They Call It Spinning!!!

Well, partly for the reason that I am over 10 pounds heavier than I was this time last year, that cellulite has taken over the lower portion of my body, and just its overall health benefits, I decided that this was the week that I was going to make a change, and get back to the gym.......it's been years, and I mean many years. Now, don't get me wrong......I'm not sedentary, am quite active especially going up and down our many sets of stairs each day, even walk on a kind of semi/sort of regular off and on basis, and also pull out my Fluidity bar at home from time to time to work toward that "dancers" body, that I will never have...but there's always the dream......but I haven't done serious cardio since I lived in Memphis 20 years ago. I started on Monday by taking Emma to the rec center to do some swimming. I did my best to "work it" as well as play with her for an hour or so.....so that was a start. One thing I have found out is that it really makes me work up an appetite, because I put away a serious amount of Mama's Chicken Spaghetti last night. This morning, all the kids were at school, so I geared up to go and make use of my 10 day trial at the fancy "Prairie Life" in Cool Springs. After a brief tour of the facility, I put stuff in my locker, and went to decide on exactly what I was going to do to "work up a sweat"!! I decided to head to a Cycling Class at 12:15, but I had some time to warm up, so I started by walking the track......simple enough, except for some knee pain that is just now a part of my life, I can do the walking thing. Ok, there, enough walking, maybe I'll now try out that elyptical I've heard so much about. They say it is really easy on the knees. I think I've got time for about 5 minutes before I need to go to the class..... "Holy Heck" what is this thing doing to my thighs? This might be the weirdest feeling I've ever had exercising......ouch, I don't like this at all. I don't know about my knees, but my thighs are dying! Am I doing it right? I made if for all of 1 minute and 50 seconds. Now off to......Spinning. I have to tell you that when I heard the word Spin Class years ago, I literally for a long time thought that it was a bunch of adult sized sit and spins in a room, with people spinning in circles. I had no idea it was bikes. I love to bike, though......so this should be fun. 45 minutes....Hmmm, I actually told the teacher that I would be more than likely leaving early. Here we go. Pedal Faster!!! You are in Barcelona Spain, wind in your hair on the winding streets. Feel the Breeze......now stand up. Stand Up? While I'm biking? I don't think so. I'm going to sit my tired buttocks on this bike seat, and do my best to make the wheels spin. Actually all I could think about was going home and heating up some more of Mama's Chicken Spaghetti! I was starving!! I made it for 25 minutes, lowered my heart rate, and quietly exited the classroom, feeling very accomplished actually!!! So, the quest to be in shape begins, but you can darn sure bet that I will reward my efforts with great food......and Mama's Chicken Spaghetti is Great!!! It was one of her specialties, loved by all!!! ENJOY!!! J

Mama's Chicken Spaghetti

1 whole chicken, or 3-5 Split Chicken Breasts
1 stick butter
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato soup
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup chicken broth
8 oz thin spaghetti

Boil Chicken with salt, pepper, celery, carrots, onion, to make a good broth. (If time is an issue, you can use a Rotisserie chicken, and boxed broth.) Remove chicken, cool, and pull off meat. Reserve 1 cup broth, and use the rest to boil the noodles. Drain noodles.

While noodles are cooking, saute the veggies in the butter, then add the soups and cheese, stirring until the cheese melts. Next, add the chicken, noodles, and 1 cup broth. Put in a 9x13 casserole, and cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes covered, then uncover and cook 10-15 minutes or more until bubbly. Serve with garlic bread, salad, and dessert........of course!! This freezes very well!!!

Our Progressive Dinner

One of the things we enjoy most about the holidays is being with our family and friends. We started a tradition several years back with our sweet friends from Florida, the Corleys and the Bancrofts........who also migrated up here to Franklin. We do a progressive dinner. We each have 4 kids, so it's quite the group, but yes, kids are included, we eat for 5 hours straight, and all go home very full having had plenty of everything........including laughter. Here's how we do it. One house hosts the appetizer, one the main meal, and the next dessert. We rotate courses each year. Our kids even ask about "that thing where we go to each other's house and eat", so I feel like we've started a tradition that they will remember. Each family has very busy lives, we all attend different schools, so this is one of the times each year we can reconnect and reminisce about the past year, and dream of the year ahead. We love this night. One fun thing is seeing the kids grow! We are out growing our stair picture!!! There were many good dishes, but here is the recipe for the salad we had. One of my all time favorites! Enjoy!!! J

CRUNCHY ROMAINE TOSS

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 pkg Ramen noodles, broken up, discard flavor packet

4 Tbls unsalted butter

1 bunch broccoli, coarsely chopped

1 head romaine lettuce, washed and broken into pieces

4 green onions, chopped

1 cup Sweet and Sour Dressing (see accompanying recipe)

Brown walnuts and noodles in butter; cool on paper towels. Combine noodles and walnuts with broccoli, romaine and onions. Pour Sweet and Sour Dressing over and toss to coat well.

Sweet and Sour Dressing:

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1 Tbls soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients. Yields 2 1/2 cups.

Happy 2009!!!

Christmas Memories.........An Early Snow!!, Wesley's Chorus Concert, Andrew's Band Concert, James Avery's 2nd grade play, Steves "Cookies and Carols", The downtown Christmas Parade, piling in the van, singing carols and seeing the lights at Sunnyland, visiting Emma's dance class, visits from cousins, visits from friends, making marshmallows, school Christmas parties, mother-daughter cookie exchange, neighborhood cookie/ornament exchange, kids from all over in our house......staying up late, sleeping late, Phase 10, SkipBo, Cariboo, Scrabble, Wii, that farm game, laughing 'til I cried....it's been awhile, never quite finishing decorating the house, Christmas collections (Santas, Snowmen, Reindeer, Angels), missing Todd and Family.....missing Amy and family....sleepovers, playdates, Zaxbys, Steve working like a dog at UPS in his cute brown suit, The Rudolph tree in our front yard, Christmas music, White Elephant exchange with our community group, making and eating too much Christmas "Trash", Mom's Spiced Tea, chocolate chip pumpkin bread, those oreo balls, homemade cinnamon rolls, sausage casserole, very gingery chocolate gingerbread cookies, apricot thumbprints, Cranberry ice cubes with gingerale, Christmas snow popcorn, hilarious you tube videos, beautiful friends and families pictures on Christmas Cards.......Christmas Card assembly line, 'lots of wrapping, the surprise Steelers game, Reindeer food, our photo shoot, going to the movies, movie nights on the couch, New Years at the Babcocks, Hoppin' John, our annual progressive dinner with the Corleys and Bancrofts, air soft wars, 'lots of laughter and happiness......then last night depression setting into all of us, because School started back today. The house was all quiet, still fully decorated, I might add......we'll get to it eventually, but it was quiet. I think I like it better noisy. I know I like it better noisy......plus it's cold and rainy. Uggh. Maybe it'll snow!!! Ok, about those Oreo Balls.....these are just too decadent to only have at Christmas. Enjoy!!! J

Chocolate Mint Snowballs

1 18-oz pkg Oreos
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese....can use less fat
1 12.5 oz pkg junior mints
2 12 oz. pkgs semisweet chocolate chips
1 TBS shortening

Pulse half of cookies in a food processor 3 or 4 times or until crumb consistency. Add remaining cookies to crumbs in food processor, and pulse until crumb consistency. Cut cream cheese into 4 pieces; add to food processor, 1 piece at a time, processing well after each addition. Roll cream cheese mixture into 1-inch balls. Push one junior mint into the center of each ball; roll each ball smooth. Microwave chocolate morsels and shortening in a glass bowl at high for 90 seconds or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Dip balls in melted chocolate mixture; place on wax paper to harden. Store in refrigerator. Can drizzle white chocolate on top to make it pretty. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. They play a symphony inside my mouth!!!

RACHAEL RAY!!

Last weekend I read in the paper that Rachael Ray was going to be in town doing a book signing of her most recent cookbook at the Cool Springs Williams-Sonoma. Being one of her "groupies" and the fact that Emma likes her too, and loves to cook with her mom, I decided this would be a memory-making day for Mommy and Daughter. I quickly called the store to see how to see her, and they said you have to buy a cookbook from our store, and that is your ticket in.....you can get up to 5 cookbooks. Great!!! How much are they? $24.95......Really, I'm pretty sure I just saw it at Costco for $15, but......I'm making a memory. I'll take 2, one for me, and one for Emma to have when she goes off to college. I know she will remember this day forever........she's only 5. Now, we all know that this day is totally about me......who am I kidding? So, I let her play hookie from school, and we headed to the mall, getting there at 11:30 a.m. The book signing started at 1. It is pouring down rain, cold, I have no umbrella, and we take off hand in hand, singing in the rain to see Rachael Ray. "Oh My, what are all of these people doing here?" The were herds of people, already with their cookbooks in hand, lined up sitting down from Williams-Sonoma, all the way down to and around Macy's all the way to EyeMasters. By the way, we hadn't had lunch yet. I go to the desk and get our cookbooks, then head to the back of the line. A rep came by and said that Rachael could sign 1500 books in 4 hours, and so far half were in line. Let's do the math.....that means we are about number 750. It is going to be a long day. And it was. Try entertaining a hungry 5 year old in line for 2 1/2, yes, 2 1/2 hours. Thank goodness Williams-Sonoma brought around snacks and drinks, Rachael Ray's recipes, of course, for us to nibble on. Yes, it was a long 2 1/2 hours, but we made the memory, have the photos, and it was worth it.....I think. Oh, I forgot to say that at one point, I spilled hot chocolate in the bag where I was keeping the cookbooks (we were looking at them at the time) so I didn't want to get the cookbook's dirty, so I emptied the wet trash out of the bag, into the trash can, only to realize as the line began moving that my "ticket" was part of that trash, so, yes, I had to dig through the mall trash can to retrieve my "ticket". 'Tis the Season!!! Here are some yummy "nibblers" that they served us. Little Bitty Cheese Balls. Genious, that's why she is famous. Enjoy!!!

CHEESE AND NUT BALLS

8 oz cream cheese softened
4 Tbls butter softened
10-oz shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup mango chutney, chopped
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
2 handfuls of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Beat the cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon or a handheld mixer. Add the cheddar, chutney, half the nuts, and half the parsley and combine thoroughly. Chill the mixture overnight, or until very firm. The next day, scoop the mixture out by tablespoons and form into balls. Roll the balls in the reserved nuts and parsley. Small balls can be served over mild greens, and fruit or salad.

'TIS THE SEASON

It's here!!! Christmastime. It is our favorite holiday, and we've even got the cold weather here to make it even more festive. I've learned that if I just wear my silk long underwear, I'm not miserable. That extra layer makes all the difference. We've started the long process of getting the millions of decorations out, and little Emma is like a kid in a candy store. I can't keep her out of stuff, but I'm just so glad she is enjoying it. She single handedly unwrapped 3 "moss" Christmas gifts that I had made for decorations. Moss was all over the house, and we'll be cleaning it up all season. That's ok, though. She seems to be seeing it with different eyes this year, and I love seeing the "wonder" in her face. We've been watching Christmas movies galore.....Elf is so hilarious, had Breakfast with Santa on Saturday morning, the Franklin Christmas parade that afternoon (Emma was in it) had a cookie exchange yesterday afternoon, and went to Steve's choir concert last night. Tonight Andrew has his 1st Christmas Band Concert. So.........'tis the season. Enjoy this hearty pasta dish!!! Thanks Debbie Johnson.


DOUBLE CHEESE HAMBURGER CASSEROLE

LAYER 1:

1 POUND GROUND BEEF
1 CLOVE GARLIC, CHOPPED
1 TSP SUGAR
1/4 TSP PEPPER
1/2 TSP SEASONED SALT
1 TBLS SOY SAUCE
1 (15 1/2 OZ) CAN TOMATO SAUCE

LAYER 2:

4 OZ MEDIUM EGG NOODLES, COOKED AND DRAINED

LAYER 3:

1 (3-OZ) PKG CREAM CHEESE, SOFTENED IN MICROWAVE
1 CUP SOUR CREAM
1/4 CUP CHOPPED GREEN ONIONS

BROWN MEAT, AND SIMMER REMAINING INGREDIENTS IN LAYER 1 FOR 20 MINUTES. PLACE IN 9 X 13 CASSEROLE DISH. PLACE LAYER 2 ON TOP. SPREAD LAYER 3 ON NOODLES AND SPRINKLE GRATED CHEESE OVER ALL. BAKE AT 350 FOR 30 MINUTESJ

Thanksgiving.....family, food, fun and football!!!

I still haven't fully recovered from the comatose state I always go into after eating the Thanksgiving meal. I stopped counting after my 5th helping of cornbread dressing.....then there were Aunt Liz's shrimp, the turkey, of course, fresh and canned cranberry sauce, homemade applesauce, sweet potato casserole, green bean bundles, creamed corn, rolls, and it was the pecan pie that simply put me over the edge. I'm not kidding......my stomach is still stretched out from the meal, and because of that, I seem to have to fill it up more each day now that I'm home. This must stop.......but before it stops, I have to give you the recipe for the applesauce muffins (thanks Beth) I made today to go along with Mama's spiced tea. They are wonderful, and the kids devoured them. Sprinkle on the powdered sugar, and enjoy them warm. Heaven!!! J

Applesauce Muffins

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

3 tsp vanilla, divided

4 cups flour, sifted

1 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp allspice

3 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

2 cups original applesauce, not unsweetened

Cream butter and sugar....add eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Sift together the flour and spices and add to the creamed mixture. Blend 2 tsp vanilla and the baking soda into the applesauce. Stir applesauce mixture into the other with a wooden spoon (I don't know why!) Batter will be stiff. Spoon batter into greased muffin tins or paper muffin cups 1/2 full. Bake at 400 for 12 minutes or until done. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve hot with butter, or not.....Batter will keep in the refrigerator a few days.

Ok, I know. I'm falling down on my duties as a blogger! Steve has been in Hawaii with Disney, and when Daddy's gone, so is blogging. He's home for awhile, so I'll be better. We had a very fun Halloween. Emma couldn't decide exactly what to wear, so she had several different outfits. I'm convinced that she will be some sort of designer. The things she puts together! As always, Cottonwood was happening Halloween night. Several families came over for soup and treats, then it was off for Candy!!! A beautiful night! The boys are machine trick-or-treaters. They come home with enough candy to supply their lunchboxes through the end of the school year. Hope yours was fun. Here's you my favorite roast recipe. It's perfect every time, and is actually an easy recipe from Emeril. Enjoy!!! J

Garlic-Studded Pot Roast

One 3-4 pound chuck roast

10 cloves garlic

3 TBLS oil

1/2 cup water

Kosher or sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Flour

Bring roast to room temperature......very important. Cut slits in both sides. Cut the garlic cloves in half and stuff in the slits. Generously coat roast with salt and pepper. Heat oil in covered skillet......I use an electric one, but have also done it on the stove. Brown roast on all sides......I mean really brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove roast, pour in water and scrape all giblets off of bottom. Put roast back in and turn down to a simmer. Cover. Cook 3 hours then turn off and leave covered about another hour. I sometimes turn the roast halfway during cooking. Remove the roast and slice......turn the skillet back on with the juices in, then sift in flour while whisking for a delicious and smooth gravy. Use as much as you want for however thick you like it. So yummy!!!