I Won Best Pie With This

Midwest Living Magazine

Peppermint Brownie Pie

Cool: 20 minutes
Bake: 55 minutes
Prep: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
Pastry for 9-inch single crust pie
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup mint-flavored semisweet chocolate pieces
Whipped cream
Directions

1. For filling: In a heavy small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare and roll out pastry. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; trim and crimp edge.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla. Stir in the chocolate mixture and chocolate pieces. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate.
4. Bake pie in a 350 degree F oven about 55 minutes or until filling is evenly puffed and edges of filling are slightly cracked. Cool on wire rack (center will sink slightly as pie cools). Serve with whipped cream. Makes 10 servings.

Revised Christmas List

Giver Receiver

Hallie Bryce

Mike Breanne

Landon Emerson

Bryce Riley

Elise Carly

Lily Landon

Emerson Cru

Riley Hallie

Breanne Shad

Carly Mike

Shad Elise
Cru Lily

Who Do You Have This Year?

So I thought I would post this here so then everyone could find it. If you don't like how it was done this year you are more than welcome to take up the task next year. We will see how it goes once and move on from here if it does not work. We will thank dad for doing the drawing. Unbiased! The usual limit of no more than $30. Have fun and put a little Spirit into it. This should be fun and not hard. Remember it is the thought that counts.

Love you all - Hallie

Giver Receiver

Hallie Bryce

Mike Breanne

Landon Elise

Bryce Cru

Elise Carly

Lily Hallie

Emerson Riley

Riley Landon

Breanne Shad

Carly Mike

Shad Emerson

Cru Lily

ham a la king

okay so i love this recipe. i think mom got it from Grandma Maygren. It's perfect in the winter but I make it all the time because it's my favorite.
disclaimer - this is a mom recipe. you know what that means! things could be left out or "guessed"

white sauce: 1/3 cup butter, 1/3 cup flour. melt and whisk together over low heat. add milk. make kind of thick.

chop up: 2-3 carrots, 2-3 celery and 1/2 onion. microwave until cooked through. add chopped up ham to mixture.

add vegetables and ham to white sauce. add a little bit of liquid smoke flavoring.

that's it! super easy. really yummy.


ps, if you use VEGAN butter and soy milk it still works, just smells a little funky. but tastes good still. and if you have kids they might have nasty poops after. but i'm blaming it on the crazy butter and milk i use now!

Chicken Caesar Wraps

These are AmAZinG!!
3 T Olive oil
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning salt
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
flour tortillas
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Tomato, chopped
Dressing
1 (8oz) sour cream
2 T milk
3 T Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp minced garlic

In a large plastic bag, combine olive oil, lemon pepper, 1 tsp garlic and 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning.
Add chicken to bag, seal tightly, and mix around to distribute marinade. Refrigerate 15 min, while preheating the grill to med heat. Remove chicken and arrange on rack. Grill about 10-14 min, remove when done and cut into strips.
In a small bowl, combine sour cream, milk, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, pepper and 1/2 tsp garlic. Place romaine and sliced chicken in warmed tortillas. Top with dressing, I also add chopped tomato. Fold and eat!

4th of July Weekend

Since we had Friday and Monday off for 4th of July we decided to go on a small family getaway. It started by attending festivities at Fort Gordon followed by an amazing firework show.

Lily and Emerson in a Georgia heat.

Lily and Emerson in the Humvee at Daddy's work

Emerson climbing on a tank

Lily in awe with the fireworks show

We then traveled to Savannah and explored the historical River St. and Tybee Island. It was so much fun and would love to go back again.

Fun in the Atlantic Ocean!

Like always, Emerson LOVED the water!

Exhausted after a fun day at the beach

Enjoying the free Ferry ride at the hotel

Our view from the pool deck

Emerson LOVED watching the boats

Lily enjoying the boat ride

Our transportation / Ferry


Emerson trying buffalo shrimp (HOT!)


Beautiful Savannah

As adorable as ever!

Wow, I can't believe we got one of the whole fam!

Lily, always ready for the camera

Emerson trying to get every last bit of smoothie

Silly Daddy!

Lots of hand laid rock streets

So cute

The cutest kids in the whole world!!!

We can never get enough time in the water

macaroni and cheese with cauliflower

So I stole this recipe from Breanne's Real Simple last time I was there and y'know what...we liked it! I even took some to the "new moms group" today and I think they liked it too :) It's super easy too!

*side note: I did not make my own bread crumbs (I'm not that ambitious these days! I just used italian bread crumbs I had in my cupboard...made the cooking a lot faster too! Also, I don't have a 3 quart baking dish, I just used a 9x13 and it filled it up pretty good!

12 oz multigrain elbow macaroni (I couldn't find multigrain so I used regular)
1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
4 slices multigrain bread, torn
1/2 Cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 Tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 Cups grated extra-sharp cheddar (6oz)
1 1/2 Cups reduced fat sour cream
1/2 Cup 1% milk
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400, cook the pasta according to package directions, adding the cauliflower during the last 3 minutes of cooking time; drain
2. Meanwhile, pulse the bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Add the parsley, 2 T of oil and 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper and pulse to combine; set aside.
3. Return the pasta pot to medium heat and add the remaining T of oil. Add the onion, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, just until soft, 5-7 minutes. Mix in the pasta, cauliflower, cheese, sour cream, milk, and mustard.
4. Transfer to a shallow 3-quart baking dish, sprinkle with the bread crumbs, and bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes