May 25 - Apple Pie!

So today is my little man's birthday...he's already two years old! I can't believe how quickly these two years have gone...I can still remember him curled up in my lap, nursing away when he was a teeny tiny little guy (well, he was 14 lbs. by 8 weeks, so maybe not that teeny tiny?! but definitely smaller!). I can't post about him without including a few of my favorite photos :)

Birth:

1 month:

Almost 6 months:

1st birthday:

2nd birthday:

When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday surprise (cake, ice cream, pie, brownies, cookies, etc.), he screamed "pie!" Now, when I was a kid, I asked for my mom's apple pie from scratch every single year. It was tradition for as long as I can remember. When Luke said pie, I was SO excited to continue the tradition! Linds and I wrapped presents and then around 8:30 last night we started the pie. I completely forgot how long the process was! The crust alone took a good 20 minutes, the peeling, coring and slicing up the apples took awhile, and then it's a 45 minute bake time. Whew! It was all worth it though because that pie tasted AMAZING!

Apple Pie
Crust Ingredients:
1 & 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening

Filling Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
6 apples (skinned/sliced)

Topping Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions
Crust:
Mix flour and salt. Add 1/3 cup shortening. Mix with hands and 3 or 4 T of cold water until forms into ball. Roll out on floured surface. Form into baking dish.

Filling:
Combine powdered ingredients and add apples to mix. Put in crust.

Topping:
Turn into crumb by playing with it. Top pie with mixture and bake for 45 minutes at 425 degrees.

Pecan Pie

We had the boy's extended family Christmas party tonight at his uncle's house and had so much fun! We usually get together once or twice a year (Thanksgiving and Christmas) for a big family event, and since we were with my fam on Thanksgiving this year, we were due for a gathering. It's always fun catching up with everyone and seeing what everyone's up to...although sometimes it can be depressing when you see how much the kids have grown up?!? Linds was particularly social today, playing with some of the boy's cousins' kids, and when I finally figured out who the one girl was, I was floored. This kid went from being 3 years old to 10 overnight! I really swore it was yesterday she was this little girl that was Lindsay's age and now she's this grown "tween." I never thought I'd be 28 and saying I feel old, but when I see these kids and how they've grown over the past 10 years, it *really* makes me feel ancient.

But, back to the whole point of the post, we were asked to bring dessert. I'm over Christmas cookies (the exchange and subsequent selection of 18 different cookies did me in), and we just had cake for Lindsay's birthday, so I figured I'd do a pie. My fabulous friend, Kristi Hall, makes a kick ass pecan pie, so I stole her recipe and made that. It turned out really well from what people said...I didn't even take a piece for myself (again, so not in the mood for sweets at this point!). I forgot to take a picture, so you're stuck with just the recipe :P

Pecan Pie
Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup fresh pecans
Pie crust (I just used the graham cracker one - it's easiest)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and vanilla until blended.
3. Pour into pie crust and top with pecans.
4. Bake 50-55 minutes.

December 11 - Party Meatballs

On Saturday we had Lindsay's fourth birthday party! It was 10 days early, but knowing how crazy everyone's schedules are in December, we wanted to make sure as many of our friends and families would be available. It was an amazingly fun bash - over 50 people made it :) Linds loved having everyone there to celebrate with her (even if she didn't talk to most of you!), and I was in my glory - eating, drinking, and spending time with those who are nearest and dearest to me. Plus, throwing a party is "my thing" - I'll spend weeks planning it all the way down to the gritty details.

Upon Lindsay's request, this year's party theme was a "tea party." We had teapots and saucers, although only made one pot (which no one drank)...not surprisingly, the "ice tea with a kick" (i.e. vodka and peach schnapps) went quickly?!? As far as food, we had meatballs, macaroni and cheese, Chick-Fil-A nuggets, fruits, veggies, cheese, meat, and other little snacky sides. I usually overcook like crazy, but aside from a few dozen meatballs, everything was devoured. I love when I don't have a ton of stuff spoiling in my fridge!

I had many requests for the meatball recipe, so here it is! (I made about 160 balls, so I had to scale my recipe up - very easy to do!)


Meatballs
Ingredients
40 meatballs
1 cup of ketchup
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

1. Combine ketchup, brown sugar, onion and garlic powder.
2. Cover meatballs with sauce. 
3. Cook in crockpot for 4 or 5 hours on low.

November 26 - Mac & Cheese

My niece came over on Friday for a night of girly fun and a sleepover with Linds and me (yeah, the boys were here, too, but we didn't pay much attention to them!). It was so much fun painting nails, doing hair, picking out outfits, and watching movies with the two of them. I figured I'd make some mac & cheese for dinner since every kid in the world seems to like that, right? Wrong!

Instead of just throwing a box of Kraft on the stove, I actually grated cheese and made my own - it's way better than the box stuff in my opinion. Wouldn't you know ALL THREE KIDS turned their nose up at it?! Caroline said it was "too crunchy" and Linds followed suit. To their defense, it was oven-baked, so it wasn't super creamy which I guess kids prefer. But to make it worse, the boy ate it and said, "well, it's okay - but definitely not your best." Yeesh - thanks. I'll post the recipe still because I'm pretty sure the boy's issue was with the kinds of cheese I used (too much Swiss).

Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients
1 box of elbow macaroni
2 eggs
6 cups mixed cheese
1 cup of milk

Directions

1. Cook pasta and drain.
2. Mix eggs, milk and cheese.
3. Add pasta to cheese mixture.
4. Bake 45 minutes at 350.

Didn't get a photo of the food, but here are Miss L and Caroline having a blast together!

Vacation Story!

Well, vacation is over, and I guess it’s time to jump back into the swing of things! I’ve neglected the blog, and have so much to update on. Lots of people keep asking how vacation went, so I thought I’d write up my little vaca story and let anyone who cares to know how I spent six child-free/husband-free days read about it. And, yes, you read that correctly – six full days without my children or husband – just the grandparents and me!

I left Monday to stay with my sister in Philadelphia for the night. My flight left at 5:30 Tuesday morning and I needed to leave the car at home for transporting the kiddos around, so I decided to stay with Steph and take a cab in. To my surprise, she volunteered to get up at 3:30 in the morning to drive me to the airport. She is the smottest! ;-) We went out to dinner and I got to check out her new apartment before crashing for a few hours.

I woke up Tuesday, made it to the airport with plenty of time (security lines are empty at 4:30 a.m.) and enjoyed an absolutely uneventful first leg of the trip. I arrived in Charlotte, made it over to the next terminal and was able to walk right onto the connecting flight. By 10:30, I was back at the “pee-nano” house in Houston (it’s what Lindsay called it last year during our visit because they have a piano in their dining room that she liked to play with). That day (November 2) was All Souls Day – a holiday in the Catholic church where loved ones who’ve passed away are remembered. To honor the day, we took a trip to the cemetery where my great-great Aunt Celia was buried, as well as my great-grandfather (Leon) and a few other family members on my grandfather’s side of the family. My grandma and pop will also be buried there (hopefully not for a very, very long time!).

The rest of the evening we spent cooking dinner and chatting – and going to sleep early since I was dragging from the night before.

Wednesday was another day in Houston (and rainy for the second day in a row – I *always* bring the rain to Texas!), and I joined my grandma at the Y for a workout. She does a step and lifting class that is designed for “regular” people (not a senior-focused class) and she has been unofficially dubbed the “rock star” of the gym. When I said this, she told me she was glad she wasn’t the “Y slut” – and for those of you who know me, my personality should start to make sense! That afternoon I also had a chance to visit my great Uncle Joe, which is always something I look forward to.

The rest of the day we ran errands in preparation for our trip into Galveston, including a visit to the largest grocery store (a Kroger’s) in Houston. The rest of the day was spent like Monday night – cooking, cocktailing, and enjoying each other’s company.

We made the trek out to their beach house in Galveston on Thursday, and much to my surprise, the sun was shining and the temps went up into the low 70s!

I slept on the beach, went for a 5-mile run on the sand, and ate some of the most delicious seafood. This was truly a do-little day, and the fact that I was able to relax as much as I did, while watching the waves crash in from the Gulf was indescribably fantastic.

I woke up Friday morning and watched the sunrise before taking a walk along the water.

Later that morning, Grandma and I did a little shopping and lunched at a restaurant with a fantastic view out over the Gulf. It was great to be back on the eastern side of the Island and to see the rebirth of the city. During last year’s visit, there was still so much destruction from Ike, which was horribly sad. Things are improving now, two years later, and the Island is coming back. I lounged the rest of the day and soaked up as much beach as I could, since that was going to be it for a LONG time! We spent the evening sharing family stories and having G&Ts on the deck, snacking on cheese, crackers and olives for dinner.

Saturday I returned home, and although I hadn’t been homesick before (I felt like a bad mom, but I just didn’t have any desire to come home a second earlier than I did?!), I was ready by the time I arrived at the airport. It was great to come home and see the kids and the boy. And, as my clinical insanity has been demonstrated, spent the night and next day preparing for a family party with members of the MOMS Club – less than 24 hours upon returning home, I’d agreed to host what became 52 people in my house! It was a blast, though, and absolutely worth it.

So, now, I’m a few days removed from my vacation, and I already miss my grandparents, happy hours that started at 4:00 (with G&Ts on the deck overlooking the Gulf), naptimes, and meals cooked and served to me. But, with as much as I miss it, couldn’t be happier to be chasing after Linds and Luke again and enjoying the days with my family and friends. It’s good to be home :)

October 2 - Honey Chicken Kabobs

Miraculously, my little sister, little brother and I *all* had a Saturday with no plans, so we decided to get together. Now, you see, Steph is 25 and Zach is 22, so the fact that my Saturday was wide open doesn't say much...the fact that THEIR Saturdays were wide open was honestly an anomaly. And to make an awesome day even better, Steph brought her friend we affectionately call "Uncle Kaitlin." The kids had a blast spending time with their aunt and uncle(s?!) and it was great getting the three of us together for some silly fun. Scott was a good sport and endured the countless Seinfeld references and other assorted inside jokes (the two cases of beer they brought probably helped with that). Below is Steph, Miss Linds and me.

When I realized we'd all be here for a "lupper" (lunch/supper), I had to figure out something to make. I kind of have a reputation in my family for being a crap cook - stupid food fails that I've mentioned here if you haven't been keeping up regularly - so I needed to come up with some really impressive. I wanted to grill since it was a gorgeous day and decided to do some honey chicken kabobs, grilled veggies and rice. I also made buffalo chicken dip since it's a Hoover favorite.

Steph and Zach teased throughout the afternoon about the concoction I was making, but were quickly silenced when they started eating. Score one for me! And I think the veggies were extra delicious because I bought them at the farmer's market (and unfortunately no one will get that joke since neither of them read my blog regularly :P). Below are the pre-grilled skewered kabobs, the boy grilling (we split the task - he started them, I finished), and the food completely finished.

It was the perfect dinner to make - all the prep work was done before guests arrived and all that was left was making some rice and doing the grilling. Everything was delicious and everyone loved it! I made them pose for a photo and then pose for a "candid" photo so I could prove they actually ate it. The last one down there is of me and my broken "china" - stupid plastic utensil broke while I was trying to eat.

Here are the recipes for the marinade and for the buffalo chicken dip (thanks to Sharon Massey for her dip recipe - it's become a staple at Hoover family functions!):

Honey Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
Assorted veggies and fruit (I used zucchini, red onion, green and red peppers, mushrooms and pineapple)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, garlic and pepper. Place the chicken, veggies and fruit in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 3 hours (the longer the better).
2. Preheat the grill for medium-low heat.
3. Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables onto skewers.
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.

 Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
1/2 cup hot sauce (more or less, depending on your taste)
1 cup ranch dressing
20 oz cooked chicken, chopped (I use 2 boxes of Perdue short cuts original roasted and chop it up)
2 - 8 oz blocks cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. 
2. Mix the above ingredients and put in a pie dish and bake for 45 minutes until slightly browned and bubbling. 
3. Serve it with tortilla chips.

It was good!! :)

July 31-August 3 - Night away, stuffed tomatoes & more

It was another busy weekend in the Risser household! On Saturday Linds and I traveled to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's place in Lancaster for a visit and evening out. Linds got to stay up late with her cousins and play with all of their "super duper duper duper cool" toys while my BIL and I hit the town for a show at a local club. We had dinner with them Saturday (corn on the cob and some fantastic grilled shrimp) and then brunch the next morning (a crab and egg white quiche). My BIL's culinary skills put mine to shame, so squeezing two meals out of him was a real treat! Plus, it delayed grocery shopping a few more days...yessss ;-)

On Sunday, Linds started vacation bible school, so we made it an easy dinner night with hot dogs and chips. VBS lasts through Thursday (and they serve dinner before it starts), so my cooking is quite limited this week. On Monday I did make myself a stuffed tomato with a neighbor's garden-fresh tomato. They take mere minutes to make and only need to cook for about 30 or 40 minutes. Very simple!

Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients
1 large tomato, top cut off and "gutted"
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
Oregano
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Basil
Rosemary
(and any other spice you like to give it a little extra flavor)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Cut off the top of the tomato and scoop out the "guts" and seeds.
3. Soften butter and mix with bread crumbs.
4. Add spices according to taste to bread crumbs and transfer into tomato.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes.

When I make mine, I like to use whole wheat bread crumbs and add a little flaxseed in it for the omega-3 and fiber benefits. Recent studies have shown that flaxseed may have a protective effect against such cancers as breast, prostate and colon (breast and colon both run in my family over the course of the last three generations). It also helps reduce cardiovascular disease and inflammation. I add it to dishes here and there and it doesn't affect the taste.

Back from vacation!

I'm slowly adjusting back to "real life" after a nice long week at the beach. I must say, it's exhausting going from lazy days of lounging and relaxing back to laundry, dishes, cooking, and solo-parenting. I was so lucky - there were essentially 6 parents for Linds and Luke most of the vacation (my parents, brother and his girlfriend were unbelievably helpful with the kids).

From where I left off last Wednesday, we never made it to Applebee's...we actually went to this amazing waterfront restaurant that was just steps away from our house - Back Bay Ale House. This restaurant had the best chowder and crab skins (potato skins topped with crab) and the drinks were, of course, fabulous! They arrived in 32-oz mason jars and knocked you over after two. Here's the fam during our last dinner of vacation at Back Bay.

So now we're home again...and I desperately need to hit the grocery store!

Apr. 11 - Late Lunch & Snacks

We had no plans for today, but haven't had a "family day" in quite some time. I try to encourage (a.k.a. force) us all to get out of the house once a month or once every other month for some quality time with each other in a different environment. One time we went down to North East, Md. and played at the beach of a state park, another time we traveled to Philadelphia to have dinner with family, another time we picked peaches and apples at an orchard - they aren't always glamorous or filled with lots of adventure, but the purpose is to reconnect with each other and create some good ol' fashioned memories!

Today, we decided to go to the Reading Phillies game (a minor league team about 45 minutes north of where we are). We piled into the car, made the trek up and with about two minutes until arrival, Linds started puking her guts out. Poor little thing had it all over herself, the car, Baby (her doll), the portable DVD player, and, of course, me. We figured it was just carsickness and tried out the game. We didn't even make it 20 minutes before she threw up in Scott's hands, and then mine, and then again inside the car on the drive home. By the time we got back, it was 2:00, no one had eaten lunch and poor Miss L needed a bath, a barf bucket and a bed.

We haven't had dinner yet, and likely won't, so I may snack on some cheese and crackers. Poor Linds, though - she was a real trooper. This is the only photo I got at the game.

Apr. 4 - Crab cakes, shrimp & mac-n-cheese

Happy belated Easter! It's taken me awhile to update the blog because I have been SUPER sick :( I started off Monday around 5:30 a.m. and didn't stop vomiting for 12 hours. I thought it was a stomach bug, but the boy came home around 6:30 that night and started feeling sick - he wasn't even around me long enough to catch a bug, so we're thinking we may have had food poisoning.

Anyhoo, on Easter we celebrated with my family, and my mama cooked crab cakes, grilled marinated shrimp, and macaroni and cheese. As always, it tasted fabulous! There's something about your mom's cooking that just always tastes good, don't you think? The crab cake recipe is the same as the one posted here. The marinated shrimp recipe is definitely worth trying!


Garlic & Herb Shrimp
Ingredients
2 teaspoons ground paprika
2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

1. Whisk the paprika, garlic, Italian seasoning, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, basil, and brown sugar in a bowl until thoroughly blended.
2. Stir in shrimp and toss to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, turning once.
3. Pan-fry or grill shrimp, draining and discarding excess marinade.

Apr. 2 - Hersheypark!!

Friday was Hersheypark day!! Linds, Luke and I went with my little brother (Zach) and his girlfriend (Rachel). They were awesome sports - chasing after the kids all day, squeezing onto the itty bitty kiddie rides, putting up with the crazy crowds... and seemingly loved it all?! My kids ARE darling, but after an entire day of them, I can understand wanting to run the opposite direction - but not Uncle Zach & Aunt Rachel!

We ate at the park since we were there from 1 - 9 p.m. We debated what to eat and decided on good ol' Minetown Vittles - the ONLY place in the park where you can not only get a burger and fries, but also an ice cold beer. Rachel and Linds split a personal pizza, Zach and I each ate a bacon cheeseburger and Landsharks, and Luke ate a few of the french fries that the rest of us shared. We had such a fantastic time...I absolutely love spending time with my little brother and his girlfriend...and watching the kids' have a blast on the rides was priceless. I always laughed at my mom for saying her favorite part of a trip to Hersheypark was seeing us have fun, but now I know EXACTLY what she meant. I guess that makes me a true mom!