... Or so claims my husband! I believe this is the first time Mike has called something I made crazy good :) This is a great and very easy Alfredo sauce. It is a bit on the cheesy side and probably extremely fattening but oh so yummy! Other than Mike, both the kids loved it! I served mine over bow tie pasta and grilled chicken tenders.
Alfredo Sauce
1 Cube Butter
8 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup of Milk
1/2 Cup of Parmesan and Asiago Cheese Shredded (Start with a half a cup and taste add more if you like... I actually ended up using more like 3/4 cup I think :)
*Melt butter and cream cheese in saucepan
*Add milk and cheese and stir until well mixed
Makes about 4-6 servings depending on how big of an appetite you are serving :) It was four servings for us with about two servings left over that we'll be enjoying as a side pasta dish tonight!
Note: I could only find a cheese mix with Parmesan, Asiago and Romano cheeses... I don't know how much difference the addition of the Romano cheese made?? Next time, I'm going to only use the Parm and Asiago if I can find a mix of it. Enjoy!!
Take a moment to appreciate the view, it is such a beautiful day out today!!
edited to say: I need to thank Ashley, the author of the blog: Veater Family Adventures for posting this recipe originally, that's where I adopted it from. :)
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Really Yummy Marinated Veggie Kabobs
Since it is the grilling season, I thought I'd share! I was looking for a marinade for veggie kabobs one day. I had mushroom, zucchini, peppers and onions all kabobbed up ready for the grill and wanted to do it up a bit tastier so I searched the internet and found a recipe that I love... I did tweak it a little but here it is....
*1/2 cup Olive Oil
*Lemon juice (fresh is best... juice from about half a lemon or more if you love lemon)
*2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
*1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard (a heaping Tbsp if you love mustard)
*1 1/2 Tbsp fresh Oregano or Basil (Oregano is my fav. You use less herbs if you are using dried like 1/2 or 3/4 Tbsp instead. The ratio is 3 to 1 Fresh vs Dried)
*1-2 Garlic Cloves minced (use two if you love garlic)
Mix all together and brush on kabobs 15-20 minutes before grilling. I always save a bit to brush on after grilling too because I love it. That amount should be enough for 10-12 kabobs depending on how much you brush on. I also have used it on non-kabobs... like the other day I quartered a zucchini lengthwise and grilled it with the marinade and it was delish!!! I also grilled chicken too and I mopped up the extra marinade with my chicken and I loved it. So, I hope you try it and I hope you love it as much as I do!! :) I'm going to try a new Alfredo recipe tonight and if it is as great as it is supposed to be then I'll share that one too. Happy grilling!! :)
*1/2 cup Olive Oil
*Lemon juice (fresh is best... juice from about half a lemon or more if you love lemon)
*2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
*1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard (a heaping Tbsp if you love mustard)
*1 1/2 Tbsp fresh Oregano or Basil (Oregano is my fav. You use less herbs if you are using dried like 1/2 or 3/4 Tbsp instead. The ratio is 3 to 1 Fresh vs Dried)
*1-2 Garlic Cloves minced (use two if you love garlic)
Mix all together and brush on kabobs 15-20 minutes before grilling. I always save a bit to brush on after grilling too because I love it. That amount should be enough for 10-12 kabobs depending on how much you brush on. I also have used it on non-kabobs... like the other day I quartered a zucchini lengthwise and grilled it with the marinade and it was delish!!! I also grilled chicken too and I mopped up the extra marinade with my chicken and I loved it. So, I hope you try it and I hope you love it as much as I do!! :) I'm going to try a new Alfredo recipe tonight and if it is as great as it is supposed to be then I'll share that one too. Happy grilling!! :)
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Hip Hip Horray What A Happy Dog Day!!
Well for starters today's weather just can't be beat! I'm so freaking happy that it is finally above 80*... it is about time! This has been one cold summer that feels more like fall but finally a real summer day! The kids have had a great day of swimming in the pool, playing in the backyard and eating Popsicles.
I have had a great dog day today myself! Today was Miley's first doggie school class back with my old dog trainer, Karen. We had such a fantastic time, Miley is so wonderful, such a fast learner, willing and able. She really is a pleasure to work with and it is so rewarding to train her. As I mentioned before (I think) I have already taken her to one obedience class but that was with a different dog school, one that I was very disappointed with in the long run. There was a lot of sitting and listening and not much doing. Karen's class is fast paced, active and you don't even see a chair the whole time you are there. Miley was surely tired when we finished.
Karen is a trainer that I worked with at Positive Dog Training while I trained Kona When I looked on their website, Karen was not listed as an instructor anymore. I was super bummed. So, that is why I went to the other dog school. I found Karen again by accident and I'm so happy I did! I was looking on the AKC website looking up the information about Canine Good Citizen testing because that is something I plan to do with Miley, and there Karen was listed as an evaluator! I was so overjoyed, it made my whole summer probably. Apparently, a few years ago, after I finished training Kona, Karen started her own business... best thing is, it is cheaper than the other place... yay!! So today was our first class and it was awesome! Karen had lots of great things to say about my girl. I'm really looking forward to the next month and a half of classes and doing lots of work with Miley getting her ready for her CGC test (Canine Good Citizen). She will be tested on September 8th... so we have a lot of work to do between now and then, but I know she can do it... that pup rocks :) After she passes her CGC test, I do hope to and plan to continue her training with Karen and possibly do another class with Kona so she can get her CGC too!
If you happen to live in the area and could use a good dog trainer you should check her out whether you have a pup or an old dog... even old dogs can learn new tricks! www.eastsidedogtraining.com Not only does she do regular training from her place she also does on location private lessons and works with a lot of dog issues/problems etc. She has been training and showing dogs for over 20 years... as you can see I highly recommend her!!
Now, off to the deck with my Kindle to enjoy some rays while Brinley naps and Tyler plays in the yard. Take a little time to enjoy the view and smell the roses... enjoy all those little things! :)
I have had a great dog day today myself! Today was Miley's first doggie school class back with my old dog trainer, Karen. We had such a fantastic time, Miley is so wonderful, such a fast learner, willing and able. She really is a pleasure to work with and it is so rewarding to train her. As I mentioned before (I think) I have already taken her to one obedience class but that was with a different dog school, one that I was very disappointed with in the long run. There was a lot of sitting and listening and not much doing. Karen's class is fast paced, active and you don't even see a chair the whole time you are there. Miley was surely tired when we finished.
Karen is a trainer that I worked with at Positive Dog Training while I trained Kona When I looked on their website, Karen was not listed as an instructor anymore. I was super bummed. So, that is why I went to the other dog school. I found Karen again by accident and I'm so happy I did! I was looking on the AKC website looking up the information about Canine Good Citizen testing because that is something I plan to do with Miley, and there Karen was listed as an evaluator! I was so overjoyed, it made my whole summer probably. Apparently, a few years ago, after I finished training Kona, Karen started her own business... best thing is, it is cheaper than the other place... yay!! So today was our first class and it was awesome! Karen had lots of great things to say about my girl. I'm really looking forward to the next month and a half of classes and doing lots of work with Miley getting her ready for her CGC test (Canine Good Citizen). She will be tested on September 8th... so we have a lot of work to do between now and then, but I know she can do it... that pup rocks :) After she passes her CGC test, I do hope to and plan to continue her training with Karen and possibly do another class with Kona so she can get her CGC too!
If you happen to live in the area and could use a good dog trainer you should check her out whether you have a pup or an old dog... even old dogs can learn new tricks! www.eastsidedogtraining.com Not only does she do regular training from her place she also does on location private lessons and works with a lot of dog issues/problems etc. She has been training and showing dogs for over 20 years... as you can see I highly recommend her!!
Now, off to the deck with my Kindle to enjoy some rays while Brinley naps and Tyler plays in the yard. Take a little time to enjoy the view and smell the roses... enjoy all those little things! :)
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Here we go...
Well, since this is my first blog post, I will start by telling a little about my family and the kinds of things we like to do. I am Stacey, then we have husband Mike, son Tyler who is 7 and daughter Brinley who is two. Life is never dull with those two around! We live in Woodinville although my heart and soul longs to move to Coeur d'Alene... especially after this lousy weather we have had all summer. It is so beautiful there and I really love the weather and atmosphere. It is very layed back and just so me! I just have to get my husband to find a job over there and then we can be good to go! In my dreams for now, sadly.
I am a stay at home mom and though I do love that I can be home for my kids, I am certainly not the Betty Crocker Mother of the year or anything (even though I did graduate from Culinary School). I try to be patient and understanding. I try to find fun and exciting things for us to do. I try to teach my children good manners and values. And I try to always be there when they need me and love them as much my heart and mind are capable. But, I will admit, we don't do a lot of crafts... I'm not crafty. They probably watch slightly too much TV. And I may just raise my voice more than I'd like. But they eat healthy, have great manners (most of the time) and they are loved. That's what is most important, right?
Other than the two legged kids, I also have a few of the four legged variety. There is Kona the ever faithful if not a bit stinky 4 year old Golden Retriever, Otis the three year old run of the mill tabby cat, Kahlua the 10 year old freaky calico cat that hates people and then the wonderful little mellow, well behaved Black Lab Miley who is just 7 months old and loves to chew up anything she can find... ugghhh.... that is her only bad side. The old lady cat came with my husband and I could surely do without her. I love the dogs and very much enjoy training them. In a perfect world if I had tons of time, I would love to compete them in Obedience. But as the family comes first any hobby I'd like to have definitely comes last. I am currently taking Miley to Obedience classes and she is excelling nicely. I also have a horse, a Thoroughbred who I used to compete in 3 Day Eventing but had to retire her due to an injury. She now lives at my mom's house keeping her old man horse company. I need to make more time to go out and see her but that can be hard with a two year old in tow.
I LOVE to read, I read everyday pretty much. Right now I'm finishing up the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. It is such a great series and has occupied the last 10 months of my reading life. I am half way through the last book and I'm so sad that the journey will be ending in the next week. I highly recommend the series, it is wonderfully written and a very fun and interesting story line. It wouldn't have jumped off the shelf had I seen it, but it was recommended to me and I'm so happy I read it. Other than that, I did love the Twilight series (embarrassingly enough) and I'm a big fan of Jodi Picoult, Nicholas Sparks and Dean Koontz. I do believe my next selection will be Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen. It is one of the many on my Kindle awaiting my attention. By the way, Kindle... what a great invention!!
I'm not a big workout kind of gal, but I really need to talk myself into being one. I just turned 40 and my metabolism just isn't what it used to be LOL. I have a few to loose that has stuck to me, literally, since my little girl was born. It is just soooo hard to get into a routine of exercise! I hate exercise! Actually once I'm doing it, it isn't so bad, I just hate that I'm getting to the point in life that I have to!
We are not the kind of family that vacations in Hawaii every year or makes trips to Disneyworld or cruises around the world. That would be nice but unfortunately it isn't in the financial cards for us right now. So we take weekend trips camping or to rented beach houses around our area... which I LOVE to do. This year we have had one camping trip and one trip to a beach house we rented when I found it on Groupon up at Fish Lake in Leavenworth. We will be headed there again in August as well we have another short camping trip planned to Hood Canal and then lastly an Oregon Beach house trip in the fall, which I am soooo looking forward to. We'll have to take along our camera of course and a kite and pray for good weather however, if it is stormy, it'll be awesome to watch the ocean from our beach house. One way or another we'll have a great ole time skipping rocks, taking walks, finding shells and tons of photography!! Cheers :~)
I am a stay at home mom and though I do love that I can be home for my kids, I am certainly not the Betty Crocker Mother of the year or anything (even though I did graduate from Culinary School). I try to be patient and understanding. I try to find fun and exciting things for us to do. I try to teach my children good manners and values. And I try to always be there when they need me and love them as much my heart and mind are capable. But, I will admit, we don't do a lot of crafts... I'm not crafty. They probably watch slightly too much TV. And I may just raise my voice more than I'd like. But they eat healthy, have great manners (most of the time) and they are loved. That's what is most important, right?
Other than the two legged kids, I also have a few of the four legged variety. There is Kona the ever faithful if not a bit stinky 4 year old Golden Retriever, Otis the three year old run of the mill tabby cat, Kahlua the 10 year old freaky calico cat that hates people and then the wonderful little mellow, well behaved Black Lab Miley who is just 7 months old and loves to chew up anything she can find... ugghhh.... that is her only bad side. The old lady cat came with my husband and I could surely do without her. I love the dogs and very much enjoy training them. In a perfect world if I had tons of time, I would love to compete them in Obedience. But as the family comes first any hobby I'd like to have definitely comes last. I am currently taking Miley to Obedience classes and she is excelling nicely. I also have a horse, a Thoroughbred who I used to compete in 3 Day Eventing but had to retire her due to an injury. She now lives at my mom's house keeping her old man horse company. I need to make more time to go out and see her but that can be hard with a two year old in tow.
I LOVE to read, I read everyday pretty much. Right now I'm finishing up the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. It is such a great series and has occupied the last 10 months of my reading life. I am half way through the last book and I'm so sad that the journey will be ending in the next week. I highly recommend the series, it is wonderfully written and a very fun and interesting story line. It wouldn't have jumped off the shelf had I seen it, but it was recommended to me and I'm so happy I read it. Other than that, I did love the Twilight series (embarrassingly enough) and I'm a big fan of Jodi Picoult, Nicholas Sparks and Dean Koontz. I do believe my next selection will be Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen. It is one of the many on my Kindle awaiting my attention. By the way, Kindle... what a great invention!!
I'm not a big workout kind of gal, but I really need to talk myself into being one. I just turned 40 and my metabolism just isn't what it used to be LOL. I have a few to loose that has stuck to me, literally, since my little girl was born. It is just soooo hard to get into a routine of exercise! I hate exercise! Actually once I'm doing it, it isn't so bad, I just hate that I'm getting to the point in life that I have to!
We are not the kind of family that vacations in Hawaii every year or makes trips to Disneyworld or cruises around the world. That would be nice but unfortunately it isn't in the financial cards for us right now. So we take weekend trips camping or to rented beach houses around our area... which I LOVE to do. This year we have had one camping trip and one trip to a beach house we rented when I found it on Groupon up at Fish Lake in Leavenworth. We will be headed there again in August as well we have another short camping trip planned to Hood Canal and then lastly an Oregon Beach house trip in the fall, which I am soooo looking forward to. We'll have to take along our camera of course and a kite and pray for good weather however, if it is stormy, it'll be awesome to watch the ocean from our beach house. One way or another we'll have a great ole time skipping rocks, taking walks, finding shells and tons of photography!! Cheers :~)
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