CINNAMON ROLL WAFFLES

So I read on a blog (via pinterest) about super fast, ridiculously good waffles using canned biscuits and your waffle iron. I tried it. WONDERFUL.... my mind then decided to one up this recipe and try it with Canned Cinnamon Rolls!

Step one- Place canned cinnamon rolls on hot waffle iron/maker and cook until light golden brown.

Step two- top with butter and syrup

I was feeling extra wifely so I made an Maple Syrup icing : using 1/8 cup Karo light syrup, 3/4 cup maple syrup and the packet of icing that comes with the canned cinnamon rolls (reserve just a slight amount) that came with the rolls. Combine ingredients and mix well! Use the rest of the icing to drizzle over the top of the waffles for company or that extra pop!

My husband could barely get out the word-YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! before the whole plate was gone and it took me.... 5 minutes. only dishes I had? 2 measuring cups, whisk, and hubby's plate! Now that is my kind of cooking!!!

~Modern Wife

Garlic and Herb-Crusted Lamb

I love lamb. No other words, I just love me some lamb! Here is my version of a cooking light recipe.

 

Garlic and Herb-Crusted Lamb

• YIELD: 20 servings (serving size: 3 ounces lamb and 2 tablespoons sauce)
• COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 (8-pound) leg of lamb
• 12 fresh garlic cloves
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups fresh sourdough breadcrumbs (about 4 ounces)
• 2 1/4 cups  beef broth
• 1/2 cup Merlot or other dry red wine
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.
 Place garlic, mustard, and oil in a food processor; process until smooth. Stir in chives and thyme leaves.

Trim fat from lamb. Cut 12 3/4-inch slits in lamb; Sprinkle surface of lamb with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; rub heavily with roasted garlic paste mixture. Press breadcrumbs over surface of lamb. Place lamb on a broiler pan. Insert meat thermometer into thickest part of lamb, making sure not to touch bone.

Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 325°. Bake an additional 2 hours and 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 140° (medium-rare) to 155° (medium). Remove lamb from rack; place on a shallow serving platter. Lightly cover with foil; let stand 15 minutes.
Drain fat from bottom of pan (do not scrape pan).

 Place broiler pan on stovetop over medium-high heat. Add broth, and bring to a boil, scraping to loosen browned bits.

Combine red wine and cornstarch, and stir with a whisk. Add to beef broth, and return to boiling. Cook 1 minute or until mixture is slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, and serve immediately with lamb. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 211 per serving

 

My adpatation of a Cooking Light recipe featured in the  APRIL 2003 'zine

BLUE HAWAII CUPCAKES

You know... I am not quite sure when it started.... My fascination with cupcakes that is. I think it has to do with the splendid awe of a tiny cake iced just for one (me) and the cutest decorations that come on top. Then ... I discovered I had a extra yummy fascination with alcoholic cupcakes.... I mean WHO DOESN'T like a shot AND cake???

Here is one of the cupcake recipes that absolutely gets my mouth watering...

Ocean blue cupcakes that take your taste buds on an Hawaiian vacation with coconut, pineapple and blue curacao.

Ingredients

FOR THE CUPCAKES:

• ½ cup Blue Curacao Liqueur
• ½ cup Cream Of Coconut
• 3 Egg Whites
• ⅓ cups Vegetable Oil
• 1 box (18.25 Oz. Box) White Cake Mix
• 8 ounces, fluid Crushed Pineapple (with Juice)
• Blue Food Coloring

Ingredients for Spiked Whipped Cream:

3 cups (1 pint) heavy cream, cold
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Vodka
1 tablespoon blue curacao
Food coloring, if desired (for more blue effect)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Make sure to line 2 cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

For the cupcakes- combine blue curacao, cream of coconut, egg whites and oil. Blend together with an electric mixer. Add cake mix and beat until well combined. Stir in pineapple with juice and blue food coloring.

Pour batter into lined cupcake pan, filling cups 2/3 full.  (Be sure not to over fill) Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely or frosting will not set.

For the Spiked Whipped Cream: Beat cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. (if mixing with electric mixed use on highest setting, watching constantly- do not over mix) Next, Gently fold in liqueur with a rubber spatula. Color with a few drops of food coloring. Makes about 3 cups.

After the cupcakes have cooled, pipe/ spoon on frosting on cupcakes and decorate with umbrellas, straws, pineapple, gummy sharks, crushed graham cracker (sand) ect. and lastly bottoms up!

.... just in case you are wondering what the real deal is? I present to you...

The Blue Hawaii

Recipe courtesy Food Network and The Cookworks

Serves:

1 serving

Ingredients

• 1-ounce vodka
• 1/2-ounce blue curaco
• 1/2-ounce coconut flavored rum
• 2 ounces pineapple juice
• 1-ounce fresh lime juice

Directions

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice and mix vigorously. Stop when the shaker is too cold to hold. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

 

 

Actual cupcake recipe is my own  twist/version of a few found on the Internet. Blue Hawaii drink recipe is from the food network.

 

I would like to thank- http://www.easy-birthday-party-ideas.com/luau-recipes-3.html and http://www.flickr.com/photos/vjarymow/2634590266/sizes/m/in/photostream/ for taking better pictures than I could.

9-11 WE REMEMBER

I was eating breakfast, pregnant with my (now 9 year old) daughter when this happened. I remember the sick feeling in my stomach that had nothing to do with pregnancy. I remember the dryness in my throat and just how completely unreal it seemed.

9-11 We will never forget.

Since then, I have gone on to read a book about flight 93, and marvel at how brave those people were. But,  in some way WE ALL were brave. Every single American that the attacks effected was brave that day. Some much more brave than others... I mourn the price that was asked of many that day.

Today, the story of Peter Negron was so touching. He was the little boy (11) who read a poem at the tribute ceremony that happened 10 years ago. He is all grown up and trying to fill the shoes of his father to his little brother. My heart breaks for these family 9-11 effected and cost.



Then and Now...What an amazing son he is, what an amazing person he is.... please take time to read his story.
Peter Negron 10 years Later

Arnold Palmer-An Arnold Palmer is a beverage consisting of 1/2 iced tea and 1/2 lemonade named for golfer Arnold Palmer.^[1][2][3] It is often called a half and half.^{[4][5] (source wikipedia)}

First of all, I have to thank my husband for discovering this by happy accident. He brought it home to us one day and now? My family LOVES to drink Arnold Palmers! It has brought out the mixologist in all of us! We are drinking all kinds of crazy concoctions mixed with tea. My favorite? 1/3 ice tea, 1/3 lemonade, 1/3 cran-apple juice. I wonder if I will rue this day when my children go to college and become the popular kids who invent drinks!

Apparently there are some variations on the recipe-I saw a variation that used blackberry lemonade and my tastebuds begged me to go grocery shopping!  We also have- a Mint Arnold Palmer, Peach Tea Arnold Palmer, Green tea AP, I am sure your imagination could be endless. 

Historically the drink was named after a pro-golfer (Arnold Palmer). In researching one variation that happened (pre-scandal) was the "Tiger Woods" which is 1/2 lemon-lime Gatorade  (haha) and 1/2 ice tea! Which BEGS the question- Can you get the "tiger woods" at Perkins or no?

Now....If I could invent a beer version for golfers... I might just be modern and FAMOUS.

Arnold Palmer

Prep Time:15 min

Serves:4 to 6 glasses

 

Ingredients

• 4 English breakfast tea bags
• 1 tea kettle filled with boiling water
• 1 cup Simple Syrup, recipe follows
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zest
• 2 cups ice cubes

Directions

Tie the tea bags together attach to the handle of a large pitcher. Pour the hot water over the tea bags and into the pitcher. Set aside to steep for 5 minutes.

Lemonade:

To a blender, add the Simple Syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest and ice cubes and pulse to puree. Place the mixture into the freezer until the tea has finished steeping.

Add ice cubes to a large glass and top with the tea. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the "lemonade" into the glass.

Simple Syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

Add the sugar and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2008 http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_213530_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html

Belly Days

My belly days are coming to an end. Our precious little gift will arrive in less than 30 days.

As ready as I am to meet her, know her, and see her……I am going to miss my husband  talking to our princess, feeling her kick and the games that they play together. Where daddy pushes on my tummy and she kicks back. I know we are moving on to meeting her which is exponentially better than belly days- but I will never forget the hugs, the love, the kisses, and the time my husband has spent at my belly talking to and building a relationship with our little girl.

You know interneters....They often say that motherhood starts at conception and fatherhood starts at delivery. I am in awe of my husband who started building and paving a relationship with his daughter, close enough that inside of ME, she knows and recognizes his touch.

 Seeing that bond between them build across belly lines is something I will cherish and admire for the rest of my life. These incredible memories will be tucked away in a secret place in my heart forever.

Found on craigslist

Jedi Needed To Induce Labor:I am nearing towards my due date and I am miserable. My child is about 9 lbs now and I still have 2 weeks to go.
I was hoping that tonight's full moon will do the trick, but this child is as snug as a bug in my uterus.
I'm looking for someone who possesses Jedi powers to use their mind tricks on my child to convince him to come early. The sooner the better.
If you are a master in the way's of the Jedi please help me deliver this child! Many thanks and may the force be with you!

SOURCE: http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/wma/2442771514.html



I had an all out head on the desk,  belly shaking laugh moment at this craigslist posting.

Boy do I know how this MOMMA feels! With 30ish days left I am ready!!!!

You have no idea the problems you face when preggers... The other day my husband and I were in the car and were going to switch drivers. I told dear husby that I would just hop over the center console into the passenger seat no problem!! (LMAO) Half way through the process I was like, UM  I need to check myself before I wreck myself.......WTPREGNANTFARK was I thinking??? Self did you really forget you are 9 months pregnant and this isn't as easy as it was when you weighed 150lbs??????? I felt like a turtle trying to flop over with it's big shell in the way.


Ahhh and yes.... Let's not forget the 7+ times in the middle of the night FUN of waking up to pee. You know it is bad when you annoy the DOG. He too, is showing signs of sleep depreivation and now sneaks coffee from the pot in the mornings.

Now I don't mean to sound ungrateful for our precious gift. She is already a blessing and even in the womb has such a little personality! I am just simply saying that if she chooses to come a week or two early or a Jedi wants to help me out too, this momma has no objections at all!!!! :)