Our New Favorite Waffles

Today is not really a recipe, but a new favorite food of ours.  We don't live very close to a Costco, but I still have a membership, and when I get up to the city about once a month I try to stock up.  I had seen this pancake mix over the last year, and when it went on coupon, I decided to try it.  Man, am I glad I did!  They are really good!  We have made pancakes several times and waffles more than I can count.  Waffles are our favorite!  I triple the waffle recipe on the back and freeze the extras for quick breakfasts.  

It gives you three different options to make the pancakes and waffles, and I go for the one with the most protein which involves making the recipe with milk and eggs versus just water or just milk.  I also found these at my local Wal-mart, so if Costco and buying in bulk are not your thing, they do have them in smaller packages in regular grocery stores.  We really like the taste and with all the protein, it helps keep you full until lunch.  We also enjoy breakfast for dinner, and we have had these several times for dinner with bacon and eggs.  Extra yum!  So enjoy!!

2019 Blue Jeans Week 12

Spring Break week!  Woohoo!  We didn't do anything big or go anywhere far.  Ben had staff changes at work, so he needed to be close, but he did take off Friday and we went to the city and enjoyed some beautiful weather, art, and food.  Take a look at our week...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Our traditional Green dinner!  Yum!

Miss O and her cute roommates all ready for church.

One thing my kids like to do when they have time is bake and cook.  They made 4 different kinds of granola bars, some bread and this yummy pizza this week.  Good stuff!

Family NCAA basketball bracket challenge begins this week.  Everyone was getting their brackets ready and then keeping track of the games.

Beautiful spring day for a picnic in the city!  

Monet's Waterlilies is one of my favorite pieces of art!  

Went to eat at a Mongolian BBQ where you pick your own raw stuff and they cook it for you.  Sooooo good and the kids loved it!

Miss E is our adventurous one and loved eating this. The rest of us, not so much.  We just watched her eat it and enjoyed our chicken, pork, and beef :)

Happy birthday to me!  Smoky picture after I blew out the candles of my birthday cheesecake with lemon curd.  Oh yum!  

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you had a great week!  Officially welcome spring!!!!

Easiest apple pie ever

Easiest Apple Pie Ever

We love to celebrate Pi Day--March 14 (3.14).  Every year we try a different pie.  This year I was short on time, and just made this super easy apple pie.  I have made it before, and love it.  It is so easy because the crust and the crumble topping are the same thing!  I love it!  Pie crusts are not my favorite thing to make.  They are so touchy, but this pie crust is so easy!  If you have an apple peeler/corer/slicer, then this pie only takes minutes to prepare.  So easy! I realize this is not apple season, but this pie is good any time of the year.  Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Divine!

Easiest Apple Pie Ever

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 egg yoke

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup butter, melted

7-8 apples, sliced, cored and peeled (whatever kind you like or have on hand)

1 1/2 Tbl cinnamon

2 Tbl sugar

Mix together the flour, sugar, egg yoke and baking powder.  Add in the melted butter.  Mix well then press half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9" pie plate--this makes your bottom crust.

Slice, core and peel your apples and place them in a large bowl.  Toss them with the cinnamon and sugar.  Place the apples on top of your crust.

Crumble remaining dough on top of the apples by breaking into pieces.

Bake 350 for 45 minutes to an hour depending on when your apples are done, you may need to put a strip of foil over the edge of the crust so it doesn't burn near the end.  You want your apples tender but not mushy, so you can test them with a fork.

 **I originally got this recipe from here, but altered it a little after making it a few times.  Mixing the apples with the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl makes it turn out better I think.   Enjoy!

2019 Blue Jeans Week 11

We had a good week last week.  The weather has finally become more moderate, and we have seen the sun and are so excited for spring!!!  It was Spring Break "Day" for my college girls.  They don't get a week, they just get a day, but they enjoyed it!  We enjoyed a professional hockey game and loved our Pi day!  Take a look at our week...

Puzzles are a few a our favorite things, and we got a new one this week that Miss E started.

Life lesson--how to shine your shoes.  Ben teaches Mr J how to shine his church shoes.  

Happy Pi Day!  We had apple pie this year to celebrate Pi day.  Super easy recipe that I will share this week.  So yummy and quick!

For Miss A's spring day she went down to Zion National Park with her cute friends, and they hiked Angel's landing.  So much fun!

For Miss O's spring day she and her cute roommies went to a nearby hot springs and exploring in some caves.  

Some friends had hockey tickets they couldn't use, so they donated them to us.  First hockey game ever for us.  As Miss E said, "Flying hockey pucks and fighting, what more could you want from a sport?"  Lots of fun!

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you had a great week!

Chocolate Bundt Cake

Chocolate Bundt Cake

This chocolate bundt cake is divine.  It is so moist and yummy.  It doesn't need a frosting.  You just dust it with powdered sugar, serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you have the perfect dessert.  I have made this for the past 14 years.  

I have two good friends that I make it every year for their birthdays.  They both love chocolate, and they always know it is coming from me for their birthdays. 

  It is super simple as it uses a cake mix, but so very, very good.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Bundt Cake

1 box devil's food chocolate cake mix (you can also use German chocolate or chocolate fudge or just regular chocolate, but our favorite is the devil's food)

1 package regular chocolate pudding mix

4 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees, grease the inside of a bundt pan well. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine all ingredients except chocolate chips.  Mix well for 3 minutes--it will be a thick batter.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Pour the mix into the prepared pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, checking with a toothpick in center to make sure it is done.  Remove from oven and cool 20 minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and cool completely.  Once cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

2019 Blue Jeans Week 10

We had a good week.  Crazy winter weather that has hopefully ended and we can finally get to spring.  Church was cancelled Sunday because of a bad snow storm and high winds.  Saw Captain Marvel!  Woohoo!  Been waiting for that one for a long time!  Our family are huge Marvel fans!  Went to the temple as a family and just had a good week.   Take a look...

Sunday was a stay at home day with church cancelled, so Miss E make some amazing pizza for us for dinner.  Pesto chicken with spinach and tomato.  Yummy!

Classic game of pick up sticks.  Some times you just can't beat the classics!

Miss E likes to experiment in the kitchen, today she made avocado mousse.  It was good!

We are trying again to pass a school bond to get new schools in our town.  We tried 5 years ago, and it didn't pass, so hopeful this time it will!!! Yes for our kids!

Went up to the city with our family and some good friends to do baptisms in the temple.  Love to see the temple especially with my family!

And since we were at the temple Friday, so went to see Captain Marvel Saturday.  Loved it!  It did not disappoint!  Now we are just anxiously waiting for Avengers:  Endgame!!

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you had a good week!

Minestrone soup or "Junk Soup"

Minestrone Soup or "Junk Soup" 

This minestrone soup is one my mom made for me growing up, and she got it from her mom.  As a kid we always called it "junk soup" because there were so many things in it.  It is a thick Italian type soup perfect for a cold night, which we are still having a lot of here.  My mom would serve this with garlic bread, and it was a total comfort food.  Enjoy!

Minestrone Soup or "Junk Soup"

In a large cooking pot combine the following:

1 lb ground sausage, or turkey sausage, or hamburger, browned and drained

4 cups water

2-3 stalk celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped fine

2-3 large carrots, chopped

2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce

1 can beef broth or 13 oz water and 3 beef bouillon cubes

2 cloves garlic, chopped or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1 Tab sugar

Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, then add:

2 cups eggs noodles, uncooked, (or noodles of choice)

1/2 can corn, drained (optional--I didn't use it in this one)

1/2 can garbanzo beans, drained (optional--I don't use those either)

2 cups more water

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook another 20-30 minutes until noodles are done and it is all heated through.  Serve with Parmesan cheese on top and garlic bread on the side.  So yummy!

2019 Blue Jeans Week 9

With all the crazy weather we have had, there have been lots of cancelled and rescheduled events.  That makes me crazy!  So this week and next Mr J has 6 scholar's bowl meets in 9 days.  Crazy!  Basketball is officially over and track practice has begun in our snow and negative temps.  We got a new heater before the most recent storm and super cold hit which was great timing!  It is so much quieter!!!  Our old one was 30 years old and SO LOUD!!!  I asked our dear 80 year old neighbors if they could hear it and they said, "Yeah, we thought it was a dying tractor"  Oh, my was I embarrassed!  So glad to have the replaced!  Miss E and I took a safety and self defense class to end the week.  That was fun.  I feel like this is the calm before the storm of spring as the calendar after spring break is filling up like crazy!  Last quarter of school starts next week!  Where has the year gone?  Anyway, take a look at our week.....

These kids got first place at one of their scholar's bowl meets this week!  (one of 6 in two weeks!  Crazy!)  They did awesome!!!

Both the A and B teams with their coach.  The B team got 3rd place, so it was a great day for our scholar's bowl teams!!!

Jazz band competition this week.  Mr J did awesome on his sax solos!

The "before" with our old 30 year heater on the right.  It services the downstairs and basement.  The one on the left services our upstairs and is obviously newer and working great and is quiet ;)

The "after" with our new heater!  Woohoo!  We played a game called "Can you tell if the heater is on?" once it was replaced because our old one was SO LOUD and the new one is so quiet!!!!!  But man, they are expensive!  We could have bought a nice used car or our new heater.  Crazy!  

Another scholar's bowl meet, and Mr J's team got 2nd!  Woohoo!

Self Defense and safety class that Miss E and I took together.  It was awesome!  There are some better pictures that they took, but I haven't gotten them yet.  We had 2 hours of instruction class time and then 4 hours of practical hands on learning.  Both Ella and I flipped that guy in the red, our instructor.  Pretty cool!

Our super hero pose at the end of our self defense class.  Pretty awesome group and amazing teacher!

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you had a great week!