Derek is having a dinner party tonight with some great friends.  After dinner they are going to an LDS region dance.  Derek's first!

This stew is one of our favorites.  It is new for us.  We call it "Aunt Janna Easter Stew".  We ate it the last time we went out to visit, which was Easter and Aunt Janna made it, so, hence the name.  It actually is from the Christmas Recipes from the Lion House.  Here is the recipe:

2 lbs beef chuck cut in cubes
2 T shortening
4 C water
1 onion diced
1 clove garlic
1 T salt
1 T lemon juice
1 t sugar
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t paprika
2 bay leaves
Dash of allspice (I don't use)
6 carrots, diced - 3 cups
1/2 lb small white onions (I don't put these in, as I put in just about a whole diced onion)
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 c flour

In a heavy Dutch oven, slowly brown beef cubes in shortening.  (I just did in in a frying pan)  Turn often, to brown meat on all sides.  This should take about 15 minutes.  Then add water, onion, garlic, salt, lemon juice, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, paprika, bay leaves and allspice.  Cover with lid and simmer on low heat (do not boil) for 2 hours.  (I use a crock pot and cook on low for about 7-9 hours to get the beef nice and tender.  I put the beef in at this time.  I also put the diced onions in a frying pan with butter and saute them almost to carmalised state.)  Put carrots and potatoes in last, about 1 - 2 hours at the end, depending on how big you dice them.  Discard bay leaf.  Make the rue of flour and hot water or milk.  Make sure the water or milk is hot first.  Make sure it is stirred so no lumps.  I have found that I like to add more of the salt, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and paprika to the rue so that it doesn't make the soup bland.

Derek having fun with great friends!

Playing Guitar Hero!

Nick, Sam, Derek, Brandon,Shylee, Edward and on the floor is Tyler.  Having a great time on the x-box!
These are some of Derek's best friends.  They are all in the band with him at school.

Mother's day

Derek made this amazing, creative, thoughtful gift for me!  I sure do LOVE it.  Thank you so much son.

Dinner party with Derek's friends

We had a very delicious meal with some of Derek's friends, I wish I would have taken a picture of them.  Next time, I just hope they don't hate me taking so many pictures.  I just love to be able to remember wonderful times.

Ok, we had New Orleans Creole Butter shrimp, French Bread, rice, spaghetti squash, and the Lion House ramen, cabbage salad.  Scrumptious!!  In fact one of Derek's friend's asked for the Creole Butter shrimp recipe.  Yay, I love that, Derek's friends are so kind to me.  

I am so grateful Derek has such amazing friends.  It sure does make life great.

Crazy snow day

This was just a crazy snow day in April.  I was afraid it would kill my tulips, they were hardy little beauties though and survived.  We had a crazy winter.  We felt like we were in southern California with our weather.  We did not get the usual cold weather and the much needed snow for our desert.  This was definitely a weather anomaly!

Recipe: Cookie recipies!

This is a great new recipe that I found when I was looking for fun St. Patrick's day recipes. Derek's friend, Nick, LOVES these! They are:

PISTACHIO CAKE MIX COOKIES
(I wish I could come up with a catchier name)

1 white cake mix
1 small box instant pistachio pudding mix
2 eggs
1/2 C vegetable oil
3/4 t almond extract
a few drops of green food coloring
1 1/2 c white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine cake mix and pudding mix.  Add the eggs, oil, almond extract and green food coloring.  Mix the best you can using a hand mixer.  If the batter is too stiff, finish mixing with a wooden spoon.  Stir in 1 C of the white chocolate chips.  Roll dough into 1 " - 1 1/2 " balls and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Press 2 or 3 white chocolate chips into the top of each cookie.  Bake for 10 -12 minutes.  Tops will be cracked and outside will be very slightly browned.  Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

The dough is pretty greasy, but it tastes perfect once baked.  I added four drops of green food coloring.  I refrigerated by dough overnight and my cookies were done at 12-13 minutes.



I got this recipe from a great murder mystery book series.  I have shared other of her great recipes that I have made for my family.  The book series is the Hannah Swenson series by Joanne Fluk

 I think this recipe is great for the fall because of the "secret" ingredient.  Don't let the secret ingredient make you not want to try them.  I didn't tell anyone what it was before they tried them.  Everyone loved them.  I even took some to my 5 and 6 year old Primary class.

MYSTERY COOKIES (from the book "Lemon Meringue Pie Murder" by Joanne Fluke

Preheat oven to 350

1/2 C melted butter (1 stick) (24 pts weight watchers)
3 1/2 C white sugar (73 pt)
2 beaten eggs  (just whip with a fork) (4 pts)
1 can condensed tomato soup (the regular plain kind, not "cream of" or "tomato w/ basil" or anything else fancy - I use Campbell's) (5 pts)
2 t cinnamon
2 t nutmeg
2 t baking soda
2 t salt
4 1/2 C flour (45 pts)
= 151.5 pts

Microwave the butter in mixing bowl to melt it.  Add the sugar, let it cool a bit, and mix in the beaten eggs,  Open a can of condensed tomato soup, add that to your mixing bowl, then mix it all up.  Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda, and salt.  Measure the flour and add it in 1 C measurements, mixing after each addition.  (if you don't the mix could go all over the place)

Let the dough sit for 10 minutes or so.  Drop dough by teaspoons onto a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet.

Bake at 350 for 10 -12 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Let them sit on the cookie sheet for a minute or 2 longer (no longer or they'll stick) and transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.

Makes about 10 dozen!

this recipe seems to be great for the summer.


ICED LEMON CAKED MIX COOKIE RECIPE  From Six Sister's Stuff

1 lemon cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1/2 C vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 C white chocolate chips

Icing:
1 C powdered sugar
2 - 3 tablespoons lemon juice (more or less, depending on how thick/thin you like it)

Instructions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350
2.  In a large bowl, mix together cake mix (dry cake mix - don't include ingredients called for on cake mix box), vegetable oil, and eggs.  Fold in white chocolate chips.
3.  Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake for 6-9 minutes, making sure to not over bake them.
4.  Remove cookie from oven and place on wire racks to cool.  Mix icing together in a small bowl and drizzle over warm cookies (or you can wait until they have cooled down a little bit - whatever you prefer)
I took all these to my dad.  He LOVED them.  They freeze well and traveled great.  I need to make more for my dad and my family here as well.

These were SO good!!
I wish I could make them now but I've got to go to work soon.  I'm off to Eugene Oregon tonight.

Aunt Janna Lion House Easter Stew

We got this recipe from Aunt Janna in April.  Derek LOVES this.  It is such a hearty stew.  We had it when we all got together for Easter.  I just got the recipe and already I have made it several times.

It was great for us to be able to see wonderful, funny Aunts and Uncles and watch General Conference together.

I am grateful for a family that loves me and my kids so much!

This recipe is originally from the Christmas Recipes from the Lion House

Here is the wonderful recipe:

2 lbs beef chuck, cut in cubes
2 T shortening
4 C water
1 onion sliced
1 clove garlic
1 T salt
1 T lemon juice
1 t sugar
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t black pepper
2 bay leaves
dash of allspice (I don't put this in)
6 carrots, cut in quarters (3 cups baby carrots)
1/2 lb small white onions
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 C flour

Brown beef cubes in shortening.  Turn often to brown meat on all sides.  This should take about 15 minutes.  Then add water, onion, garlic, salt, lemon juice, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, paprika, bay leaves, and all spice.  (I use a cock pot, this is the way I do it, the recipe from Lion House did  not, I just love crock pots, also the longer you leave the beef in the crock pot the more tender it is and easier to chew.  I let it cook on low for about 8 - 9 hours and just put the carrots and potatoes in for the last about 3 - 4 hours depending on the thickness of the cut of the vegetables)

Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat (do not boil) for 2 hours. (So, I don't do this part the same as I don't use the stove method, as I stated above, I use a crock pot.)  Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.  When meat is almost done, add carrots, onions, and potatoes, and simmer for 30 minutes or more. 

Discard bay leaf and garlic (unless you mince the garlic tiny like I do).  Pour 1/2 C hot water in shaker (or use milk or cream) and add 1/4 C four; shake to blend.  Stir into stew. 

Cook and stir until gravy thickens and boils.  Makes about 8 servings.