Weekend Fun

What is on our plate for this weekend? Baking! Gonna try this recipe for Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies.


What is on your plate?

Taco Orzo Soup

Despite the warmer weather, the first real meal I made after being sick was a savory soup that is always a big hit with my family. The recipe came from a little shop in Corning, Iowa (The Fickle Frog) who made up a cookbook filled with fantastic recipes that taste like "home". Here is one such recipe.


Taco Orzo Soup serves 4
1/2 pound ground beef
4 tsp beef bouillon granules
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
5 cups water
1 cup salsa
1 cup orzo

Brown the ground beef. Drain off any fat. Add bouillon, chili powder, cumin, salsa and water. Bring this to a boil. Add the orzo and let cook until tender. Serve with your favorite taco garnishes. We like green onion, tortilla chips, and cheese.

**We have added black beans and corn to make this a heartier meal.
***Another favorite garnish is avocado


Enjoy!

If You Could Have Any Cookie ...

My youngest (aspiring chef) and I were having a discussion this weekend and the question was posed, "If you could have any cookie in the entire world, what kind of cookie would you choose?"
Without hesitation, my little guy emphatically said, "Snickerdoodles!"


So, we went into the kitchen and made some. The End.

Snickerdoodles makes 3 dozen cookies
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Cream the butter, shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until well-incorporated. Slowly mix in the flour mixture and combine well. Form into equal-sized balls and then roll into the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until soft and puffy. Let the cookies cool before serving.

Enjoy!

Under the Weather

A week-ago Wednesday, I was hit with a blizzard and the flu. Influenza A to be precise. I hate being sick. I hate feeling weak and useless. All of the fun things that my boys look forward to on snow days were put on the back burner and Mommy was put into isolation (aka the master bedroom) so that no one else would get sick. Daddy was in charge of meals (ie. McDonald's, Hy-Vee Chinese, etc) and the boys.

Here is what I missed, while I was in bed for 6 days...