Happy Valentines Day!!

Happy Valentines Day to you All!!  

This is a wonderful day dedicated to showing those you love how very special they are to you.  Danny and I celebrate it a little differently than most.  We both are huge foodies and love cooking, so rather than go out to dinner.  We have started our own traditions.  I am always the cook on this day.  I start searching weeks before and plan out the whole menu.  There is usually appetizers and maybe a glass of wine, we then sit down for dinner and there are at least 3 courses, which I serve.  I break out the good china and glasses, candles everywhere and red and white roses.  I can't even remember the last time we went out to dinner on this day.  It started out just Danny and I sharing a romantic dinner at home, but for probably the last 8-10 years or so, we invite others who don't have someone to share this day with.  We have had single friends over the years who start to get depressed just thinking about Valentines Day, so Danny and I decided that we can have a romantic dinner, just the two of us, any day of the year, why not share this day with those that need a little cheer on this day.  Also, Chad, my son works up on the North Slope and I think he has only been home for one Valentines Day since he met Jayme, so it has become a tradition to share this day with first her and now the girls too.  Allie has informed her Daddy, "We go to Nana's for Valentines."  

Danielle, my daughter does the same thing in her home.  She plans a special meal and shares it not only with her husband and children, but they have always invited Jeremy's grandmother to enjoy it with them.

I know that Valentines Day can be viewed as an over commercialized holiday and it can become that way if you let it.  But to me, it's a day to show those that you love how much you really care and to make them feel special.  Last year, I can remember Allie's eyes lighting up when she told me she had helped mom make the chocolate dipped strawberries that we shared and when she saw the fancy table with candles and she got her own stemmed glass for her juice.  And the huge smile when she finally got her huge cookie all to herself!!
   
Danny and I always look forward to sharing this day, not only with each other, but with any and all those that we love that want to enjoy it with us. 

This year the menu is:

For the appetizer: seared ahi tuna with wasabi and soy sauce.
First course:  Spinach salad, with strawberries, almonds and a homemade poppy seed dressing.
Second Course:  Puff Pasty wrapped Salmon fillet with watercress mousse and a champagne, chive
                              butter sauce, with steamed broccoli.
Dessert:  Fresh strawberries, stuffed with cheesecake and topped with graham cracker crust and drizzled with chocolate. (Jayme found this recipe on Pinterest, it's pinned to her board, "Food") we thought that this recipe drizzled with chocolate would put them over the top!!


I'm also surprising Allie with a huge chocolate chip cookie!  I made her one last year and that was the only thing she wanted all the way thru dinner.

I truly hope you all have the best Valentines Day ever!!  Enjoy those that you love, whether it's with that one special someone or with those that are special, it's a day to go over the top to show your love!!

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Nana Day Lunch

                                                             Time to Feed the Kids!!

Well, it was Nana day and of course the kids always have their favorite foods and I always try to keep most if not all of what they like on hand. Hey, I'm Nana, it's a big responsibility!! Anyway, thought I would try to steer them a little outside of the box and try some recipes that I had found on Pinterest.




Both of these are posted to my board "Food & Recipes"

I was at the store buying the biscuits for my last post, "Biscuit Makeovers" and saw the crescent rolls.  I had remembered seeing a recipe that used them, so decided to buy them and used the recipe at a later date.  When it came time for lunch, I decided to try it out but I didn't have string cheese or pepperoni.  I'm thinking, if I make another trip to the grocery store I will end up buying three times more than I planned, because of the cute little faces looking at me and saying, "Nana, PLEASE, can we have that?"  So.... I looked in the fridge and found turkey slices and American cheese.  They like these two and have made them sandwiches, so decided to give it a try.  I put the turkey and cheese on the crescent roll and thought it needed a little something extra......... ranch dressing!!  They love it on everything!!

                                                     I baked them just as the recipe said......

Looking Good!!

Ok, so now for a little accompaniment!  I am a huge fan of "Cheez its"  I convince myself that I'm buying them for the kids, but if I'm totally honest, the kids eat a few and after they go home, I devour the whole box!!  They are SO good!!

I found the recipe on Pinterest to flavor the oyster crackers and one of the ingredients is "Ranch Dressing Mix".  Since the crescent rolls also have Ranch, I thought these two would be a good lunch for the kids.  I followed the recipe exactly and they were very, very easy to make!  The were really good, but I have to say, they pale in comparison to a Cheez it.  Oh well, continue the search at another time.

It makes quite a bit and for another use on these.  A couple of days later, I had taken out some pork chops and was gonna' make my version of "Shake n Bake" pork chops.  Rather than buying the mix, I just season my own bread crumbs.  But when I get ready to cook dinner, I had no bread crumbs in the pantry.... Hmmmm.  Ah Ha!!  I crushed the seasoned crackers and used them!!  It was pretty yummy!!

OK, so lunch for the kids.  I plated them up.

And gave them to the kids

The final word on lunch from the "judges".  Landin liked the oyster crackers.  I asked him if he liked them better than Cheez it's, he actually said that he did.  However, Allie, didn't like them at all.  As for as the crescent sandwiches, neither one was impressed.  Danny and  I liked them, but not enough to go to the trouble of making them rather than just making a turkey and cheese sandwich. 

Oh well, moving on to the next recipe experiment!!  I might try the crescent rolls again, but with the Pepperoni and string cheese - maybe......

Biscuit Makeovers

                                                 Plain Old Biscuits?  Who Knew?

This post actually contains two "Nana Days".  I knew I was gonna' have the kids so I went onto Pinterest to get some ideas for goodies and craft projects. I actually found two different recipes for goodies that I was curious about and they both started with ready made buscuit dough.  One recipe miraculously transforms the dough into fresh, warm donuts and the other was a take on sticky buns.  They both sounded SO yummy that I had to try them!!  Also, I have been told as of late, not by grand kids but by my kids that my goodie stash has been soarly lacking as of late, so thought this would be perfect for both grand kids and agitated kids with sweet tooths.

These two recipes are pinned to my board "Food & Recipes"

Ok, so, first things first!  On "Nana Day" one, I made the donuts exactly as the recipe called for.  The recipe said to heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil so I decided to use a small skillet (1) to save on a large amount of vegetable oil and (2) so that I could do these in smaller, more manageable batches.  Thought this would help on having less mishaps.  Anyway, I didn't have a regular round hole cutter, but I did have the small heart shape so decided that would be perfect!  I am making these for the most perfect, most loved grand kids in the whole world right!  Hearts it was!

Got the oil heated up and got to work! 

It went a lot faster than I had anticipated.  About the third batch, I burned a couple of them a little bit, but all in all it was WAY easier and faster than I thought it would be! 

I followed the recipe exactly as they said and used butter, then dipped both sides in sugar and cinnamon.  Four of five grand kids and hubby said they were way better than store bought!!  I was thrilled and actually surprised!  In the back of my mind, I was a little afraid they were just gonna' taste like a biscuit with sugar and cinnamon on them, but they really did taste like fresh donuts!  Fresh, warm donuts!  Mmmmm.  Definitely making them again next Nana day with a few more ideas.

As far as the craft project I had planned, well, it kinda' got taken over by 4 and 5 year olds.  All they wanted to do was play with more salt dough!  Seriously, need something to keep the kids entertained - make salt dough!!

So...... on to "Nana Day" two!  We decided to make it a sleepover, so I knew I was gonna' make the "Sticky Bun" recipe with the biscuits and then for in the morning I wanted to make more of the donuts.  Landin arrived before Allie, so we got to work on the sticky buns.  I read the recipe and the blog about the recipe and the girl said that she had used the "Grands" biscuits and had learned a lesson and would use the regular ones for the next batch.  So, I used the regular ones and followed the recipe exactly.  It easy ingredients and easy to assemble, but I have to tell you, I wasn't impressed.  First of all, after baking, they stuck to the pan.  Now, this may have something to do with the "New Formula" Pam No-stick spray, because I am so Not impressed with that either!  Don't buy it!!  I have NEVER had anything stick when using the regular Pam spray.  I bought the new formula and so far have had everything stick so far.  Ok, I digress, anyway, even after I got them out of the pan, not so pretty I might add, but out of the pan and on a serving plate.  These actually did taste like dressed up biscuits.  I'm thinking the lady that used the "Grands" biscuits had the same problem I did, so don't think it has to do with the size.  Also, I like sticky buns that are actually sticky.  These seemed dry.  So, all in all, would not recommend this recipe.

See, they even look dry........

The sleepover was awesome, as always!!  We wake up in the morning and I knew that it was going to take some convincing to get Allie to eat donuts rather that her all time favorite Nana breakfast - blueberry pancakes.  This is no joke!  She NEEDS her blueberry pancakes!  On the last sleepover we were laying in bed getting ready to go to sleep and Allie snuggled up to me and said in her sweetest voice, "Nana, will you make me blueberry pancakes in the morning?"  Hello!!  Of course!!!  Snuggles and sweet voices get me every time!!  I told her that I wanted to make them some donuts, but if she still wanted her blueberry pancakes afterward, I would still make them. 

So, this time, I followed the same directions, right up to the cinnamon and sugar.  Allie's favorite donut is always chocolate with sprinkles and Landin doesn't like regular chocolate, but he does like white chocolate with sprinkles.  I've got it covered!

I used white chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips and added a little butter and milk and melted them in the microwave at 30 second intervals.

I skip the butter this time, the chocolate seemed to stick better without it.

Ummm - the non-sprinkle ones are for me and Danny.  Hey, we have to eat breakfast too!!

They were a hit!!  From Landin I got a raised eyebrow and a "Nana, can you make these everytime we come over?"  and from Allie I got the sweetest smile ever and a "Nana, I love you."

Definitely will be making these again and again!!

You will have to wait in anticipation to see the craft project we started.  It's a work in progress, but it's gonna' be great!!

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