Potato Soup

We've definitely hit some cold temperatures this year in Ohio.  We've had several below zero days already just since the beginning of January.  The kids have been off school a few times because of the wind chill.  Today was another cold and snowy day so what better way to warm up than with homemade potato soup.  I am a huge fan of Paula Deen's cooking and one day I will go to Lady and Son's Restaurant in Savannah, Georgia!  One of my favorite recipes is her Potato Soup with Shrimp--well minus the shrimp!  My husband likes shrimp, but I am not a fan of seafood and neither are the kids, but the potato soup without it is really good.  It's pretty easy and quick too so that makes it even better :)  Here is the recipe that I've adapted from hers:

1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) of butter
2   medium carrots, diced about the same size as the onion
1   small onion, diced
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour  
4 cup milk: whole, reduced fat (2%), or low fat (1%)
2   chicken bouillon cubes, dissolved in 1/2 cup hot milk
8   medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Add the carrots and onion and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add the flour and mix; cook for about a minute.  Add the milk, chicken bouillon cubes and milk, and the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat (or until the potatoes soften).  Add the half-and-half, salt and pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.  Garnish with cheese, bacon bits and/or scallions.

Enjoy!

Tips for Traveling with Kids

My family tends to travel at least once every year.  We have a timeshare in Mexico so that is typically our destination of choice.  Over the years of traveling, we've definitely learned some things!  We've traveled by air and car--we have yet to take the boys on a cruise, but it's definitely something we'd like to do with them.  The biggest thing when traveling with kids is keeping them occupied.  As any mom knows, sometimes that is difficult.  We plan several different activities for our plane/car rides and sometimes we use them all and other times one or two are plenty.  Here are a list of things that we have listed on our website for those who use our Royal Elite Rentals timeshare at Sandos Resorts:

Travel Tips:

• Layovers—If you have a long flight, it’s nice to have a longer layover.  We try to get at least a 1.5 hour layover when we travel far.  During the layover, we let the kids walk around the entire time.  It helps them to burn off some of their energy!
• Carry-on luggage—try to only have your stroller (which gets gate checked for free on most airlines) and a carry-on bag.  For a trip with little ones, checking bags is just easier.  For international flights, United and American Airlines (for sure) offer one free checked bag per person. Do include swimsuits and at least a change of clothes for everyone in case your luggage would get lost—a swimsuit is really the only necessity when traveling to a beautiful resort in Mexico :)
• Packing—if you’re taking 3 bags, have some clothing of everyone’s in each back.  We’ve all heard the horror stories of luggage being lost so plan ahead! 
• Stroller--if you have kids, don't forget a stroller!  It gets gate checked for free and it makes it nice to wheel around even if the kids aren't in it.  You can always throw your carry on bag inside if the kids are walking.

What to Bring:

• Passports—obviously you can’t forget these—especially when you’re going somewhere out of the states!
• Diaper bag—don’t forget to have all of the diaper bag necessities readily available in your carry on (personal bag).  Wipes, hand sanitizer, diapers, change of clothes, bags for dirty diapers, etc.
• Toys—Bring some new toys or toys that they haven’t seen in a while.  Keep them in your carry-on bag for quick access.  These are also nice to have in the hotel room.  We typically bring some action figures, crayons, markers, coloring books, stamps (my son was 2 when we went to Mexico the first time and we bought these cheap Cars stamps at the Dollar store that he LOVED!), play-doh, etc. 
• Small Blanket—the plane gets cold so it’s nice to have for them to cover up with or to just hold on to for security.
• Special Blanket/stuffed animal—If you child has a special blanket or stuffed animal that he/she sleeps with, bring it!  It’ll make their plane ride and bedtime a little smoother having something they are used to. Just make sure you hold on to it in the airport—we ended up losing ours on the way home on one of our trips!
• Binky—if your kid takes a binky, don’t forget it.  This can help for take-off and landing on the plane too.
• Bottle/Sippy Cup—Don’t forget a cup for them to use, both at the resort and on the plane.
• Variety of snacks—we take snacks to have in the room and on the plane.  Snacks are available in the resort, but it’s nice to have those snacks that they’re just used to.  We bring fruit snacks, goldfish, Rice Krispy treats, etc.
• Tablet or Laptop with movies and/or games on them—if you have either of these, they are great for the plane and the hotel room.  Sometimes things are in Spanish so it’s nice to have for the kids when they are winding down or to break up the plane ride.  It’s extremely helpful for long plane rides.  Mexico, for us, is about 4 hours, plus a layover.  Travel day is a crazy day, but if you have different things to occupy them with, it helps!  If they aren’t usually allowed to play with these things, get a durable case and allow them to play—it really does make traveling easier!
• Kool-aid Sugar Free Packets—My kids are juice lovers so instead of worrying about having juice in the room or buying it at the airport, I typically bring juice packets.  They pack well and you can take them through security.  You can pretty much always find water (and the resort provides you with bottled water) so we just put some water in their sippy cups and put a small amount of the kool-aid mix in to add some flavor.
• Sunscreen—with kids a high UV protection is best.  Don’t forget to apply it often—even if it’s waterproof.
• Biodegradable Sunscreen—in Mexico, there are deep natural pits called cenotes.  Sandos Caracol has these at the resort, but you can’t have regular sunscreen on when you go in them.  It’s cheaper to purchase it here in the states than buying it in the resort shops.
• Hats—this is a must have with kids.  The sun (especially in Mexico) is extremely hot!  You’ll want to make sure you don’t forget at least one, but I’d take a couple because they get wet in the water so it’s nice to have a back-up.
• Swim Shirts—I love the UV swim shirts (rash guards).  I have two boys so these shirts help us not have to put sunscreen on their tummy and back.  They work incredibly well.  If you are looking to purchase them, check out Gabriel Brothers (if you have one around you).  I have found them for $2.99, which is a lot cheaper than even Target or Walmart.
• Sunglasses—Even if your kids don’t wear them, take them.  Our son did not like them at all, but quickly realized that they really help!  He wore them for the entire trip!
• Sand Toys—If you have room in your suitcase, bring a couple sand buckets and shovels.  They are available in the resort shop, but they are way more than $1! Even if you take them with you on the way there and just leave them there.  It’s still cheaper to buy them in the states.
• Water toys—take a few beach balls, floaties (if you need them), rafts, etc.  You can get these at the Dollar store too and they’re flat so they don’t take up much space in your luggage.
• Water shoes—if your kids like playing in the ocean, water shoes are nice.  Sandos Caracol has a rocky beach so water shoes would provide extra comfort.
• Over the Shoulder bag/fanny pack/cinch sac—moms know that you’re always carrying something for your kids so don’t forget to take some sort of bag that’s small enough to be comfortable, but big enough to hold your camera, some snacks and juice cups.
• Camera—obviously you can’t forget your camera!  You’ll want to snap tons of photos—especially with the crystal clear blue water in the background :)  With that being said, don’t forget the things that go along with a camera (batteries, SD card, charger, etc).  If you are looking for good batteries that last a long time, spend the extra money and get the Energizer Lithium batteries—they seriously last forever! 
• Bug Spray—Sandos Caracol is an Eco Resort so it’s in the middle of a “jungle.”  Bug spray may be needed during the evenings when you are in this section of the resort.
• Light jacket—the plane gets cold and even some evenings at the resort get chilly so don’t forget a light jacket/sweatshirt (for the kids and for you).

Carmela's Chicken

A few weeks ago, I went to Macaroni Grill for the first time.  I am a big fan of Chicken Marsala so I decided to try "Carmela's Chicken."  It was amazing!  I found a copycat recipe for it that I adapted a bit and made for dinner...well it was mighty tasty!  It's basically a creamy Chicken Marsala pasta dish. Here is the link to the original recipe, but here is what I actually used:

I knew I was going to grill my chicken and I don't always have the best luck with keeping it from drying out so I decided to brine my chicken first and it definitely made a difference.  I soaked my chicken (about 2 pounds) in this mixture:

Brine:
3 cups cold water
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups ice cubes

I let my chicken soak for one hour--there are a variety of recipes out there and I've read different soaking times, but one said that a lot of people make the mistake of leaving it in the brine for too long.  That recipe suggested an hour so I went with it!  There are also a variety of brine flavors out there--you can add different spices or switch granulated sugar for brown sugar depending on what flavor you want.

While my chicken was soaking, I made the caramelized onions.  There was a link attached to the original recipe that called for yellow onions, but I decided to use shallots.  I used a recipe that I adapted from Smitten Kitchen, which is a fantastic blog with lots of great recipes :)  The Carmela's Chicken recipe called for 6 ounces of caramelized onions--I had just under a 1/2 a pound of shallots.  Here is the actual recipe I used:

Caramelized Shallots:
1 1/2 Tablespoons of butter
1/2 pound of shallots, sliced
2 1/2 teaspoons of sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
2 teaspoons of parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter in an oven-proof pan/dutch oven.  Add the shallots and sugar and mix.  Cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes (until they begin to brown).  Add the vinegar, salt and pepper and toss.

Put the pan in the oven and roast for about 10 minutes.  Toss with the parsley.

The onions can always be done in advance so if you want this to be a quicker meal, you can make these the night before.


Ok...so now for the Carmela's Chicken recipe:

2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 Tablespoons of Butter
8 ounces mushrooms
12 ounces grilled chicken, sliced

salt and pepper
2 teaspoons basil
6 ounces caramelized onion
6 ounces Marsala wine
20 ounces heavy cream 

16 ounces cooked rigatoni pasta
2 ounces Parmesan cheese

Heat the butter and oil and add mushrooms, chicken, salt, pepper, basil and onions.  Saute for 60-90 seconds.

Add the Marsala and saute for 60 seconds.  Add the heavy cream and bring to a boil over high heat.  

Add the pasta and cheese and stir until everything is mixed.

It seems like there are a lot of steps to this recipe, but it's really not too involved.  It took about one and a half hours to make--and that is including the hour that the chicken took to sit in the brine.  I served this with a salad and some Italian bread. 

Crock Pot Barbecue Pork Ribs

If you are looking for an easy meal, try these Barbecue Pork Ribs.  This recipe is quick and easy, plus it all goes into the crock pot!

Here is what you need:
3-3 1/2 pounds of pork country-style ribs
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce

Place your ribs in the crock pot.  In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients and pour sauce over ribs, turning to coat.  Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.

Transfer ribs to a serving platter and cover to keep warm.  Skim fat from surface and pour sauce into a medium saucepan.  Bring sauce to a boil and reduce heat.  Boil gently, uncovered, until thickened to desired consistency (about 5-7 minutes).  It should make about 1 cup of sauce to serve with the ribs.

*This recipe was adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Book of Slow Cooker Recipes


This is definitely one of my easy go-to recipes.  I am all about using my crock pot so I love quick and easy recipes!  These ribs are also pretty cheap so that just adds icing to the cake :)  Enjoy!

Fall Crafts

This year, I began hosting "Craft Night" at my church.  Each month we create a craft (or a few).  Most of my family enjoys crafting so I thought this would be a good way to enjoy some girl time.  Our first Craft Night was held in September 2013 and I was surprised to see that we had 7 ladies show up.  We made a pumpkin topiary and a burlap wreath.  Here is my topiary:

I saw this idea on Pinterest (Click here for her directions) and it was actually pretty easy.  I purchased the flower pot base from Lowe's, which was on clearance for $4.  I got the three foam pumpkins, the ribbon and the leaves at Michael's--the bottom and middle pumpkins are the same size, but you can get three different sizes if you choose.  For the "P," I just printed out a fun-looking one on regular paper.  I taped it to the pumpkin and put tiny pin marks around the edge of the entire P.  I then removed the paper and connected the dots.  I just used black craft paint and painted the P. Once the paint was dry, I began to assemble the topiary.  I put some bricks in the bottom of the flower pot and then put in foam blocks.  I then inserted a dowel rod into the foam.  I cut small holes in the bottom of each pumpkin for the dowel rod to fit through.  I also removed the top (stem) of the pumpkin from the bottom and middle pumpkins.  I placed each of the pumpkins on the dowel rod and then trimmed the dowel rod to fit the top pumpkin.  I hot glued the bow to the top and the leaves around the base.  It was a perfect fall piece for my front porch!

We also made a burlap wreath.  You can find the tutorial that I used here.  I followed exactly what she did to assemble it.  It ended up taking me about 45 minutes to wrap the wreath.  One thing that I did do differently is that I ordered my burlap on Amazon.com--it was tree burlap so it was different than what you get in the craft stores, but it was a lot cheaper.  I used about 20 yards on my wreath (although I could have added more--it may have turned out better if I did).  The burlap is a lot thicker than what you get in the store so I don't think you'd need more than about 30 yards.  I bought a 100 yard role for $22 including shipping--and it was at my door in 2 days.  I ended up ordering a second roll because the ladies at craft night used it too.  THIS is what I purchased.  I also purchased a "P" from Michael's as well as the ribbon to make a bow.  I used this tutorial to make the bow by hand although I will say that the bow maker makes it way easier! 

Here is my completed burlap wreath:

Make sure that when you get your supplies for any of your crafts, use the coupons the stores have (JoAnn Fabrics, Hobby Lobby and Michael's).  There are mailers, print outs from their websites, texts, emails and smart phone apps where you can easily get these.  Don't EVER pay full price for anything :)

Happy Crafting :)

Dining Room Table Makeover

I seriously can't believe that it's been over a year since my last blog!  I guess we all just get caught up with life and forget about these things.  When I began this blog, I wanted it to be a place for my three sisters to go to find my "tried and true" recipes, but I think I want it to be more.  Over the last year, I have become more crafty than I have ever been!  I still love to cook and bake and archive those recipes that we love the most, but I think I craft more than cook anymore.  I began a "Craft Night" at my church once a month so I am always creating something (or borrowing someone else's idea).  I think what really got me started was a project that my husband and I worked on this past summer.  We have been in our home for almost 13 years and we've had our dining room table for probably 10 of them.  When we got our table, I loved the light wood finish, but now I am really drawn to dark wood.  I was on Pinterest and stumbled across a lady who refinished her bathroom vanity (Click Here for her blog).  I of course pinned it and ended up going back to that and deciding that I was going to tackle this project.  This was my first DIY type project and thankfully I have an amazing husband who helped me complete it.  I was shocked at how well our table ended up coming out and since then, I have just been into craft projects.  Here are some pictures of our table before:

We purchased the exact same stain from amazon that was used in the blog (General Finishes Java Gel Stain) and it worked very well--it's not the same as a thin regular stain; it's a gel, which seems to make it work better for this project because it goes on thicker.  We began our project by taking all of the seat cushions off of our chairs.  Once we did that, we lightly sanded them--you really only need to rough them up; they don't have to be sanded down completely.

If this is a project you are going to do, just know that it takes time! There are three coats of stain, LOTS of drying time (close to a week) and then the polyurethane and more drying time.  I guess I didn't read how much drying time was required initially, but it worked out and was definitely worth the wait!

Apparently I am not the best reader because I also missed that you DO NOT wipe off the stain.  My husband and I were staining away and he's wiping so I am wiping because that's what you do with stain typically.  I went to the blog and realized that we needed to pretty much paint the gel on.  Here is what our chairs looked like after the first coat (I know...it doesn't look like much, but it gets better): 

This coat dried for 12 hours and we applied the second coat.  Here are pictures after the 2nd coat:

The chairs definitely look better on coat two, but you can still see the light wood popping through so it definitely needed a third coat.  We let the 2nd coat dry for 24 hours and then did a third coat.  Here is what it looked like after the last coat of stain:

We let the third coat dry for 5 days and then sealed it with the Poly.  In addition to staining the chairs, I decided that we really needed some new fabric on our cushions.  We have two small boys and our cushions were a cream microfiber material.  They were stained so I opted for a vinyl fabric.  I found some at JoAnn Fabrics called Whisper soft vinyl and got it 50% off (it was between $10 and $12 per yard).  I ended up spending around $30 for my 8 chairs.  Here is a before picture of my cushions:

I just put the fabric face-down on my table and cut out the pattern of the cushion with about 3 inches around each side and cut it out:

After that, I just wrapped the fabric around it and stapled it with a heavy-duty staple gun.  Then I put the cushions back onto the chair. It was actually pretty easy! Here is the finished product:

We did all of our chairs one weekend and spent the following weekend staining the table.  I will say that when my husband sanded the table, he didn't just rough it up, he completely sanded the top.  Here are some pictures:

Although this project took a couple of weekends for us to complete, I am so happy that we did it!  My table looks great and it was way cheaper to re-do it than to get something new.  We spent under $100 for this project--and we have plenty of leftover stain and poly to complete other projects.  Here is what the table looks like in my dining room:

This was a big project to tackle, but you can definitely start small--try a shelf or something if you are afraid to do something big.  In my case, our table was old and scratched up so I didn't think I could really ruin it.  It was a great experience and definitely gave me the confidence to do other projects.  We did end up doing our small half bath and this summer we'll do our other bathroom vanity.  Good luck!