Chicken Supreme

Here is a recipe that got David and Dan's highest rating when we served it to Grandma and Grandpa on their way home from helping Emily move:

Chicken Supreme (our version in parenthesis)

4 large chicken breasts, split, boned, and skinned (whatever chicken you have)

8 slices bacon (1/2 slice per chicken piece or whatever you have)

1 package dried beef--3-4 oz. (a good amount of shaved ham from Wal-Mart deli)

1 can cream of mushroom soup (1 can cream of chicken soup)

8 oz. sour cream (we didn't mess with this one)

Line 9x13 pan with dried beef (or ham).
Wrap each chicken piece with a slice (or half-slice) of bacon. Put on top of dried beef (or ham) (Put more ham around each chicken piece, too)
Mix soup and sour cream, pour over chicken.
Cover pan tightly with foil.
Bake at 300 for 3 hours (Bake at 400 for 45 min or so, until chicken is cooked through)
Remove foil for last hour (or last 20).

Vanilla Project

We've started a new bottle of vanilla extract, as our current one is getting pretty low. We're using the same ingredients as last time, which is cheap vodka from Sam's Club and Madagascar vanilla beans from World Market. We enjoyed carefully cutting open the wrinkled-up beans and sniffing the yummy vanilla smell. They are more like green beans than coffee beans, which surprised us the first time we tried this. The children know, however, that the vanilla in the bottle is NOT yummy to drink. It is only for cooking and smelling, because it would taste worse than the yuckiest cough medicine and would even make them sick. Now our vanilla bottle is resting in a high, dark cupboard until it turns a nice vanilla-like color. Maybe we'll check on it this week.

Little Kneaders

It turns out that the children enjoy kneading bread! Here they are, kneading the oatmeal bread whose recipe is found below. They also like to make tortillas and wheat bread. I enjoy having the dough all prepared while I get other things ready. Everyone ends up covered with flour and sticky dough bits, but it is worth it!

Gingerbread Men

Here are the children having fun decorating their gingerbread men. Notice that Sarah's doesn't have any candy actually stuck on it, though a lot of it disappeared while she was working.... :)

David was very careful to give his gingerbread man a good hat and shoes.

Indoor Fun

What can three active children do when it is -20 outside? Look and see.
Here we have Baraki, the Valentine-delivering Bionicle robot-thing. David helped him make cute little hearts to give to everyone in our family. He can even shoot one out of his missle launcher. We appreciate Baraki's kindness.

Next, we have Indoor Snowland. David asked me for a tub that could get all wet, so though I was suspicious, I gave him a new storage container from the basement. He disappeared outside for a while, then knocked loudly on the back door, yelling, "Please open the door for me! I can't get in!" He was carrying this tub full of snow so that we could all enjoy playing in the snow even though it was too cold to stay out for very long. Notice the little igloos scattered over the frozen land of Tub. Even the cat enjoyed playing in the snow without having to put on a coat.
The tiny picture is an extra Valentine one that I haven't figured out how to delete. :)

Fun with Oatmeal

We like oatmeal! We eat it with cinnamon, sugar, and dates for breakfast. We eat it in pancakes. We eat it in bread. We make drums out of the containers. Michael even likes to sprinkle it on the floor if he gets into the kitchen unattended.
Here are two of our oatmeal recipes that got the You Can Make This Again rating.

Oatmeal Bread
from a Taste of Home flyer

1 c. boiling water
1 c. old-fashioned oats
1 package (2 1/4 t.) active dry yeast
1/3 c. warm water
1/4 c. honey
1 T. butter
1 t. salt
3-3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
melted butter
additional oats

In a large mixing bowl, combine boiling water and oats; let stand until warm. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water; add to oat mixture.
Add honey, butter, salt, and 2 c. flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 min. Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down. Shape into a loaf; place in a greased loaf pan. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with oats.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 min. Bake at 350 for 50-55 min. or until golden brown.
Yield: 1 loaf

Oatmeal Pancakes or Waffles
adapted from a recipe heard on the radio

2 c. milk (soymilk works, too)
1 1/2 c. oatmeal (we use quick oats)
Pour milk over oatmeal, let stand 5 min.

2 T. sugar
1 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 T. ground flax seed, optional
2 eggs, beaten, or equivalent egg substitute
1/3 c. vegetable oil
Stir all ingredients together.
Cook on greased griddle or waffle iron.
Makes 12-16 pancakes or 5 good-sized waffles.

Serve with butter, syrup, or peach preserves. Good for car snacks without toppings.

Christmas 2007

Merry Christmas, everyone!
That is what David shouted in Sunday School today when Dan asked how we can share the gospel with the whole world. :)
If you haven't received a Christmas card, please don't feel left out. About half of ours are in the To Do box in the living room. We'll get them out as soon as we can. I finished writing the last of the church ones last night to pass them out today.
David and Sarah decorated gingerbread men this morning before church (thank you, Uncle Doug and Aunt Terri!) and now David is building a paper house for them. There's glue and glitter everywhere!
Sarah is practicing writing letters on scratch paper in the computer room. She just started identifying and trying to write letters after eating Alpha-Bits cereal at Grandma and Grandpa's house--who knew cereal could be educational as well as delicious?
Now that it is Epiphany, we must start taking down the Christmas decorations. Maybe that will help us organize the basement....
God's blessings on your new year!