all sorts of rambling...and a few recipes

Over the weekend, I spent a lot of time on Pinterest and in the kitchen.  I decided to try a few new recipes and repeat a few others.  Here's my scoop on things....

I made another Strawberry Yogurt Cake.  It was divine again, however, this one fell out of my bundt pan in pieces.  Sadness. Fortunately, I was taking it for dessert to Carol's.  Carol and I are close enough that she could pick up a broken piece of ugly, but nummy cake and be fine with it.  Nothing pretty needed.  It is a heavenly cake!  Try it!

I also made this tasty pasta.  Friend, Hayley had pinned it as I was just walking out the door to Lee's Marketplace.  So, I thought I'd pick up the two things that I still needed.  I tried it and OH MY!  SO SO GOOD.  Here's my version...I did make a few adjustments to the recipe and here's how we loved it.

Cilantro-Peanut Pesto Pasta

1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, smashed, peeled, and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 chopped red pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
zest and juice from one fresh lime (about 2 tsp zest and 2 Tbs juice)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts (plus more for serving, if desired)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
16 oz linguine, cooked according to box instructions

Cook pasta as directed on the box.  While it's cooking, in a food processor, combine everything except soy sauce. Chop until everything is quite fine.  Season with soy sauce and pulse to combine.  In a large bowl, toss pesto with hot pasta.  Roughly chop additional peanuts and sprinkle over pasta along with extra cilantro leaves and lime wedges if desired.  Serve immediately.  (If you’re prepping and not quite ready to eat yet, wait to toss with the pasta for the best flavor and the pesto dries quite quickly on the pasta.  We added a bit more soy sauce onto the pasta after serving.)  Serves 4 main dish or 6-8 small sides.  SO SO GOOD!  

Here was another recipe find.  We love No-bake cookies in our family. Since all my tummy issues last summer, they do not love me because of the chocolate in them, I'm sure.  When I saw this recipe with coconut instant pudding, instead of cocoa, I thought I'd try it.  It had to be a hit.  HOWEVER.   It is so dang sweet that you can't even eat one of them without a huge glass of milk to chase it with.  I would try this once more,but I'd add half a cup of peanut butter to the recipe.  Peanut butter and coconut are a good mix.  If that doesn't work, I won't make them again.  ZJ loved them.  Mom's manfriend loved them.  But, everyone that has tried them agrees that they are way too sweet!  For what it's worth, here's the recipe.  I'll return with the peanutbutter version.

Coconut Oatmeal  No-Bake Cookies

2 c. sugar

3/4 c. butter

2/3 c. milk

1 (3.4 oz) box instant coconut flavor pudding mix

2 1/2 c. quick cooking oats

1 c. sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a large pan, mix together the sugar, butter and the milk.  Bring to a boil.  Boil 2 minutes.  Turn off the heat, add in the pudding mix, oats, coconut and vanilla.  Let stand 5 minutes. 
Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper, allow to cool completely and enjoy!  Store in airtight container.  AGAIN, I'm going to add 1/2 cup - 1 cup of peanut butter next attempt.  

For breakfast yesterday, I tried another recipe... No photos, but you know what a pancake looks like, right?  ;)  The recipe posted was so dang thick that they were like a banana bread batter.  So, I thinned it down quite a bit.  I'm adding my own version of the recipe below:

Banana Bread Pancakes:

4 cups whole wheat flour (I'm sure all-purpose flour or half and half would be fine. I'm just married to Granola-man.)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 - 6 large ripe bananas, mashed
4 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Measure out the milk and add the vanilla extract to it. Whisk together the dry ingredients and add in milk and vanilla, stirring to combine. The mixture will still be dry. Add in mashed bananas and mix. Add in melted butter and stir until batter is somewhat smooth.

Heat a skillet or grilled on medium heat. Using a 1/3 cup measure, spoon batter into rounds and cook until bubbles form on top – about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for a minute or two more. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve hot with butter and syrup, or the vanilla maple glaze.  Enjoy!

Vanilla Maple Glaze:

1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth. Pour over pancakes.  SO SO DELISH!  ENJOY!

And now for a few other Monday morning musings and a few amusings:

• We are quite concerned about out little Malti-poo, Go-Go.   On Saturday afternoon, I was outside in the trailer reading in solitude.  Go-Go was just walking across the floor when he yelped like he'd been kicked across the room.  No one was there, but he's barely able to walk since.  This happened a few weeks ago while he was outside in the front lawn with me. He was pouncing around me in a circle and let out a yelp again, like he'd been hurt terribly.  He limped around for two days then too.  I'll be calling the vet today.  He's barely eaten all weekend, had the shakes last night and can't stand on his hind quarters at all.  We're very concerned.  The kids have just cried and cried.  He's only two.  He's much too young for any doggie diseases.  Sadness.
• Yesterday, as I walked into the chapel from the back doors, all the way up front to the third row, where we always sit, I looked down and Doug noticed it at the same time...  My slip had slid down my hips and was now wrapped around my ankles.  Fortunately, my skirt was floor length, so unless you were right there, you probably didn't see that silky, lacey addition to my ankles and heels.  Two sizes does make a difference.  I'm laughing at myself!  Totally!  No one said anything, so maybe, if I didn't share it here, no one would have known.
• Summer begins.  Today, we will do our traditional summer routine beginnings... reading aloud, job assignments and my favorite (but definitely not the kids), we will be going through their bedrooms for a deep clean and dejunking all of the school clothes that are history, papers and projects, any remains of the previous school year.  I love that feeling of clean!!!
• For anyone who sees Doug and I from afar and says, "She's rules the roost."... I beg to differ and last Saturday was proof.  I'd mentioned that it's time to set up the pool for two weeks... as soon as school's out.  Doug has said, "Nope, not yet."  (He hates that there are still a gazillion seeds left to fall off the elm trees and doesn't want to have to vacuum them from the pool for two more weeks.) So, on Saturday, the day after school ended, I said, "Let's do it?"  And Doug said, "NOT."  The kids joined in on the "beg-fest".  Doug's firm, "We're done discussing it until I say it's time to put it up" left ZJ to say out loud, "Wow.  Dad really is the boss!"  Like I say often, Doug doesn't care what color I paint the walls or which couch I buy.  He says "as long as it makes me happy."  BUT.  When Doug makes up his mind, he's made up his mind.  Period.  I may "suggest" it again this afternoon for our Family Home Evening activity.  (wink-wink)
• One short LDS thought, shared by Carol.  Elder Russell M. Ballard spoke at their LDS Stake Conference this weekend.  Paraphrasing Carol who was paraphrasing Elder Ballard, who I adore:  There is absolutely, never ever, positively noooooooo reason that an ipod, iphone, itouch, ipad or any other electronic devise should be used in Sacrament Meeting for any sort of entertainment.  This meeting is sacred and needs to be considered such.  Reverence is of the utmost importance.  I love this!  I felt a bit guilty when she said it because I'd used my iPhone during our Testimony Meeting yesterday to study the Sunday School lesson in case I needed to substitute teach at the last moment again.  
• And on that note... last Sunday, a week ago, the kids had the hymnbooks, so I opened my iPhone to the LDS hymnbook ap.  Doug and I were both holding my phone, sideways, from the edges, like it was a hymnal, just singing along when we looked at the girls and both of them were just cracking up.  They thought we looked pretty silly, sharing the phone, instead of a hymnbook. Silly parents.
• One of our summer goals is for the babes and I to read aloud the Book of Mormon, cover to cover.  This will be aside from our summer read-aloud where I choose old classics.  We haven't chosen a reward yet, but it will have to be something mighty!  We're excited!  If you'd like to join us in this challenge, send me an email and let me know!  We'll all work on it together!  If you don't have a Book of Mormon and would like one, let me know and I'll drop one in the mail to you ASAP!
• It's hot.  We need our pool.  Enough said.  ;)

The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't. 

Comments

[Trish A]

A summer Book of Mormon readfest sounds awesome! I think I will suggest it to the family tomorrow! I am just struggling with finding a time we are all in the same room at the same time and NOT eating:)

[Rachael]

Sorry to hear about Go-Go. My Bella had similar symptoms about a year ago. Torn ligament in her back leg. She's on some great meds and is doing great, with the occasional setback. Get him in and I'm sure he'll be fine.

[Nicole]

Thanks for the recipes Sophia! I have the Book of Mormon on my Nook, I am not LDS (but I am a Christian too) and I thought I could learn something from it... I started it but I find it a difficult read, so I am now reading just a few pages at a time.

[Katie]

We just finished reading the Book of Mormon as a family for the first time. It took a LONG time with our young children. THey were so excited because we finished a week before Cooper was baptized. It was so awesome. And the next day we got up and started again. I love it!