Baking, Shopping & Camping
I have been in a baking kind of mood lately. Banana muffins, and chocolate chip muffins were made last week. Today I had a craving for brownies, but no mix in the house, or money to go out an buy some, so I searched on the internet to find a homemade recipe for some. I found this one, over on Mandy off the Radio blog’s. They smell really good, just waiting for them to cool to try them.
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
I think the next time I make them, I am going to double the recipe.
I made cheddar bacon potato soup on Saturday, but am now thinking I need to get a new crock pot as mine is cooking way to hot right now, and things are burning in it. I am trying to use my crock pot more, so I am checking out more recipes to try.
I have been checking out the different sales for camping supplies. I am over winter, and ready for the nice weather to arrive so we can go camping! I was hoping to have some money saved up to buy a used pop up camper, but it doesn’t look like its going to happen this year. The tents will have to do again for this year. I think I will go out and buy an electric blanket, to snuggle up with in my sleeping bag for the cooler nights.
Have you ever?
Have you ever stopped and reevaluated your careers? I have done this so many times. I wish I would have stayed in the medical field at times. But then I stop and think about all of the office politics that I have dealt with in the many offices I worked at and am thankful that I am a SAHM and have my own daycare business.
I am hoping that soon, I can just be a full time SAHM. We are working on things, so that maybe by the time Trent starts school in the fall I can be done. Fingers crossed!
Cheesy Chicken
I have been browsing the next for crock pot recipes. This one sounds yummy.
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
Chicken breasts (as many as you want)
garlic powder
oregano
Pour 1 can of cream of chicken soup, then half a can of cheddar cheese soup. Place as many chicken breasts as you want, then add remaining cheese soup and 1 more can of cream of chicken. Throw in some garlic powder and oregano, cook on low about 8 hours and serve over rice.
Annoying phone calls
I was in the middle of my baking today when the phone rang. It was someone calling about low cost term life insurance. I told them I wasn’t interested and hung up. Back to baking, and about 15 minutes later the phone rings again, same number. I didn’t answer. Throughout the day, that number showed up on my caller ID 10 more times. Really?
After the 4th or 5th call, I turned the ringer off. I only knew when someone called when it showed up on the TV (gotta love digital cable/phone). Why don’t people take no for an answer anymore?
Muffins
I was in the baking mood today. I made some chocolate chip muffins and some banana muffins. They smell so yummy!!
Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 3 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup milk
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1 egg
* 3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
* 3 tablespoons white sugar
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Directions
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease bottoms only of 12 muffin cups or line with baking cups.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, chocolate chips, and salt; mix well. In a small bowl, combine milk, oil and egg; blend well. Add dry ingredients all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be lumpy.)
3. Fill cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops of muffins before baking with a combination of 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoon brown sugar.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 1 minute before removing from pan. Serve warm.
Gardening
**Borrowed from Family fun site.**
I can’t wait to do some gardening! I am tired of winter!
Materials
* Carpenter’s apron (available at hardware stores)
* Pair of gardening gloves
* Fabric paints and brushes
Instructions
1. Decorate the set with fabric paints. Brush on a garden design, such as a row of bright yellow sunflowers or a bunch of carrots. Or slice an onion and a pepper into halves, dip them in the paint and embellish the set with vegetable prints.
2. Fill the pockets with seed packets, a garden trowel, and a plastic misting bottle. Use pinch-style clothespins to clip the gloves to the front of the apron when they’re not being worn.
Tips:
This gardening set makes a great gift for a relative that loves to garden.
Chicken & Dumplings
I am going to try this next week I think.
Chicken and Dumplings Crock Pot Recipe
1 (3 lb.) chicken, cut up
1/2 cup chicken bouillon broth
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
3 stalks celery, cut in 1 inch pieces
3 small carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups packaged biscuit mix
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp. parsley flakes
Wash chicken pieces; cut away excess fat. Place raw chicken pieces in a crock with largest bony pieces on the bottom. Add bouillon broth; sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning. Add celery and carrots on top. Cover. Place crock into outer shell; cook. Cook on Low setting, 8 to 10 hours or High setting 4 to 4-1/2 hours.
Combine biscuit mix, milk, parsley flakes; stir until just moistened. Drop dumpling mixture by spoonfuls (about 8 ) over steaming chicken; cover, cook on High setting 30 minutes in 3-1/2 quart; 15 to 20 minutes in 5-1/2 quart. Serve immediately.



