Yup, 2 of you guys will get to pick which dessert will be mailed to you. 1 dozen of your choice each. Made for you by me. Made just for my readers.

2 Ingredient Cupcakes. Pure bliss. You will want to eat more than you should.
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Classic Crunchy Choc. Chip Cookies W/Brownie Mix. A Brownie mix makes anything taste good.
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Oatmeal, Toffee, & Coconut Cookies. Toffee added in these cookies makes you never want to stop eating them.
____________

So, it is up to you. To enter, which of the 3 desserts would you pick if you won? I am partial towards the 2 ingredient cupcakes. They are beyond addicting. I think I need to make some more. Right now.

You have until Thursday at 6 o'clock PM. Look for a post soon after announcing the winner. I hope random.org picks you.

My First Photography Session.

2009-04-13T15:04:00.001-05:00

I love photography. I love snapping pictures of people. I love capturing people smiling. Laughing. Being Serious. Their mood.
I had my first oppertunity to have a photo shoot last Saturday. My friend Katie needed her Senior pictures taken, and I offered to take them. I shot her pictures at a gorgeous park and downtown. The day couldn't have been any nicer. And it always is helpful when your model is beautiful.

My buddy Morgan ran this photo thru PhotoShop, isn't this stunning?

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2 of my buddies and I are having our graduation party together. Here is a sneak preview of some graduation invatation pictures......

(L to R: Priscilla, Lena, & Katie)

2 Ingredient Cupcakes, Easy Peasy Ones.

2009-04-11T22:48:00.003-05:00

Good Saturday evening everyone! I feel like a chicken with my head cut off running all over the place this week. Easter preparations and activites have kept me so busy these past days, but I have been enjoying it.

Today I had my first ever photo session with my friend. It could not have gone better, the lighting was perfect and the day was simply gorgeous. It sure helps when you are photographing a beautiful girl. I'll be sharing some pictures from the shoot in a post in the upcoming week. I adore taking photos of people, I feel better being behind the camera.

These cupcakes were some of the best I have had in a long time. I whipped this recipe up and couldn't believe I hadn't tried this sooner. The brownie mix swirled in the cake mix batter
makes these so tasty. It is hard to believe this recipe only has 2 ingredients, I love simple things.

Double Boxed Cupcakes
Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix (or any kind would work)

1 brownie mix, with chunks

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake mix according to directions. In a another bowl prepare brownie mix according to directions. Grease 2 muffins pans. Fill pans 3/4 full with yellow cake mix batter. Drop a heaping tablespoonful of brownie mix on top of the cake batter in each muffin tin. Swirl with knife. Bake for 20 minutes or until middle is done. Do not overbake.

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Lewis Lewis Lewis. Some days he drives me so mad and other days I feel so happy that he is mine. I have always adored Labs. Lew is my first purebred Lab. And I will have to say I do not adore them as much as I did. Labs are stubborn. Strong willed. Mouthy. Rolly polly. Has a mind of their own. Chews things up endlessly. Gets in the trash. And they make it impossible to catch them. I love Labs but look at them with a realstic view now.

Happy Easter everyone! I hope it is filled with lots of fun and good food. I am hoping for a beautiful sunny day!

A Tasty Dinner Meal In 30 Minutes.

2009-04-09T11:20:00.005-05:00

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The winner of the apron is Comment #132:

Maria who said: I like baking with my family! Best times are in the kitchen!

Congrats Maria!! Please e-mail me at priscilla91@iowatelecom.net to claim your prize!

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Happy Thursday everyone! Whew, this week has been busy. I am feeling in much need of a long vacation. I am very excited because at the end of next month I will be going on vacation to California. I will be heading out to see my Grandma and to attend my closest friend's graduation. Ah, I seriously cannot wait. Eating at In-N-Out or Green Burito, seeing Palm trees, swimming, seeing mountains again, embracing the California sun. And much more. California I love you. I also adore you.

Onto a quick dinner meal. I'm sure a lot of you guys are familiar with marinating chicken breasts in Italian Dressing for a couple hours and then grilling it. But I also like to add some Pineapple Juice in with the Italian Dressing Marinade. Mmm, makes some lip smaking good chicken.

The rice and the green beans with eggs is also another favorite meal at our house during the summer with the chicken. The green beans mixed with eggs is my favorite way to eat green beans. We all grew up on Rice Pilaf and eat it all the time. It is a delicious side dish. This whole meal takes about 30 minutes (minus the marinading), it is simple but very appetizing.

Green Beans With Eggs
Ingredients:

5 eggs, beaten

1 can of french cut Green Beans, drained

2 tbsp. butter

DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Dump Green Beans in and mix with the butter. Add eggs and stir until eggs are cooked. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Yield: 4 servings

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Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain rice, uncooked

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup vermicelli, lightly browned (Cracked into 3 inch pieces)

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt

4 tbsp. butter

DIRECTIONS:

Brown vermicelli at 400 degrees for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. In a pan over high heat, combine rice, chicken broth, vermicelli, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes or until ready. 5 minutes before ready, drop tablespoonfuls of butter on rice and place top back on to finish cooking. Yield: 4 servings.

Pineapple And Italian Marinated Chicken
Ingredients:
4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, thawed

1 cup Italian Dressing

1 1/2 cups Pineapple Juice

DIRECTIONS:

Combine Italian Dressing and Pineapple Juice. Place chicken in a pan, pour dressing all over chicken. Cover and marinate for 3 hours. Grill on BBQ on low heat until no longer pink in the middle. Continue to baste chicken in dressing while grilling. Yield: 4 servings.

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I love watching the youngest two out of our family together. Being the youngest out of all of us kids, they have a special something together. Even in a group of people Joe and Anna can usually be spotted together. As long as I can remember they have loved tackling each other to the ground. I sure hope they won't be doing that at 20 and 22 years old. Yes, that would be weird.

Have a wonderful Easter everyone, the days leading up to it is packed with activities! Looking forward to it, hope I can last until Easter and that day too!

Start Your Spring Baking With This Chic Apron!

2009-04-07T12:22:00.003-05:00

Contest Is Now Closed! Winner To Be Announced This Afternoon!

Good Tuesday everyone! I am happy to say the snow didn't last long at all. We are back to some nice spring weather. Here is a great way to celebrate spring, with a beautiful apron from SassyApron. Lana makes some gorgeous aprons, makes me want to head straight to the kitchen and start baking! The chocolate with pink polka dot apron is calling my name, so chic! be sure to check her store out, there are many more aprons on there you will love.

The prize is the above apron to 1 of my readers.

To enter, tell me what you enjoy doing most with your family. Maybe you like going to the movies together, spending an afternoon at the park, having a game night together, or going places.

I enjoy lots of things, but I love playing outdoor games. Especially when we have friends over and there are so many kids it makes for amazing games.

Get extra chances by....Following my blog (under Who's In The Kitchen) Leave me an extra comment if you do.

Deadline is Wednesday at 10 o'clock PM CST.

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Have fun guys and I'll be back with the winner and a tasty food post next!

Strawberry And Chocolate Chip Muffins.

2009-04-05T20:15:00.001-05:00

Good Sunday everyone! Hope you had a great weekend with good weather. I can't believe this but it is snowing right now. It may be April 5th but that doesn't make any difference to the

snow coming. I am itiching for some spring weather, we have been getting tastes of it here and there.

I am super excited about this weekend, because the new Hannah Montana movie is coming out! My friend Amanda and I are going to see it, my other friends are anti-Hannah Montana so I can't take them. I have been waiting for this for a long time, can't wait to finally see it.

I took our muffin recipe we use and decided to use strawberries and chocolate chips together instead of blueberries. It was delicious. The strawberries make the muffins moist and the chocolate chips add that sweet taste you need. My family loved these and so did my friend. These can't be overbaked because the muffin will lose its moist flavor, which maked this muffin superb.

Strawberry And Chocolate Chip Muffins
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup or oil

2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

1 cup chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400F. Grease muffin pans. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, eggs and oil. Mix until flour is not visible. Make sure there are lumps in the batter. Do not over beat. Add strawberries and chocolate chips. Bake for 20 minutes or until top springs back and is golden brown. Yield: 2 dozen jumbo muffins.

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I have the best friends. I am also blessed to have friends that love God. Friends that make me want to pursue more after God.

This is my friend Katie. We are both Seniors this year. We laugh a lot when we are together. Katie is full of energy but says it best with this statement, "I could never be a Emo, I am too happy". When we first started attending the church we now go to, Katie made me feel very welcome and like I had always known her. In the time I've known her, she is the kind of person you love being around. She is also my snowboarding buddy.

Here's to a great rest of your Sunday night and I'll see you with a another post soon!

Cooking And Photography Gone Wrong.

2009-04-03T14:55:00.001-05:00

You know the saying, "I am having a bad hair day or I had a marvelous hair day today"? Well, I have those kind of days in the kitchen sometimes (and with my hair!). Some days the food goes along perfectly, lighting for the food is great, and my ideas for a new recipe work. And other days it seems like the kitchen is trying to kick me out and even the recipes or the ideas in my head for a new recipe are flat out against me. I have those days more than I'd like, but it makes me more determined to try again.

These are called Buffalo Chicken Burritos. I was having a hard time eating these and look at that ugly red sauce color. Not very appetizing looking.
I was trying to make some cold coffee for a post on my blog. The coffee was okay but lighting was terrible. The light and I weren't getting along.

A recipe I had in my head but turned out not as I hoped. Puff pastry, vanilla pudding mix, milk, cool whip, and snicker bars.....the ingredients. The verdict was not too good. The lighting again was against me. Not to mention these bars do not make you want to eat them.

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I love this picture of my brother. He isn't mad. He gets in these certain spirts which include running all over, talking more than usual, yelling with his mouth wide open, and trying to jump on anyone in his reach. He isn't normally like this, Joe is more on the quiet and calm side. So when he gets in these spirts it is kinda a surprise. But again not really, cause that is Joe. My little brother is one exciting guy to live with.

Here's to a fantastic day and be back with another food recipe soon!

My Readers.

2009-04-03T08:10:00.002-05:00

I have some pretty cute readers. Oh yes I do. The notes some of you guys sent along with the photo were so nice to get, thank you thank you! One of the greatest things to hear from my readers is that you enjoy my blog. You guys also have some pretty cute husbands, kids, friends, or siblings. This contest was the best one to date.

Winner picked by random.org:

Please contact me at priscilla91@iowatelecom.net so you can get your prize!

_______________

Have a fantastic weekend guys and I'll see you with a post about the baking/cooking I have done that went terrible with pictures! I do have some pretty rough days in the kitchen!

(I am excited that I can still get piggy-back rides from my brother...)

Giveaway Time But Not The Normal Way!

2009-04-01T08:35:00.001-05:00

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

Nope, this isn't the normal way I hold my contests. This time if you guys are up for the challenge, you will have to do a little work to enter. But don't worry, this work should be fun for you guys.

I'd love to know who my readers are. Love to see who you are.

So, to enter send me a picture of yourself. It can be with a friend, family member, your pet, or just a picture of you.

All the pictures I receive of my readers will be up on my blog with the winner picked randomly.

Send your picture here: priscilla91@iowatelecom.net.

Yes, the prize. The winner will get to pick a bag of your choice from this shop: OliveAndBubby. Terie has some pretty amazing bags, perfect spring bags with spring right around the corner. Will help you get in that much wanted warmer weather spirit.

Deadline is: Friday at 9 o'clock AM and the winner will be announced that afternoon.

My buddy Jack and I. Ah, can't wait to get that tanned again.

Can't wait to see YOU guys!

Oatmeal Cookies With Added Toffee & Coconut.

2009-03-30T18:10:00.007-05:00

Good Monday night everyone! Ah, I've missed posting food recipes even though it has only been a week! It seems like forever ago. I am so glad to say that I can finally be back in the kitchen again.
I am also glad that spring decided to come back. Saturday we got around 3 inches of snow. It is almost all gone now and sunny weather is back, more snow would be pretty hard to take.
One thing I really enjoy about food is getting to try new dishes. I love eating at other people's houses to try new dishes. Sunday after church I had lunch with my friend and her Mom and boy, my friend's Mom can cook! We had this yummy oven-cooked glazed pork, Spud Mashed Potatoes, and salad. This was the first time I have ever had Mashed Potatoes out of a box and I fell in love. They are way better than homemade. Can't believe I am saying this! I was also introduced to putting Cinnamon-Sugar on top of Vanilla Ice-Cream. All I can say is wow, why I never tried that before I don't know.

Here is a twist to your average Oatmeal Cookie. The toffee bits and coconut made me love the Oatmeal Cookie even more. I undercooked them slightly and am glad I did. Because they still continued to cook after I took them out and turned out chewy and moist. Didn't last long here at all. And, the dough raw is not bad at all.

Oatmeal, Toffee, & Coconut Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups quick cooking oats

1 bag of Toffee Bits

1 cup coconut

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Beat butter, eggs, vanilla, and brown sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in oats, toffee bits, and coconut. Drop by rounded tablespoon 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly brown. Cool for 1 minute and then remove to wire rack. Yield: 4 dozen cookies.

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Anna. The one of out us 6 you don't see too often on here. The camera and her don't get along very well. I can't blame her though, because when I was her age the camera and I weren't best buds either. I am still not the biggest fan of getting pictures taken. I enjoy being behind the camera. So does Anna. And she is pretty good at snaping pictures. Really good. And she is only 12. But her and a football get along really well.

I'll see you with a fun contest that involves something about you next. Have a great Monday night!

1st Guest Blogger.

2009-03-30T03:00:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! One of my favorite bloggers, Jessica over at Turkey Cookies is my guest blogger today. Thank you Jessica for helping me out!

I'm flattered to be hanging out in Priscilla's kitchen today. She always makes the most delicious goodies which become quick favorites in my house. I love to bake most anything but I have a particular weakness for cookies. Baking is my stress relief and there is no better way I would rather spend a weekend day than in the kitchen with some flour, butter, and sugar. I thought long and hard about what recipe to share here. Priscilla really does make some yummy treats and I wanted to share something just as tasty. On the most lovely spring day so far this year I thought meringues! Both are cookies that just scream springtime to me and are a nice break from the variations of chocolate chip cookies that I often make.
Meringues
INGREDIENTS:
4 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp instant coffee
1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder (or hot chocolate powder)
1 cup sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Whip the the first three ingredients together with an electric mixer on medium high speed until they increase in size and become frothy. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Mix the instant coffee and cocoa powder together with the vanilla in a small bowl until dissolved. Slowly add the sugar into the egg white mixture and mix on high speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Add the coffee/cocoa/vanilla mixture until just combined. Put the mixture into a pastry bag (or ziploc bag with the end cut off, like me) and make small thumb-sized meringues about an inch apart. Bake in the oven for twenty minutes, rotate the pans, and bake another 10-20 minutes or until the meringues appear dry. Then let them cool in the oven until they are crispy for 30 to 40 minutes.
You really cannot eat just one of these meringues. Thanks for sharing your space with me today, Priscilla. I really enjoyed the chance to share one of my favorite recipes with you!

Hope you all enjoyed this new something and see you shortly with another post soon. Have a super Monday!

The Baseball Star Of Moscow.

2009-03-27T14:05:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday everyone! I am super excited about this whole new blog look. What do you guys think? Like it or don't? Shannon at Eight Crazy Design re-did my whole blog for me. She is awesome to work with. I am still changing some things around, so it isn't all there just yet. My blog has been in need of a makeover for a while now.

Also, I joined the other foodie bloggers and got a twitter account, like I need to spend more time on the internet!

A congrats to the winner of the handcrafted necklace:

Garner5 who said: Taco Bell is my favorite fast food restaurant. Love the Chili Cheese Burrito!Please contact me at priscilla91@iowatelecom.net so you can receive your prize! On a side note, 1 inch of snow is forecasted for tomorrow. I sure hope the weatherman is wrong this time!

________________

I can safetly say my little brother Joe is one of the best baseball players in Moscow. Because Moscow, IA has a population of about 300 people. And out of those 300 people I can say there isn't too many 14 year old boys.
He wants to be a player on the St. Louis Cardinals one day.
Out of all the baseball teams there are he could have picked another team. Because the Cubs and the Cards don't get along that well.
If he happened to become a Cardinal, I'd cheer for him even when they play the Cubs (but still secretly root for the them). Because he is my baby brother.

While he is most unlikely to become a baseball player, that doesn't matter to me. In my mind he'll always be the best little brother baseball player I could ask for.

Have a great weekend guys, hopefully there will be some good weather in store for us! See you with a guest blogger Monday!

Beautiful Necklace Giveaway!

2009-03-25T16:30:00.008-05:00

Contest is now closed! Wow, thank you readers for your get well wishes and even prayers. Thank you for caring that much. I know I've said this but you guys are amazing. Here is a giveaway you'll love. Erin at ErinBowe makes some of the prettiest jewlery and necklaces. Some of her necklaces are colorful while others have these neat desgins on them. I especially like the above necklace, where you get your initial stamped in the necklace. Erin also has some pretty earrings and rings in her store, make sure to check her out!

The prize....the above necklace valued at $50!

To enter....tell me what your absolute favorite fast food restaurant to eat at is. It doesn't have to be good for you, but we all enjoy splurging once in a while! I have 2 favorites, I love love In-N-Out and Green Burito. But since the state of IA lacks in that area, I'd say Taco Bell is my favorite here in the Midwest.

The deadline....Friday at 1 PM CST.

Get 2 extra chances by....suscribing to my blog.

Get 3 extra chances by....following my blog.

Leave me an extra comment for each extra chance you do.

Ouch!

2009-03-25T10:01:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone. Hope your week has been treating you well. Monday was a rough day for me, I smashed my right hand pretty bad. I was closing a door and the wind (which was blowing really hard that day) shut the door on my hand. I've never felt such pain before and hopefully will never smash my hand like this again. So, currently I am not able to use my right hand except for my thumb. Which means baking/cooking is on hold for a little while. I wish I knew how to bake with 6 fingers. But, that doesn't mean I am going to stop blogging....no way. I am going to be having some guest bloggers posting for me for some fabulous food recipes. And, there will be some giveaways coming up. There is also something new coming to my blog, so stay tuned.
Thanks for understanding, I wish I could still be posting food recipes for you amazing readers!

Soft, Chewy, & Gooey Breadsticks.

2009-03-23T13:14:00.002-05:00

Good Monday everyone! Doesn't feel like a spring day today, we are having cloudy, cool, and windy weather. 2 of my brothers and I recently signed up for our church's softball league this summer. I've never played on one before, so I am hoping I am not too much of a embaresement! I am really excited about it too, I love playing sports. There are of course more guys than girls on the team, but one of my friends signed up as well so I am glad I'm not the only girl on the team. There should be some pictures soon from playing on here. For me, the most important thing is to remind myself this is all simply for fun. This isn't the big leauges!

These are some of the best breadsticks I have ever had. They are soft, chewy, and best warm straight from the oven. I like taking them out of the oven when still slightly white on top, because they are so much better that way. Some of my favorite breadsticks I like to eat at restaurants would be Pizza Hut's or Olive Gardens. I also enjoy a breadstick and a salad together for a meal, it isn't much but appetizing. The pictures you see of the salad will be showing up in a post soon. It does look similar to the Texas Salsa recipe I posted a while back but it is much different. We all adore this salad. And everyone we introduce it to loves it as well.

Soft And Gooey Breadsticks

Ingredients:
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1/2 cup Sugar, divided
2 cups warm water (110° to 115°), divided
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 cup warm water. Add the oil, egg, salt, 2 cups flour, and remaining sugar and water. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes. Punch the dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; divide into 24 pieces. Shape each piece into a 6-in. rope. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until slightly brown. Yield: 3 dozen breadsticks.

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Spring means baseball season. Baseball season means my brothers spending countles hours playing it every evening. Trying to imitate the professionals. And it can be amsuing at times, because well, my brothers aren't professionals. Although they do amazingly well for 3 boys who live in the middle of nowhere. I'd have to say the oldest is the best at baseball. Andrew has always been the best out of all of us at sports. But that means that us younger kids have always tried to be better than Andrew, because in our family if you could beat Andrew in anything....that meant you were pretty good. In our family.

I'll see you shortly with a tasty dessert, have a great Monday!

Brownies With Peanut Butter, Vanilla Pudding, & Cool Whip.

2009-03-21T13:24:00.002-05:00

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Winner of the 2 mugs picked by random.org is:

BrittWilk who said: this week I'm going to start getting us organized for moving logistics!

Congrats Britt! Please contact me at priscilla91@iowatelecom.net.

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Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you all are enjoying some beautiful spring weather this weekend. House cleaning was in full swing this morning and afternoon. While I'm not the biggest fan of cleaning, I love being in a clean house. Friday we hopped to the theater and saw Knowing. I really liked that movie, it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. My Dad was telling my little 14 year old brother he had a shocked and frozen look on his face during the movie. My other little brother walked out of the theater hating it. Today he says it wasn't too bad after all. I personally liked it. It had lots and lots of action. I like action movies. Another movie with not many language issues at all. My favorite character is the little boy Caleb, John's (Nicholas Cage) son.

If you are a big peanut butter fan, I know you will love these brownies. The peanut butter is mixed with vanilla pudding and spread inbetween the brownie and the cool whip chocolate topping. The cool whip topping is light and fluffy but yummy on top of the peanut butter mixture and brownie. They taste best when the brownie are still chewy, so it is important not to overbake them.

Triple-Layer Peanut Butter Brownies
Ingredients:
1 pkg. (19 to 20 oz) brownie mix, prepared in 13x9 inch pan
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz) Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups Cool Whip Topping, thawed
6 squares Semi-sweet baking chocolate
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare brownies according to box directions. Whisk milk and pudding mix 2 min. while brownies are cooling. Add peanut butter and sugar, mix well. Cover and refrigerate pudding mixture until brownies are completely cooled. Spread pudding mixture over brownies. Melt chocolate squares and combine with cool whip. Spread over pudding. Refrigerate 1 hour.

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My friend sent me a link to this youtube video, I wanted to share it you guys. I was laughing so hard at this, what a funny movie.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I'll see you with a dinner recipe next!

Welcoming Spring With A Giveaway!

2009-03-20T11:05:00.006-05:00

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

Happy Spring everyone! Ah, it is finally here. Sunny skies, big fluffy clouds, nice weather, longer evening hours, BBQ's, friends over. Welcome spring. You have been missed.

Jean Ann at Little Pig Pottery is helping us welcome spring. Jean Ann has beautiful pottery ranging from vases, mugs, plates, and bowls. Her work is so pretty, some of the best pottery I have ever seen. I love the dragonflies she puts on her pottery. If you are looking for some pottery, be sure to check her store out!

"Win These 2 Mugs"

The prize....Win the above 2 handcrafted mugs.

To enter.....tell me what you have planned this weekend. Are you going to be enjoying this nice spring weather outside at the park? Maybe spring cleaning? I am attacking the house tomorrow, it is in need of much cleaning.

Deadline is....Saturday at 3 PM CST.

Get extra chances by....Following my blog (under Who's In The Kitchen) OR Suscribing to my blog. Leave me an extra comment if you do any of the above.

Classic Crunchy Choc. Chip Cookie W/Brownie Mix.

2009-03-18T21:40:00.002-05:00

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A big conrats to the winner of the purse picked by random.org:

A who said: I'm wearing a green shirt--no pinching for me!!!

Congrats A! Please contact me at priscilla91@iowatelecom.net so I can get your prize out to you!

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Good Wednesday everyone! This week is flying by, I can't believe we are already halfway thru March! It seems like yesterday was March 1st. I recently learned how to play "Apples to Apples" (lame that I only learned recently) and I absolutely love that game! I like it when you get cards like when the red card is "frightening" and someone throws in a green card that says "Brad Pitt". I also love playing when you play only with the green cards, where you describe everyone with the adjectives. I've got some pretty mean cards that way. Lets say I'm glad it is all in fun! But why do brothers find great pleasure in giving their sisters cards that say things like insane, painful, or frightening? I am still trying to figure that out.

I took this recipe from the King Arthur Flour, Cookie Companion book and tweaked it. Yum, the addition of a brownie mix adds great flavor and a bit of a brownie like cookie. This recipe is one of my favorite ways to make Chocolate Chip cookies with the addition of vinegar and shortening. I also enjoy all the chocolate chips in this cookie, a whole 3 cups. I personally think the more chips the better.

Classic Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookie With Brownie Mix

Ingredients:

1/2 cup salted butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tsp. vanila extract

3/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp. white vinegar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 - 1/4 cup brownie mix, dry (staright from the box)

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, sugars, vanilla, salt, and vinegar. Beat in the eggs, then the baking soda and flour. Stir in the brownie mix and chips. Drop the dough by a small tablespoonful onto baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.

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Little brothers. I've got 2 of them. They definitely keep my life exciting. They are opposites of each other but keep each other in tact. They are full of energy when it comes to sports. And yes, they are way better than me at the whole sports thing. Although that doesn't keep me from still trying to be okay in their books at it.

Have a fabulous rest of your week and I'll see you next with a tasty recipe!

Celebrating St. Pattys Day With A Giveaway!

2009-03-17T12:10:00.002-05:00

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

Good Tuesday afternoon everyone & Happy St. Patricks Day! We are having marvelous and beautiful weather. Spring weather. I forgot how much I missed this , I am glad to say winter appears to be gone. I am hoping it doesn't snow in April like it did a couple years ago. To celebrate spring weather and St. Pattys Day, I am having this great giveaway. Ally at AllyBu is letting me give 1 of her handmade purses away to 1 of my readers. She makes some pretty colorful purses that are perfect for spring. Her purses are also big and roomy, which is a must for a purse for me. Be sure to check her store out, you will like her purses.

-Win This Purse-

The prize....Win the above brand new handmade purse.

To enter.....tell me are you wearing green since today is St. Patricks Day? I'm not, and my Mom already pinched me. Thanks Mom!

Deadline is....Wednesday at nine o'clock PM CST.

Get extra chances by....Following my blog (under Who's In The Kitchen) OR Suscribing to my blog. Leave me an extra comment if you do any of the above.

Wow, You Look Exactly Like Your Mom....No Like Your Dad!

2009-03-16T18:40:00.004-05:00

People say all us kids look alike. They also will say so and so looks like your Dad or like your Mom! I nod and say oh really? Because I don't really see any of us looking alike. My oldest sister is always told she resembles our Mom. My little brother looks like my Dad did when my Dad was little. The other 4 of us are a mix between our Dad and Mom. One common feature is we all have the dark brown hair and dark eyes. But that is all I see. What do you guys think, who looks like our Dad or Mom? And, please excuse my freaky expression. I love to make faces.

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Here's to a great rest of your Monday and see you with a dessert soon!

Chicken Breasts Topped With Mushrooms, Cheese, & Green Onions.

2009-03-15T14:35:00.003-05:00

Happy Sunday everyone! My Mom took some of us kids to spend the day snowboarding yesterday for the last time this season. It is sad to think we won't be going anymore until next season but waving winter goodbye beans saying hello to warm weather. And I know, next winter will be upon us before I know it. I am always amazed at the little 3-4 year olds that ski on the slopes, they do so well and look so cute so close to the ground. Falling wouldn't hurt for them as nearly as much as it does for me. Being taller than them has made me pay by the big bruises I have gotten from falling snowboarding.

We saw Race To Witch Mountain on Friday and it was such an amazing film! I loved the whole thing. Lots of action and humor. No bad language either, which makes me happy. I love that Disney films keep that out of their movies. I personally think this is a great family movie, I can't wait to go see it again.

Absolutely delicious food makes me happy. Eating something delicious can all of a sudden make the whole day brighter. It is weird, and my brothers give me the "you are crazy look". This chicken is the best I have ever tasted. With mushrooms cooked in chicken broth, salt, and pepper and then spilled on top the chicken and sprinkled cheese and green onions on top of that....makes this one out-of-this-world recipe.

Baked Mushroom Chicken

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 pound)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sliced green onions

DIRECTIONS:
Flatten each chicken breast half to 1/4-in. thickness. Place flour in a resealable plastic bag; add chicken, a few pieces at a time. Seal and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown chicken in 2 tablespoons butter on both sides. Transfer to a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. In the same skillet, saute mushrooms in the remaining butter until tender. Add the broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook for 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Spoon over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheeses and green onions. Bake 5 minutes longer or until the chicken juices run clear. Yield: 4 servings.

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I am a huge Princess Diaries fan. I love love that movie. Anne Hathaway does a super job playing Mia Thermopolis and Maria from The Sound Of Music plays her grandmother. Her best friend Lilly is very entertaining and Lilly's brother Michael is my favorite. One of my favorite films.

Have a great Sunday and see you next with a little something fun!

Decal Winner.

2009-03-13T22:26:00.002-05:00

Wow, lots of combos I've never heard that you guys like to mix together. Winner picked by random.org is:

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Susan who said: I love fries and mustard & mayo.. yummy!

Congrats Susan! Please contact me at priscilla91@iowatelecom.net so I can get your prize out to you.

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Stay tuned for a tasty tasty recipe coming tomorrow! Have a good night guys!

Brighten Up Your Home Giveaway!

2009-03-12T14:45:00.004-05:00

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

I love decals. Whether they are for your house, your folder, car, or whatever you put them on. I love brightening things up. VinylLettering has some pretty neat and creative decals that can really add a touch to your home. I'd love all these decals, mmm aren't they amazing? I especially love "Loved you yesterday, Love you still, Always have, Always will". I can imagine quite a few of these decals in the house.

--Win This Decal--

The prize....the above decal. Personalize it any way you want.

To enter.....tell me what kind of foods you like to pair together that are odd. What kind of food do you like together that people say "yuck" about? I love love love fries and shakes together. Throwing my fries in my shakes and eating them that way is one of my favorite ways to eat fries. Now I am hungary.

Deadline is....Friday at 9 o'clock PM CST.

Get extra chances by....Following my blog (under Who's In The Kitchen) OR Suscribing to my blog. Leave me an extra comment if you do any of the above.

French Toast Made With Vanilla, Cinnamon, And Milk.

2009-03-11T12:30:00.002-05:00

Good Wednesday everyone! I hope you all have been having a good week so far. We have been having lots of rain this week and cloudy skies. Makes you want to take naps and watch movies all day. This Friday I am excited about seeing Race To Witch Mountain. I love Disney Films. What I am really excited about seeing is the Hannah Montana movie and 17 Again in April. 17 Again reminds me of Back To The Future, but maybe more comical. I haven't seen a good movie in the theater for a while. Heres to hoping I like these films.

French Toast. My favorite breakfast food ever. The addition of cinnamon, vanilla, and milk to the egg mixture adds flavor that you wouldn't believe. I can't imagine making French Toast without these extra flavorings. I like making extra French Toast egg mixture because whatever I have left I use to make eggs. Yum, they are tasty. I love this meal on Saturday mornings.

French Toast Dressed Up

Ingredients:

6 slices bread

8 eggs

1/2 cup milk

3 tbsp. vanilla

1 tbsp. cinnamon

Maple syrup

DIRECTIONS:

Mix eggs. Add milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Coat bread very well with egg mixture. Place in buttered pan. Cook on stove flipping once. Top the side of the bread you won't flip again with butter and cinnamon. Keep warm. Pour syrup over.

Whatever egg mixture I have left I like to use to make eggs with the French Toast.

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Enjoy your Wednesday and see you next with a giveaway!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza Topped With Toffee.

2009-03-09T19:07:00.003-05:00

Monday. I am glad to say school is done and so is work. Mondays are such busy days, and they also happen to be my dinner night. Tonight, I felt like making something quick and easy so I cooked up some French Toast and eggs. I will be sharing our recipe for French Toast soon here, it is out-of-this-world good. I love having breakfast for dinner. Yum.

I am a big pizza lover. I love big slices of cheesy goodness. I also love dessert pizza. The apple pizza at Pizza Hut is one of my favorites. I haven't made homemade dessert pizza much, so I made some. I like the chocolate chip cookie dough crust and the chocolate pudding mixture on top the best. The chocolate pudding mixture is lip-smaking good.

Chocolate Chip And Toffee Cookie Pizza
Ingredients:
1 tube (18 ounces) chocolate chip cookie dough
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups cold half-and-half cream
1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup toffee bits

DIRECTIONS:
Press cookie dough onto an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350° for 13-16 minutes or until center is set and cookie is lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes; gently run a flexible metal spatula under crust to loosen. Cool completely. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until blended. Spread over crust. In a large bowl, whisk cream and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Spread over cream cheese mixture; sprinkle with toffee. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 14-16 slices.

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Seeing funny animal pictures is something I love doing. They make me laugh hard. Couldn't not share these with you guys.

Have yourself a good week and I'll see you with a tasty way to make French Toast soon!

Sloppy Joe's With Red Kidney Beans.

2009-03-07T13:30:00.004-06:00

Sorry for getting this announced so late, I was gone all day with a friend. Okay, the winner picked by random.org is:

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Courtney who said: I'm looking forward to it getting darker later!

Congrats Courtney! Please e-mail me at: priscilla91@iowatelecom.net.

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Good Saturday everyone! Hope you are enjoying your days off work and school. We have all been dealing with colds this past week. It seems that this is the time that everyone gets sick, at the end of winter. I found out that when I have a cold I can sing better than when I don't have a cold (you wouldn't want to hear me either way). Weird, I know. But, I'll still take a cold any day over the flu. As a matter of fact, I like simply being healthy! Don't we all.

I like to fix this for dinner on my dinner night. It is so easy and sloppy joes paired with fries are a hard meal to beat. I love the addition of kidney beans in this mixture, they add lots of flavor. I also like to dump more chili powder than the recipe calls for, chili powder is one of my favorite seasonings. Mrs. Butler, I know you said you were looking for a good Sloppy Joe recipe, hopefully you'll like this one.

Kidney Bean Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons chopped onion
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 can of dark red kidney beans, drained
6 hamburger buns, split

DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, cook the beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, pepper, cayenne, and kidney beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until mixture reaches desired thickness. Top each hamburger bun with mixture.

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Lewis. I like to say he is half-human, even though I know he isn't. His personality is beyond any dog I've had or any dog I've come in contact with. He thinks he owns the house. He loves refried beans, tomatoes, vegetables, fruit, gum, chocolate, paper, shoes, and anything he isn't supposed to put in his mouth. Loves to chase and scare to death my sister's cat. Has nightmares and shakes when sleeping. He has huge paws. And yes, he snores when he sleeps too. (The extra collor you see on him is his shocking collor.) If I was asked to describe Lewis, there is only one word....weird.

Hope you have a great weekend and I'll see you with a dessert recipe soon!

I Am A Hat Lover, Are You?

2009-03-05T20:30:00.001-06:00

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

I love hats. Not really baseball caps but newsboys and the more girly caps. When I saw these handmade crocheted caps, I got so excited. They are gorgeous. They are chic. And they look so stunning. Jenel at SimplyJCrochet makes these adorable caps. Seriously, how cute are these....especially for that little girl/boy in your life? And, how amazing is this adult woman's cap?

The prize....1 of my readers will get to win 1 of the above caps. You get to pick, which ever one you'd like.

To enter....

tell me what you are looking forward to the most this summer. Yes, I currently preoccupied with summer and all the fun it brings. I am longing for a pool to jump in and Cubs baseball games. I love summertime.

Deadline is....

Sunday at 3 o'clock PM CST. A winner will be announced later that evening.

Get extra chances by....Following my blog (under Who's In The Kitchen) OR Suscribing to my blog. Leave me an extra comment if you do any of the above.

Have fun!

Greek Salad With Crumbled Feta Cheese.

2009-03-04T13:05:00.000-06:00

Good Wednesday everyone! Already half-way thru the week? I used to never believe people when they said: "life gets faster as you get older". I always though yeah, sure it does. But, now that I am getting older I have come to realize that life really does speed up. Weeks really fly by now. Forget about weeks....you blink and your weekends are gone. I feel telling the clock to sloooow down.

I love Greek food. I love Middle Eastern food. I also love Feta Cheese. My sister says it stinks and refuses to eat it. Yes, you do have to get past the smell to be able to eat it. This Greek Salad has Feta Cheese in it and boy, does it taste ever better. The parsley, olives, red onions, tomatoes, and the lemon/oil dressing makes this healthy salad something you won't be able to stop eating. The dressing is made mostly to your taste buds, some people like more oil or more lemon juice than called for. I like mine with that tart taste to it.

Greek Salad

Ingredients:

2 medium red onions, sliced

2 cucumbers, cut into chunks

1 1/2 tomatoes, cut into chunks

3 cups parsley, chopped

3 cans olives

2 (4 oz.) pkg. feta cheese, crumbled

DRESSING:

1 1/2 cups lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Combine red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, olives, and feta cheese. Mix well. Mix dressing ingredients together. Pour over salad and mix together until salad is coated in dressing.

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Lisa. The oldest out of us kids. 10 years older than the youngest. The most gentle and calm out of our bunch. Out of us girls, Lisa is the one who would rather stay inside and knit, read, or even bake. My little sister Anna and I have been heavily influenced with 3 outdoor brothers. She's also the one who has lots of clothes and shoes....Anna and I due to being extremely picky about everything lack in that area. When it comes to knitting, she does a fantastic job. I am still trying to figure out how in the world she makes clothing for herself, I also lack in that area.

Have a super rest of your Wednesday and I'll see you with a another fabulous giveaway next!

German Chocolate Cheesecake And The Purse Winner.

2009-03-02T18:03:00.004-06:00

Good Monday everyone! This weekend we had more spring like weather....it even rained pretty good last Friday. All our snow has disappeared and you can finally see grass again, even if it is brown. I am having trouble believing it is already March. It felt like February had just started. But no complaints, because March means warm weather. Leaving those frigid temps and too cold days behind is not a problem for me. The word summer sounds so inviting these days.

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A big congrats to the winner of the purse giveaway, picked by random.org:

Misty, who said: Target.... it has everything!

Please contact me Misty at: priscilla91@iowatelecom.net so I can get your purse out to you!

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I am a big fan of German Chocolate anything. I love the cake, but I also love German Chocolate Cookies and this delicious German Chocolate Cheesecake. It is very simple to make, starting out with a boxed cake mix. It does take some time to cook and chill so I like to make it either early morning or night time. The pecan-coconut topping is one of my favorite parts, the more the better. And, get this cheesecake as cold as possible because it makes all the calories you are eating worthwile.

German Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients:
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) German Chocolate cake mix
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
FROSTING:
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter, cubed
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups flaked coconut
1-1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:
Prepare cake batter according to package directions; set aside. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour half of the cake batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Gently pour cream cheese mixture over batter. Gently spoon remaining batter over top; spread to edge of pan. Bake at 325° for 70-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. For frosting, in a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, butter and egg yolks Cook and stir over medium-low heat until thickened and a thermometer reads 160° or is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla; fold in coconut and pecans. Cool until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cooled cake. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 16 servings.

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You don't see many pictures of all 6 of us together on here. We don't take many pictures together. Because it is kinda hard to get all 6 of us together and looking at the camera or maybe because some boys I know raise their voices about "picture taking." But, because we are related (I'm still tring to figure if this is true) and our parents say to, we take pics together....even though 2 of your brothers faces aren't convincing anyone they are enjoying having their picture taken. I've come to love these kind of pictures more than when they are smiling because they make me laugh. Seriously, those 2 brothers of mine can brake out the funniest faces. People say we look alike, I can't see that. What do you guys think?

And I assure you, I really do have hair in that last picture. Really I do.

Have a super Monday and I'll see you with a yummy and amazingly healthy recipe next! I also want to say a big thank you to my readers who read my blog and for commenting on my giveaways or food blog posts....they mean a lot to me! You guys are the best!

Guh, I Love This Giveaway Too.

2009-02-28T14:20:00.005-06:00

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

I admit it. I am addicted to cute purses. They get me excited, sometimes more than new clothes. Sometimes I see so many cute purses together and I go from saying I want this one...no that one...oh wow, look at that one! My brothers usually are busy rolling their eyes. Boys, purses really are exciting. I saw these amazing purses from Colette at BagsByColette and wow, are they cute. And guess what? 1 of you guys will get to win one of these.

To enter.....tell me what your favorite store to shop at is. I love Old Navy, Aeropostale, Kohls, & Target.

Deadline is....Monday at 6 PM CST. And, this giveaway won't be disappearing or the deadline won't all of sudden shorten.=)

Get extra chances by...

Following my blog (under Who's In The Kitchen)
Suscribing to my blog

Leave me an extra comment if you do any of the above.

Have fun!

Blueberry Snack Cake.

2009-02-27T16:40:00.000-06:00

Good Friday everyone! Yay for Friday being here. I'm sure most you guys noticed my Pottery giveaway post is gone. I decided to take it down and post the giveaway at a later time. So those of you who commented don't worry, the Pottery giveaway will be back up for you to enter again. Sorry about that confusion!

I love blueberries. Love them. They are my favorite fruit in baked goods. I also love them in blueberry muffins. This snack cake is delicoius but yet not too sweet. It is also low in calories, which makes you less guilty about eating this cake. Low calorie desserts that taste good and have you keep coming back for more are some of my favorite foods.

Blueberry Snack Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
2 eggs, separated
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly; set aside 3/4 cup for topping. Beat in the baking powder, milk and egg yolks to remaining mixture until well combined. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with blueberries and reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 15-18 servings.

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I really do have 3 brothers. I seriously do. Even though you mostly see my 2 younger brothers on here. The guy missing is my oldest brother Andrew. He stands way taller than anyone in the family and everyone always thinks he is the oldest. While he isn't really too fond of having his picture taken (which is why he hasn't appeared much on here), most pictures we get of him are ones that make him look not even like Andrew. But, I do have some good pictures of him. So readers, this is my brother Andrew.

Have a super weekend and I'll see you next with a giveaway that will get you giddy!

Chocolate Ice-Cream Sandwich Cookies And The Winner.

2009-02-26T07:25:00.003-06:00

Agh, Thursday morning. Only two more days of school. And only two more days until the weekend. Did I say how much I love weekends? With this amazing warm spring like weather we have been having the weekends are starting to look even better. I don't mind that much saying good-bye to snow and -20 degree weather and welcoming Robins, flowers, and things that turn green.

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So, who is the winner of those chic purses/totes? Picked by random.org, congrats to:

JuliAnn Johns: My favorite is the very first one (black one with the leaves). AND I just subscribed to your blog. Thanks!

Please contact me at: priscilla91@iowatelecom.net to receive your prize!

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I love ice-cream sandwiches. During the summer time that is pretty much all I want to eat. I love the Blue Bunny ones and the Mrs. Fields chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches. Mmm. This was my first time at making good tasting ice-cream sandwich cookies. We love these. The chocolate chip cookie is delicious by itself but eaten with the ice cream makes it all the better tasting. These should be chewy cookies, hard ice cream sandwiches are never fun.

Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or chocolate chunks)
1 pint vanilla ice cream

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets, forming 8 cookies. Flatten slightly with a greased glass. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool. To assemble sandwiches, place 1/4 cup ice cream on the bottom of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies. Wrap each in plastic wrap. Freeze overnight. Yield: 4 ice cream sandwiches.

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Growing up in family with 5 brothers and sisters, I am plopped right in the middle. I have an older sister and brother and 2 younger brothers and a younger sister. My youngest brother is Joe. I always remember him being my little brother whom I could easily win when roughing together, having a head full of curls, not as tall as me, humoring everyone, and my little sister's best buddy. Joe is about 4 inches taller than me and would win in any roughing match now. It is kinda hard seeing my little brother grow up, I want him to stay young. But, I have fun with my brother in a new way now. And I enjoy it. I'll always remember him though as that little guy with that cute smile and head full of curls.

Have a great rest of a week and I'll see you next with another yummy recipe and you don't think I'm done with giveaways do you?!

I Looooooove This Giveaway!

2009-02-24T15:40:00.003-06:00

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

I wish I could have every single one of these bags, seriously. I love them all. They are chic, big, and add style to you. I love big and roomy bags. I also love colorful bags, especially in the spring time. And some of these bags are quite colorful. Vildan at BayanHippo makes these adorable totes/purses. She does a fantastic job and beautiful work. Check out her store for some more amazing bags. These bags are either cotton or canvas. I am partial to the canvas ones.
Here's the fun part. 1 of my readers will get to win 1 of these bags. To enter, tell me which bag is your favorite. The green tote/purse is calling my name. Deadline is Wednesday at 12 o'clock midnight.

Get extra chances by:

Following my blog (under Who's In The Kitchen)

Suscribing to my blog

Blogging about this giveaway

Leave me an extra comment if you do any of the above.

Have fun!

Chow Mein Chicken Salad.

2009-02-24T07:50:00.002-06:00

Good Tuesday morning everyone! I can't believe this is the last week in February. I also can't believe it is going to be March. I am so glad to be leaving the frigid winter behind. Summer sounds so good these days....I can't wait to be swimming in a pool soon. More like a couple months. How I love summer!

I know I have been posting lots of chicken recipes lately and this recipe here so far, tops the others. This was literally gone in 30 minutes. I barely got any, but the bit I got was delicious. Everyone kept saying make this again, please! Without a doubt I will. I love the chow mein noodles in this salad along with the chicken. The dressing is pure yumminess.

Chow Mein Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
4 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chow mein noodles
2/3 cup cubed cooked chicken breast
2 green onions, chopped
4 teaspoons sliced almonds, toasted
4 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
VINAIGRETTE:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4-1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions: In a large salad bowl, combine the lettuce, chow mein noodles, chicken, onions, almonds and sesame seeds. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the vinaigrette ingredients; shake well. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

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Most guys love dogs. Really love them. But, my brother Steven is different. He has never been a huge dog lover. He'd pet them and be friendly with them but he wasn't thrilled about dogs. He'd prefer to be doing outdoor activites. Until Lewis came along. He loves Lewis, we all do....but Steven loves him the most. Lew is always given lots of attention by him. I don't give Lew that much attention because I am usually aggrivated with him (seriously, he is so much work!). Still, we all adore this dog, like none other that we've had....but Steven and Lewis have a special bonding. And even though Lew is mine but likes Steven more, I don't mind. I love seeing how much my brother adores my dog.

Enjoy your Tuesday and I'll see you with an amazing giveaway next!

Pecan Chicken Salad And Giveaway Winners.

2009-02-22T15:50:00.002-06:00

Good Sunday everyone! Hope your weekend has been treating you well. I am not exactly looking forward to tomorow....Monday. Going back to school after the weekend is always hard. But, oh well - that's part of my life.

You guys really loved the clothing in my last giveaway! I don't blame you though, I loved them too. I am very excited about this Friday's giveaway, I know you guys will get giddy when you see it. But, lets give a big congrats to the winners of the clothing and ring giveaway picked by random.org:

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Clothing Winner: Meg: Love these t-shirts! I am definitely a jeans and t-shirt girl!

Ring Winner: Waneta: One of my favorite hobbies is cooking/baking . .. and my new hobby is photography.

Please contact me ladies at: priscilla91@iowatelecom.net.

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Here is a delicious way to make chicken salad with apples, pecans, celery, buttermilk, and other ingredients. The apples and celery add that crunchiness when you take a bite and the buttermilk puts a new spin to chicken salad. This would make one delicious and easy meal.

Pecan Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups canned chicken (the chicken you would buy for chicken salad)
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped tart apple
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
7 croissants, split

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cherries, celery, apple and pecans. In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, salt and pepper; add to chicken mixture and mix well. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken salad onto each croissant. Yield: 7 servings.

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See this picture? That's me on the left and my friend Joss on the right. Uh, the year was 1997, so we were both 6. Fast forward a couple years and now we are both Seniors in high school. These are Joss's Senior pictures....I still need to get mine done. It's hard to believe that we are both in our last year of high school....but exciting too because we are graduating. We are both excited to see what God holds for our future as we take a new step in life.

Have a great rest of a weekend and I'll see you next with a great dinner meal!

Because I Am In Such A Giveaway Mood.

2009-02-19T22:15:00.005-06:00

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

**Winner of the personalized ring will be announced Monday morning along with the winner of this giveaway.**

I love t-shirts, long sleeved or short sleeved. I also love hoodies. I am a big jeans and t-shirt girl. When I was younger I wanted to wear tees 7 days a week, but thankfully my Mom suggested I wear other kinds of clothing. I do like dressing up but I lean more towards the whole comfy clothing side. And these tops/tees/hoodies below are my kind of clothing. I love the hoodies, they are so cute. Believe it or not, these are hand-printed clothes. How neat is that?! Lisa at Ellembee is the girl who designs these shirts. And doesn't she do a fabulous job?

To win one of the above pieces of clothing, answer this question in a comment:

Are you a jeans/t-shirt kind of girl OR are you a dress up kind of girl??

Deadline is Sunday at 12 o'clock midnight CST. 1 winner will be picked by random.org and that winner will get to pick which of the above tops/hoodies you'd like.

Get extra chances by:

Following my blog (under Who's In The Kitchen)

Suscribing to my blog

Blogging about this giveaway

Leave me an extra comment if you do any of the above.

Have fun!

It's That Time Again...Giveaway Time!

2009-02-18T21:30:00.002-06:00

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED! WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED!

I know, another giveaway. But, once you see what I am giving away I don't think you'll mind. Kathryn over at Kathryn Reichert Jewlery has some beautiful jewlery on her shop. Really neat stuff. Her necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, etc. are all things you'd say, I want that. Make sure to check out her shop, I guarantee you'll like it! Look at her creations here:

-This Is What You Win-

Aren't these rings so neat? I really really really (okay you get the point) like these.

1 of my readers will get to win 1 of these rings. The neat part is that you can personalize it any way you want. And, of course you get to pick your ring size.

To enter, tell me what your favorite hobby is. I have lots but I really love being with my family and friends and blogging.

Hurry though, deadline is Thursday at 10 PM CST.

Have fun!

Chicken a la King And Summer.

2009-02-18T03:00:00.003-06:00

Good Wednesday everyone! It is hard to believe the weekend is almost here again, no complaints though. I love weekends. This Sunday at my church there is a "Chili Contest" taking place. I signed up to be one of the judges...there are about 20 different chilies to taste and some people like to make their chili really hot. I hope I don't cry because my mouth is terribly on fire! I am looking forward to being a judge though, sounds exciting.

Onto some non-hot food. This is a perfect meal for dinner. It is easy and takes less than 45 minutes to make. Try throwing some corn or some other veggies in to make it even better for you. Make sure to eat it with a biscuit - makes it taste much better.

Chicken a la King

Ingredients:
1 tube (6 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1 cup sliced cooked carrots
1 cup cut fresh green beans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Bake biscuits according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the turkey, carrots, green beans, salt and pepper; heat through. Serve with biscuits. Yield: 5 servings.

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Summer. My favorite season of the year. Summer means swimming, BBQ's, amusement parks, water parks, long evenings, outside events, fairs, and can't forget mosquito bites. I love not being able to sleep in the middle of the night 'cause you are itching from their bites. Not. But, I love summer and mosquito bites are part of summer.

Have a great rest of a week and I'll see you with a great Friday giveaway next!

Country Egg Scramble And Winners.

2009-02-16T18:40:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday evening everyone! Hope your week has been good so far. I am excited that the weather has been warm these past few days. Warm in the 40's or 50's. After having 20 degree weather and below...40 or 50 degree weather is warm. Anyway, I decided to end my giveaway a bit early because I wanted to get some recipes posted. Here are the winners picked by random.org:

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#1: Deb who said: I LOVE summer! Swimming and laying out..What could be better??!!

#2: Andrea & Casey: That's an easy one for me- FALL! I love it! All the beautiful fall leaves on the mountains (I live in Utah). And I got married in September so that makes it extra special. Thanks for all the giveaways!!

#3: Cara: No debate here--it's definitely summer! Even the super hot humid Kansas summers. Love it!

Please e-mail me ladies at: priscilla91@iowatelecom.net so I can get your prizes out to you!

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Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions for food recipes, I am going to be using your suggestions for some upcoming meals.

Eggs. Who doesn't like them. I usually cook my eggs with butter and some cheese. But, here is a whole new way to cook eggs now. With the green onions, milk, and potatoes this is a hearty breakfast. Pair it with some bacon, toast, or English Muffin and breakfast is ready. So easy. And yummy.

Country Egg Scramble
1 pound (6 to 7) new red potatoes, cubed
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
6 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

DIRECTIONS:
Heat 1 inch water to boiling in 2-quart saucepan. Add potatoes. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain.
Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper with fork or wire whisk until a uniform yellow color; set aside.
Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook potatoes in butter 3 to 5 minutes, turning potatoes occasionally, until light brown. Stir in onions. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour egg mixture into skillet. As mixture begins to set at bottom and side, gently lift cooked portions with spatula so that thin, uncooked portion can flow to bottom. Avoid constant stirring. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until eggs are thickened throughout but still moist. Sprinkle with bacon and salt.

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The beach. I love the beach. One of the many things I miss about not living in California. I also miss their *ah-mazing food*. I have never tasted such good food as in CA, I could eat at In-N-Out and Green Burito 3 times a day for a week straight. It is that good. California is truely a wonderful place. And see how excited my sister gets at the beach? It does that to you...why I'm not smiling, I don't know.

See you with some great dinner food next!

Winners And Wait....Another Giveaway??

2009-02-15T22:05:00.005-06:00

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

Good Sunday night everyone! Sorry to be so late in posting the winners, I was gone all day today. Scroll down for something special. I'm sure you don't want to hear me keep talking, so here are the winners picked by random.org:

Winner of the necklace:

Winner of the bracelet:
Please e-mail me at priscilla91@iowatelecom.net so I can get your prizes out.

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-Giveaway-
How neat is this giveaway? A big thanks to the folks over at MyBlogSpark for making this possible.
3 of my readers will receive:
A box of tasty Turtle Chex Mix Bars, chocolate candles, caramel lotion and spa essentials like a loofah, hand massager, nail brush and spa towel.

To enter, tell me what your favorite season is. I LOVE them all but especially summer.
Hurry though, deadline is Monday at 6 PM CST. Have fun!

I'll see you soon with some recipes; sorry to be gone for so long with them!

Jewlery Giveaway!

2009-02-12T18:23:00.001-06:00

Lets start celebrating Friday a little early. Early with these simply beautiful items which I love, and I know you guys will like them too. I hope you have been enjoying all these giveaways, because from now on, once a week, I will be hosting giveaways. Be sure to check out these ladies super stores!

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Prize #1: How many cute necklaces can there be? Too many. This one is definately on that cute list. Sima at Simag has some pretty cute jewlery on her shop, this is one of my favorites from her store. I love personalized things, and you get to personalzie this any way you want.

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Prize #2: Tracey at YumYumBubbleGum gave this for you guys. I love love love this. I am not a huge bracelet fan but I'd take this in a heartbeat. This bracelet is unisex and you can personalize it too.Be sure to check Tracey's shop out for more great jewlery, and her blog too, YumYumBubbleGum Blog.

To enter, tell me what kind of recipes you'd like to see on here. Gotta hurry though, deadline is Saturday at 12 o'clock midnight CST.

Have fun!

Finally, Some Food Recipes.

2009-02-11T17:35:00.002-06:00

Good Wednesday evening everyone! Sorry to be gone for so long with no recipe posts. I was having loads of fun celebrating my 1 year blogiversary with you guys. And, believe it or not...it isn't over yet. Which means more prizes for my blog readers. But until then, here are 3 recipes to make up for my lack of non-food posts.

BBQ Chicken Salad, the name alone sounds good. And it is delicious. Beyond a yummy recipe. Pair it with the Cheddar Muffins and you've got yourself a winning meal. I love the kidney beans and corn mixed in the salad. The brownies are a must to make. They are thick, chewey, and moist. Who knew Chocolate Graham Crackers would taste good in brownies?

BBQ Ranch Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup cubed cooked chicken breast
1 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 small tomato, chopped
1/3 cup canned corn

2 tablespoons chopped red onion (optional)
1/4 cup ranch salad dressing
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1-1/2 cups torn romaine

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, combine the chicken, kidney beans, tomato, corn and onion. Combine ranch dressing and barbecue sauce; pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Divide romaine between two salad plates; top with salad. Yield: 2 servings.

Ham & Cheese Muffins
2 eggs
3 cups Bisquick mix
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped ham, sandwich meat

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 400°F. Spray bottoms and sides of 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. (Spray will work better than greasing or using paper muffin liners.) Beat eggs slightly in medium bowl with fork. Stir in Bisquick mix, milk and oil just until moistened. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese and the ham. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese evenly over tops of muffins. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm. Wrap and refrigerate any remaining muffins.
------------------ Coffee Chocolate Graham Cracker Brownies

Ingredients:

16 chocolate graham crackers

2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 large eggs

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 tbsp. instant coffee granules

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup chocolate chips or chunks

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8 inch pan. Crush the graham crackers finely. Pour into a bowl and add cocoa and salt. Mix well with a wooden spoon and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. beat with an elextric mixer at high speed until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the coffee granules and vanilla. Fold in chips/chunks and the graham cracker crumb mixture. Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Make sure to not overbake. Let cool completely in the pan and frost with Ganache.

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Ganache

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Microwave cream until bubbly and very hot. Fold in chips. Stir until thickened and smooth. Spread over brownies. Let harden and cut into squares.

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We got to go snowboarding in 50 some degree weather. That is exceptional. Usually the temperature is around 20 some to 30 degrees. I survived without any crashes. But, I now have a big fear of crashing while snowboarding, crashing into Steven was a pretty scary incident. The good thing that came out of that is that I am now a more cautious snowboarder. Yes, you could have called me a wreckless snowboarder. Doesn't sound very good.

See you next with a giveaway you're gonna love!

The Winners And Awards.

2009-02-11T07:45:00.002-06:00

Good Wednesday morning everyone! Another fun fun contest. Wow, so many of you guys liked the necklace, I have to agree though - it is really beautiful. Since it was so popular with you guys, you will be getting another chance to win something very similar to this necklace and another item you are really going to like. So, stay tuned. Here are the winners picked by random.org....

Winner of prize #1:

Winner of prize #2:

Winner of prize #3:

Congrats guys! If you are a winner, e-mail me at: priscilla91@iowatelecom.net.

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Teresa at A Blog About Food gave me these super awards. Thank you Teresa for thinking to give me these awards. I am going to pass these onto these super sites:

Jessica at Turkey Cookies
Olivia at LivLife
Lisa at Jersey Girl Cooks
Jade at The Chatter Box

I'll see you tomorrow with some fantastic recipes, stay tuned!

More Giveaways!

2009-02-09T18:25:00.001-06:00

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED! WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED!

Since it is my blogiversary party, I am all about giveaways and celebrating. I hope you aren't getting tired of my giveaways because here are some more prizes for my super readers.

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Prize #1. Julie at Indigo Signature gave me this necklace to giveaway to you guys. Isn't this so pretty? I love it! You can personalize it any way you'd like. Julie has some pretty neat jewlery on her shop, this necklace is one of my favorites.

Prize #2. Allison at The Perfect Gift Shop donated these Monogram cards. I love the black, red, and white all together. Make sure to check out Allison's shop, her cards are so chic. Prize #3. Karie at SaySaySay donated this for my readers. This would be perfect for your kids rooms or a playroom...I'd love this decal in my room! Karie has really cute decals at her shop, I'd like lots of them.

To enter, tell me out of these items what you'd like (yup, like the last contest). Hurry though, deadline is tomorrow (Tuesday) at 12 o'clock midnight CST.

Get extra chances by:

Suscribing to my blog

Following my blog (under Who's In The Kitchen)

Have Fun!

Blogiversary Winners.

2009-02-09T08:22:00.000-06:00

Good Monday everyone! Thank you so much everyone for entering my giveaway, I love reading each of your comments. I have the best readers.

Okay, onto the winners:

Winner of prize #1:

Winner of prize #2:
Winner of prize #3:

Winner of prize #4:

Winner of prize #5:

Winner of prize #6:
And, 1 more winner. Jennifer at Jewlery By Jennifer Casady gave me this to giveaway to one of my readers...Jennifer has some pretty amazing jewlery on her site, be sure to check it out. I love her work.

Congrats guys! If you are one of the winners please e-mail me at: priscilla91@iowatelecom.net.

Stay tuned for another giveaway this week!

1 Year Blogiversary & Lots Of Prizes!

2009-02-05T22:35:00.009-06:00

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED! WINNERS TO BE ANNOUCNED!

Happy Friday everyone! To celebrate my 1 year Blogiversary I am giving away these goodies below to my readers. I must say how I'd love to have them all myself, but they are going to my readers. I want to say thank you to everyone who reads my blog, trys my recipes, and leaves me comments. I appreciate each of my readers. A big thank you to each of the ladies who supplied these products, you were great to work with! And now, check out these prizes!

Prize #1. Moroccan Tile Earrings. I have Di at AuntieDis to thank for letting me give these away. If you are looking for some hand-made pretty earrings, make sure to check her store out. These are some of the prettiest earrings I've seen in a long time. Earrings measure 1" long (not inluding ear wire).

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Prize #2. Isn't this sign way neat? I personally find it so cute. This is a sign for any true coffee lover. Denise at Nesedecor supplied this sign for my readers. Denise has some really cute signs for your house, be sure to check her shop out. Sign measures 5.5x12". Can be hanged on a wall or put on a shelf. More colors available.

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Prize #3. Lana at LanaKole's gave this decal for you guys. Seriously, how cute is it? I'd love this one. Check out Lana's shop for more great decals, she has some good choices to decorate your house. Decal meausres 12x12", more colors available.

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Prize #4. I love these decals you can stick on your wall. 1 of my readers will get to pick "1" of the following designs. A big thank you to Tina at OffTheWallExpressions for donating this. Tina has some great decals for spicing up your house and at affordable prices too. Buckaroo decal is 6" by 38" wide. More colors available.

Family decal is 8" by 24" wide. More colors available.

Child decal is 20" high by 22" wide. Different colors are available.

This decal is 14" high by 30" wide. More colors available.

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Prize #5. Martha at Bargain Headbands has donated 1 set of 3 headbands to 1 of my readers. You get to pick which set you'd like below. Martha has some beautiful headbands on her store, her headband colors are so fun.

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Prize #6. Personalized cards. Get 10 of your own cards and envelopes with your name on them. Julie at TheNoteHouse made these available for this giveaway. I love personalized cards and these are so pretty. Be sure to check out Julie's website for more stationary and paper goods...she has beautiful work! More fonts and envelope colors available. Measure 4.25x5.5". To enter to win these prizes, tell me out of all these items what you'd pick for your own. Me? I'd like them all! Deadline is Sunday at midnight CST.

Get extra chances by:

Suscribing to my blog

Following me (under Who's In The Kitchen)

Let me know if you do any of the above in an extra comment.

Have fun!

A Tangy Tuna Sandwich & The Candy Winner.

2009-02-05T07:40:00.002-06:00

Good Thursday morning everyone! Almost the weekend...yeah. We had been having balmy 40 degree weather but the past few days have been back to the freezing cold weather. Saturday it is supposed to be 50 degrees, I can hardly wait. I am glad to know that the majority days of those frigid temperatures are behind us once January passed.

Okay, onto the candy winner. I enjoyed reading each of your favorites...a lot of you guys like Skor bars and believe it or not I have never heard of those. So, am now on the look-out for them to try them. There are so many different kinds of good candies that is seriously sometimes hard to pick one (I also love Snickers).

Here is the winner:

Congrats Kellie! Please e-mail me at priscilla91@iowatelecom.net so I can get you your prize out to you!

What is your favorite candy? See here.

These bunwiches. Yum. Tuna on a crescent roll doesn't get any better. I am not a huge fan of tuna but dressed up with relish, ketchup, lemon juice, cheese, and more makes this taste delicious. The Crescent roll adds a whole new flavor to a tuna sandwich.

Tangy Tuna Bunwiches

Ingredients:
4 cans (6 ounces) tuna, drained and flaked
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon relish

3/4 cup cheese, grated
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 crescent buns, split
4 lettuce leaves

4 slices of cheese

DIRECTIONS:
In a bowl, combine the tuna, mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon juice, relish, cheese, and Worcestershire sauce. Serve on buns with lettuce. Yield: 4 servings.

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I'm sure you guys have heard me mention my friend Joss....Jocelyn is my friend that I have known for the longest time and we have much in common...my little sister says we agree too much on everything (not sure if that is possible). Anyway, Joss had to write a commercial for her speech class, and I wanted to share it with my readers - I love it.

"Lemonade Commercial"

See you soon with my Blogiversary Party - you won't want to miss it!

Valentines Day Giveaway!

2009-02-02T11:30:00.002-06:00

Good Tuesday everyone! Hope you are enjoying these first few days of February. 2009 is going by fast already. To celebrate Valentines Day, I am having a little giveaway.

1 of my readers will be winning the following:

1 box of Madagascar Valentines
1 box of Disney/Tigger & Pooh Bear Valentines
2 bags of Sweet Tart Hearts
1 bag of Airhead Candies
1 bag of Valentine Smarties

To enter, state your favorite kind of candy. Mine is Peanut M&M's....gotta love those!Hurry though, deadline is Wednesday at 12 p.m. midnight.

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Suscribing to my blog

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Blog about this giveaway

Let me know if you do any of the above in an extra comment.

Have fun!

Who Am I?

2009-02-01T15:45:00.002-06:00

I'm sure if I asked you guys this you would probably say: "baker, cooker, teenager, a girl, snowboarder, etc." And, you'd be right about each of those. But, I am also something else. I'm sure you've noticed that I've made references to God a couple of times and even said I was thankful that Jesus Christ was my Lord and Savior. I probably had you wondering if I was a Religious person or a Catholic, or maybe someone who believes in God.

So, what am I? A Christian. Not Religious, not a Catholic. A sinner saved by the blood of Jesus Christ - (Romans 3:23...For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God). And, yes...I believe there is a God. Why? Because after studying Chemistry and Biology in my high school years I have learned that absoultely with a doubt there is a God. My parents taught me from ever since I can remember that evolution was not true, God created this whole universe. I believed there was a God, because my parents said so. But once I started in Biology and Chemistry I knew then why I believed in God. For all the intricate details that have to be met in order for this earth to function properly and for us to live, would only be the desgin of God...not by chance.

And, I am thankful everyday that God decided to call me His Child. Being a Child of God doesn't mean I am perfect, not by any means (ask my brothers or sisters!) but, it means that I have a personal relationship with the God who created this whole universe and holds it in the palm of His Hands. What could be more awesome than that? It also means having Someone whom I can run to when I feel all alone, and having Someone who can calm my greatest fears. And also knowing that whatever happens, be it good or bad...I still have God right there beside me.

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We went snowboarding yesterday and it was a glorious 40 degrees. See the above picture? That was taken not long before I was sprawled on the ground. I crashed into Steven and hit his helmet with my upper lip. Why did I crash? I was going rather fast and didn't have time to stop before I hit him, what we call an accident. My left half of my lip is big, lopsided, and purple and blue, a fat lip. My brother was threating to take pictures of me like and this and post it on my blog...I don't think I'd have any readers left if he did!

Have a great rest of a Sunday and I'll see you next with a cute Valentines Day giveaway!