life lately: cuteness & calories

life lately has been full of calories and cuteness. first- the cuteness. my little griffin is becoming mobile and so much fun! he naps now for 2, maybe 3 times a day which is nice and predictable. he'll sit and play by himself for a good period of time and is just so chill. and happy. i love that little guy. we've had fun lately at the museum as my pass is about to expire. but all that fun is short lived for porter. poor guy does not feel the same way as griffin. he does not want to be a big boy on his big boy swing! for reals though, he tells me all the time that he's not a big boy, he's a baby. oy vey. oh look! griffin playing with his shadow. because he's the greatest little third child.

 you know i said something about calories? yeah, i was supposed to eat a ton of those conference weekend. and then i tried something different with my bacon and things took a dark turn. a very dark and crispy turn. my friend gave me a packet for conference that had the armor of god. my kids loved putting them on their teddy bears, who they proclaimed to be the roman soliders who guarded jesus' tomb. then made it. oh look, my poor crowded cinnamon rolls that didn't get baked on the inside. the calories that could have been.

life has been snuggly. my boys run so hot and cold with each other. and i just love it when they get along. porter adores his big brother and copies him verbatim. they never fall asleep together, let alone at the same time. and griffin, they can't get enough of him. i think he gets his fill though. speaking of calories, i made those smores rice krispy pinwheels off facebook. they were delicious but not at all as easy as the video makes them appear.

lately, life has been snuggly and sleepy. anytime i put griffin on the ground or especially on my tummy, the boys get in line for the mommy train. the other day at the gym porter figured out he could still climb on board the stroller and get a free ride. he was so proud of himself! it's hard to be little- sleep just overcomes you at any time. oh look! landon spelled out bear. not on his own- he's no genius but he sure is adorable.

good eats: mel's favorite mousse

here it is folks- my favorite dessert of all time! i only get it once a year on my birthday. *fun fact- the one time i made it myself, i totally biffed it and didn't get it to set up right. that was my 21st birthday* it came from an old bishop of mine in a ward cookbook. it's very chocolaty- so much so, that many can't finish it. i call those people quiters.

my mom was gone for my birthday so i didn't get it in november. then when she did come to town in january, i was doing my diet bet and couldn't risk the calories. then she came into town in february and i just couldn't resist anymore. my favorite thing about this is how well it freezes. i actually prefer it frozen and thawed out for a few minutes. then i can piece it out and make it last for a few weeks....ok days. i'm really trying to preserve my memories with my mom so this was a fun night cooking together. i made her take pictures and she hated it but i loved it.

mel's favorite mousse

put in a spring form pan then freeze

3 cups crushed oreos

1/2 cup melted butter

mix together, pat down at the bottom of the pan and return to freezer.

filling:

1 lb of semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 whole eggs

separate 4 egg yolks/whites

2 cups whipping cream

12 Tb powder sugar (6 with egg whites, 6 with the cream)

melt the chocolate chips. add whole eggs and the egg yolks from the separated eggs. whip the cream and powdered sugar together and set aside. whip egg whites until stiff and add a little bit of each until they are combined. be careful and do this quickly. the mix of hot/cold can make the chocolate harden in balls (not good).  pour into the pan and refrigerate for 8 hours. serve with whipping cream.

can if you do, can if you can't

one of my goals this year was to become proficient in food storage- and along with that, i wanted to learn how to can. i know, who cans anymore? it's really a lost art- like learning how to play the organ. it's really not worth it considering how you can buy a can of sauce for $3 and gardening, creating a sauce and canning is way more then that. but it's still a useful thing to learn and i had the tomatoes. 2- i mean really, if the world crushes down on us like it did in 'revolution', i will be prepared. like the prophet says.

in reality, canning is not that hard. the making of the sauce was hard. i now know some things though which should make it better next time.

1- peel and core your tomatoes before freezing
2- make sure i absolutly love the canning sauce recipe before making a gigantic pot of it
3- plan on simmering the sauce all day- not the 90 minutes it said
4- warn my husband to shut his trap upon penalty of death

for reals on the last one. i made the sauce, which was delicious, but not what we are used to. i used the 'our best bites' sauce which uses balsamic vinegar. it tasted more italy then it did prego, which is what justin likes. he took one bites and pronounced it was the worst thing he had ever eaten. after i had spent all night and all day making this stupid sauce. i almost threw a knife at him. for the record, when the bishops wife came over to help me can, she said it was the best sauce she ever had. so justin can suck it.

any who like i said the process was the hard part. i froze whole tomatoes so i left them defrost in my clean kitchen sink- this made it so i didn't have to blanch them to get the skins off. but it also made them too squishy in my taste. once my hands had frozen solid and they were peeled, i cored them. then i diced them. then i put them in the blender, which i wasn't going to do but my husband requested. i mean, i'm glad he but i'm not going to tell him that.

then in the morning i made it sauce in two pans, which turned into one by the time i was done bc it simmered the water out so much. then with clean jars, i put the sauce in them, wiped them down, put tops on and put them in a water bath. they had to cook for so long then i took them out. instantly they 'popped' which let me know the seal was good. after they completely cooled i put the rims on and they were done! like i said, it wasn't hard - just incredibly intimidating. now that i know how to do them, i might just can them as i go along, instead of freezing them. i might even try something other then tomatoes.

i'm super glad i learned but goodness gracious, i will stick to buying my sauce. because i have to give away all my precious canned tomato sauce this year.

ww cupcakes that don't suck

you know what sucks? eating healthy. the other day i attended a church meeting and one of my friends remarked how she hated how the church revolves around food- how there's too much junk food and it's always present at every meeting. my thoughts, 'of course! i wouldn't go if there wasn't food!'. seriously, if i died tomorrow, i would regret not eating enough brownies. life is too short people.

speaking of which- landon didn't nap sunday. those are the longest days. he asked if we could make cookies- which led to these being born. i know, not cookies. maybe if you added less liquid you could make them into cookies but i love these. a great treat without the guilt. and i found the recipe [for the most part] on the box!

ww cupcakes
4 points [3 for the cupcake, 1 for the icing]
yields: 16 cupcakes

any duncan hines cake mix [i used dark chocolate]
1/3 cup apple sauce
3 egg whites
3/4 cup water

mix with blender on high until it get's fluffy [the trick to any cupcakes]. bake according to directions on the box. top with 2 tb of cool whip light. enjoy and thank me later!

reese's mini-cup cookies

with all of this 'trying to be skinny stuff' i sure am having a fat attack lately. what is it about a diet that makes you want to scarf down everything? like seriously, everything. oink! oink! oink! my friend kristi introduced these cookies to me and i've been obsessed ever since. like obsessed. she brought me over a tray when i had porter and i ate them all up. then a month later i made a batch and ate those all up. then i made some for my church lesson and wasn't able to eat them all up because i had to share. i agree with landon, sharing is the worst.

since i am on ww i attempted to make these a bit more healthy. i've heard about pb2 online and i was too scared to try it on it's own. cookies were a nice and safe way to try to be skinny and fat at the same time. basically it's a powder that you mix with water in a 2:1 ratio. it's chunkier then peanut butter because it doesn't have the oil. in cookies, it was pretty yummy. we had missionaries over for dinner and they tried it a-la the cinnamon challenge [a tablespoon of dry powder on a spoon]. they are much braver then me.


next time i might try to substitute other ingredients like butter, eggs or sugar but not today. today i needed some cookies. so enjoy. this is delicious

reese's mini-cup cookies
ww points: 2
servings: 38

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter [or pb2]
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

mix until fluffy then gradually add

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda

mix well. shape into small balls and put into mini cupcake pan that has liners in it. bake 350 for 8-10 minutes. press reese's mini cups into cookies right when they come out [it takes a while to unwrap these! i like to refrigerate them before so they don't melt so fast]. let them completely cool in the pan. eat. enjoy. thank me later. ps- they freeze well!

ww chicken & dumplings

let's be honest here, i am not that good of a cook, but i sure do try. i hate taking direction and even more then that, i hate measuring. this all adds up to trouble. now that i have jumped on the weight watchers bandwagon again [officially this time], i have done a lot better with my portions. i had made my month of menus before i joined ww and so most of my meals aren't necessarily healthy. this one i adapted and am so happy with the outcome! i didn't even notice it was light. typically when i make chicken & dumplings i'll use some canned sauces & can of biscuits. this recipe that i made didn't use any of that and was so delicious! for the dumplings i used this bisquick heart healthy stuff i bought a while ago in an attempt for healthier pancakes. spoiler alert- not delicious as my other recipe. so i had this box and the dumplings it made were totally yummy and i didn't feel deprived at all. without further ado-

ww chicken & dumplings
serving size: 1 cup
total servings: 5
ww points+: 4

1 1/4 cups of cooked chicken [you can use however much you want- i just had this much from a leftover rotisserie chicken dinner we had]
3 cups of chicken broth [add more if you like more of a soup quality- doesn't add any more points]
1 Tb salted butter
2 Tb flour
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 cup onions
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 tsp thyme
2/3 cup bisquick heart healthy
2 Tb milk
pepper to taste

i forgot to take a pretty after picture so this is justin's mid-meal

saute chopped celery, carrots, and onions in a large soup pan. you can add more vegetables if you'd like- doesn't add any more points. cook until onions are clear. then add flour and stir for a minute. add broth, peas, thyme, pepper, & chicken. let simmer. [i made all of this ahead of time in the early afternoon. i've found that when i mostly make a meal then do final preps at the end, our dinners can get on the table on time. you never know when a nursing baby will be hungry!] assembly bisquick and milk in a bowl and stir [it will be clumpy dough consistency]. turn up heat until soup boils. make small pieces and drop into pan [not too thick- they rise a bit]. turn heat to medium and cook uncovered for 10 minutes then 10 minutes covered. eat and enjoy!

julie, julia, & me

i have never been a good cook- like ever. one time i made rolls and drop a bit of an eggshell in and thought "oh no one would notice - if i mix it up enough you won't be able to tell". wrong- they just broke up into smaller and smaller egg shells that ruined every bite. one time i accidentally made cookies and mixed up the salt & sugar ratios- and made some yummy salt cookies. another time there was some cat food in rolls [what's up with rolls in our family??]. and basically, almost everyone i know refers to burning food as melissa-ing it.

so how in the world did i get to be so good all of a sudden? ok, ok, 'so good' may be an exaggeration but i have learned a couple things and have discovered valuable resources that have made me a changed woman.

some tips i've learned- most often the hard way
1- don't be afraid to try something. that's why god invented take out.
2- don't be too particular about measurements, trust your instincts. for ex, the pancake recipe below i always add a bit more flour. you know what pancake dough should look like/what tastes good/what you like so improvise.

*how i write recipes and what they should actually look like - really, you can't even decipher it

3- ask for advice and tips from friends. see what they like and use. i've always been so afraid of certain foods but by trying my friend's dishs, i've expanded my pallet. for ex, i've never had fajitas or chicken salad sandwiches a year ago. now they're one of my favorite dishes.
4- don't be afraid of a dish because it has something foreign in it- like a spice you've never used before. it's surprising but you'll end up using it again.
5- avoid distractions as much as you can. that's how things get burned or overcooked. when in doubt, cook on lower heat.
6- when in doubt, call your mom. i still call mine 2-3x when doing a new recipe.
7- don't trust baking times. i can cook a frozen chicken breast in my slow cooker on low in 3 hours. everywhere else sats 5-7. elevations and appliances have minds of their own.
*here are some great food specific tips i found online




here are some of my tried and trued recipes i lurv-  because i love new recipes

this is my go-to pancake recipe, which i make at least once a week.
speaking of breakfast, this is my favorite breakfast blueberry casserole- but i add strudel on top. i make this any time i can- most recently for general conference.
this is our fancy once-a-year breakfast treat - puffy french toast. worth every calorie.
man i'm giving you a lot of breakfast recipes, but this is more a dessert. the best cinnamon roll recipe ever- including my mothers. and she agrees.
this is a delicious sloppy joe recipe and a fun way of doing quesadillas differently.
i am a huge beef & broccoli fan and this is the only recipe i've found is true to take out.
i love pizza hut deep dish pizza and this crust is soo good. uses dry milk- so different.
yummy banana nutella bread- a special weight watchers friendly treat. i'm quite heavy handed on the nutella.
my favorite sugar cookie recipe- which i won't ever roll out. i just make round balls which works perfectly.
my world famous [and by world, i mean my world] chicken salad sandwiches & pasta salad.

my favorite cookbook- our best bites [they're a blog- check them out here]- pioneer woman is quickly on the rise too!

aren't you sad i cut off the bottom half? believe me, you should be - caitlin,  the original chef

and my most ultimate tip ever- never take the first bite. i don't taste my cooking at all while i cook, which many people disagree with but i hate hate hate it. if i let justin try it first, i know it's safe to eat. it's like i'm the royal queen and he's my food tester to make sure it's not poisoned. because i'd rather he die first. i'm too pretty to die.

you're no angel food cake

you know, i don't just share any and every recipe on here. only my pure favorites- one that are tested, proven and fabulous. this is another one of my mother's and it is straight from heaven [pun intended]. it's justin's favorite. i know a lot of people are intimidated by it but it's pretty easy peasy if you have the right pans. i just use my mom's [can't spring for my own....actually i can. just won't. my mother likes to be needed]. you need a spring-form pan whose bottom comes loose and a sifter. so you're welcome world. and i'm sorry diet.

angel food cake

12 egg whites [room temperature]
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cake flour [don't even THINK about using normal!]

landon wondering what the noise is - he doesn't like it

mom, are you going to be done any time soon? [no]
these are soft peaks

the sifter & cake flour - mom! i found some paper on the floor- i'm gonna eat it, k?

thanks for giving me beaters & other kitchen gadgets to play with - you're the best
you can't tell, but these are hard peaks

folding in gently

ooohhh! trash can. i bet this has lots of fun flavors

i KNEW i shouldn't have played with the trash - totally worth it

ready to go swimming! oh look - something i shouldn't have

i better hurry and go get it

almost there! victory is MINE!

beat egg whites and salt in a large bowl at high speed until foamy [AGES!]. add cream of tartar, vanilla, and almond extract. beat until soft peaks form [AGES and AGES and AGES!]. gradually add 3/4 cup of sugar, 1 Tb at a time, beating until stiff peaks form [not as long as before]. sift flour and remaining 3/4 cup of sugar together. sift it again over the egg-white mixture, 1/4 cup at a time. gently fold [and i mean gently- image it's your first borns tushy] after each addition. meaning touch it as little as possible! too much beating = egg whites shrinking down. gently spoon into ungreased 10" tube pan. bake 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes until cake springs back when lightly touched. invert pan, cool, and run knife along edges to loosen. serve with HOMEMADE whipped cream [heavy cream, sugar, vanilla] and strawberrys. or really shake it up and add chocolate quik for best results. you'll thank me later.