Fall Fun in South Texas

Fiesta Texas

South Texas Corn Maze (Hondo Tx)

Fall is unique in this part of the country, weather being the major contributing factor. The weather has changed around here, it's not summer anymore, but it's warm and mostly sunny.  I think this gives us some great weekends! In the span of a little more than a week we enjoyed all of this fun stuff! We were lucky to have good friends and family with us and It made me think how lucky we are.  


If you don't live here, you should really plan a fall visit, so much to do and so beautiful.  

A Broadway Production of Mary Poppins at the Majestic

San Antonio Zoo

 And a great day at Canyon Lake

Adoption Support
We have a fabulous group of Adoptive families that we meet with a few times a month.  "Chosen Families" has been a fantastic resource for us.  The kids get to hang out with other adopted kids and we get that parental help we need in our unique situations.  We have all types of adoptions in our group, foreign, domestic private, kinship and, like us adoptions from Foster Care.  Our next scheduled activity is a day trip to Lost Maples where we hope all our kids find adventure.  If you or someone you know has a chosen family or is considering adoption you can contact us on our Facebook page. This group was organized by the boys elementary school music teacher.  She has 4 adopted kids all came to her in different ways so she has great experience. When she told her family story to her students she was surprised and delighted to find out how many of them were in chosen families, so she promptly got us all together.  Another lucky break for my family and a remarkable example of our community coming together to help each other.  


Well, back to updating my Idevices to IOS 5 (I hope). 

I've gone a bit Crackpot... (sharing slow cooker recipes)

At least that's what Billy is starting to call it.  So what stopped me in the past from dragging out the crock-pot unless it was for New Years Black Eyed Peas? The first obstacle was I just really had no idea how to use it, second; finding recipes, marginally healthy meals that the kids will eat without too much complaining. Both of these problems have been solved by two Moms in South Texas who started a Facebook page a month or so ago that went completely viral.  It led to a website www.crockpotgirls.com, which is way easier to navigate than the FB page.  It's really just a depository for all kinds of tips, tricks and recipes.  I've been pleasantly surprised by the variety of meals I've been able to make.  I even still get the kids involved in the prep sometimes.  I thought I would pull a few of the favorites and post them here. Also, be sure and pick up some of those crock pot liners (near the tin foil on the paper goods aisle) it sure did remove the last obstacle to using that crock, clean up is breezy with those. Also got a good list from Sweetpeas and Pumpkins blog. 


Since I find a majority of my recipes (both crock & not) online I needed a good way to file them.  I had been using Evernote for other things as I can upload just about anything to it from my Ipad/Iphone and keep records organized.  You can email directly to your Evernote account and with the JotNot app I can also scan anything with the iphone camera, upload it and organize it.  Everything is accessible from the website and both apps.  I find it especially useful for recipes.  You can tag each note which makes it really easy to find what you're looking for.  For instance, I have chicken thighs and want to use the crock so I just click on chicken and crockpot.  Or I'm in HEB & there's a deal on pork butt, so I can find pork butt recipes on my phone & get what I need while I'm there. Really handy! 


 On to recipes! The favorite has been the super easy ones, which is cool but kinda disappointing as it doesn't afford me much credit.


Easiest dinner of all time... BBQ Chicken... 


1 package of frozen chicken legs or thighs, sprinkle on a little bbq seasoning to taste. The original recipe calls for a little water, but I've found I don't really need it. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 5-7.  Again, the original recipe I found says to put in a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce in a few hours before you eat, but I make my own sauce.  Do whatever you like, but I swear it comes out delish! I took 5lbs of this to a pot luck the other night and it was a hit.  


Pot Roast

Ingredients

• 1 (4 -5 lb) beef roast, any kind
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) packages brown gravy mix, dry
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) packages dried Italian salad dressing mix
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) packages ranch dressing mix, dry
• 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Place beef roast in crock pot.
2. Mix the dried mixes together in a bowl and sprinkle over the roast.
3. Pour the water around the roast.
4. Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

Yeah, seriously, that's it... I usually dump potato chunks, baby carrots & onions in about halfway through.  You can put it under the roast too from the beginning if you like 'em mushy like my brother does. You can also add seasoning to your taste, but the mixes are really salty so don't add any of that! 




Hint: If you want to shred either of these for sandwiches or tacos get out your hand mixers instead of a fork.  You can shred with that right in the pot easily. 


Lemon Chicken

Ingredients 4 + Chicken breasts (depending on how many you're cooking for) 

1/4 cup olive oil 

1 cup lemon juice 

4 cloves garlic,minced 

1 tsp oregano 

1 tsp seasoned salt (or regular) 

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper 

How to make it 

Place chicken in crock pot Whisk all other ingredients in bowl and pour over chicken. Cook for 6-8 hours on low.  The kids thought it was a little sour, but I liked it. Light and fresh.

Tamale Pie

1/2 pound lean ground beef 

1 medium onion, chopped 

(1/2 cup) 2 cups red kidney beans (from 19-oz can)drained, rinsed 

1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce 

1 pouch (6.5 ounces) cornbread & muffin mix

1/3 cup milk 

2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted 

1 egg 1/2 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces) 

1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chiles, undrained 

1/4 cup sour cream 

4 medium green onions, chopped (1/4 cup) 

1.In nonstick skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in beans and enchilada sauce.

2.Place beef mixture in 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-quart slow cooker. In medium bowl, stir cornbread mix, milk, margarine and egg just until moistened (batter will be lumpy). Stir cheese and chiles into batter. Spoon over beef mixture in slow cooker.

3.Cover and cook on low heat setting 5 to 6 hours or until toothpick inserted in center of cornbread comes out clean. Serve with sour cream and green onions

I made this one last night, Billy & I loved it the boys said "I'd eat it again".  Of course I had to leave out the kidney beans, I wish I would have put in some refried beans instead. This will be a great winter staple!Also, I used from scratch cornbread since I didn't have any jiffy on hand.  Worked fine.

Garlic Lime Chicken

Garlic Lime Chicken 

5 chicken breast halves

1/2 cup soy sauce 

1/4 Cup lime juice 1 Tbsp. 

Worcestershire sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. dry mustard 1/2 tsp. ground pepper

cook on high 4-6 hours or on low 6-8 hours. 

This is just a good base for lots of things, occasionally I use honey or brown sugar to change it up.  

Balsamic Chicken

Balsamic Chicken: 

4-6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts 

2 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes 

1 onion thinly sliced (Not chopped) 

4 garlic cloves 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tblsp olive oil 

1 tsp each: dried oregano,basil, and rosemary 

1/2 tsp thyme ground black pepper and salt to taste 

Pour the olive oil on bottom of crock pot place in chicken breasts, salt and pepper each breast put sliced onion on top of chicken then put in all the dried herbs and garlic cloves pour in vinegar and top with tomatoes Cook on high 4 hours, serve over angel hair pasta 

Again a good one to play with - change it up as you like.

And here are a couple bonus that I haven't tried yet but intend to soon. 

Apple Cinnamon Crockpot Oatmeal

steel cut oatmeal 

•2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2-1/2 to 3 cups chopped)

•1-1/2 cups fat-free milk

•1-1/2 cups water ... 

•1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats 

•2 tablespoons brown sugar 

•1-1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into 5-6 pieces 

•1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

•2 teaspoons ground flax seed

•1/4 teaspoon salt 

Coat inside of 3-1/2 quart (or larger) slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all ingredients to slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on low for 7 hours. Store leftovers in refrigerator. Freezes well. To reheat single servings: Put 1-cup cooked oatmeal in microwave proof bowl. Add 1/3 cup fat-free milk. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Continue cooking for 1 minute.

I just can't seem to think about breakfast at 10pm! But I swear I'll have oatmeal this weekend, I'm setting the ICal reminder now. The following I'll make for my next Sunday Family Dinner that I can get Cody to come over for...

Slow Cooker Carolina Pulled Pork BBQ 

Make the rub: 2 T brown sugar

1 T paprika 

2 t salt 

1/2 black pepper 

Combine and rub on a: 4-6 pound whole pork butt or shoulder Place in the slow cooker: 2-3 onions, quartered pork shoulder on top 

Mix with sauce: 2/3 apple cider vinegar 

4 t worchester sauce 

1 1/2 t red pepper flakes 

1 1/2 t sugar 

1/2 t dry mustard

1/2 t garlic powder 

1/4 t salt

1/4 t cayenne pepper 

Combine and pour 1/4 of this mixture over the roast, saving the rest for serving the sandwiches. Cook on low for 10-12 hours, or high 5-6 hours. Remove the roast, let cool a bit, and pull/shred with two forks (pork should just fall apart). Serve with remaining sauce. 

   That's all for now, I'll add some as I go.  I've got some deserts that I'd like to try but wait till the next pot luck so I don't have a crock of caramel rice pudding around the house.  Also I found a pumpkin latte recipe for fall... If you have one for me to try please point me in that direction.  I have my second Expedia interview in an hour, if that goes as I'd like it to then I'll need as much crock pot help as I can get to keep all the boys fed!

Summer fun & lessons (includes family road trip tips)....

It's a little hard to define the feeling of the summer ending and the kids going back to school.  Last year I was so anxious to have them gone a few hours a day that I knew exactly how I felt.  This year is different.  We had tons of fun this summer, but I felt a little stagnant by the end, like I couldn't come up with anything new to do.  But boys & did I learn a lot this summer. I never thought I'd get to enjoy cooking so very much. Even the challenge of  finding meals that the boys would eat and that I could add/subtract items for Billy and I to enjoy.  The kitchen became a great place for all kinds of lessons for the boys too, math didn't seem so boring when it involved measuring and the science of cooking was exciting too.  I'm proud to say that we all came out of the summer having added to our talents and abilities.  We also really built great memories, when I think back on my childhood all the very best, happiest adventures are tied to summer.  Whether it was just hanging around the house with my brother, working on my Uncle's ranch or amusement parks with Daddy it was all just happy.  Cody & I never got along better than those summer weeks on the ranch when we worked, explored, made up games, huddled in the middle of the bunk house in the middle of the night listening to wild life outside the window, or just climbed the hill it was always an adventure.  We took the boys back there over Labor Day weekend to celebrate my Mom's birthday & our official one year as a family.  While the boys still aren't quite as intrepid as Cody & I were they still had few adventures.

There are always great lessons learned out there too, my cousin Kendra taught them about her chickens and her garden while Uncle Johnny hauled 'em around in the back of the pick up for hours showing them how the land is recovering from the awful wildfires this summer.  We went back to the Star Party at the Observatory and enjoyed learning and looking at the moon.  Such fun! And it was kinda nice to need a jacket for a couple days. My aunt even made a couple of dishes that both boys loved & I brought home to put in the meal rotation.  They also really bonded with my cousin's sweet baby Graham.  Isn't he adorable?!? They are remarkably good with little kids.  The trip reminded me to try to squeeze in some great experiences even when summer is over. It also reminded me how remarkable my family is. The people and the land in that part of the country are amazing.  I wish I could tell you the stories I heard of people helping each other during the harrowing wildfire season there.  I encouraged my Aunt to record the stories, it's inspiring and terrifying, not to mention very eye-opening.  I'll keep trying to get her to do it, but I just can't see her sitting down indoors for the time it would take to do that.


Family Road Trip Tips:
Boy did I learn a lot about family travel this summer! I've always considered myself a bit of a travel expert after 20+ years in the industry & numerous long road trips, but I'm not sure I ever quite understood what it was like to haul kids around the country.  Preparation for the road trip was key. I picked up every $5 movie I came across for weeks before the trip & squirlled them away so they would be "new" for the 4 10 hour+ days on the road to Florida and back, so every time they went through the collection they found a new movie to watch.  I also bought several little games to play & would bring a new one out each day.  Bingo & the state trivia games were the winners.  I bought a bunch of their favorite chips in the little bags that I gave for prizes.  That way the weren't eating junk all day and looked forward to participating in the games.  But the more surprises for them the better.  Each seat got clean wipes and a hand towel to clean up messes + a place to put books & electronics to keep them from getting lost.  I learned I needed to announce a stop a few minutes in advance so they would put it all away to keep it from getting lost in the seats or knocked out of the van, otherwise every stop was followed by a search for the remote control.  The road trip food was more popular with both kids and parents than the food we got on stops.  I had a powered ice chest that we used for drinks and I had a large thermal bag for most of the snacks that I kept chilled with frozen water bottles as much as I could, or changing out cold bottles from the ice chest.  I tried to pack as much easy "real" food as I could to keep everyone entertained and fed with as few stops as possible. I included Apple slices, small peanut butter pkgs, sausage, crackers, grapes, tomatoes (the Delicious little Champagne ones from HEB) ,  cheese and the chips and cookies for treats.  Contrary to the way I would normally do business, I did NOT book hotel in advance for the overnights during the drive.  Billy just wanted to get as far as he could without having to be anywhere in particular for the night. But I managed to get great "walk in" deals (I still remember how to talk to a Night Auditor!)  We made it to Mobile on the first day despite a nice long stop in Lafayette to visit with Billy's cousin.  The boys tried gator bites and loved 'em! Crazy...  We got up early and visited the USS Alabama, which is right up these kids alley.  They love war stuff.  After that we drove straight through to Orlando. 

USS Alabama

I love Disney World, this love affair started way back in the 70's when Daddy took me to Disneyland and continued while Billy & I were living in SoCal and had season passes.  I love everything about it and was so very excited to take the boys.  They were excited too, they gave up big birthday parties and the normal onslaught of gifts in order to help us afford the trip.  I'll do a post about Disney World soon, tips and tricks I've discovered over the years and how to handle it with two 11 year olds. It was magical. 

The drive back was so uneventful that Billy drove us straight through to Texas, we were ready to be home! I'll continue the summer post soon, but now I have to prepare for a phone interview with Expedia.  I've always wanted to try my skills on their side of the business and now I have the opportunity.  Expedia is the leader in OTA's and I've always admired the people I've worked with as a Dir of Revenue.  Couldn't come at a better time, the kids are settling in nicely to 5th & 6th grade and Billy is ready to get me out of the house (not to mention he's ready for the paycheck!).  Truthfully, as much as I'd miss being here when the boys get home from school, I'm really looking forward to getting back out there! Wish me luck.... 

A visit with old friends and Bloody Mary Tomato Salad.. Fun & Yum :)

We had a visit from friends that have been with us longer than most this week.  Shawn was my BFF before there were BFFs :) & Don was Billy's roommate, our original "couple" friends.  We've been living in different cities for more than 20 years, but when we get together, it's much like we've never been apart. This was the first time they got to meet our boys & we were seeing their youngest for the first time since she was little.  Everyone had fun & the meal was fabulous!


Our Disney World Vacation kept us from cooking & posting, but I'll write about it later, I learned a lot about travel with kids!


For last night's dinner we made flank steak & bloody mary tomato salad... Delish! The flavors of the dressing really do mirror the taste of a good bloody mary.  Both of the kids helped chop up veggies, Andres broke out  both his swim goggles & the old slap chop for the onions.  Here's the recipe, SO good! And since it's tomato season, you can get really amazing tastes, so you should try it now. I'm gonna go grab the left overs for lunch now, my mouth is watering just thinking how much better it probably is after marinating in that all night. 

Flank Steak with Bloody Mary Tomato Salad
Steak:
2 1 1/2 pounds flank steaks
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons (packed) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil (for brushing)

Salad:
1 cup finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar, divided
2 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped celery hearts (inner stalks and leaves; from 1 bunch)
1/2 cup chopped brined green olives plus 2 tablespoons olive brine
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For steak: Place steaks on a large rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Mix sugar and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl; rub all over steaks. Cover; refrigerate 1-3 hours.
Let steaks stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Brush grates with oil. Grill to desired doneness, about 5-7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest for 10 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before slicing.

For salad: Mix onion and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a large bowl. Let macerate 10 minutes, tossing often. Add tomatoes, celery, and olives. 
Whisk remaining 2 tablespoon vinegar, olive brine, horseradish, and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in oil. Add to bowl with tomato mixture; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill. 
Cut steak crosswise into 1/4"-thick slices. Serve salad with steak. 

Andres made his most favorite thing... Deviled Eggs

Really, the kid would eat two dozen if left alone.  He kept asking "where do you buy those?".  When I told him "you make them" he said, "But Uncle Cody brought some, he didn't make any!"  Guess he forgot Aunt Shannon came along too.


Anyway, I just sent him to the kitchen to boil eggs, which was way more complicated than I realized when I had to tell him how to do it.  There were only a couple ruined, so it worked out fine. 


We used this simple recipe from HEB


And it was a success! Only the waiting for them to chill seemed to be a problem. 

HEB comes through again! (they also saved me with a quick cupcake tree for Albert's birthday yesterday)

My brother says I need a job because I'm starting to eat garbage.

If you don't know my brother, he's a very sharp guy & frequently uses that intelligence to be snarky. Mostly to me & various liberal posters on news stories.  We invited him for dinner last night, Mom made an old standby bbq chicken from our childhood & I cooked up some mixed greens & tomatoes.  Cody isn't a fan of healthy so he figures greens are trash then to top it off I brought out the pickled watermelon rinds for a garnish with the BBQ.  Yeah, that's when he said I needed a job so I didn't have to feed my family garbage.  Hilarious right?   Now I have a job interview in a few hours.  That'll slow down the cooking progress huh? I blame Cody & I'll still be eating "garbage", it'll just be coming from fast food joints now. 


Anyway, the dinner was good, the kids  both really liked mothers "BBQ Chicken", which is actually an HEB roasted chicken shredded cooked in the following sauce:

• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 t Tabasco
• 6 t Mustard
• 2 t chili powder
• 3/4 brown sugar
• 6 t vinegar

It tasted like home! The HEB roasted chicken is a definite improvement compared to Mom boiling it all day stinking up the homestead when we were kids.

I promise to get the ice cream stuff together soon to post. I have to say that I will miss having the extra time to learn and do stuff with my kids & my mom if I end up back at work.  The thought of what I'll miss with my boys is a little heart breaking.  I never thought I'd be in this place, not wanting to work outside the home.  But heck, I've had a new exciting job that I knew absolutely nothing about for only about 18 months and I'm just starting to get the hang of it all.  The progress the boys made in the last year has been astonishing.  I hope it was more due to our finalization of the adoption and a stable family than it was to me devoting all my time to them.  I hope it can continue if I'm back in the hotel business.  Either way I'm anxious to keep up this project as much as I can, so any suggestions or feedback would be appreciated!

Pickled Watermelon Rinds

Wow! This was a ton of work, but oh my, I love these things! With BBQ or on a burger, they are the perfect sweet/sour/acid combination.  But holy cow it was a long process.  Here's the recipe link again in case you are looking for it & here are some pictures of the process.  
We did use a relatively small watermelon that didn't produce all that much rind, so we didn't can anything just used a rubbermaid container. The most time consuming part of the deal was pealing the green part off the rind, I was glad mom was here & I had two sets of hands for that part of the project.  Maybe that's what makes me so much braver when she is in the kitchen with me :).  I wished I'd left a little more of the pink on the pieces just for the way they look. We are still enjoying this batch & I'm not sure I'll tackle it again this summer, but maybe next!


pickled-watermelon-rind recipe

Albert helped out with this project, adding the spices & cutting the lemon in super thin slices.

Albert & Mimi getting the pickling syrup ready to cook.

Rind on the left, syrup on the right.  It sure smelled good!

Pickled Watermelon Rinds & Quinoa

Pretty sure we Mom & I are attempting this today or tomorrow.  Not sure why, but I've always wanted to try it!
pickled-watermelon-rind recipe


It's an awfully long process.  These chefs on Food Network should tell you that no, that dish we just did in the 45 minute challenge can in no way be accomplished by normal humans in less that 48 hours. 


This morning I finally did something with Quinoa! So excited... It turned out really good, even though I did not have ricotta to top it. 
recipes/sweet-breakfast-quinoa


I was really very satisfied and Mom said "Well, color me proud" :). Kids sleep in too late for cooking breakfast & when I tried to give them some "eww, NO!, I'll have a Hot Pocket"  Nice huh?


And here's the gratuitous proud mom photo.  In addition to his regular boarding antics pictured here, Andres & I actually got to board double yesterday! No photos, but it was so fun, he crossed back and forth under my rope a few times, he's developed great control really fast.