Rewind

I just went back and was reading posts from when I was pregnant with the twins. How much fun is that? I really need to keep blogging for my OWN self, if for no one else! I sure hope I can keep with it!

A Word on Comfort

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merciful Father and the all-comforting God, who comforts me in every sorrow I have, so that I can comfort people who are in sorrow with the comfort with which I am comforted by God. For just as my sufferings for Christ are running over the cup, so through Christ my comfort is running over too." --2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Read this in my Pilgrimage of the Heart study today and loved it. It spoke to me and made me want to shout it from the rooftops. My hope is that it speaks to you should you be going through the valley. ♥

My BR Knockoff...

For my birthday this year I decided to make myself an ice cream cake. I ordered one for Tracey from Baskin Robbins when she came through and it was like 1/3 this size and $24! EEEK! This one probably cost me...hmmm...around $10. It was SO easy to make, too!!

I got the recipe here. This comment really helped me out, too:

"I was a cake decorator for Baskin Robbins and this is exactly how they did it! The only thing I would add is a great frosting that is really yummy is plain old vanilla ice cream. Freeze the cake overnight in your freezer and then take a quart of vanilla ice cream - mix it up in your mixer until it is a smooth frosting consistency and then frost your cake - put it back in the freezer for 4 hours or until frozen again and then decorate! You can even go to Baskin Robbins and ask to purchase a quart of their vanilla frosting ice cream - it is completely white with no yellow in it. HTH." - LAMRO

I baked one Devils Food Chocolate cake mix in a 9x13 pan (very well PAMed for ease of getting out, of course) and let it cool completely.

I then took out my Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream and tried out the recipe's dental floss method of cutting it in half...OUCH. About cut my fingers in half before the ice cream, so I decided to use my bread knife...worked much better (my friend and I also tried wrapping said dental floss around a couple forks -see below- and pulling it through. FAIL.)! I even read another recipe that said to cut right through the box. I opted not to do that to avoid cardboard shreds in my cake.

I then placed the two halves of my ice cream on top of the cake and used my frosting knife to smooth out the seam in the middle. I also cut off the excess cake around the edges.

Here are my edge scraps. The kids had a good time eating these. :)

Then into the freezer for the night:

Next day was frosting day! I scooped a few scoops into my mixing bowl and let is sit until softened and then whipped it good,

blobbed it on,

spread on a crumb layer, put it back in the freezer to harden,

then put my final layer on. I smoothed it out a bit by dipping my frosting knife in hot water.

Then came the fun and yummy part! Adding the FUDGE (it really makes it! I used LOTS!...ain't that right, AG?)

and the Magic Shell drizzle!

and Voila!

cut, serve...but only after you have finished your dinner...

and ENJOY!!

Commentary

Ali's commentary on this photo (she just saw it now on my blog):

"Ahhh! Landon's fall over and Dulia's frying!"

Very Cute.

Twin Pics - 3 Months!

Sun-Dried Tomato Crusted Chicken

So every two weeks I make a menu for the following two weeks and write it on my whiteboard calendar that magnets to the side of my fridge. I started doing this around the middle of last year when I was pregnant, tired and didn't feel like thinking something up for dinner at 4 o'clock every night. So I made a list of all the "regulars" we ate and would make my menu and shopping list at the same time. I found that this not only saved TIME but also money! I had a list of everything I would need and didn't need to deviate from that list cause I knew exaclty what we were eating for the next two weeks...hence, no "this and that" made it into my cart.

Then...I gave my sister the idea...and she started planning her menu, too. She came up with the idea of trying a new recipe one night a week...so I have since adopted that idea...and I call it "Guinea Pig Night".

All that being said: This was last nights Guinea Pig meal. I got it from one of my old Cuisine At Home magazines.

It was VERY yummy...except, I could have done without the "Sunny Butter Sauce" over the chicken. It was to lemon-juicy for me. I liked the Crusted Chicken by itelf...but here's the recipe if you'd like to try:

Sun-Dried Tomato Crusted Chicken
Makes 4 Chicken Breasts
Total Time: 30 min

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 oz each)
1t. black pepper
1/2t. kosher salt
2 cups bread crumbs*
1/2c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, sliced
4 larcge garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2T. water
2T. olive oil

Preheat oven to 375

Prepare breast halves by trimming fat. Slice each breast in half lenghwise; pound to 1/2in. thick. Season with pepper and salt.

Pulse bread crumbs, tomatoes, and garlic in a food processor. Transfer to a shallow dish.

Place flour in a second shallow dish. Blend eggs and water with a fork in a third shallow dish.

Dredge both sides of chicken in flour, then dip into egg mixture to coat. Trasfer chicken to crumb mixture and pat onto both sides; place on a baking sheet or plate.

Heat oil in an OVENPROOF nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute chicken 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Carefully flip chicken, then place pan in oven. Roast 8-10 min or until cooked through. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

*Make crumbs from 4 cups cubed French Bread. You don't want the crumbs too fine-coarse is good.

Sunny Butter Sauce
This sauce is blended and thickened by stirring chilled butter into the wine reduction.
Makes about 1 cup; total time: 10 min.

1 cup dry white wine
2 T. capers, crushed (I didn't have any, so I just used chopped onion)
2T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 c. cold unsalted butter, thinly sliced
1/4 c. oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, sliced
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped

Boil wine in a skillet until reduced by half.
Add capers and lemon juice; boil 1 min.
Reduce heat to low.
Whisk in butter one piece at a time, stirring constantly. As each melts, add another. Stir in tomatoes and parsley.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!

I know I've been absent from the blogging world lately...and for those of you not on Facebook...this is probably your first glimpse of the twins (there are LOTS of pictures on there...I'm a big Facebook pusher, sorry!...I think you should join! ;o) )
The twins will be 3 months on the 28th....whew! We're in quite a good routine now...not sleeping thru the night yet...but we're getting there!