frosted shortbread aka toffee bars

I can't remember the last time I made this recipe, and I don't know if I've ever made it for Josh, but apparently I have because he requested it for his birthday dessert.  It is always a crowd pleaser. In fact, if you made it for a crowd, I doubt it'd be around very long. You see, we have a family of 5 and it lasted only about 36 hours in our house. It's true, with a little more self-control they might be around longer, but have you TASTED them?! Holy Toledo! They are scrumptious! Let me know how long they last at YOUR house. ;)

I modified this Taste of Home recipe.

Frosted Shortbread
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 15 minute + cooling35

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 milk chocolate candy bar (1.55 ounces each), broken into rectangles OR 1 1/2 c. milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional at our house)

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
• Press into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
• Immediately place candy bar pieces over crust. Let stand for 1 minute or until softened; spread chocolate evenly. Sprinkle with walnuts (if you like). If you DON'T use the walnuts you can write a message in the chocolate with the end of a knife before the chocolate cools. We wrote "Happy Birthday Daddy!" Cool. Cut into squares. Yield: 3 dozen.

 

a few new recipes

Our family has been so blessed by so many who've brought us some delicious food after the birth of our new babe. Thank you SO much all of you!

My sweet friend/visiting teacher brought us the most delectable chicken pot pie I think I've ever had. I mean, its a Food Network "Barefoot Contessa" recipe, so how could it NOT be amazing?! So, here it is (The Barefoot Contessa) Ina Garten's Chicken Pot Pie.

I am lucky enough to have a fellow foodie blogger (if I can call myself that). She posts recipes every week and I have used a TON of her's.  A few weeks ago she and her hubby brought us some Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches. They were amazing!  I will be making them again! Thanks Kelly! DeLISHious!  

Check out Kelly's other yummy recipes over here. Might I recommend her:
Pulled Pork (which I've yet to try, but it's one of her favorites so I'm sure it's amazing!),
along with her recent post of Strawberry Cupcakes found here,
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (I made this with some leftover turkey and it was the best homemade chicken noodle soup I've ever had- SO good),
and Cookie Dough Truffles (from Paula Deen). If I can think of other recipes of her's I've used but haven't posted, I'll do so.

This past week I made Kelly's Garlic Lemon Shrimp with Orzo and Broccoli, listed below. It was SO good! It's similar to my Asparagus & Shrimp Pasta but I think her recipe held up better, meaning as leftovers mine is more dry but I still really like it. To each his own. This recipe of her's will be on our rotation, just as I know it's on her's. So tasty!

Garlic Lemon Shrimp with Orzo and Broccoli

1 cup orzo
1 broccoli crown, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
kosher salt and course ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp butter
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2-3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Direction
- Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, add the orzo and cook until al dente (about 8-9 minutes). During the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, add broccoli to the pasta water. Drain orzo and broccoli and set aside.
- In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, and add onions. Cook until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes, then add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add lemon juice, zest, and wine/broth to saute pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, summering for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the butter, and continue stirring until melted
- Add the shrimp to the saute pan, and cook until pink and cooked through (about 4-5 minutes). Add the orzo and broccoli, parsley, and cheese to the shrimp and toss gently to combine
- Serve immediately
- *We discovered this is even delicious and amazing COLD as well!

Some other recipes I've tried out lately include:
Baked French Toast with Raspberry Sauce
I was not as pleased with this recipe as my husband was. He really liked it. I think it just wasn't what I was expecting- it was more custard like than actual french toast-like, so I won't be making it again. Oh, and I used frozen strawberries instead of the raspberries.
Baked Ravioli
This Everyday Food recipe was AWESOME! It looks very simple and I didn't have high hopes for it, but it proved me wrong and will now be on the rotation. Even Jackson liked it! Write this one down!

Light & Fluffy Bread (aka Sara's Homemade Bread)
This was SO delicious AND I was able to use some of my whole wheat flour from my food storage!  It was a big hit and very easy to make.

This smaller batch of bread works well with or without a bread mixer.

6 c. whole wheat flour
2 T. vital wheat gluten (or 1/2 c. high gluten (80%) flour or 500 mg vitamin C)
2 T. dry yeast
2 1/4-1/2 c. warm water (120-130*)
2 T. oil
2 T. honey
2 eggs
2 t. salt

1. Mix 3 c. flour, wheat gluten, and yeast in mixer bowl equipped with kneading arm.  Add warm water and mix for 1 minute.  Turn off mixer, cover bowl, and let dough sponge for 10 minutes.  Add oil, honey, eggs, and salt.  Turn on mixer. Add remaining whole wheat flour, 1 c. at a time, until dough forms a ball and cleans the sides of the bowl.  Knead 5-6 minutes (in bowl).  Turn off mixer, cover bowl, and let rise 20 minutes.  Mix for 1 minute to knead dough down.  Preheat oven to 150*.
2. Lightly oil hands.  Divide dough into equal portions. Shape into loaves and place into lightly greased bread pans.  Turn off oven.  Place bread in oven, and let rise until double in bulk.  Leave bread in oven and heat oven to 350*.  (Bread may also rise on countertop until double.) Bake in preheated oven.  Remove from pans and let cool.
3. Bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes.
4. Yield: 2 regular-sized loaves

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast
Did I mention I love the Everyday Food Magazine? I've found SO many good recipes in there, including this one. I love slow cooker recipes, especially on Sundays when I can throw it all in and it cooks while we're away at church. As soon as we got out of the car in the GARAGE we could smell the heavenly aroma. Mmmm.

The link above is the original version, I modified it a bit, noted in italics below.
Serves 8

• 1 c. water
• 2-3 T. cornstarch
• 8 medium carrots, cut into thirds
• 2 medium onions, each cut into 8 wedges too much onion if you add the dry onion soup like I did
  
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 beef chuck roast (3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Directions
1. In slow cooker, stir together cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Add carrots and 1/2 packet of onion soup mix; season with pepper, and toss.
2. Sprinkle roast with other 1/2 packet of dry onion soup mix, along with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; place on top of vegetables, and drizzle with Worcestershire. Cover; cook on high, 6 hours (or on low, 8-10 hours).
3. Transfer roast to a cutting board; thinly slice against the grain. Place vegetables in a serving dish; pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired. (At this point we put the pan juices in a saucepan and proceeded to make a gravy to go with it. The juices were delicious so all we added was additional water and the thickening to make the gravy.) Serve roast with vegetables and pan juices (or gravy).
   
   Oven method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In step 1, use a 5-quart Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid; add 2 cups water. Cover; bake until roast is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Proceed with step 3.

he's got the look

Levi is a good good baby. He's generally very mellow, squawks occasionally and cries even more infrequently. He's really working on holding up his head, eating a lot, sleeping even more and filling his diapers according to schedule. We really could not ask for anything more.  Look at all the cute faces we get to see every day! 

He's also working on his smile and generally shares them with his Daddy the most, but the rest of us get some now and again too.  Poor little fella has had some nasal congestion lately and does a lot of snorting in his attempt to breathe.  It's both cute and sad.  Did I mention even without his cold he's a very noisy eater and sleeper?  Ahh the sweet baby sounds.

Levi is a wonderful addition to our family and we are so happy to have him here with us!  We love the chubby cheeks he's got and the double chin we can kiss on! I LOVE CHUBBY BABIES! You know, I used to be one myself. See! Ahhh, so cute! :)

As of now, the overal consensus is that Levi resembles Jackson, which I do see, but I see some of Alivia too. Let me demonstrate.

Baby Jackson:

Baby Alivia:

What do YOU think?

Levi's Blessing

  

On Feb. 6, 2011 (SuperBowl Sunday) we took our angel boy to Church and blessed him.  It was a very special day for our family (along with the 2 other families who blessed their sons as well).

Levi was blessed by his Daddy, accompanied by his 2 grandpas, 1 great-grandpa, an uncle and 3 great-uncles. Levi did great during the blessing; he didn't make a peep. They said he just gazed up at his Daddy wondering what was going on. 

We were so blessed to be surrounded by family for Levi's special day and are grateful to have such wonderful, supportive family.  My parents and "baby" sister made the 2000+ mile trek to visit with us and share in our special day and I am so glad they did! We loved having them with us.

our little bundle of joy!

On Sunday, 

January 23, 2011 @ 1:03 am

Levi Bradley

was born!

He weighed 8 lbs., 7.2 oz,

measuring 20.5" long

His delivery could not have gone much smoother, really. He came not as quickly as his big brother, but not as lengthy as his sister. He's our biggest baby yet, but an inch shorter than his siblings. He has a great appetite and is working on packing on the pounds. He was discharged at a weight of 7 lb. 14 oz. and at his check-up he weighed 8 lb. 15 oz.! Wowie! I thought he felt like he was close to 9 lb.!

Levi is very mellow and doesn't really even cry (knock on wood). I think I've heard his cry twice in his almost 2 weeks of life. The most he does is let out a yelp. Of course, if we weren't right there to fix whatever he needed he may get into more of a cry, but we're not trying that out yet.

We are SO grateful for his safe arrival and the sweet spirit he brings to our home. His big brother and sister think he is pretty cute and his parents are enamored with him. He is a sweet addition to our family and we love immensely already!

snow much fun!

Last week we got a few inches of snow (maybe 8"?). Daddy bundled up the kids and took them out for some fun in the snow. They got the sled out, worked on the ramp and shooshed them down again and again. Hot chocolate was administered soon after they rid themselves of their extra layers, of course. They had a GREAT time and they all got some good exercise. It was a successful outing!

behind the times

It's been QUITE a while since I've posted anything, so I'd say it's high time I do!

I am very pleased to announce that after about 2.5 solid months of potty training, Mr J has been diaper-free for about a month now! Woowhoo! He has developed the sense of KNOWING when he needs to go, he stops what he's doing, and GOES! And, he's able to hold it if he needs to. But mostly, I'm just SO grateful he KNOWS when he needs to GO, stops what he's doing, and DOES what he needs to. It's such a huge help having him self-sufficient in that department. And yes, I know this is all in time for another round of diapering to start but it's different with a little baby who is COMPLETELY DEPENDENT on you, vs. a little boy who tells you when he's stinky or hides to do his "business". Thank you for these little miracles!

Speaking of miracles, I can count down the days to my due date on 2 hands! Holy cow! I'm feeling pretty good though. Baby dropped a couple weeks ago and that has helped a lot, but I'm still growing and getting not as comfortable (again).

Current challenges you're welcome to chuckle at include:

* tieing my shoelaces is not a pretty sight, slip-ons are preferable;
* sleeping for more than 2.5 hours comfortably is not attainable (I know this is good prep for the upcoming days but still...);
* sitting at or near a 90* angle is not possible without sending me into contractions (maybe that's a good thing...);
* getting off of the couch MAY occasionally require me to roll off first, then get to my feet with assistance;
* sleeping with 3 pillows and a body pillow is necessary for optimal comfort- times like these a KING bed would be nice, at least for the hubby
* Rutter's chocolate milk is an essential food group, mmm mmmm good.

 (this shot was taken about 3 weeks ago, and not the best picture but you get the idea)

These and many more obstacles make my daily life comical to watch, and no I'm "not that big" for being 9 months pregnant, but I'm bigger than I used to be and I'm not used to lugging all this around, so it doesn't come off as graceful or natural. And, let me just say, this is not whining, or is not meant to come off as whining, I'm simply trying to paint the picture for you, or me rather for future journal purposes. :)

Our family had a very nice Christmas and New Year's filled with numerous gifts and tablescapes of delectable cuisine. By the time New Year's was over, we were all ready to de-tox and take a breather from "all the celebrating"- it can be exhausting! (Tough life, I know.)

Miss Alivia continues to LOVE preschool and currently has her first loose tooth! Can you believe it?! Me neither! She loves to color and draw, sing and dance, play dress-up, and help Mommy with whatever she's doing. She's a great big sister to her brother and will be a BIG help with her new brother, I'm sure of it.

Jackson is all boy. He likes to dress-up with his sister in his army fatigues or Spiderman costume and then chase her around the room with an occasional karate chop/kick combo. He has some golf clubs he likes to drag around, and he LOVES the garbage truck and spiderman toys he got for Christmas. He likes to " 'nuggle wif you" on the couch or whereever and although he has the tough guy persona at times, he's definitely a lova'.

We have received a little snow here and there and the kids are always anxious to get out and play in it! Of course! At this very moment they're bundled up and are walking around in the crunchy snow we got last night and this morning (a couple inches of snow with an icy layer on top). It's great that they're able to get outside and play!

Mommy and Daddy are getting anxious for the new addition to their family. Mommy fills her time with housework, shuttling to and from preschool, trips to the store, crafting/creative time with the kids, and a lot of other "nesting", including more simple sewing projects, including taggie blankets, burp cloths, and blankets for the new baby and for expectant friends. Daddy fills his time working hard for all of us every day, then playing hard with the kids when he's home and helping Mommy whereever she needs, including giving her a hand to get off the couch or tie her shoes, or whatever the task requires. He is a GREAT daddy and a GREAT husband and I really lucked out. Honestly, I'm grateful every day that I have him for forever!