More of Our "Silly Sue" & Philly Cheese Steak on the Food Network

While we were baking, Tori had a laughing fit. I can't even remember what the topic was, but she was DELIRIOUS with laughter.

The boy in the belly at 23 weeks (March 22, 2012)

PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS on FOOD NETWORK

Craving Philly cheese steaks but are too far from Philly? LOL Try this recipe, but let me forewarn you that it isn't simple and it does take some time. The rewards are taste-bud pleasing and "oooh" inspiring!! My family has made this together three times, but I've never photographed it! Bobby Flay's video on the above link is helpful for amateur cooks. Very helpful.

We always tag team: I shred cheese, make the cheese sauce while hubby fries meat and cuts up veggies, etc.  It's a great recipe for family time and cooking together!

More Tori Photography

Ingredients:

6-8 Tbsp Coconut oil (solid state)

1/4 cup baking soda

1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch (arrowroot is preferred)

Directions:

Combine equal portions of baking soda & arrowroot powder.

1. Slowly add coconut oil and work it in with a spoon or hand blender until it maintains a firm but pliable texture. It should be about the same texture as commercial deodorant, solid but able to be applied easily. If it is too wet, add further arrowroot powder/cornstarch to thicken.
2. You can either scoop this recipe into your old deodorant dispensers or place in a small container with lid and apply with fingers with each use. Makes about 1 cup. This recipe lasts about 3 months for two people with regular daily use.
Here's my opinion on the deoderant: 
CONS- It was messy to use (unless you have some type of mini-spatula to apply it with). It actually filled an old deoderant cartridge of mine just fine, but the application is still somewhat messy, in that the deoderant itself is melty and gets all over the cartridge itself. It doesn't last all day. I have to reapply at least once on a warm day.
PROS-I have the assurance of natural ingredients on my skin with no concerns of cancer-producing parabens or chemicals, so I'm willing to overlook all the CONS that our society has grown used to fixing with chemical-ridden products.
It's a matter of personal conviction, and I leave you with that.


It has been difficult for Tori to wait for 'the last frost' before planting her flower seeds. So, a few weeks back, we couldn't resist buying a few flowers to plant.

ONE MORE PHOTO of TORI ART

She painted a portrait of each of us and one of Simon the Chipmunk. Can you pick out which one is Papa?

Here is her description of the portraits EVERY time we discuss it:

"That one is me. It's square with four sides. That one is you, Mom, with no eyes and no mouth. That one is Papa with a beard. And Simon has glasses on."

I suppose in my 20s, my portrait would offend me. Why did you paint me as a blob, when you clearly have drawing skills to paint a real face? And look how well you painted Papa! But, I am so in love with her art, and I have no inferior complex with my ever-loving daughter. :o)

I'll leave you with this thought:

U.S. Supreme Court DENIES PARENTS OF VACCINE DAMAGED CHILDREN THEIR RIGHT TO SEEK JUSTICE

...The parents.. saw their healthy child damaged by a diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine in April, 1992. Just hours after receiving the shot, their daughter Hannah went into seizures. Today she still suffers from residual seizure disorder....read more here!

First bug catch of the season! We finally found a millipede under that mulch. She says it's not the right kind of millipede to allow to crawl on her arms. Tee hee, she is very specific about which bugs can crawl on her and which ones can't. Of course, I am particular in that regard, too. NONE can crawl on me.

MORE TORI PHOTOGRAPHY

And I noticed she wore her favorite white ballet flats to garden with. I suppose that the first planting of the season is worthy of dress shoes. :o)

We bought a yellow ranuncula and a few violas. On that first day, Tori was all about watering and caring for them. She even scolded me for getting water on the petals. lol

I can't stop snapping shots of my homeschooler while she paints. It is such a regular occurrence these days, and she enjoys it so thoroughly. It makes for great photographs sometimes.

Okay, did you catch my FBA post about homemade deoderant? Well, I finally made some and started using it. Later in the post, I will give you my first-hand reviews on it.

Focused like a true artist...

Tulips surprised us in the sideyard this year, since we didn't yet live here in March 2011 when they last bloomed. Tori took LOTS of photos! Here are two.

Salad Favorites, since spring is near! And a bit of gymnastics

This is my tribute to salads, since I'm eating a lot of them and thus, trying new salad recipes.

This link didn't provide a photo, much to my chagrin, because it is the most beautiful salad. And I don't have a photo of when I made it either. So, I shot one (sideways) of the magazine I took it from (which is bhg, the link provided above). It makes the perfect salad for spring or summer- crisp, bright, refreshing! The grapefruits and clementines I use in it add the tart, juicy side of springtime! I'm so curious to hear if any of you try it! Again, the people I made it for rave about it!

I couldn't resist sharing this photo. Our daughter used the water hose to "fill the tank" of her Jeep with gas. So cute and so creative. Perhaps she thought that filling it with "gas" would replace the need for a battery. (We need a battery for this Jeep I found for free, but I discovered the battery is $75, so there it sits for weeks on end)

Does anyone recall that our 4 year old took a soccer class?  She showed much improvement over the 5 week class. Over time, she learned gentle control of the ball with the insides of her feet. And she finally learned to quit relying on her hands to stop the ball.

However, at the end of the 5 weeks, we were adamantly informed that it was "a whole lot of hard work and I'm tired from it!" I recall she even told me that it would take a reaaalllly long nap to help her recover from all that hard work. LOL!

Another salad recipe I enjoy making is also from Better Homes and Gardens. Again, I never took photos of it, but here is the BHG shot of it. It's a taste-bud pleaser for sure and another spring or summer salad!

My husband and daughter have created this nightly ritual- a special bonding of sorts. It started back in New Jersey after dinner every night and involved only a stuffed Ty squirrel (who was aptly named Squirr-EL). Rick would make the stuffed animal talk to her, much to her 3 year old delight, because she was just beginning to have imaginary friends.

Our daughter quickly coined the phrase, "Talk to SquirrEL" and every night, she requested this game with my husband. Over time, Squirrel has taken a backseat to each new critter that becomes part of our family. On this particular night, Slimy (snake) and Pascal (chameleon) were privileged to host the game.

To this day, she rarely goes to bed without asking Rick to "make animals talk".

Cranberry Spinach with Gorgonzola

I'm certain I've mentioned this salad recipe, at least on my FB page! It is my absolute favorite, because it's easy, tasty, diverse, and I usually have these ingredients on hand! I love how this recipe affords me the opportunity to throw in whatever is in the cupboard- pecans or walnuts, cranberries or raisins, spinach or mixed greens, gorgonzola or bleu cheese or feta. But my favorite element in the salad is their deliciously EASY, tangy dressing! Of course, I love all things lemon... I keep a tupperware of the dressing in my refrigerator, and when I'm in the salad mood, I throw a bit of each ingredient in a bowl. Voila! A salad!

I LOVE THIS GIRL! She's ecstatic here because she's wearing the Ariel pajamas we bought at the Disney store for $7. Her emphasis on the Ariel PJs, mine on the $7. :o)

Look! Look! She's tumbling off the couch again! I'm almost certain that gymnastics is in her near Autumn future!

I am one proud homeschooling mama! (In March) She learned to write her nickname, and a day later, she did it by herself when I wasn't looking!

"It is my belief that diet soda has contributed to the rise of breast cancer and multiple sclerosis that has been preceded by the use of Aspartame as a food ingredient in every country that has allowed its use."    ~Dr Monte

Visit this link to read the whole article regarding aspartame and other such harmful chemicals.

Three Recipes (from three different sources) Equal a Full Course Meal (and a nasty note about aspartame)

On the first warm day of the season (back in March?), I got a hankering for BBQ steak. So inspired was I that I found and made two other recipes for the same meal. This post is a quick run-down of the dinner I made for my family that day.

Braised Cabbage with Homemade Spicy Croutons

I've made this recipe a few times. It's that tasty and easy! This time, I didn't feel like taking time to remove all the crust from my skinny baguette, and I discovered that they tasted just as great with the crust as without!

Let's just break it down nice and simple for my fam- er, friends who don't like to cook but wish to partake of tasty grub! Above is the quick process of tearing apart the bread. Below is a picture of the spices used .

This (hopefully) shows how easy it is to fry 'em up in the pan with those spices and oil.

Cut the cabbage in 6 wedges (I make 4-5), as well as the lemons.

Braise (high-temp fry) the cabbage in the same pan as you made croutons.

Throw it on a platter and garnish with the lemon wedges and croutons and whatever spices the recipe calls for.

Creamy Risotto with Corn and Tomato

I've also made this recipe a couple of times. It's not MY favorite, but everyone else raves about it. Again, for my friends who think recipes are complicated and take too much effort, here's a run-down:

Drained, rinsed corn; basil; chopped tomatos

Risotto is, I admit, more time consuming than most dishes, but considering it provides such great flavor and reward, I deem it worth the extra time. Here, I'm stirring the hot milk mixture, half a cup at a time, into the risotto mixture (see recipe!)...

End results are soooooo delicious!

STEAK STEAK STEAK STEAK STEAK STEAK STEAK

I believe this is the first time I BBQ'ed a steak alone without my husband here 'guiding' me along. And to my surprise and utter delight, he gave me 100% kudos! Cooked to perfection!

Of course, while I toiled at the BBQer, funny 4 year old played in the water table.

And she even took her first useable photo of me! Hooray, my face will finally make it in scrapbooks and on blogs! LOL.

Here it is...

Presenting BBQ'ed Steak, Braised Cabbage and Spicy Croutons, Creamy Risotto w/ Corn and Tomato

Heard of aspartame, haven't you?

 But do you know what it's made of? Suffice it to say that aspartame is a  genetically modified E.coli bacteria... but if you want more info than that, read this, and be DISGUSTED!

Picnic Potato Salad, Plain Zoya manicure, and my child's new favorite snack

Thought I'd start this blog with my daughter and her antics. She recently decided that yogurt with granola in it was permissible to try, and to her delight (& mine), she enjoyed the new idea! So, here she is pouring granola on the table, picking some up, and putting it in her yogurt. LOL. I guess if she puts it into the yogurt all at once, it would get soggy. Then she wouldn't eat it. I'd have to throw it out. Then I'd scold her for wasting. And she'd pout. And I'd have to correct the pouting. Hmmm, smart kid. LOL.

Typical silly face of my girl. She really does get that from me. My whole family is goofy that way.

By now, I don't remember what caused her to crack up, but it was something I said.

Do you miss my muffins? I haven't made anything new lately. Winter is slow at the farm, so I stick with what I know will sell. Orange Almond and Peanut Butter pictured here.

Orange almond, raspberry chocolate chip, mint chocolate mini muffins for our fellowship. Actually, I had made three batches for jumbo muffins for the farm, in three flavors for variety. But I knew they wouldn't all sell, so I used some of each batter to make minis for another event.

 

MORE PHOTOS FOR MY FAMILY

While my four year old was distracted by a television show, I braided her hair for the first time. It turned out nice, for an amateur job. She discovered it after the show was over, & I instantly thought that she'd pull it out- such was the case anytime I tried to do anything fun with her hair....until this time. She LOVED it. For nearly two weeks, I was asked to french braid her hair every day. Unfortunately, only this first one turned out pretty.

Do you miss my manicures? I  don't. LOL. Actually, I think this is the last one I have in photos to post, because my nails are such a mess that I don't even paint them. I'm still trying to pinpoint the issue. My midwife and I have ruled out low thyroid and calcium. Fish oil capsules are under way now. At any rate, everything I'm taking is herbal or natural food substance in pill form, so it's benefiting baby #2.

A  bit ordinary, but I tire of all the layers and designs. I just wanted a pretty coat of polish.

Course, I couldn't leave well enough alone and had to try out Sally Hansen top coat with specks of sparkle in it (sorry, too lazy to get up and go read the name!)

After I applied the sparkle coat, I wished I'd left the Zoya alone. I really am pleased with Zoya untouched.

My girl and her snake, Slimy. I guess he was misbehaving that day, because he found himself in a grape tomato clam pack for the next 5 days. LOL. I'm the one who let him out. She had left him under the bed to rot. Just kidding. He's stuffed. (Ask her what kind of snake he is, and she'll 'rattle' off a bunch of technical snake names like, "Asp Viper", "Massassagua", "Puff Adder", "Reticulated Python", and "Rhinoceros Viper"!)

Okay, the promised Picnic Potato Salad recipe. Mmm-MMMM! First, I apologize for not having "prep" photos. I claim pregnant brain and only remembered to snap a shot of the end result, but at least I have that!

 This is a delicious potato and egg salad! I didn't follow the recipe exactly (for example, I had no cucumbers for garnish, and I didn't exactly use the size potatos they asked for. I just used what was in my house), but that's the fun of cooking, right? Improv if you can or if you must!

This side dish is tops in my recipe book. It was easy, not to time-consuming, and very tasty!

 

One last note- er, jab....

DIRTY SECRETS ON THE VACCINE INDUSTRY

Click here to read more

That's all for now....