What I'm Working On - June 30

I LOVE to cross stitch. No, it's not nearly as trendy and popular as knitting and the outcome tends to not very useful...just decorative, but I love it. I love all the floss colors and how all those little x's make a big picture in the end. I'm working on a fairly large project right now. It's the first big project I've done in a while. It will probably take me a while too.....Joseph doesn't like for me to cross stitch..even though I only do it when he is asleep. It seems like I can do all kinds of things while he is asleep, but there is something about the sound of that needle that make him wake up. Weird. Anyway, here is my new project after 2 days: I'm not telling what it is...you will have to figure it out. I will try to post an update weekly.

I've also been doing lots of reading lately. That is something that never bothers Joseph (well, as long as he's asleep). Here's what I'm reading this week:

I've had this book forever, but could just never seem to get very far into it. I think my bookmark was on page 34 and I have no idea when that was from...I had actually forgotten about that bookmark. I love bookmarks. I quite a few. Anyway, I started this book Saturday I think and I'm a little over halfway through. I'm liking it pretty well. I might have to give James Patterson another chance. I've seen this movie, but the book is WAY different then what I remember in the movie.

On another note, Joseph started laughing this weekend. It was the cutest thing ever. He's only done it a few times since, but hopefully it will be like his smiling. He didn't smile much when he first learned to smile, but now he smiles almost all the time. I'm so thankful that he is such a happy baby!

Sugar Cookie Bars

This is another recipe that I got off of The Girl Who Ate Everything Blog. Love it. I made mine a little differently as I halfed the recipe and made mine in an 8x8 brownie pan. These are wonderful and taste a lot like those soft frosted sugar cookies sold in the bakery section of grocery stores. YUM! Give it a try:

Here's what you need:
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time and mix.
Add vanilla and mix well.
Combine flour, salt, and soda in a seperate bowl and mix.
Add dry mixture to wet mixture a little at time until combined.
Spread into a greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan.
Bake at 375 for 15-25 minutes. Do not overbake. They will not look done so be sure to use a toothpick test.
Cool completely and frost.

For the frosting:
1/2 stick butter, softened
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp almond extract (or vanilla)
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk

Mix butter and cream cheese until smooth.
Add extract and salt, mix.
Mix in powdered sugar a little at a time.
Add milk to desired consistency.
Add food coloring, if desired.

ENJOY!

My New Favorite Picture

The little man just loves bath time. I think he's going to be a water baby like me. I snapped a few pictures of him after I got him dried off. In doing so, I now have my new favorite picture. No, that one isn't it, but I do love it. It's classic "smiling until I can't get my mouth open any wider" Joseph.

THIS is my new favorite:

I can't help but laugh every time I see it. He was trying desperately to get his hands in his mouth! This is why I just pick up the camera and snap away...in hopes of getting a shot as hilarious as this!

Slow Cooker London Broil

Ok, people, it doesn't get any easier than this dish. It's very tasty and makes great leftovers! I don't know how accurate the name is..as this is not broiled and I have another London Broil recipe (that is broiled) and it's nothing like this. I got the recipe from allrecipes.com. Here it is:

1 to 2 lb beef round steak (I used about a 1 lb steak, I like more gravy)
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope onion soup mix

Mix soups and soup mix in a bowl.

Place steak in slow cooker and pour soup mixture over it.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Serve over rice or mashed potatoes or pasta....something starchy! I prefer it over rice.

I hope ya'll enjoy this...it literally takes 5 minutes or less to prep! I love slow cooker recipes with that kind of prep work...that's the whole point of the slow cooker for me is that it does most all the work!

Crunchy Chicken Casserole

I made this casserole the other night when I just couldn't decide what to make, but knew that I had a chicken breast in the fridge that needed to be used. I modified this from The Girl Who Ate Everything's Poppyseed Chicken. Her's was topped with crackers, but I didn't have enough crackers, so I used stuffing mix. My mom makes a similar casserole that is sooo good. Here's the recipe for the one I made:

1 large chicken breast, cubed
1/4 c onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 box chicken stuffing mix
1/2 stick butter, melted

Optional:
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, onion, and garlic. Cook until done.

Mix cooked chicken, soup, sour cream and Worcestershire (optional).

Pour into an 8x8 glass dish.

Mix stuffing mix, butter, poppy seeds, and cheese (if desired).

Sprinkle stuffing mixture evenly over chicken mixture.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and topping is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Apple Bundles

These Apple Bundles are super quick and easy for a weeknight dessert. I modified the recipe from one I found in Southern Living (yes, I've been on a real Southern Living kick lately). I got these all fixed up when I had time yesterday afternoon and just brushed them with egg white and sprinkled the sugar on top and popped them in the oven after supper. Here's the recipe:

1 large granny smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into small chunks
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 pie crust (I used the refrigerated roll out kind, but I bet they would be awesome with a homemade crust)
1 egg white
1 Tbsp sugar
caramel sauce

Mix the apple chunks, lemon juice, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
Cut the pie crust into quarters.
Divide the apple mixture evenly among the crust pieces.
Bring the corners of the crust up and seal with fingers to make a "bundle."
Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 425 for 18-20 minutes.
Serve warm drizzled with caramel sauce.

Pumpkin

Meet Pumpkin (no aliases...just Pumpkin): Pumpkin's origin is not known. It is thought that she rode under Michael's stepbrother's car from Lexington to Monterey where Michael's dad and stepmom live. Michael's stepmom is the cat lady of Monterey so she took Pumpkin in. Michael really took a liking to this orange cat and when he bought a house, he brought her to live with him. This was in May 2005. Daysie was none too happy with this arrangement as she was splitting her time between Michael's house and my apartment at the time. Poor Pumpkin was limited to the back of the house when Daysie was around. Finally they began to get along. It wasn't long after Pumpkin came to live with us that we discovered that she was pregnant. A month later, she had 6 kittens. We found homes for all these little bundles and then Pumpkin got fixed. :)

Pumpkin is your typical cat. She is very independent. There are days when I don't even know that she is in the house. She hates the dog. She likes getting petted...but you better pet her how she likes or she will bite you! She LOVES tuna and will always come in the kitchen for some when I'm fixing it, but generally stays out of the kitchen at other times. She will also tear open a package of beef jerky if left out. Learned that one the hard way....and that was one pricey cat treat!

Pumpkin resides in the high spots such as the back of the couch:

"I can keep an eye on the fluffy one from up here..."

She loves all things furry and psychodelic such as my slippers:

She can often be found cozied up in a blanket:

"It's cozy in here....what of it?"

She loves to go outside, but will run like the wind..so she has to be leashed...she loves this..or not:

"I'm so embarrassed!"

She has been known to also wear the chicken hat:

Actually, I just made her wear it because she laughed at Daysie.


As you can see the two of them get along ok sometimes:

"Oh no...we've been caught on camera!"