homeMADE pho!

Thank you Mr. Phu!  It is always my pleasure to enjoy your mommy's homemade Pho... meat included!  Sorry I don't know how to make it but if you have not tried Vietnamese  soup aka Pho, its time you do! 

Here Comes Santa Clause...

Christmas Cookies

Eat lots of them :)

Enjoy time off of work.

Head to Palm Springs with some of our favorite people!!

Record some memories in our "Christmas Memories Book."

frACTions and mOnEY

¼, ½, ¾, 1 … the best way I know how to teach 6^th graders those fractions is by comparing it to MONEY.

 1= One Dollar = $1.00 and this also teachers where the imaginary decimal goes on whole numbers

So, ¼ = One quarter in your pocket aka $25
½ = Two quarters aka $0.50 (not an easy fraction to decimal conversion for an 11 year old)
¾= Three quarters out of a $1.00 aka 75 cents

I just wanted to share.  Have you made this connection before?!?!?!

Dinner:

Gnocchi (potato noodle things… SO good and only takes 3 minutes to cook after boil!)

We usually just mix this with a jarred tomato sauce and some spices, but today we had lots of veggies to use before vacation!
So, sauce became a yummy sauteed delight when Eric combined the following:
Hobanaro Powder
Roasted Garlic Oil
Garlic Garlic Seasoning
Red Pepper
Green Pepper
Red Onion
Asparagus
Spinach
Mushroom
Veggies were cut into large chunks (if you love them as much as we do its a good choice)
Tomato sauce

Wonderful!

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Milk

The Seven Cruelest Foods on Earth: READ ME!

I didn't know cows have to be pregnant to milk!! 
I mean it makes sense but what are the true ramifications of this in the milk industry?

I think I'm done drinking it... Coconut Milk, Here I come.

Pumpkin Dumper!

Yep, you read that right!  PUMPKIN DUMPER... straight from CO and delicious!!!

1 (large) can pumpkin
4 eggs, beaten
1 (large) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves (ground)
1 box yellow cake mix
1 1/2 sticks BUTTER (prob why it is so good!)
1 cup chopped nuts

Mix above ingredients except cake mix, butter and nuts. 
Pour into 9x12 inch greased pan.
Sprinkle dry yellow cake mix over top
Melt 1 1/2 sticks butter and drizzle over cake mix
Sprinkle 1 cup chopped nuts over top
BAKE at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

This is a must try!  We ate it up quick!! 

so busy, yet so FULL

Sorry it has been a week... We had TEN house guest this weekend including SIX kids!!!  We pretended it was Christmas on Saturday and had a blast. 

Meyer's, Pucek's, Hanson's

Meyer's

Sengsouvanh's (with the littlest one missing)

"Gang's All Here"

Here are some photo's of the food we consumed (and still have tons of in our fridge).



Wonderful, Fresh, Cold Broccoli Slaw Salad!

Da Dressing for Salad - Chill

Da Mixing for Salad- Mix with dressing about 20 minutes before serving

We love our Brussel Sprouts!

Mixed with Onion and Mustard

Brown first then mix with fixings and simmer for 40 minutes (I think)

 

Sired Ahi Tuna mixed with Sesame seeds, sesame oil, and soy sauce

Cooked for about 2 min. on each side

Yummy Bread

Plated Dinner... so good

BEST Turkey ever... made by Eric's Mom.  Cooked in bag and upside down.

Stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweat potato casserole

Huge green salad and the finished broccoli slaw salad.

Perfect Weekend!

Norwex rOcKs

I just spent 1.5 hours cleaning my WHOLE house (every itty-bitty craziest... my mom is coming and she is the cleanest person I know) and only used WATER and NORWEX products.

What is Norwex?  some of you less fortunate peeps may still be wondering, and by less fortunate I only mean that you have wasted so much time cleaning without it.

Norwex is a chemical free cleaning supplier of almost ALL household products you may need/want to keep your house spotless.  The stats say it decreases cleaning time by 75% and saves up to 90% on cleaning supplies over the years. 

Must have items:   

Antibac Enviro Microfiber Cloth- to use you just put water on them and start scrubbing.

Kitchen Cloth- Just try it and see :)

Antibac Microfiber Dusting Mitt- wet a little and dust things you would hate dusting before

Microfiber Mop and Rubber Static Brush- The BEST mop I have ever used!  And all you do is wet and mop… seriously cuts mopping by over half the time!  Even Eric loves it.

 How much mOnEy?  Kind of a lot BUT it pays itself off within a few months.  It takes about five uses before you believe but I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t like it. I’m not even selling this stuff and listen to me talk. 

How to find Norwex?  Ask people you know and someone will hook you up with a consultant.  Here is there website too... Norwex Products

If you don't know, now you do!

Healthy Eating Plate

This is how I try to eat! 

I also think the main reason this is not what takes over the Pyramid has nothing to do with our health and everything to do with who has the money.  If the meat industry works closely with the dairy industry then they can advocate for their products to make billions more.  The whole "Got Milk" campaign had nothing to do with what is beneficial to us and everything to do with making more money from the top down.  It makes me sick to think about...

Read the whole plate above!  If you are eating everything it says to avoid, its time to change.  Baby Steps!  But I think you can do it :)

Dinner Tonight:

Brown Rice (mixed with veg broth and fresh cilantro made in rice cooker)

Tomato (only in my rice... i add tomato to everything possible)

Salsa for me/Soy Sauce for Eric

And Eric had a left over piece of pizza too 

Should Math be taught in Schools?

Yikes?  What if people really thought like this... or do they?

dA McNugget

Yum!  or NOT...

Supposedly there are 38 ingredients in a McNugget from McDonald's!  Yikes...
The ones derived from corn include (taken from The Omnivore's Dilemma):

1. corn-fed chicken
2. modified cornstarch (to bind the meat)
3. mono-, tri-, and diglycerides (keep fats and water from separating)
4. dextrose
5. lecithin
6. chicken broth (to restore flavor)
7. yellow corn flower
8. cornstarch
9. vegetable shortening
10. partially hydrogenated corn oil
11. citric acid
12. some wheat in batter

This is the inside of a Nugget before cooking AKA Mechanically Separated Poultry (source).

OMG.  How can you feed this to your kids or yourself?

I don't even enjoy looking at it anymore so its really not hard to pass on eating it.  I guess the more educated you make yourself on where your food came from the easier it is to pass up this kind of shit.


I once heard that you can save a McDonald's burger for a year and it wont change color or shape.  What do you think of that?  Wanna try it? 

absolutly crazy leftovers!

Started out being Turkey and Cranberry Ravioli by mixing:

ground turkey (1/2 lb dark meat preferably)
cranberry sauce (4 tbl)
bread crumbs (2 tbl)
chopped parsley leaves (2 tbl)
egg (2)
freshly ground black pepper
kosher salt

Mix all ingredients together in large mixing bowl

Then Eric called to say the store did not have wonton wrappers AND I thought what could I possibly do with this mixture...AHHHH ?!?!

AND it...

Ended up turning into Turkey Enchiladas by adding:

Salsa (around 2 cups)
Black Beans (one can)
grated Pepper Jack Cheese
Green Chili Enchilada Sauce (one can)
flour tortillas

Add salsa and beans to mixture

I poured Sauce on bottom of baking dish

Put about a half cup of turkey mixture in tortilla with some cheese

Rolled it up and set in dish. Repeat

Cover with more sauce and Cheese (but we ran out and Eric said it's probably a good thing... hehe)
Bake 350 for 30 minutes

Turkey Mix and iPad for help

Before going into the oven

Yum! Sorry for the messy plating :(

What do you think it taste like??


real gOOd :)

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Relax

We have had a full house since Wednesday and now plan to relax for a week before my mom comes to town.  Starting out today with Pho 79 and eating leftovers for dinner.  I want to make ravioli's with turkey and cranberry mix inside!  

TV today:
Football (boo)
Top Chef Texas 
The Walking Dead
Kendra
Bad Teacher (I've heard this is a horrible movie)
I wish Brother and Sister's was still on too :(

PS: Katie WON her Chopped challenge!  

Food for Thought: 


From: The Omnivore's Dilemma: The Feedlot Making Meat
This quote is in reference to corn fed cattle:


"... the health of these animals is inextricably linked to our own by that web of relationships.  The unnaturally rich diet of corn that undermines a steer's health fattens his flesh in a way that undermines the health of the humans who will eat it.  The antibiotics these animals consume with their corn at this very moment are selecting, in their gut and wherever else in the environment they end up, for new strains of resistant bacteria that will someday infect us and withstand the drugs we depend on to treat that infection.  We inhabit the same microbial ecosystem as the animals we eat, and whatever happens in it also happens to us."

Feedlot

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Gobble Good Thanksgiving...

We hosted our first Thanksgiving ever!! 

It turned out wonderfully delicious...

Pre-Thanksgiving Prep Wednesday night... WOW it made the next day much easier...

Herbs and such



For My Dad!

Grocery List... hehe

Brussel Sprouts and Green Beans

FULL Fridge!

Thanksgiving Day...

Herb Butter

Carrot, Celery, Onion Stuffed

Bobby Flay Recipe

and Roasted in Chicken Broth

Eric basted it every 20 minutes...

Side Dishes too:

• 1 lb baby onions
• 1/4 cup wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 bay leaf
• fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup raisins

Put all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. 

• cauliflower
• broccoli
• natural yogurt
• grated cheddar cheese
• mustard
• sour cream
• breadcrumbs

Boil broccoli and cauliflower for about 10 minutes.
Mix yogurt, cheese, mustard and sour cream together
Place cauli and broc in baking dish and top with sauce mixture
Sprinkle breadcrumbs over dish
Bake then broil dish to perfection

• 2 cups OJ
• 12 oz cranberry
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 cup sugar
• 1 orange zest
• 1 cup walnut

Put juice, cranberry and ginger in pot and simmer 10 minutes
Remove from heat add sugar, zest, and nuts
Cool and serve

Scalloped Corn from Angelique

Pear and Apple Pie from Diane

Pumpkin Pie from Diane

"The Gangs All Here!"

So Full...

I'm Grateful for LOTS!!