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| Josh Fly Fishing on the Warm River near Ashton, ID |
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| Josh and his Dad bonding |
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| Happy one-year-and-a-half ! |
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| Concentrating hard on those little flies |
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| Mom and Dad McKinney at Warm River Springs |
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Gone Fishin'
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
What's for dinner?
So, I don't have very good ideas for dinners, but others do, so I thought I'd ask my friends ...
Whoever wants to post, please chime in with any of your ideas!
Favorites * color indicates that the recipe is found below
Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken
Summer Salad Delight
Broccoli Bacon Salad
Savory Vegetable Beef Stew
Alton Brown's Baked potatoes-
Tortellini Salad
Recipes
Moo Bing (Thai pork shish-kabob)
makes 4 servings--can be served as a meal with veggies, etc, or just as a snack
Weave pork onto skewers and barbeque for about 10 minutes, but not too long as to loose the juices.
Serve with sticky rice and barbequed veggies (red, yellow, green bell peppers and onions).
Pulled Pork
You can't mess this one up! It's so easy!
Spinach (a lot!)
1/2 red onion chopped
1 pkg. feta
2-3 oranges (sliced in circles, then in bite sized pieces)
2-3 tomatoes (sliced in circles, then in bite sized pieces)
8 slices thick cut bacon (reserve 3 T. fat)
2/3 c. fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp. dried dijon mustard
3 T. red wine vinegar
Salt, Pepper to taste
Olive Oil
Sugar
*Prep oranges, tomatoes and onion
*Cook bacon and pat dry. (reserve fat)
* In skillet on low heat fat and add vinegar, mustard, pinch of salt and pepper
*Put dressing in container. Add Olive Oil (as much as you want) and Sugar to taste(about 1 tsp.)
*Add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Layer (2 or 3 layers) spinach, then chopped basil, crumbled feta, bacon and onion.
Add oranges and tomatoes when you are about to serve.
Add dressing at the last second. (warm a little before serving if needed)
OR Reserve the oranges, tomatoes and dressing in separate bowls for freshness in your leftovers!
Tip: The fat from the bacon if cools it'll leave a film on the food, but if too hot wilts the spinach.
Addition: We cooked up the rest of the bacon for later. We cooked four small pieces of chicken in the bacon grease, with some mustard powder and salt and pepper to add more protein to the entree :).
Broccoli Bacon Salad
Mom Bowen
Broccoli (cut into bite-sized pieces)
Bacon (cooked, crumbled)
Red onion (1/2)
Sunflower Seeds
Raisins
Dressing:
1/2 c mayo
1/4 c sugar
1 tbsp vinegar
Mix and enjoy!
Savory Vegetable Beef Stew
6 servings (click the picture to change serving size!)
1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 Tbsp Italian salad dressing
1 cup water
1 tsp beef bouillon granules
1/2 of a10.5 oz. can condensed beef broth, undiluted
(for the granules and canned, together, I just used two bouillon cubes in 3/4 cup water )
1/2 of a 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 of an 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/2 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
4 small potatoes, quartered (I used more than that and red potatoes :)
3 medium carrots, cut into 1 in. pieces (I used lots of baby carrots cut in half length wise)
1/2 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 in pieces
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp & 1 1/2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp & 1 1/2 tsp all-purpose cold water
Directions: In a Dutch oven (I just used a large skillet and then transfered to a crock-pot for the simmering), brown meat in salad dressing over medium heat. Add the next 10 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours (transfer to crock pot on high for 1-1/2 hours) or until meat is tender. Add the potatoes, carrots, green pepper and onion. Cover and simmer for 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender (it took mine more like 1-1/2 hours on high in the crock-pot to get those carrots just right). In a separate bowl, combine flour and cold water until smooth; stir into stew. Bring to a boil (good luck in the crock pot); cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Discard bay leaf before serving. DELICIOUS!!
(Click the pic or the LINK below for more great ideas for healthy eaters)
Directions
Whoever wants to post, please chime in with any of your ideas!
I want to pull the recipe ideas and start posting them here.
Favorites * color indicates that the recipe is found below
Fried chicken and potatoes
Tacos
Breakfast--french toast, biscuits & gravy
Moo Bing (Thai pork shish-kabob)
Pulled PorkSpicy Garlic Lime Chicken
Summer Salad Delight
Broccoli Bacon Salad
Savory Vegetable Beef Stew
Alton Brown's Baked potatoes-
Tortellini Salad
Recipes
Moo Bing (Thai pork shish-kabob)
makes 4 servings--can be served as a meal with veggies, etc, or just as a snack
- 2 lbs pork --cut into thin disks about 1 inch diameter
- 1 Tbsp Maggi sauce --
- 4 tsp ketchup--
- 1.2 Tbsp garlic --about 4 cloves smashed
- 1/2 tsp salt -- Maggi sauce is very salty also, so this is just for tenderizing and texture
- 1 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
Weave pork onto skewers and barbeque for about 10 minutes, but not too long as to loose the juices.
Serve with sticky rice and barbequed veggies (red, yellow, green bell peppers and onions).
Pulled Pork
You can't mess this one up! It's so easy!
- Get any kind of pork (roast is what I've done it with), bone in or out...just the cheapest is fine.
- Marinate in crock pot for many hours with water in the bottom of the pot. (I cooked it on low for 6 hours then flipped it over and let it cook for another 6 to make even more tender).
- Pull out all the tender pieces into a container
- Leave the bones and fat in the water left over in the crock pot and cook for another many hours and collect to make into gravy later (you could serve the pulled pork on buns with mashed potatoes and gravy!)
- Cover with your favorite BBQ sauce (ours is KC Masterpiece) and enjoy!
Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken
By:
By:
Serves 4
(click picture to be able to change serving number!)
Directions
- In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and parsley. Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken breasts.
- Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons garlic powder and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce.
Summer Spinach Salad Delight
Malorie's recipe, compliments of Mom McKinneySpinach (a lot!)
1/2 red onion chopped
1 pkg. feta
2-3 oranges (sliced in circles, then in bite sized pieces)
2-3 tomatoes (sliced in circles, then in bite sized pieces)
8 slices thick cut bacon (reserve 3 T. fat)
2/3 c. fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp. dried dijon mustard
3 T. red wine vinegar
Salt, Pepper to taste
Olive Oil
Sugar
*Prep oranges, tomatoes and onion
*Cook bacon and pat dry. (reserve fat)
* In skillet on low heat fat and add vinegar, mustard, pinch of salt and pepper
*Put dressing in container. Add Olive Oil (as much as you want) and Sugar to taste(about 1 tsp.)
*Add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Layer (2 or 3 layers) spinach, then chopped basil, crumbled feta, bacon and onion.
Add oranges and tomatoes when you are about to serve.
Add dressing at the last second. (warm a little before serving if needed)
OR Reserve the oranges, tomatoes and dressing in separate bowls for freshness in your leftovers!
Tip: The fat from the bacon if cools it'll leave a film on the food, but if too hot wilts the spinach.
Addition: We cooked up the rest of the bacon for later. We cooked four small pieces of chicken in the bacon grease, with some mustard powder and salt and pepper to add more protein to the entree :).
Broccoli Bacon Salad
Mom Bowen
Broccoli (cut into bite-sized pieces)
Bacon (cooked, crumbled)
Red onion (1/2)
Sunflower Seeds
Raisins
Dressing:
1/2 c mayo
1/4 c sugar
1 tbsp vinegar
Mix and enjoy!
Savory Vegetable Beef Stew
6 servings (click the picture to change serving size!)
By:
1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 Tbsp Italian salad dressing
1 cup water
1 tsp beef bouillon granules
1/2 of a10.5 oz. can condensed beef broth, undiluted
(for the granules and canned, together, I just used two bouillon cubes in 3/4 cup water )
1/2 of a 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 of an 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/2 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
4 small potatoes, quartered (I used more than that and red potatoes :)
3 medium carrots, cut into 1 in. pieces (I used lots of baby carrots cut in half length wise)
1/2 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 in pieces
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp & 1 1/2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp & 1 1/2 tsp all-purpose cold water
Directions: In a Dutch oven (I just used a large skillet and then transfered to a crock-pot for the simmering), brown meat in salad dressing over medium heat. Add the next 10 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours (transfer to crock pot on high for 1-1/2 hours) or until meat is tender. Add the potatoes, carrots, green pepper and onion. Cover and simmer for 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender (it took mine more like 1-1/2 hours on high in the crock-pot to get those carrots just right). In a separate bowl, combine flour and cold water until smooth; stir into stew. Bring to a boil (good luck in the crock pot); cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Discard bay leaf before serving. DELICIOUS!!
Alton Brown's Baked potatoes-
Stab the heck out of your potato. Rub potato with olive oil and sprinkle kosher salt all over the outside. Stick it in the oven (skip the aluminum foil and baking sheet) at 400 degrees for about an hour. When it's done you should be able to pop it like a... er... zit? The olive oil and salt makes the skin kinda crunchy and salty and delicious. No more rubbery potatoes!
Tortellini Salad
by Moma Bowen
1 9oz pkg fresh cheese tortellini
1 10oz frozen sugar snap peas thawed (or fresh)
4 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp white basalmic vinegar (or regular black)
4 tbsp grated parmessan cheese
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes halved (or whole grape tomatoes)
1/4 finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained (tiny round dark green balls, in jar, by pickles in store)
black pepper
Cook tortellini according to package, (add peas last two minutes...mom doesn't like that...just fresh), drain and cool; add to all the veggies.
In a bowl, oil and 2 out of 4 tbsp parmessan, and vinegar...toss into the tortellini with the veggies -- can add into a "spring mix" lettuce salad (or romaine or spinach); sprinkle parmessan & pepper & serve
Aunt Phyllis' Magnificent Cheese Ball
Ingredients
Directions
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, blend cream cheese and butter or margarine. Stir in cheese sprinkle, Cheddar cheese, green onion, lemon juice and parsley. Shape mixture into 2 large balls or logs, and roll them in the chopped walnuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Websites
http://www.irocksowhat.com/search/label/Food
Alton Brown's Baked potatoes-
http://masterpiecemeals.blogspot.com/
http://www.irocksowhat.com/search/label/Food
Alton Brown's Baked potatoes-
http://masterpiecemeals.blogspot.com/
Happy Cooking!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Look what the Post Man brought me!
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| Oh, hello!!! What can Josh NOT fit inside of? It's a riddle few can solve... |
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| Can I come out now? |
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| Ahhh! Man overboard! Falling overly skinny packaging! |
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| Is it safe?? |
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| Surprise!!!!! You mean you wish to surrender to me? Very well, I accept. :) |
Monday, June 6, 2011
Email Notification of New Posts
Just added a feature to the side bar allowing anyone to get email notifications when I post something new.
I wanted to make sure I knew how it worked, so I signed myself up first. Let me know how it goes if you want to participate!
I wanted to make sure I knew how it worked, so I signed myself up first. Let me know how it goes if you want to participate!
Ben's Graduated!!
Congratulations to my li'l brother, Ben. He graduated with honors from Sky View on Tuesday. I just look up to him so much... (ok, I literally look up to everyone in my family...except maybe Heidi and Mom who are a little more my height, but, I digress...). Ben is one of the most amazing young men you will ever meet. Besides his amazing saxaphone skills (classical and sa-weet! jazz), intense piano composing and playing, smart brain in both areas of math and english, he is also very tender-hearted in recognizing and meeting the needs of others. For example, he has heard his whole life how much us girls like to go to these school dances all dressed up and feeling pretty. He has always enjoyed dancing with us and has developed that skills very finely. But, month after month of school dance after school dance, he was not really wanting to go to another dance! Oh, they were fun and all, but what was the big deal? He told Mom once (I hope he doesn't mind), that he could live very happily and not go to one dance his whole high school career. Well, after Mom explained that he could probably live a happy life without going, but to the girls, these things are really important. Why? he asked. Because they get to look, be treated like, and feel like the princesses that they are for one night. And Mom added that especially for Senior Prom was it important to ask the senior girls so they don't have to sit at home while the boys all ask the younger girls to go. Well, I don't think Ben ever complained after that (not that he went to every boy's choice ... though I'm pretty sure he was asked to every girl's choice dance). And having the end of his high school days coming, and having many of his friends being senior girls, he did something that we all really admire him for. He asked all his buddies to be in his Prom group and to ask a certain girl to go with them, so that every one of his girl-friends would be able to enjoy their last high school formal. They had a great time, and Mom heroically fed all 14 of them when they came to our house for dinner in their gorgeous gowns and spiffy suits. Don't they look great?
On Tuesday, Ben graduated. He played the most soulful jazz solo I've heard from him yet during the Jazz Band's number. He even wore his Fedora. When they started their walk, I thought it was really neat how the whole class did a clap (just one) after every person's name was read. What a great class. The ceremony was held early enough in the evening that we still had daylight! So, we were able to take a few pics.
On Tuesday, Ben graduated. He played the most soulful jazz solo I've heard from him yet during the Jazz Band's number. He even wore his Fedora. When they started their walk, I thought it was really neat how the whole class did a clap (just one) after every person's name was read. What a great class. The ceremony was held early enough in the evening that we still had daylight! So, we were able to take a few pics.
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| Class of 2011 |
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| Josh, Becky, Heidi, Ben, Jennifer, Michelle, Mom, Sydney |
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| Mom, Ben, and Dad |
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| "And now it's my turn! Take a picture of me" Heidi! :) |
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| In all his tallness |
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| What a cute boy! |
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| No wonder he has scores of girls always hanging around him! |
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| Here's lookin' at you, kid. We LOVE you Ben! |
Catching up...Go Go-Karting!
On Friday (after Josh aced a test), he took me on a date. Love those! I guess we were a little bored with Rexburg after driving around and poking around at the Farmer's Market, so Josh started driving to Idaho Falls. But when he pulled off at Rigby, I wondered what was up... maybe he wants me to show him my bare classroom at school? Too hungry for anything but food, I took him to Papa Kelseys. Yummy pizza, sandwiches, salads, and breadsticks. Then he took me to "The Riot Zone" just along the highway. I've seen it a million times driving past; that US Space Shuttle always made me wonder what exactly they were rioting about over there. Well, we found out! There weren't hardly any people there, which was just fine for us! Josh was planning for go-karting and mini-golf. Since a few months ago, there was almost a bit of a riot over the fact that I hadn't been mini-golfing in many years (one of Josh's all time favorite thing to do :), I decided to make it a double riot as we walked to the kart track by letting him know this would be my first time go-karting! He just about had a fit, he couldn't believe it and almost went back for more rides for us. So cute.
Go-karting is a blast! There were two other young boys (I thought I'd barely make the 54" requirement) that were racing 'round the track with us, which made it more fun. I was making excited "whoa!" noises just about the whole time. I think I got a little bit of the hang of it toward the end and stopped letting the boys take the inside on the corners. Oooooh, I could be a really good race car driver, skidding around those bends like they were nothing. Hahah.
That great ride just put us into such good spirits as we began the 18 hole mini-golf. It's a beautiful course! Very fun with all the terrain challenges . . . We both liked how the challenges were less of the typical mini-golf obstacles and more about the pitch of the terrain. Josh was determined to show his actual skill since in our last game (you know my first one back after years and years?) I beat him rather soundly. He sure did awesome this time! He got a Hole in One on hole 5 where you can't even see kind of where the hole is or what kind of slope you're up against. That's my man, oh yeah. And as for the final score . . . even though on hole 16 it took me about a million tries to make my ball soar OVER the river and keep it on the same green (verses sending it flying over the side-bricks and into hole 17's green...good thing no one was in front of us ;) ), Josh was merciful and ended up only beating me by about 5 points.
What Fun! We'll definitely have to go again! They also have water go-karts, a climbing wall, big bouncy toys, and a teeter-totter thing where you race to hit a bell more times than your opponent. It was like going to the fair, only cleaner and less crowded!
Go-karting is a blast! There were two other young boys (I thought I'd barely make the 54" requirement) that were racing 'round the track with us, which made it more fun. I was making excited "whoa!" noises just about the whole time. I think I got a little bit of the hang of it toward the end and stopped letting the boys take the inside on the corners. Oooooh, I could be a really good race car driver, skidding around those bends like they were nothing. Hahah.
That great ride just put us into such good spirits as we began the 18 hole mini-golf. It's a beautiful course! Very fun with all the terrain challenges . . . We both liked how the challenges were less of the typical mini-golf obstacles and more about the pitch of the terrain. Josh was determined to show his actual skill since in our last game (you know my first one back after years and years?) I beat him rather soundly. He sure did awesome this time! He got a Hole in One on hole 5 where you can't even see kind of where the hole is or what kind of slope you're up against. That's my man, oh yeah. And as for the final score . . . even though on hole 16 it took me about a million tries to make my ball soar OVER the river and keep it on the same green (verses sending it flying over the side-bricks and into hole 17's green...good thing no one was in front of us ;) ), Josh was merciful and ended up only beating me by about 5 points.
What Fun! We'll definitely have to go again! They also have water go-karts, a climbing wall, big bouncy toys, and a teeter-totter thing where you race to hit a bell more times than your opponent. It was like going to the fair, only cleaner and less crowded!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Catching up... Jes for fun
We got Jenga for a good price a few months ago and finally played with it the other day. After we played a couple of rounds the right way, we decided to have more fun with the tall "dominoes" ... and with the camera.
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Perspective shot of the battlements. |
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From within (Josh's shot :) |
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Epicness... even withstanding the pressure of extra weight. :) |
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