Macaroni face

My favorite lunch time meal growing up was top ramen. Boiled to perfection and lightly drained of excess juice so just the noodles and a smidgen of broth were left in the bowl. I'd take the kitchen shears to the noodles to make them one bite grab-able and then slurp the whole thing down. Seriously, the best lunch time meal ever.

Am I alone in my love of noodles?

I'd say judging by the way the Q man slurped down his mac n' cheese today that we have another noodle-a-holic on our hands. Watch out noodles of the world. Quinn and Kel and coming to get-ya!

Kelly

The quest for chocolate

While sitting down as a family to enjoy one of our all time favorite shows How I Met Your Mother I found myself sitting on the floor. I was attempting to simultaneously keep Q distracted and watch the show at the same time, and I very nearly succeeded. He was quiet for a good 10 minutes straight just sitting there in front of me with his back facing me, almost like he was enjoying the show as well. It wasn't until he turned around that I noticed the piece of foil in his hands, and then another piece on the floor, and then another piece in his mouth. I was so focused on getting the foil out of his mouth so he wouldn't choke that I didn't even notice his face until afterward.

Yup, that's chocolate. Q apparently got his hands on one of the See's chocolate balls from Christmas and had worked his way through the foil into the chocolaty goodness. I've never been so proud, and so horrified at the same time. 

Kelly

Thanksgiving 2010

My boys on Thanksgiving day, aren't they handsome? Q-tip even has gel in his hair, for the very first time. I think I'm a hair-gel-aholic now. It just looks so much cuter all styled instead of poofed out mad scientist like. Although that is cute sometime too. :)

I seem to be the only one who remembers to take pictures, which is why there are hardly any of Q and me. *pout. But at least I get to stare at my handsome boys.

Cheers, Kelly

What's Baking at the Westover's

So I was in a sugary, baking mood the other day while at the book store and I picked up a book called I <3 Sugar, yes, I heart sugar. I loved the name so much, I bought it. And about a week later I was in a sugary baking mood again so I finally broke out the book and searched it's contents for the perfect recipe that I could make with what I had in the cupboard. And thus, the Cranberry & Coconut cookies were born. And they were delicious!

 Cranberry & Coconut Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with your Silpat (or parchment paper).

Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and mix well, then beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Sift the flour and salt into the mixture, add the coconut and cranberries and stir until thoroughly combined. 

Scoop up tablespoons of the dough and place in mounds on the prepared cookie sheets, spaced well apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on cookie sheets for 5-10 minutes then carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
 

Enjoy!

Kelly

7 1/4 Months

Can you say tired?
Wednesday - Quinn had been fussing for a bit, so Eric sat him down next to him to watch the ball game and the next thing I knew I had a text telling me to come take a look at our tired boy. I LOVE it when kids fall asleep in funny places/positions. I'm excited for the face in the food picture...

Thursday - Craigslist is a beautiful thing. We found a highchair and a convertible car seat for a bit of a steal, and picked them up last night. Here's Quinn looking so proud in his new high chair.

Kelly

What's Cookin - Lemon Basil Chicken

So I went to the farmer's market on Friday and picked up some green beans, broccoli, lettuce... the necessities. I begrudgingly passed by the strawberries, bread and flower vendors. Maybe next time...

But, on my out of the market I passed by the most amazing smell and so I had to stop to find out what it was. It turned out to be lemon basil. I quickly bought a bunch (well, Christy bought a bunch and we split it) and I couldn't stop smelling it for the rest of the day.

I didn't have any fish at home so I took out some chicken breast chopped up my new favorite smelling plant and threw it in a bowl with some butter and a pinch of salt and pepper (and when I say pinch, I mean 4 finger pinch), basted the breasts and stuck them in the oven with my favorite homemade Cheddar Bay biscuits. Then I threw the green beans in a pan with some garlic olive oil and, of course, some salt and then sat down with my boys to an unbelievably tasty meal.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Kelly

What's Cookin - Rosemary Chicken Kebabs

So I made this meal well over a week ago, but I never had a chance to share it, so here it is. I got the idea while sitting in the pump room at work flipping through a food magazine. It turned out to be really tasty, definitely a meal I'd make again.

Rosemary Chicken Kebabs

Marinade:
Balsamic vinaigrette
Salt
dried rosemary
dried thyme
dried parsley
olive oil

Mix enough of everything to coat the chicken in a Ziploc bag. Toss the cubed chicken and let sit for up to 30 minutes. Place chicken on skewer with zucchini, tomatoes, and red onions (or whatever veggies you have laying around). Throw them on the BBQ on low for 20-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.

I served mine with a side of white rice and some garlic fried string beans. De-Lish!

What's Cookin - Chicken Divan Casserole

I had two heads of broccoli and a pair of chicken breasts in the fridge this morning. This afternoon I have a lovely Chicken Divan casserole in the oven! Don't you just love how that happens. It went a little something like this.

Chicken Divan
Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

2 heads of broccoli - chopped and separated
2 Chicken breasts - cooked and shredded
1 Can cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp curry powder
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
2 Tbsp butter - melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350*

Place broccoli on bottom of well greased casserole pan. Add the shredded chicken.

In a medium bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, Cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper, to taste, and wine. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and chicken. Mix well with a spatula.

Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula. Combine the bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the top.

Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

{What's cookin in your kitchen?}

What's Cooking at the Westover's - Spring Bowl

This one is an adaptation from a restaurant in Post Falls, Idaho called the White House Grill. Its a great little Greek place in the middle of nowhere. Their slogan is "if you like garlic, we like you!"

Unfortunately my fridge was lacking tomatoes, asparagus and artichoke hearts this evening, but the garlic yummyness still continues. :)

Spring Bowl

2 cups bell peppers, red, orange, yellow
1 bunch grape tomatoes
1 cup feta cheese
A few sprigs asparagus
1 can Artichoke Hearts
3 cups Cal Rose Rice - cooked
Minced Garlic - to taste (I use about 4-5 Tbsp.)
Crushed Red Pepper
1 can Garbonzo beans (chick peas)
2 Chicken breasts - cooked & shredded

Saute minced garlic in a few Tbsp of butter until aromatic. Add veggies and cook until tender. Add rice, chicken, garbonzo beans and 3/4 cup feta cheese. Mix until combined, salt & pepper to taste.

Serve in individual bowls topped with crushed red pepper and remaining feta.

Side Note: I usually end up mixing some garlic salt into it because I love garlic and I really love salt. :)

What's Cookin at the Westover's - Pasta e Fagioli Soup & Cheddar Bay Biscuits

This soup is super easy and always tasty. Courtesy of Erika Sexton, its basically impossible to mess this one up.

The biscuits come from Perry's Plate. If you've ever eaten at Red Lobster these biscuits are an excellent replication of their famous biscuits.

Pasta e Fagoli

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 large celery stalk, diced

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 package ground turkey

1 large can chicken broth (I always find that I actually need more than this in the end after the pasta has cooked and soaked a bunch up...)

1 can (15-19oz) white or light kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14.5oz) crushed tomatoes

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt (I use more I'm sure...I like salt)

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup rotelli pasta (the ones that look like corkscrews)

1 package (10oz) frozen chopped spinach

1. In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and celery and saute until vegetables are tender. In the last two minutes of this process, add the pressed garlic. (I often put the garlic in with the ground turkey instead because I have a knack for burning garlic and that's yucky)

2. Add the ground turkey in chunks and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir until turkey meat is thoroughly cooked and lightly browned.

3. To dutch oven, add the chicken broth, kidney beans, tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper, bay leaf; at this point, add water (or more broth) if needed. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the frozen spinach; cover and let simmer until the spinach is cooked and incorporated into the soup.

4. Add the pasta and simmer until pasta is done; approximately 10 minutes more.

5. Remove bay leaf and serve in bowls. If desired, sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

2 1/2 c Bisquick
4 T cold butter
1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese
3/4 c cold whole milk
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Brush on top:
2 T butter, melted
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a med bowl using a pastry cutter or large fork. Don't mix too thoroughly -- mix til the butter is about the size of peas. Add cheese, milk and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.

Drop 1/4-cup portions onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop. (or a 1/4 c measuring cup) Bake for 15-17 minutes or until tops begin to turn light brown.

When you take the biscuits out of the oven, combine topping ingredients and brush over top of hot biscuits.

Makes a dozen.

What's Cooking at the Westover's - Tomato Toretllini Soup

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup with Oven Roasted Asparagus

Eric has been feeling a little under the weather lately so I decided to help him out by making him some soup. I decided to go vegetarian and non traditional and happened across this recipe a few weeks ago. It sounded nice n' quick and very tasty and I was pleasantly surprised. It has lots of flavor and is VERY filling. Pairing this creamy soup with the crunchy oven roasted asparagus turned out to be a very smart move. (I like my asparagus baked in the oven to keep it crunchy and keep all the nutrients in them.) All in all, I highly recommend this recipe, enjoy!

Tomato Tortellini Soup

1 pkg. (9oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
2 cans (10-3/4oz. each) reduced-sodium condensed tomato soup, undiluted
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups half-and-half cream
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 tsp. Onion powder
1 tsp. Garlic powder
1 tsp. Dried basil
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Additional shredded parm, optional

Directions: Cook tortellini according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently. Drain tortellini: carefully add to soup. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle each serving with additional cheese if desired.

Oven Roasted Asparagus

One bunch of asparagus drizzled in Olive Oil and loveingly sprinkled with salt. Set oven to 350• and bake for 15-20 min. (12-15 min. for super crunchy)

The Year of the Cookie

So my neighbors have this really awesome idea to bake a new cookie recipe everyday and then give some away to someone. That someone will then refer them to someone else that they can give the next batch to and so on and so on for a whole year . They're goal is to reach out and meet new people in the community as well as try out new recipes. Follow their fun filled year here.

What's Cooking at the Westover's

Honey Glazed Salmon with Polenta and Green salad.

I forgot to take pictures, how sad is that! But, I was able to find a few online that give a good representation:

Honey Glaze:

2 TBS Soy Sauce

1/4 cup Honey

3 TBS Dijon Mustard

Stir together soy sauce and honey in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium-high heat and cook until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Off heat, whisk in Dijon mustard.

What's cookin at the Westover's

Sauteed Golden Potatoes with Fresh Cut Bell Peppers and Garlic Bread.

It began with a bag of Golden potatoes, diced and thrown onto the frying pan with some Olive Oil and salt. Then came the Kielbasa, followed by Red pepper flakes and a bit more salt (because salt is my favorite food). Add to the table a bowl full of fresh cut bell peppers and a delicious loaf of the most garlicy garlic bread ever and viola! Dinner. :)

The incredible edible... Garden

Being at home has its many advantages. The most important of course, being that I get to spend all day with my AMAZING son. The other, that I have a good bit of time. Time to blog, time to spring clean, time to weed the yard, time to plant a garden.

I planted Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, artichokes, bell peppers, cilantro and chives along the back fence. And along the side fence I planted some Jasmine - did you know Jasmine makes a great ground cover, and its much prettier than just about any other ground cover, plus it smells good. :)

I also have a lot time to find projects for Eric. Such as, mowing and edging the lawn, removing the ugly DVD shelf from the front room, painting our bedroom (he doesn't know about that last one yet... hehehe).

The garden

Tomatoes

Chives & Cilantro

Bell Peppers, cucumber, zucchini, & Artichokes

Jasmine

The yard

Happy Birthday Maureen & Q-tip 1 Month

We made the ultimate sacrifice yesterday - we gave up our precious sleep so that we could make it over to Gale & Maureen's ward for church at 9 a.m. I must admit it was totally worth it! Eric, Q, my mom, sister & I all spent the day with the family gearing up for Maureen's big birthday dinner. It turned out excellent - Aaron made a mean BBQ Tri-tip and all the family brought various items for the delicious feast. (We -I - did the tasty looking asparagus - yum!)

The feast

Incidentally Q-tip had a birthday yesterday as well. He turned one month old! He also made his first church appearance. My little baby is plumping up very nicely - he's getting little legs rolls and neck rolls and I just want to eat him up!

The B-Day Babies

Q's First Church Outfit

Q giving his Zoolander look

Hanging out with the cousins

What's Cookin At the Westover's

Tonight was "Lovingly salted, Butter basted Salmon" - Served with a side of veggies (we had peas).
Yes, it was as good as it sounds.

And of course... a prego picture.

This is one of the super cute outfits that Tamara sent us. Thanks Tam!

33 Weeks