Just a Little of Each

A few sips of this, plus...

a bite of that; equals a happy mama and wife!

(Not to mention the boys are out entertaining themselves elsewhere for a few hours... and I can just walk down the road to get my Swiss chocolate! Who needs to go to Europe anymore to get the good stuff?)

This boy...

eats his spaghetti ...

one noodle ...

at a time.

Crustless Tex-Mex Meatloaf Cheddar Pie

It's not a secret that my family loves food. We obsess about it, really. When we're enjoying one meal, we're talking about what's going to be prepared for the next. When we go on trips, the most important decision to make is where we're going to eat. When we go to a favorite restaurant, we order the same thing. Every. Time. It's bad! Real bad!

Not only do we get into the food itself, but we have heirloom serving dishes and real silverware bought from somewhere across seas way back when that we inherited from extended family who have passed on. This family has loved eating for many generations! (Okay, so we don't eat this fancy all the time, just for special occasions)

Needless to say, cooking is definitely a hobby of mine that I inherited from my dad. My grandmother can't quite figure it out since she spent a good portion of her life keeping busy with feeding 8 mouths, including herself. I'm thinking it's a generational thing since I have the luxury of being home, with one young child, and have time on my hands to prepare fresh, healthy meals. There are many more factors that would play into this, I know, but I grew up in a family where meals were fun to make and we have a great appreciation for all the creativity out there for it.

So, without further ado, here is a recipe I'd like to share. It's from "Everyday With Rachael Ray." Some folks have a love/hate relationship with her, I know. I'm not crazy about all her lingo, but I am crazy about her creativity, level of fresh ingredients, and overall really flavorful meals! I made this the other night and thought it was worthy of passing on.

16 oz jar of fired-roasted red peppers, drained split, and seeded
12 oz (3 cups) shredded Mexican cheese blend (I used the 4 cheese blend, without the seasoning)
1.5 lb ground lean beef
16 oz jar chunky salsa
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 10" pie pan with a light coat of olive oil and line with red peppers.
2. Scatter 1 cup of cheese on top.
3. In a bowl, mix 1 cup of cheese, beef, 3/4 cup salsa, bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, salt, and pepper until just combined.
4. Press into the pepper/cheese-lined pie plate. Spread the remaining salsa on top. Bake for 35 minutes.
5. Spread the rest of the cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes.
6. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

IT'S SO GOOD!!!

Side note: If you actually look this up online (www.everydaywithrachaelraymag.com), it tells you to bake it in less time. I think they made a mistake, because there is no way this would be fully cooked with the amount of time they tell you.

Little Bread Helper

Today is a cold, dreary April day and Ben and I made oatmeal cranberry bread this afternoon, breaking out his new apron his PA Grandma made for him. He loves to help me in my cooking projects, especially when it consists of soft, gooey, play-doh-like material that he can dig his little paws into. He also likes to play with the leftover flour on the counter and snack on little bits of dough left behind. There was a good chunk left that he snarfed down before I could clean it up. I'm hoping there aren't any tummy aches later this evening!

Baby Lamb

Out of all the stuffed animals and dolls that Ben has to choose from, his current favorite "baby" is a lamb wearing a cardigan. He rocks the lamb and talks quietly to it as if it's about to go to sleep. It's really dear to watch!

Today, Ben comes up to me with his diaper wipes box and says in a softer voice in some baby mumble I wish I could actually spell out and I suggest that we go change his diaper. Well, when we got to the bathroom, not only had Ben gotten out his diaper pad and had the wipes in hand ready to go, but who else was ready for the diaper change on the pad but Baby Lamb? I just about fell over, it was so darn cute! (Okay, you know it's your kid when you think anything he does is that cute!) I opened up the wipes box, Ben took out a wipe and wiped Baby Lamb's bottom. I helped put a diaper on and off he went to sooth his baby and rock.

(And just a few moments after rocking his baby, he was busy banging on the wall with his hammer... these sweet moments don't last forever!)

Here goes nothin'!

Hey there folks! Due to a push or two from bloggers I know, I'm starting my own blog. I'm hoping this will be a fun outlet during my days at home with Ben where I can record the many things we do together. This may include a variety of things: going to the library, co-op, friends' houses, bike rides, reading "Babybug," changing baby lamb's diaper (seriously), etc. Those of you who have (or had) a toddler know how this stage in their lives provide constant entertainment on so many different levels. There are so many things that he's doing these days that I want to remember, this might be the best way for me to do just that.

So, here I go! Happy reading!