California Club Pizza

I had a Pampered Chef party at my friend,Kim's house yesterday! I made a California Club pizza which I totally goofed on the recipe! I read the recipe 2-3 times and still goofed!! Anyway, the goof was delicious and I would totally make it this way again! Recipe; 1 refrigerated pizza dough, 2 cups of cooked chicken- chopped, 1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, 1/4 chopped red onion, 1-2 avocados-chopped, 2 plum tomatoes- chopped, and 1/2c.of ranch dip. Bake pizza dough according to directions. I used the jelly roll pan for the pizza, let that cool after baking for 18 minutes. In the meantime, cut up the cooked chicken, chop the onion, cut up the avocado and put lemon juice on the avocado to prevent browning and chop the tomatoes. When the baked pizza dough is cooled, add the ranch or whatever favorite dip you like, then the rest of the ingredients. This is so crazy good!! Enjoy!!!

new cookbooks

I bought my daughter a new cookbook for her birthday which is coming up! I was thrilled to death(literally) that she asked for a cookbook, the girl who didn't like to cook is cooking for her husband and asked her Mom for a cookbook(I'm the self proclaimed cookbook junkie!), this just made me laugh! The book I bought her(which she knows she's getting) is Guy Fieri's "Drive-ins, Diners and Dives". So, maybe we all should check this one out??? Maybe not! Anyway, don't give up on those dreams!! You might just need to laugh when those kids say something you thought you would never hear! My daughter is the one with the pink ribbon in her hair! Blessings!

nectarines

I love nectarines! I made some nectarine jam one time that required to sit out in the sun which enabled the natural juices to be heated up (something to do with the natural pectin in the fruit), by the way, that was really good jam, now where did I put that recipe??? So tonight after the house cooled off, I made pound cake and cut up some nectarines to put on the pound cake, YUM!!!! What summer fruit is your favorite?? I hope this encourages you to have some fun with summer fruit!

blogs

I'm hoping you are enjoying this blog, if not please let me know how I can improve it ! I've been looking at other people blogs and need a computer nerd to help me change the look, so I will wait till I find one!! In the mean time I want to tell you about a couple new blogs I found and you really should check them out!! One is called bunnysovencom.blogspot.com, steamykitchen.com, thektchen.com(should come up apartment therapy the kitchen) and joythebaker.com I really like these blogs and I'm hoping to look like some of them with my own twist!! Blessings!

summer's ending

Well, for those of us that live in tourist ville, the season is coming to an end and let me tell you, I'm ready!! Please, always remember to be kind to the people behind the counter and please don't crab to us!!! So with that off my chest, here we go with a new recipe!! This is a snack for those who have the need to munch or children going back to school! 3/4c buttery popcorn oil, 1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch, 1 box of cheese crackers or goldfish, 1 box of pretzels, 1 bag of bugles chips, 1 bag of popped popcorn and 1 can of peanuts. Mix together and this will store for 2 weeks OK! Enjoy!!! Blessings!

gardens

How are your gardens doing?? Ours is starting to get into fall mode! Our tomatoes are wilting, potatoes are dying and the green peppers are trying hard to produce as much as they can right now! Someone gave me a huge bag full of green beans and I'm so grateful! Thanks, Jim!!! I love green beans and usually fry them in a little oil after I have blanched them for a few minutes! I've also noticed that the bees are really busy around the garden gathering as much nectar as possible, too! Bees are really neat little creatures! They do so much for our environment, that most of us take it for granted! Well,anyway, enjoy the weather!! Blessings!

surprise birthdays

I love surprises!! Not many people know that about me, but I really do! It amazes me that people can keep certain things secret and others can't! I've only had one birthday surprise and it must of been when I was about 29, I think! Gordon and the kids took me out for my birthday, I was getting the kids ready for bed and a car full of my girlfriends showed up with cake, coffee and lots of laughs! We were up till midnight I think in the kitchen laughing and telling stories!! What precious memories for me!!! Thanks dear friends, you know who you are!!! Today I attended a 50Th surprise party for my good friend, Kathy! She said she didn't know until they pulled in the park and saw a few people! Good job, Allison!! I forgot my camera again! Oh well, I had fun and there were lots of people there that I hadn't seen in a long time! Glad you finally arrived to the 50's, Kathy, the best is yet to come!!! Blessings!

pepper jelly

Tonight after work, I made hot pepper jelly! I really like hot pepper jelly with cream cheese and crackers!! I didn't have any green or red food coloring, so the color isn't as brilliant as it could be, but YUMMY!!!! I found the recipe online at tasty kitchen, please try it if you have lots of peppers! I did however, make a mess on the stove with a boil over,WOW!! Very sticky!Have a great evening! Blessings!!

pecan rolls

Last night at 8p.m. I decided to make pecan rolls for breakfast! I really like pecan rolls and coffee for breakfast, but I limit the times I make them so that they stay something special to have every now and then! My recipe is very simple for the dough: 2T. or 1 package of yeast, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 1/2 cups of tepid water and 1/4c of oil. Mix this together and let sit for 5 minutes, add 3 cups of flour and mix well! Add more flour( this is where you need to go easy on the flour, maybe 1/4c at a time) if this is too sticky and let rise for about 1 hour in an oiled bowl! Put some flour on the counter to roll out dough, roll dough out to about 2 inches thick, butter the dough, add brown sugar and cinnamon to the dough, then add 1/2c. chopped pecans! Pan size is 9 by 13 that greased, add 1/4c of corn syrup to the pan, 1/4c brown sugar, and 1/2c of pecans to the bottom of pan. Gently place the cut rolls in pan and let this rise for an hour or over night in the refrigerator! Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 1/2 hour or until golden brown! Enjoy!!! Blessings!

tea time

Have you ever enjoyed something so much, how could you ever improve it?? I really like iced tea, alot! Well, I made hot tea last week for some girlfriends and a pitcher of lemonade for those who wanted something cold! At the end of the party, I had a whole pot of tea and half pitcher of lemonade, so I combined them and instant JOY!!!! I hope you will try it sometime and let me know if you like it or not! Blessings! The photo is of Kora at a tea party this summer! She's so cute wanting more food!

September

September is approaching and I can't believe that school is starting soon! I'm showing you a photo of the stone ware that Pampered Chef will have on sale next month, so call me to book a party! I have one the end of this month and one next month so far! I have a few dates opened, but my reason to tell you this is that the stoneware and bake ware is on sale for September! This covered dish is heavy and gorgeous! Blessings!!

banana bread

On thepioneerwoman.com website, Ree has a great banana bread recipe! Please try it and let me know what you think of it! I think it's worth another piece!!! Also, be checking with joythebaker.com website, Joy puts out some very interesting recipes that she makes in the bakery! Right now, she's putting together a virtual picnic for all her baker friends on the web and in California! You can certainly tell that the summer season is coming to an end, the trees are turning a dark green, which happens before they turn colors! There are some early colors coming now too! Let me know what your favorite summer meal is, mine is grilled cheeseburgers, green beans and fresh tomatoes! Blessings!!

flop

Well, my bread was good, but didn't rise very well(basically not at all), so we tossed it out! So, I will try again tomorrow after work! On the brighter side, this week for demo, we'll be doing a pineapple/cream cheese spread. I think it will be good on graham crackers! Probably really good on some sort of homemade bread like zucchini or banana!! YUM!!! We got some sweet corn from friends tonight and we'll make ourselves sick from eating too much, but we'll enjoy every bite!!! Blessings!

baking

Today is a down day for me as far as I don't want to do the usual stuff I need to do everyday! So, after church and breakfast, I decided to be lazy and read, nap, watch another 4 episodes of 24(season 3), and bake bread! I use an assortment of recipes, a little of this one and a little of another one, not always the best way to do bread! It can be a huge success or a huge flop! Blessings!

ham

Ham is one of those meat items that I used to have problems with, but of lately either my taste buds have changed or the quality of ham has changed for the better! I'm hoping for the latter! I bought a ham on sale the other day at work.This morning I put it in the crock pot to heat through all day while at work! I also added a can of Coke to it, which was told to me many years ago would help the ham flavor(which it does)! The ham was tender and juicy tonight for sandwiches!Try it sometime and let me know what you think! Blessings!!

brownies

I have a new bar pan from Pampered chef and it's working great! I made these Brownies last night for a pampered chef party that was going to happen here today! The recipe is mine: 1 brownie box mix, make as directed, pour into oil pan and add 1 cup of semi-chocolate chips, 2T. of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of chopped nuts, to the top of the brownies before you bake! Bake as directed on the box. Enjoy!

new sites to check out

Hey, I'm hoping that there are a few of you out there that are reading this thing!Please leave me a comment!! Anyway, here are some new food websites to check out!! 1. spicykitchen.com 2. steamykitchen.com(mostly Asian food) 3. 101cookbooks.com 4. tastykitchen.com(which leads you to thepioneerwoman.com, she has a lot of recipes) 5.joythebaker.com(for the baker in you) Tomorrow's demo is "chili cream cheese spread" similar to a taco dip. Ingredients: 2 pkgs. of cream cheese(8oz), 1 pkg of chili seasoning and 1/4c of salsa. Very spicy!!! YUM!

eggplant

We have an abundance of eggplants, both Japanese and regular, so I guess I'll be making Eggplant Parmesan, yum! It's a lot of putsy work and devoured so fast, but it's worth it in the long run! I did make some spaghetti sauce with roasted veggies in including the eggplant, green peppers, tomatoes and onions! I did add some brown sugar and garlic, gotta say it tastes pretty good! Blessings!

fishing

Gordon and his friend, Bob, went fishing last week in Shell Lake. It's a big lake and cold! They managed to catch a fair amount of fish! Gordon and I managed to eat every one they caught in 2 nights! I overheard a lady at the grocery store talking about the breading she uses and bought some to try out! Very good, called "Fry Magic", it was a light breading and gave some really nice flavor to the fish. I usually use flour that I have added seasoned salt too, but I'm thinking that I will keep that as a backup and use only this other breading! Have a wonderful day! Blessings!

birthdays

Today is our son's birthday! Kurt is married to a wonderful girl named Kate and they have 5 children! I have tried to make my children's birthdays special because they are special! A great and marvelous gift from God Almighty! Kurt's favorite cake is chocolate zucchini cake and this he got earlier in the week as I didn't expect to see him yesterday! His kids call it the vegetable cake, but they eat it and like it(I think because of the chocolate). I, myself, prefer pie for my birthday which most of my friends and family don't know! And my 2 very favorite pies are mince and apple, peach is a close second and lemon is in third place! What are your favorite birthday treats?? Cake or Pie??? Blessings!

potatoes

Calling all cooks!!! I'm looking for some new ideas for potatoes! Please send them to me ASAP!!! Our potato crop is looking beautiful and I would like to try some new recipes besides my old stand-bys, you know the ones like mashed potatoes, garlic potatoes, oven fries and fried, something new and easy would be great!! So quit lurking around the website and sign up to leave a comment!Blessings!

photos of market

I figured since we got home at a decent time, I would post the photos I took at the farmer's market. It's a huge market and lots of vendors! It's on a farm owned by Mennonites,a very beautiful farm! Anyway, there was this baker(bakerette) and her wares! Yummy baked goods, so I took her pix, she has a gingerbread painted on her face!! Her chocolate croissants were so..............good!!So, if you are ever in the Rice Lake or Barron area on Thursday, make a trip there!Blessings!

today

Today I demo, but after work Gordon and I are going to (a new to us) farmer's market in Barron! It has gotten huge and good reviews! I will take the camera and post pictures later. I work on Saturday while our local market is going on and Gordon is never sure what to get without instructions(haha)! Last night I made freezer jam with the raspberries that Shea, Grandpa and I picked behind the house growing wild! I added blueberries this time for some depth of color!YUM!!! Blessings!

dogs!

I just caught the dog on the spare bed! BAD DOG! It's hard to be firm with him when he brings such joy to my life and is a good dog! It never a dull moment here!!! This week demo is following: 2- 8oz packages of cream cheese, 1-15oz. can of whole corn,1 can of 4oz. diced black olives, 2 packages of Hidden Valley dressing,1- 4oz. can of diced green chilies,and 1/4 cup of roasted red pepper-diced. Soften cream cheese add dressing packages, drain the corn, olives and chilies. Add to cream cheese and add red pepper. Mix well and chill for 2 hours! Yum!!! Serve with corn chips! Blessings!!

veggie pizza

Here's a photo of the veggie pizza, hope it makes you hungry or least willing to get out your recipe and make it again! Enjoy your evening! Blessings!

old recipes

Remember the summer veggie pizzas we all did at one time or another?? Or the zucchini bread recipe or jams? Well, it's been that kind of a summer to resurrect some of those old recipes! Tomorrow for my Pampered Chef party, I'm making the veggie pizza with the raw veggies, YUM! It's a nice appetizer and fun to serve! Come to the Open House if you are available from 4-6 p.m. Come and have some coffee or lemonade and enjoy the afternoon with me and a few of my friends! Blessings!

cool morning

Weather is funny, isn't it?! We have had the coolest July! And now Aug is starting off pretty cool, what does this mean??? Maybe fall will be later or earlier? Maybe July weather will show up in September in time for school? I don't have the answers, but I am sure enjoying the cool weather, thank you LORD!!!!! Today is a great day to do some baking! Maybe we should make some cookies or pizza or homemade bread!!! Blessings!

salmon

Do you like salmon?? I love it, it's so good!! I love smoked and cooked. With the smoked, the flavors are so intense which are great in a salad Cooked the flavors are mild,so you can add whatever seasoning to flavor it! My most favorite recipe is smoked salmon crumbled in a salad with blue cheese dressing! That's it, so simple, but a great meal! This week at the store we didn't sample any new recipes which was good(not so much prep for me) and sad! I realize I really like getting the recipes together!