Simple and Easy!

Bok Choy Whole and Cut Up!

Sweet Chillie Sauce Asparagus

So last night i got to use my new pots and pans! I NEVER plan what im going to cook it just comes to me a couple hours before the boys are due home! So last night i was pottering around and decided hmmm im goin to lay out boneless skinless chicken thighs! Then i thought ooo sweet chillie asparagas will go great with the chicken (even tho i had no idea WHAT i was doing with the chicken!) Then i looked in my veggies draws and seen i had a bunch of BokChoy i needed to use before it went yellow! So that is what i had to work with....

So i washed the sparagus! I got a glass dish out drizzled some olive oil in it tossed em in got em coated a lil then i sprinkled em with garlic powder and onion powder then i added a few tablespoons on my fav sweet chillie sauce and taa daa that was done! (you bake em in the oven at about 365'F) So then what to do with the BChoy and Chook thighs.... so lets just slice up some onions oo and some fresh cloves of garlic! Hmm how about 4 red hot lil chillies.... Alright so lets get the pot and fry pan out and get these bad boys HOT! So i threw the smashed coarsely chopped garlic *INSERT SIZZLE HERE* ooo yea! mmm nothin beats the smell of fresh sizzlin garlic AHHH ok so then while the pot and pan is sizzlin away i divide up the onion, and coarsely cut up the bok choy! So i wash the choy and then add it to my hot sizzling garlic in my pot (Bok Choy if you havent cooked it before cooks down ALOT) I added a few dashes of soy sauce and put the lid on and turned it down to cook the lovely greens down! So in the pan i add my thighs to the sizzlin garlic mmm i put the lid of while it seers the one side of the thighs (alot of spittin goin on right here!) I check on the choy stir it a lil then add the onion (i know sounds backwards? but i like the taste of the onions this way :D) i put the lid back on and then turn the thighs over sprinkle the thinley sliced chillie over the top and the onions! throw the lid back on! At this point i was hunting in my fridge to see what else i could fine OH and the spraragus is in he oven this whole time! I found a can of light coconut milk so grab that and added about hlf a cup to my greens (bokchoy) and added the rest about a cup to my chicken! Hubby got home and while i was finishin up dinner he put 3 cups of brown rice in the rice cooker :) by the time everything was done cookin so was the rice! See how easy was that! And now for the pictures!

Sizziling Garlic in Olive Oil

Bok Choy Cooking Down

Bok Choy Cooking Down With Onions

Chicken Simmering With the Onions.

Chicken All Cooked Down. And Ready to Serve.

My Eventful Wkend!

So on saturday i was up at the crack of dawn! Yup it may have been earlier then dawn lol... I was up at 5am 30 mins on the tredmill weigh in on the wiifit shower threw the dinner dishes from the niht b4 in the dish washer and got my son up and dressed and we headed out the door at 6:15am! We were headed to Angies! She had to drop her hubby off at work and then we were headed her mums house as we were all goin to a huge in door garage sale at clay high school! Well i was not as lucky as Angie with finds but i did get Loche some Brain quest booklests that Angie found! But i did find a cute lil recycling book that i have been going threw with my son!

It was a lovely day thats for sure! BUT boy was i tired when i got home! I put away my stuff worked out on the wii an then i layed down...which i probably shouldnt of... seeing i had planned on going to Angies to start sowing seeds! I ended up laying down for what i planned an hr... and next thing i know i was woken up by my hubby whom got home from work at 8ish! Oh dear i felt terrible.. So i am yet to sow seeds... i really have to get on that! So seeing i slept the evening away.. i didnt have any plans for dinner! We ended up goin out for pizza! We had a lovely evening chatting and eattin pizza as a family! Sunday morning came an hour earlier ofcourse! :) I love daylight savings! But i got up and started cooking my boys breakfast! I made pepper bacon lil smokies wrapped in cresent pastry! Chive potatoes! Turkey sausage i made and seasoned my self and scrambled eggs with shredded tasty cheese over the top! What a spread! I wish i had of taken pics it looked delish sittin on the table! But anyway sunday was very productive we had to go to Kohls to pick up a few things, then we ended up at sams club where i got new pots and pans! YAY!

My new pots got washed and dryed yesterday! Im so excited to get to use em 2day! But while we were at sams we picked up these awesome stacking shelves!

These puppys are awesome! You get 2 in a box and they are fab! I LOVE THEM! They took my pantry from messy to fab organised! I wish i had a before pick! But my camera was dead... But i do however have a after pic to share with yu all!

So for 10$ a box which has 2 shelves/bins in them they do an awesome job! I plan on buying more for Loches room and some for my garage!

So while i was at sams i baught some food grade containers for my Bread flour and for my bread dough! Pics of my flour!

CHEWY TASTY YUMMY (a lil healthy) Oatmeal ChocChip Cookies!

So while over at Angies last sunday she was baking oatmeal chocchip cookies! So when we got home that evening the boys decided ok we r done with chocchip peanut butter cookies! WE want chocchip oatmeal cookies! So i looked threw my mounds of recipes and came across an awesome recipe! And before u even attempt this recipe PLEASE make sure you have a big enough bowl to mix this in... This turns out to be ALOT of cookies! I ended up making 2 cookie jars full and putting the rest of the left over cookie dough in the freezer! Heres how they turned out! Recipe will be after the pics!

This is what was left of the cookie dough..

Cookies all done and getting ready to come out and cool off!

Very tasty and gooey and chewy when they first come out according to my son!

This is one of the cookie jars filled with these delish cookies!

And here is my son doing the taste test!

WORLD'S BEST COOKIE-CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL

(this is the original recipe but i changed it!)

3 c. sifted flour

5 tsp. soda

1 tsp. salt

2 c. shortening

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

1 1/2 c. white sugar

4 eggs, unbeaten

2 tsp. hot water

4 c. oatmeal

2 tsp. vanilla

3 c. chocolate chips

1 1/2 c. chopped nuts

Sift flour, measure, add soda, salt and sift.

Cream shortening until fluffy.

Add sugars, cream well.

Beat in eggs, add hot water, and sifted ingredients.

Mix well. Add oatmeal, chocolate chips and nuts, if desired, and vanilla.

Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

For a healthier cookie, i used unsalted butter,

2 egg whites and 2 whole eggs and i used splenda sugar, both white and brown.

I also used less chocchips! i put 2 cups in :)
I also added 3 heaped tablespoons of ground flaxseed!

What does one cook for her hungry family when she hasnt planned a thing?

So this is me going to my freezer and pantry scrounging around trying to figure out what to feed my boys! 5 mins later ive got skinless boneless chicken thighs, a small can of beef broth
a can of tomato herb soup, some garlic powder, onion powder, dried chives and uncooked ravioli's!

30 mins later that dish up there is what ya get!

Hot olive oil then toss ur coated chicken in the pan! Seer Both sides lockin in those tasty juices!

Let em cook for about 10 mins then add the broth and Soup!

Ofcourse while this is happening you should be boiling your water for the pasta!

Let this simmer for a lil bit the aroma is wonderful!

Taa Daa the Chook (chicken for hose who dont know aussie slang :P) thighs are all cooked

and waiting to be poured over the top of the pasta!

I sliced thin slices of freshly baked bread for the boys to soak up the tasty juices! It was a hit!

Signs of Spring!

Yay! Yesterday even tho it was bloody cold! I ventured out to toss some veggies in the compost bin! And while i was out there i snapped some pics of what looks to be "SIGNS OF SPRING!" woohoo im doinga lil dance right here!

Tulip Nubbies!

Im so excited!

This i cant get over... my oregano lived threw winter!

This is whats left of my strawberries no thanks to the squirels! *shaking fist*

And this is where my Compost bin lives!

Monday Morning Chores BLUCK!

So i thought id gotten most of my stuff done yesterday. But low and behold that is never the case! Whats on the agenda today.... Lets see... I have a load of towels to wash and dry... Dish washer to unload and put away... All my stainless steel appliances need grubby finger prints removed! ( I cant stand having hand prints or smudges on my stove...fridge...dishwasher!) Bread to bake a wks worth of sugar free cookies for my boys, Loches schooling and at some point i have to cook dinner! I did plan on goin outside today if it wasnt to COLD.... im fuuny arent i! Yea thats not gunna happen... currently its 11'F can u say BRRRRRRRRRR? Not to mention while i was web camming with my mum i seen some flurries floating by the windows..... Evil winter! Lets just hope with the winter we have had this yr...it has killed all the dang mozzies! The last few yrs have been terrible... I miss the first summer when they werent bad and we would take turns with our friends Joe and Ang having cook outs and enjoying the summer weather and not have to worry about the dang bugs! So to end this post heres some pictures of our yard in spring and summer :P

My Very productive Sunday!

So ive been up since about 9am i started my day off with a 45min walk on the tredmill! and then i worked out on the Wii doing 1hr 45mins on the Wii Fit! Ahhh what a way to start your day am i right? I then went back to bed waking my sleepy hubby up and we opened the blinds and looked out our big window in our bedroom boy it looked glorious outside! I was excited i wrote up my to do list! The boys were thrilled! I sent Kevin outside to rake leaves for my compost bin! Oh and i had him pooper scoop some of the back yard seeing the dog has poop everywhere... and i dont fancy having to walk out there every single day trying to avoid it when i am headed for the compost bin! I shredded news papper to add to my bin! I already have a bucket filled wih chopped up veggie matter *doing a lil dance* and i have a tray full of guinea pig yesterdays news litter and droppings to add to my bin! Its still a lil chilly outside but it felt wonderful being out there! I cant wait to get my hands in the veggies garden and start prep'ing the garden for planting! I have a list of herbs and veggies i didnt order from the seed catalogs that i plant on buyin once the local nurserys open up! But unfortunately fr me my house doesnt get any sun for me to start my seedlings yet... Which kind sucks but i will figure somehing out! So my house is all clean and the laundry is some what done and put away i will finish that up 2morro which is normal for me :) We are headed over to Joe and Angies for games and an early dinner i believe, We have to head to the store first to pick up some cat food and guinea pig litter and a desert to take to Joe and Angs! Oh and if your wondering what i had my hubby do :P he put away 4 bags of clean laundry for me! And helped tidy up the house!

So our houses lastest addition!

No his is not our dinning room although... i wouldnt mind the flooring! But here is our new table and chairs! This table and chairs is replacing this set we currently own,

And yes this is our actual dinning room!

Yay I Baked My First Loaf of Bread 2nite!

And i am kicking myself for not taking pictures! I made the master bread dough in my book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking, By Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. I took my first loaf out of the oven and my husband and son came swarming in, even though my poor husband had 4 teeth pulled today, he was soooooo hungry for a taste of the nice hot loaf i pulled out the oven!! The bread looked delisious! I baked it in a loaf pan i flipped it out on my board and pressed it a lil to see how it felt the crackling of the crust on this bread was mouth watering just listening to it crackle! The inside of the bread OH MY GOD! im not allowed bread but i cut a tiny slither off a slice i cut for my son and i couldnt believe the flavor!!!!!!!! I thought i could take pictures after it had cooled but unfortunately.... the loaf of bread was GONE before it had time to cool! The boys sliced it off and put a lil butter on it and ate the loaf of bread with the left over chilli from the nite b4! BUT thats ok i will bake another loaf 2morro! And its only going to take me 5 mins! (not including the 25min baking time that is :P) Bcuz the bread dough is already made up and sitting in my fridge waiting for me to cut a ball of dough from it form it and toss it in the baking pan! I love this book! I can not wait to start making some of the other fantastic breads they have listed in this book! This bread dough only has 4 ingredients in it also! They are yeast, whole wheat flour, salt and water! When this dough is all finished up i plan on making my friends bread which is yummy also! Angie makes a nice sweet loaf of bread and my guys love that as well! Now that i have gotten my hands wet and actually baked some bread i have a lil more confidence! BYOB!

Taste Of Home

So thursday night i attended the Taste of Home Cooking Show which was held at the Maumee Rec Centre! Here is the website they have some great ideas for recipes and what not! http://www.tasteofhome.com/

The show itself was alright the woman doing the cooking annoyed me some what.. sarcastic and some what bland at the same time... I went to this show with my mother in law we actually had an ok time all up besides the fact that the cooking show went WAY to long... the doors opened at 4 and the cooking show itself didnt start till just after 7 we left the building at around 10pm... Boy did my butt hurt after sitting there the whole time... Anyway we left with a gift bag filled with some nice stuff but we werent one of he lucky gals who walked out of there with gift baskets from the sponsors that were there.