SEEING RED!

Soy Boy & his Dad are preparing to test for their black belts in a couple of weeks. . .but, he got a big surprise recently! His instructor awarded him a "red top", which at his school signifies that he is now on the leadership team! He is the youngest member of the leadership team and will be the youngest member (& one of the first) to get their black belts! GO SOY BOY! We're proud of you!

THE BEACH IN WINTER!

Grandmother in Korean is "halmoni." (We pronounce it "Harmony"). In February, several members of my husband's family took Halmoni to the beach for a "vacation". She is battling colon cancer and is 'done' (by choice) with treatments. We had a wonderful visit with her and everyone that we don't get to see often enough! The kids especially had a fun time going to the beach in the winter! We celebrated a birthday or two and celebrated family. We had a wonderful visit, but it was admittedly tough saying goodbye. . .maybe for the last time. Because she arranged my husband's adoption from Korea about 34 years ago, I have her to thank for the family I have today. (In the top photo, the woman in the solid red shirt is my mother in law. Seated is Halmoni's son. Her daughter is in the striped shirt. Her son-in-law and family friend also standing).

LET IT SNOW!!

This is what we woke up to yesterday morning! Talk about a winter wonderland, but in MARCH!? C'mon!! This will all be a distant memory by the end of the week but we made the most of it. And by 'we' I really mean 'they'! I used the old "I have too much cooking/cleaning to do!" excuse! It was FREEZING outside! But Foodie Dad braved the cold along with the young'uns and built a snow fort of which they were very proud!

You Can't Win Them All!

Well, even the best of us have flops of a meal and I definitely had one this Saturday night! We had friends over. I was very excited to have these particular friends over because my girlfriend had recently had major surgery and my purpose was to get her and her family out of the house. . .change of scenery. . .a great meal. . .well, at least they had a change of scenery!

I made what I thought to be a simple undertaking. . .vegetable cerviche for an app, roasted potatoes, roasted asparagus with Parmesan and Florentine stuffed chicken wrapped in prosciutto. Dessert. . .double layer vanilla cake stuffed with whipped cream and raspberry preserves and topped with sugar and shaved chocolate. Now, doesn't that sound good??!!

Vegetable cerviche. . .DELICIOUS!
Asparagus. . .mushy. . .almost unrecognizable. . .and the parm cheese I topped it off with could be lifted off in one lacy layer all at once.
Potatoes. . .crispy. . .not roasted. . .OVER-roasted. . .almost empty on the inside. . .you KNOW what I mean!
Chicken. . bland. . .boring. . .white. . .dry. . .shall I go on?
Dessert. . .DELICIOUS!!

So, if we had just stuck with the appetiser and dessert and just forgot about the mess in between, we would have been fine. Our guest politely went on and on about how great it was to be out. . .and how great it was to not have to cook. . .and how well the kids were behaving & how much fun they were having. . .the were very. . .POLITE! To my gracious & very dishonest friends. . .I owe you one! I won't be posting any recipes from this weekend. . .better luck next time!

That's a Mouthful!!

This is a "Rachel Ray" recipe. . .& honestly, I'm not a big fan. I usually feel disappointed after most of the stuff I've made of hers, but THIS ONE IS A KEEPER!! No raw chicken to mess with, very few ingredients and it truly is ready in under 30 minutes. I used Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne. . .with the added bonus of 6g of protein AND 6g of fiber!! The sauce is strong enough that you won't notice it's healthy!

. . .and it's called. . .get ready. . .

American-Italian all'Amatriciana!

Ingredients
Salt
1 pound whole-wheat cassarecci, rigatoni or penne pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 slices lean peppered bacon, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 cup chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
Black pepper & salt to taste
A handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Shredded sharp white Cheddar, to pass at table (I used Parmesan ~ Cheddar seemed weird to me!)

Directions
Heat water to boil for pasta, season with salt and cook pasta to al dente.
Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat with extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan. Add bacon and crisp 4 to 5 minutes then add onions and garlic cook to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in stock then tomatoes and season with salt & pepper to taste. Simmer sauce 15 minutes. Toss pasta with sauce and parsley. Serve with grated sharp white Cheddar.

NOTES: I would forgo the cheddar for a Parmesan or other more "Italian" cheese. . .I also added sliced black olives and some red pepper flakes for an added kick. . .both of which my husband loves! He was working late the night I made this and I took his dinner up to him. He actually called me from upstairs to tell me how good his dinner was!! Unfortunately, he has become somewhat of a food snob due to all the cooking I always do, so to get kudos from him means something to me! I served this with a Greek salad. Enjoy!

She's ALL GROWN UP!

Chunky Monkey turned 5 this week. . .and she's apparently going on 20! Seems like yesterday we were driving to the hospital in the middle of the night in a snow storm. She had several parties (home, grandparents, school etc) but I think the main attraction, by far, was the polka dot suitcase we got her for her impending first sleepover at her NaNa's house, that coincidentally coordinated perfectly with an outfit her aunt sent her. Good luck, NaNa! Happy Birthday Chunky Monkey!

Valentine's Day is Next!!

Well, if you think you've had enough sweets over the holidays. . .think again! Valentine's Day is right around the corner and that is by far the "SWEETEST" holiday of the year. I made this Rocky Road Candy at Christmas and had to make 2 more batches while the kids were home. They are now working it off on their Wii Fit. . .but they were a huge success & super-duper easy! They'd be great to put a few pieces in a heart celophane bag or heart gift box for your sweeties on Valentine's Day!

I found this recipe in a "Best Recipes - Holiday Cookies" cookbook.

2 cups (12 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips
2 T butter
1 (14 oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 (10/5 oz) pkg mini marshmallows

Over low heat, melt chocolate chips and butter with the milk & remove from heat.
In a lg bowl, combine peanuts & marshmallows, stir in chocolate mixture & spread in a 13x9 inch baking pan lined with wax paper. Top the mixture with another piece of wax paper and use your hands to "compact" the candy. Remove the top sheet of paper.
Chill at least 2 hours. Remove from pan and cut into squares.

Besides the chocolate mixuture. . . you can definitely play with the "rocks" in the "road". . .try almonds and coconut or maybe some dried fruit like cherries!