New Menus Posted

Here are the next two weeks of menus.  Enjoy!!!

Cooking Adventure with Two Mini Cooks

I love a good excuse to make something sweet, usually chocolate, so when Elizabeth asked if Aaron and I could babysit on Sunday, I thought - this is the perfect opportunity to make cookies with the girls.  My brain started to think... what kind of cookie would be good to make with small children.  SUGAR COOKIES OF COURSE.  My plan was to make rolled sugar cookies, decorate them with icing and sprinkles, the whole nine yards.  You know sugar the kiddos up and then leave, but I've tried rolled sugar cookies and they were a failure.  Plus the only cookie cutters I had were Christmas ones, which I didn't feel were appropriate for this Mardi Gras/Valentine season.  So off to Pinterest I go to find a sugar cookie recipe, that doesn't require rolling, but can still be decorated.  Click here for that recipe.  

Success, I found a soft and chewy sugar cookie recipe that was PERFECT for this occasion.  I made the dough ahead of time and just placed it in the refrigerator until it was time to be used.  I gathered my sprinkles, red hots, chocolate kisses, and food coloring  (sugar + couple of drops of food coloring in a baggie, squish it up, perfectly colored sugar crystals  AND you can put the cookie dough in the bag, seal it, let the kids shake it until it is covered, and TA-DA, sugar covered sugar cookies) and headed to the Sirven's House for some FUN!!!!

We spent the afternoon napping, riding our bikes and the girls helped me fix spaghetti for dinner (they ate almost all of it because they knew there were cookies to make).  After dinner was cleaned up, it was  COOKIE TIME!!!  Aaron kept Nate out of the kitchen and the GIRLS went to baking.  They had a blast.  I gave them one scoop of dough to just play with, which got really squishy in their hands, which they licked, and then washed them.  Finally it came time to decorate cookies.  Oh we had a blast!

Playing with a scoop of cookie dough.

Their masterpieces

Julia Rose showing off all of her hard work.

Ready to go in the oven.

Finished product.

Eating one of her blue cookies.  

Julia Rose was on her third cookie and couldn't quite finish it.

We had a blast and Aaron finally got his sugar cookies with Hershey Kisses, that he has been asking for since Christmas.  So the next time you need a yummy treat for yourself or to keep small children entertained, these cookies are a must.  Happy Eating!!!

Menus and Recipes are Posted

The next two weeks installment of Menus and Recipes has been posted.  (Click Here) or on the link at the top of the page.

HAPPY EATING!!!

Small Group Ladies Night

Tonight I had the opportunity to host our small group ladies night.  What an amazing time we had.  We had such a wonderful time of fellowship and food (come on now we are Baptist here!!!)  I am so blessed to be apart of group of ladies that simply enjoy each other's company.  We can share our struggles, funny moments, and exciting news with each other, even though for some of us we have only known each other a few short months.  We truly are one big happy family.

My "gluten-free" creations.  No worries I'll share the recipes.

Gluten-Free Mini Cheesecakes (click here)

Southern Caviar Recipe (click here)

Enjoying all of the yummy food!!!

 I love these ladies right here.  "All the Single Ladies" you always keep me laughing and remembering my days as a "single lady".  Ya'll are the best!!!  Enjoy your time and God's timing is perfect.  Take it from someone who has been in your shoes (not that long ago)  :)

We had a house full and it made my heart so happy to finally be able to host something at our tiny humble abode.  I had so much fun preparing for this event ladies.  Let's do it again sometime soon














I LOVE THESE LADIES!!!







Thanks to all the lovely ladies who came tonight, you blessed my heart by allowing me to host you.  I have so much fun serving you through this small act of hospitality.  Thanks to the husbands for keeping children so your wives could come spend time with other ladies.  And I am so thankful to my sweet husband who helped to clean the house, wash dishes, taste test, support me, and become homeless for 2 hours so it could just be us GIRLS!!!!

Gluten-Free Mini Cheesecakes (click here)

Southern Caviar Recipe (click here)

Wintery Weather

So this is the second Friday in a row, we have had some serious winter weather.  Last Friday I had a two hour delay because of the snow and this week I got out of school four hours early because of the snow/ice. (Side note: We served lunch to the entire school PK-5 grade in exactly 1 hour, now that is teamwork.)  I must say I have enjoyed my extra time this week.  Enjoy some snow pictures from the past two weeks. 

Southeastern, last Friday Aaron took this picture after his Greek class.

This was last week's temperature.  It has been extremely cold the past few days.  It was actually snowing today during carpool.  So glad that I had my L.L. Bean coat, gloves, and earmuffs.

The snow started to fall in Wake Forest around 11:00 on Friday, January 25, 2013.

By the time I left school at 12:20, the snow had stopped and the ice was starting to fall.  Little pellets pelted my windshield as I drove home.  I was so glad to finally be home.  It took me 45 minutes to make my 30 minute drive.

The ice on the roads around 5:30.  Aaron just went to the parking lot outside our apartment and said it was like stepping on a sheet of glass.  It is now 9:40.

But no worries, we are warm and toasty inside, enjoying our first fire of the winter season.  

New Link on the Blog

I am excited to announce a new link on our blog... Menu Plans and Recipes.  Just click on the Menu Plans and Recipes tab at the top of the page.  I hope you will find something to try in your quest for dinner.

Happy Eating!!!!

Breakfast Pizza Recipe

Another tradition in the Turner home is to have "brinner" - breakfast for dinner - on Sunday evenings.  Aaron has quite a number of things he can make (waffles, pancakes, french toast, just to name a few) and I love having him help out in the kitchen.  Now knowing that Aaron loves pizza and breakfast I decided to create a "breakfast pizza".  I did my research and looked at MANY recipes on Pinterest one evening.  I wanted to figure out what people used as a crust, sauce, and what they actually put on them.  Here is my recipe for Breakfast Pizza.

Breakfast Pizza

- 1 recipe of biscuit dough (included at the bottom)
- 1 lb of sausage (browned)
- 6 - 8 eggs (scrambled to a soft set - still a little runny - they will cook fully in the oven)
- shredded cheese for the top (any kind will work, I used extra sharp cheddar cheese)
- 1 recipe of gravy

- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
- Make you biscuit dough (recipe below) and roll it on a cookie sheet or pizza pan.  I used my pasta/pizza roller to roll out the dough.  I found that I could not roll out the dough and then transfer it to the pan. 
- Brown the sausage and make the gravy (recipe below).  Spread the gravy on the biscuit dough and put the sausage on top of the gravy.
- Scramble the eggs to a soft set and spread on top of the sausage.  Don't worry, it is more like clumps of eggs than a spread.
- Sprinkle with cheese.
- Place in the 450 degree oven for 11 -12 minutes.
- Let sit for about 5 minutes before slicing.
- ENJOY!!!!  Aaron enjoyed a bit of homemade grape jelly on his.

* You could use ham or bacon.  The possiblities are endless with this recipe.  Use fresh veggies or make a fruit pizza (although I probably wouldn't put gravy on it).  It makes quite a bit so you will have leftovers, which is perfect for breakfast later in the week.

*Biscuit Recipe (Mama's Recipe - best biscuits in town)

- 2 cups self rising flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 1/3 cup buttermilk (I usually just add buttermilk until the dough is moist and sticky)

Combine shortening into flour mixture until mixture resembles course cornmeal.  Gradually add buttermilk to make a soft dough.  (May need slightly more or less)  Place dough on a floured dough cloth and knead about 20-25 turns (very gently). 

Gravy Recipe (you can buy a packet of gravy mix if you desire)
 - after you brown the sausage, remove the sausage leaving a bit of fat/drippings in the pan.  Place the pan back on the stove at a low/medium heat and  add flour to the fat to make a roux (looks like a paste).  Add milk to the roux and whisk until you have a sauce consistency.  Beware it will thicken very quickly.  You will need enough to cover the biscuit dough.