The theme for Ella's Birthday was a Hair and Nail Salon. Grandma Julie, Grandma Dee, Cousin Isaac, Cousin Rachel and Ella's mom, Emily, all got their hair done. Grandma JuJu was up first. Here is Ella and her assistant Emma. Looks like a fun!
Grandma Dee was up next...
It was the most fun for me when Rachel was up. It was fun to "suggest" products. They were totally up for my suggestions of MORE hairspray, MORE gel, MORE hairspray, MORE mousse, MORE hairspray. What are little sisters for?!
Look at Ruby's hand......
Look at Ruby's hand again....
I guess she figured out what to do with the mousse.
It was shortly after this picture that Ella was getting tired of doing hair. Bummer! ;)
Rachel and I got Ella (and Emma) their Easy Bake Ovens. I can't wait to babysit and make something!
I *heart* Rachel.
Rachel, Your hair looks really pretty in this picture. It must be from all the "hairspray."
Ruby and Ella LOVE Ken. Here is Ruby taking a moment to read a magazine to Ken.
Happy 4th Birthday Ella!
I have made a TON of recipes since my last post. Some of them were really bad or wouldn't make again kind of recipes. I'm excited for some of you (Rachel) to try the ones we loved.
This past week I was getting really frustrated with my freezer. I had a 14 lb turkey and a 7 lb pork shoulder sitting in there and could not fit anything else in there. I NEED another freezer. So while Ken was swapping out light switches, I made my first Pork Shoulder.
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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
(I had to double this recipe because I had a 7 lb pork shoulder.)
3 lb pork shoulder
2 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 cup Ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 Tbsp. Tabasco Sauce
Put pork shoulder in crockpot. Mix everything else up in a bowl and pour over the pork. I added just a little bit of water to it. But I probably didn't need to.
Cook on Low 10 hours or on High 6 hours. (Or until Ken is done with the lights.)
Obviously, you put these on rolls. However, the first day we didn't have any rolls so we put it over rice. Yum! Try it, it's good.
We also made some more tasty recipes from my Rachael Ray cookbook. I changed some of them to make them my own.
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Spinach and Spicy Ham Pasta Bake
I was worried about using Capocollo - Spicy Ham. I loved it!
1 lb Cavatappi or any ridged pasta (I can't remember what I used but it wasn't Cavatappi)
olive oil
1 med. onion, chopped
3 tbsp flour
1 + 1/2 cup of skim milk
1/2 lb sliced capocollo, halved, then sliced into thin ribbons
1 - 10 oz box from chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung out in a clean kitchen towel.
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1 lb ball of mozzarella
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook al dente.
While the waqter is coming up to a boil for the pasta, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 T olive oil. Add the onions and season with salt and peper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, then dust with ionions with the flour and continue to cook for 1 mintue. Slowly whisk in the milk. Gently bring the milk to a bubble, allow the mixture to thincken a bit, then stir in the ham, spinach, and parmesan. Season the sauce with nutmeg and cayenne and remove from the heat. Taste and add a little salt, if you like.
Combine the cooked pasta and the cubed mozzerella with the sauce, then stir to coat completely by turning over and over.
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Smoky Black Bean and Rice Stoup --
I try not to buy lean cusines too much. But when I do I almost always buy the Santa Fe Rice and Beans one. This recipe reminds me a lot of that one. A small portion really fills you up and it freezes really well.
3 bacon slices, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 med onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 - 15oz cans black beans -- (Rachael Ray's recipe calls for 1 can drained and smashed with a potato masher. I did this to both cans which might be the reason I was able to love this soup.)
1 T. ground coriander
1 T. chili powder
1 T. ground cumin
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. Tabasco
1 - 15 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 quart chicken stock or broth
2 c brown rice
Heat a medium soup pot over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 4 minutes to render the gross fat out of it. :) Add the bay leaf, onions and garlic and cook for 4 more minutes. Add the corn and the beans. Season the veggies and beans with coriander, chili, ground cumin, Worcestershire and hot sauce. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce and stock , then cover the pot and raise the heat to bring the soup to a boil. Add the rice and cook over a rolling simmer until the rice is tender but has a little bite left to it, 15 minutes. Adjust the seasonings.
