Two More Days...

... until we will have our foster parent certification walk-through.  Alvin and I were pre-certified as a family a long time ago, but then we began the long process of training, CPR certification, doctor check-ups, finger prints, car inspections, paperwork and more paperwork, and the final part - getting our home up to the state's standards.  Deciding to completely re-do our kitchen set us back quite a few months, but now it's finally here!

This has been a year-long process.  Not to sound cliche, but it really has been a roller coaster.  In fact last August I really thought that we'd be walking away from the whole process.  We've compromised and agreed on respite care for the time being.  The greatest and scariest part of this adventure is that we have no idea what we're in for.  But just getting past this massive hurdle is going to feel amazing.  I think it goes without saying, but please keep us in your prayers this week :)

I'll be sure to update after the inspection.  Hopefully with great news!

I See the Light at the End of the Tunnel!

I cannot believe it, but we are almost done with our kitchen

re-face,

re-model,
nighmare,

well, I don't know what to call it, but we're almost done!   Whoo-hoo!  

Allow me to remind you of the beauty that was once our kitchen...

 Yellow walls, ivory cabinets (or Swiss Coffee to be exact), a rusted, rotting faucet, stained sink, lovely aqua counter-top, and a mildewed butcher block.  

It was pretty nasty.  

So we started working on it last May!  I can't believe how long this has all taken, but I don't care.  At least it's moving in the right direction.  Here is what we started with.  Then we did this.  Followed by this. 

 This is one of my favorite features of my past kitchen.  The painted over, rusted, cracking paint hinges.  

Oh man... I couldn't wait to get those awful things off of my walls!!!

 

 So I did!  In my anxious attempt to get things started, unfortunately we weren't quite ready to proceed with the rest of the work, so our kitchen looked like this... for months!  Yikes.  Yeah, it was embarrassing, but I knew there would be an end.  

With the help of my mom and Uncle Kent, we stripped the cabinet boxes.  Then I painted them and the walls a bright white.  I think it really helps to make the dark counter top pop.  No the drawers aren't painted yet.  That came last.

I think it was looking better already!

Then came the fun part.  My sister gave me a quick demo on how to sand cabinet doors.  I loved using the electric sander!  That part went really fast.  The only bad part was that my doors are really old and kind of falling apart, so they needed a lot of TLC, and that included some hand sanding, wood glue, and more hand sanding.

Then I used primer on the doors and 2 coats of paint.  I let them dry outside, since I was painting 23 doors at a time.  No room inside.  Unfortunately that meant I found a few bug corpses stuck to my doors, but I just picked those out.

Here's a quick peek at what our new kitchen looks like.  We had to special order hinges and bought new door pulls, and I really love how it looks.  

Our very handy friend, Mr. Mike, as he's known around here, has been such a HUGE help to us.  He donated his time last Saturday to come and hang the doors for us.  He's also done a ton of painting and installing baseboards for us.  We are so blessed to have a Mr. Mike in our lives. 

Tomorrow morning I'll take some pictures of the new kitchen in the daylight.  It looks so pretty.  Considering that we spent a few hundred dollars for the re-do, versus the $15,000 that Home Depot wanted to charge us... I'm super happy with the results. 

Check back tomorrow!

Josh is 7!

 How is it possible that I have a 7-year-old?  I still feel like I  just got married and started a family.  I have literally blinked, and my baby grew up.  I want to enjoy every moment with him, because I know that he'll be a young man before I know it. Josh always laughs at me when I pretend to sob about how big he's getting.  He giggles and tells me that he can't help growing up.  I know it son, but it doesn't make it any easier. 

Allow me to brag on Josh for a minute though.  You can just skip to the pictures if you want, and I won't be offended :)

We are so proud of Josh and can hardly express how much we love him.  He's doing really well in school - making friends, bringing home good behavior awards, and staying at the top of his class academically.  He has played on a soccer team, a basketball team, and he even took a father / son karate class this year.  The kid loves sports, and he really loves to go golfing with dad.  He learned to swim this year, ride a 2-wheeler, and now he tells us that he wants to learn to surf!

Josh still loves all things Star Wars, Disneyland, playing video games with Dad, and now enjoys the virtual world of Toon Town.  He has a kind, compassionate nature, and he often expresses how he feels by writing things down.  When he's upset, he writes us a note or draws us a picture to express his emotions.  He does the same to show us that he loves us.  He has a tender heart for Jesus, and he is a big helper at church.  I am so blessed to be his mom.  

OK, so on to the birthday party!

 This year we did a low-key birthday party for him.  He got to pick 2 friends for a fun day of mini-golf, dinner and a movie.  These are some of his favorite things!

 We went to Camelot golf.  The course was actually really nice.  The kids were soooo excited.  It was so much fun to watch.

 Josh with his buddies, and little bro and sis of course.

 Malia did a great job keeping up with the boys.

Micah did so well!  (sorry for the awful dark, shooting into the sun pics)  He really took his game seriously and was actually the most calm one of the day.

By the way, do you think I should submit this picture to the Disney magazine - the "hidden Mickey" section?  See what I'm talking about?

We love our Josh so much, and we look forward to see how he grows and develops this year!

Happy Homemade Valentine's Day!

 Maybe it was Pinterest, maybe it was my hormones, or maybe it was the fact that I am a full-time stay-at-home Mom now, but for some reason, I decided that I would not buy store-bought Valentine's Day cards this year.  Call me crazy, but we had fun!

 Micah got to exchange cards with his tot-school group of 4.  Mommy made these, and he decorated the insides - sort-of :)

 Brian was somewhere running around, but here are the cuties with their cards.

 Malia and I decided to make these cute Valentine's cards that we saw on Pinterest.  You can find the printables here.  They were actually not hard to make at all.  Malia helped me decorate the flowers, cut them out, and write her name of all of the leaves.  We had fun making these together for her pre-school party.

 We made 12 of these, but we bought a gigantic box of Tootsie Pops.  That's OK by me!

 For Josh's Valentine's cards, I went with this idea that I also saw on Pinterest. Their cards are much cuter, but I really wanted to try the whole melted crayon thing.  Luckily we started about a week in advance.  The hardest part was just peeling the paper off the crayons.  Once I started using a razor blade, it was much quicker.  I melted the crayons in my heart muffin pan, and voila!  These cute crayon hearts! 

 Here's the back of the card - cheesy I know.  We had to make 27 of these!  Josh helped by preparing the crayons, addressing each envelope, and tracing the hearts.  I hope his class likes them.  I thought it was a cute idea. 

Here's another close-up of the crayon heart.  

I have a whole year to start preparing for next year.  I'm already pinning ideas away!

Cornflake Chicken Tenders

Here is a recipe (adapted from here) for delicious, crispy chicken tenders that are much more healthy than the fast-food version.  Jenny P. made these for our freezer meal in October.  While super yummy, they were more work than she expected.  So maybe great for your family; not so great to make 10 times :)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips (or use chicken tenders)
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (or for more of a kick, use seasoning salt or poultry seasoning)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) butter, melted
2 cups finely crushed corn flakes cereal

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400˚F. Place an oven-safe cooling rack on a baking sheet and set aside.

Combine the flour and spices in a small bowl; set aside. Place melted butter in another small bowl; set aside. Place the crushed cereal in a medium-sized bowl or pie plate.

Dip the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, then the butter, then the cereal. Place the coated chicken strips on the rack in the baking sheet.

Bake the coated chicken pieces in the preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. Serve with your favorite sauce.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare as directed to coat the chicken and spread them on a wax paper lined baking sheet after coating. Place the baking sheet in the freezer uncovered and flash freeze for half an hour, until mostly firm. Transfer the strips to a gallon sized freezer bag labeled with the date and cooking instructions. When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 400˚F and bake from frozen (do not defrost) for 25 minutes on the baking sheet with the cooling rack.

No Peeking Peking Chicken

Jenny U. made this delicious crock-pot meal for us in October.  I think the original recipe is Rachel Ray but Jenny added more veggies which really made it a complete meal.  Serve this over rice.  Yummy!

8 bone in chicken thighs - with skin removed.
salt and pepper
3/4 cup chopped scallions
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cups soy sauce
3 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. ginger
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 bag frozen corn kernels
1 bag frozen snow pea pods
1 red pepper chopped

From frozen: Thaw the bag on the counter for about 30 minutes, dump chicken and
sauce into the crock-pot, and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add vegetables with an hour left to cook.

Mozzarella Beef Roll-ups

Traci made these for us back in September, and they are so yummy.  You and your kids will love them.  The recipe came from here.

1 pound ground beef
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 can (8 ounces) pizza sauce
28 slices pepperoni
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
6 flour tortillas (10 inches), warmed
6 pieces (1 ounce each) string cheese

In a large skillet, cook the beef, green pepper and onion over a medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the pizza sauce, pepperoni and oregano.

Spoon about 1/2 cup beef mixture off-center on each tortilla; top with a piece of string cheese. Fold one side down on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.

*Defrost and follow heating instructions above.

Best Lasagna Ever (adapted from the Pioneer Woman)

I have to give credit to the Pioneer Woman for this amazing recipe.  I have probably made this recipe over 50 times, and I made a few tweaks to the original recipe.  It's always a hit, and I've had more people ask for this recipe than any other.  This recipe makes A LOT.  It could easily feed 12 people or more.  You were warned!
 

1 pound ground beef
1 pound hot breakfast sausage (like Jimmy Dean in the tube)
2 cloves minced garlic (or 2 tablespoons of Garlic Garlic from Tastefully Simple)
One 28 –oz. cans of diced tomatoes
One 12-oz. cans of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of dried parsley flakes
2 tablespoons of dried basil
Salt
One 10-oz. package of NO BOIL lasagna noodles
3 cups lowfat cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs
½ cup parmesan cheese
2 (more) tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 pound sliced mozzarella cheese
More parmesan cheese

In a skillet, combine beef, sausage, and garlic.  Cook until brown, draining off half the fat.  Pour in cans of tomatoes and tomato paste, 2 tbsp. dried parsley flakes and dried basil, and ½ tsp. of salt.  Mix together thoroughly and simmer, uncovered, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While meat is cooking, mix lowfat cottage cheese in a bowl with 2 beaten eggs.  Add ½ cup parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons parsley flakes, and ½ tsp. salt.

Set up your “assembly line”:  meat mixture, 1 pound sliced mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese mixture, and lasagna noodles.  Lay 4 of the lasagna noodles (straight from the box) in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan, overlapping as you go.  Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles.

Then lay ½ pound of the mozzarella cheese slices on top of the cottage cheese mixture.

Spread ½ of the meat mixture over the mozzarella slices.  Spread it around until it is distributed evenly over the cheese slices.

Repeat the layering process… begin with another layer of 4 lasagna noodles, top with remaining cottage cheese mixture, top the cottage cheese with the remaining mozzarella, and finish with the rest of the meat mixture.

Top generously with more parmesan cheese.

Place in a 350-degree oven for 20 – 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.  You could also cover it and freeze it, unbaked, at this point OR cover and refrigerate, unbaked, for up to 2 days.

From frozen:  Thaw completely in fridge (a day or two) and bake in a 350 degree oven at least 30 minutes.

 

 

BBQ Sloppy Joes

My mom bought me a Gooseberry Patch  calendar this year.  Each month has a recipe, and January's was BBQ Sloppy Joes.  It looked so easy and delicious, so I made it for the Freezer Foxes this month.  It was dee-licious.  This one is also going in my arsenal of go-to meals for delivery :)

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
28-oz. can barbecued beans
14-1/2 oz. can stewed tomatoes
1-1/2 oz. pkg. Sloppy Joe mix
6 sandwich buns

Brown beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients, simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve over toasted buns.
Serves 6

From frozen: thaw and reheat over stove top or microwave

Tamale Pie

Terri made this for our dinner club back in September.  It was super yummy.  This is also a good travel dish, if you are taking a meal to someone.  Loved it!

 
1 lb ground beef
2 tsp plus 1/4 cup canola oil
1 large yellow onion
1 medium green or red bell pepper (I used 1/2 of each), diced
1 tsp cumin
1 (14oz) can crushed tomatoes, with juice
1 (15oz) can corn, with juice
1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4oz) can diced green chilies, with juice
1/2 tsp salt, plus to taste
Black pepper
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/4 cups milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar/jack cheese

Brown ground beef until cooked; remove and drain skillet. Return skillet to heat, add 2 tsp oil and cook onion and bell pepper and saute 3 minutes until softened. Return beef to skillet, add cumin, crushed tomatoes, corn, black beans and chilies. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Add milk, remaining 1/4 cup oil, and beaten eggs, and stir until moistened. Stir in shredded cheese.

Spray 2 (8-inch) square baking plans with cooking spray. Divide meat mixture between the two pans. Top with cornmeal mixture, using rubber spatula to smooth over the top. Cover with foil and freeze.

To bake: Bake frozen in a 375 degree oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until top is puffed and brown and filling is heated through.

Creamy Chicken Corn Soup

This soup was amazing!  Roni made this for the group, and I've made it myself.  Just posting this makes me want to have it again.  :)

1 lb chicken breast. Seasoned with salt pepper and rosemary, oven roasted on 375 for 30 minutes. Cool and cube.
3 tbs vegetable oil
2 ribs diced celery
1 diced onion
1 cup grated carrots
1 bay leaf
2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth
1/2 cup flour
1 clove minced garlic
2 cups whole kernel frozen corn
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
16 oz can creamed corn
1 cup whole milk

Heat oil in pan. Add onions, celery, salt, pepper and thyme. Saute 3 minutes. Add flour stir and cook 1 minute. Add bay leaf and 1 can of broth stir until smooth. Add remaining broth, carrots, garlic and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add creamed corn, milk and chicken heat through, don't boil.

To serve from frozen. Defrost over night in fridge. He on med/low heat in a pan on the stove until hot.

Freezer Meal Recipes

 I am blessed to be a part of a wonderful freezer meal club, the Freezer Foxes.  We have 10 women in the club, so once a month I make 10 of the same meal (one for you and 9 to exchange), and then I come home from the exchange with 9 different meals to stock my freezer.

It's been such a time and money saver for me. I usually spend about $80 - $100 to make the meal, since I'm only buying one set of ingredients in bulk. That's so much cheaper than buying the ingredients for 10 different meals, I think.

The time it takes you to make your meal is dependent on how ambitious you want to be. I've spent anywhere from 1 - 5+ hours putting my meals together. I figure one afternoon a month is worth it to get 10 meals for the month. Some months I pick a recipe that was a lot of work, so I'll pick something a lot more simple for the next month.


The thing that I love about it is the variety. My kids are picky, and I found that I was making the same thing over and over. This exposes them to meals that I've never made, and we all get to be adventurous. There are a ton of websites that give recipes for great freezer meals. Almost all dinners will freeze, so we've had quite a variety in the 7 months since the club was formed.

I've decided to go ahead and start posting some of the recipes.  You can see them here on my home page, and I've also added a new tab (exciting) at the top of my blog where I'll list them for you.  I'm also going to be adding labels to each recipe, so you can look at the labels to the side of this blog for specific types of meals.

 
If I know the source of the recipe, I will link to it as well.  My disclaimer is that I did not invent these recipes, so let me get this out there:  These are NOT my recipes.  Some of these meals I made for the club, and others are my favorites from our club members.  Feel free to leave a comment after you have tried the recipe for yourself.

Lemonade Chicken

Lemonade Chicken

1 can (12 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh mint or 1/4 teaspoon dried mint
4 pounds bone-in chicken breast halves (8 ounces each)

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together and divide in half.  Place the chicken in a ziploc bag with half of the marinade, and reserve the other half in a ziploc bag.  Freeze both bags, or keep in fridge up to 2 days.  

From frozen: Thaw at least 24 hours in fridge (or on defrost setting in microwave)

To Grill Chicken:
Drain and discard marinade. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 10 minutes on each side, basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Grill 5-10 minutes longer or until chicken juices run clear; basting and turning several times.

For Crockpot:
Place chicken and all marinade in the crockpot. Cook on low for 5 - 6 hours.

I have a threshold!

 Progress!  After the funky, half-wall was removed (last August), this is what was left.  Hard wood that needed to be sanded, stained, and even have a few boards replaced.  Or...

...just custom order a nice, wide beautiful piece of oak.  Thanks Dad and Ralph for cutting, measuring, staining and installing this beauty.  I appreciate it soooo much.

Only one more coat of paint on the ceiling, and the kitchen is finally painted.  On to the cabinet doors next week.  More pictures coming soon - promise!

We've scheduled finger printing for the foster certification next week too.  It's so nice to feel like you're actually accomplishing things :)