Soothing the Strep.

I've been sick on and off for the past 3 months. It's been real fun. /sarcasm

But a few days ago, I noticed a familiar tickle in my throat. One I hadn't felt in a good...6-7 years, but one I could recognize very well. So, I grabbed a flashlight, went into the bathroom, and took a look at my throat.

Yup. That's strep.

But it's worse this time than when I was younger. This time, it was just one tonsil, and something happened. I don't want to say it ruptured, but there was a whole mess of not good stuff coming from it, running down my throat. I couldn't eat, I could barely swallow my own saliva. It was getting harder to open my mouth, and God forbid I move my tongue. So, since Kyle was at work, a great friend drove me and Gabey to the hospital so I could get looked at before it got any worse, and I got my antibiotics.

But I was still having an issue with eating.

Back in the day when I used to get strep throat atleast once a month, no exaggeration, I used to eat mashed potatoes all the time. And for someone who's trying to lose weight, this wasn't an option.

Enter some broccoli cheese soup.

It has all the comfort and warmth that you want.

But it's only 80-100 cal. per serving. I'm okay with that.

Lonely Girl Nights

Kyle's shifts at work leave me home alone a lot of nights. On those nights, I never feel like cooking a huge meal for me and the kids. Typically, we'll just get the kids something quick to eat and then I'll get something to throw in the microwave. It gets old. Quick. So I'm forever trying new things to make a quick, simple meal for myself.



Also, it's a well known fact that I love honey mustard way too much.

Oh, those italians.

I'm still not a fan of spaghetti, really.

I KNOW, I KNOW. Shoot me, right?

Still trying to find ways to actually eat it without an issue, and I think I found something to help.



Who doesn't love cheese stuffed balls?
Teehee.

You're so cheesy.

I don't know about how you do things in your home with your family, but when it's summer our family butts heads. Mainly, it's me. I hate the hot weather. Summers in Missouri kill me. I'll suck it up to take the kids to the park, but I hate the outdoors. And it doesn't help that I'm a mosquito magnet. There's only one thing we can agree on.

Summer = Grilling Time.

A lot of burgers happen, and these take the cake.

It looks like a typical burger, but there's a nice surprise inside.

Out of our element.

When it comes to beef or pork, we're pretty basic people.

Bar-b-q.

Sometimes, I don't think we even know that there's other ways to prepare it. It just doesn't make sense to us. I can't really blame Kyle for it. He's a southern boy after all. But me? I'm just all over the place.

I really think I need a trip back north.

So, I've been trying to stay away from bar-b-q because..well...I don't like being outside. And with the schedule Kyle works, I'd have to be outside to do the grilling..I don't like that idea.

Well w00t for different ways to cook pork!

During the process, you'll probably step back and be all "Um, no. This is going to be disgusting."
Don't worry. It won't be.

Ravioli? Holy Cannoli!

Oh, how I miss Chris Farley. :(

Anywho.

Pretty much, any cheese or pasta dish is a huge hit in this house. Not so much with Kyle if veggies are involved, or minced garlic. He doesn't like the texture of it. Lame.

I'm constantly trying to find ways to make different pasta dishes aside from spaghetti and fettuccine alfredo because, let's be honest, these can only go so far before you're so beyond sick of it that walking down the pasta aisle at the store makes you nauseous. Food that's easy and kid friendly is also a plus.

There's honestly no way to really get a glamorous photo of this. No way. I tried. But you know what? If you make it, it speaks for yourself. Gabe actually finished it ALL, without much on the floor or table. That's saying a lot.

Quickie: Our Dinner Tonight

Just bragging here. No recipe.



This was our dinner. Hellooooo bacon tacos!

A nice little spin on brinner, eh?

Still some kinks to work out, but I'll definitely be making them again.

Snap. Crackle. Pop.

This is another SUPER easy dinner, one that kids will DEFINITELY approve of. Using an old favorite cereal of mine.

Yup.

RICE KRISPIES.

Did you know there's other things you can do with them without making rice krispie treats?!

Yeah. CHICKEN.

And yes, it pairs GREAT with mac 'n' cheese.

A House Divided.

Sometimes I wonder why Kyle and I are married.

And there's one very big reason for this.

KYLE DOESN'T LIKE CHINESE FOOD.

Okay, I grew up on a fair amount of Korean food. There's a lot that I don't like, such as kimchi, bean sprouts, etc. I can't handle spicy. Hell, I didn't like Chinese food until I was about 14. Same with seafood. My palette has changed a lot throughout the years.

When Kyle works nights, I usually get simple dinners for me and the kids. The last one I got for myself was sweet and sour chicken by Healthy Choice.

Worst. Mistake. Ever.

It was horrible. The chicken was dry, there was VERY LITTLE sauce, and...it was just a fail. I was disappointed.

So I decided that while the boy was away, the girl would play.

Tastewise, it reminds me a lot more of honey chicken, but it's so good, you won't care.

Also, this is baked. It won't be crispy unless you want to do it that way.

Take A Day Off. Or 4-6 Hours.

I honestly, 100% believe that the only people who dislike slow cookers don't have one.

Or have one, tried it, and failed. I don't know how, but I guess anyone could.

There are cons to using a slow cooker, like having to clean it (because that's a royal pain to me) and having to smell the heavenly aroma of food throughout your house ALL FREAKING DAY, but there is one pro that makes it worthwhile.

IT'S CALLED NOT REALLY HAVING TO DO MUCH OF ANYTHING ALL DAY.

Some recipes, like this one, will take an additional step, but typically they're small and easy.

And, come on. Tell me that isn't worth a little extra work.

Yeah. You can't. I know.

French Spaghetti.

To be quite honest, spaghetti isn't my favorite. 

Actually, I don't usually enjoy eating spaghetti. I need to be in a mood for it. Everyone else? They'll eat it like chocolate. Bleh.

In an attempt to make it easier for me to eat spaghetti..well..

...yeah. It's like a spaghetti calzone. And it's pretty great. I used my french bread recipe for the bread, but you can use frozen dough.

Kid Favorite.

We eat pasta entirely too much in this house.

Also, Kyle doesn't eat vegetables. Much.

It's frustrating. I'm trying to find ways to stick veggies into whatever I can. The kids eat them pretty well. 

And then, this happened.

A lot of cheese. A bit of ham. It worked.

"It felt French."

I love Friends. Too much for words. I could probably watch that show 24/7. It's always hilarious.

Anyway.

Kyle, Selena, Gabe, and I went with my in-law's to my father-in-law's mother's house.

Mouthful, huh?

This was..in February. She had made us some food, and part of it was this french bread with about a half inch of garlic butter in the middle. Kyle's been going on and on and ON about it ever since. And it's almost April. Sheesh.

I was making spaghetti the other night and decided to give a try at some french bread with garlic butter.

It came out amazingly.

Until I screwed it up.

I had to bake this bread twice in two days. It was THAT good.

Comfort Food = Important.

Comfort food and I go hand in hand. Especially during the cold seasons. There's nothing like curling up on the couch with a good book and a bowl of hot soup.

Except that I never tried to make soup before. 

Until now, that is.

Chicken noodle is my personal favorite.

Tomato with a grilled cheese is a close second.

Cheesy Peasy

Cheese is a HUGE staple in this house.

Mainly because of Kyle. >.<

We all dig on cheese, but Kyle? He LOVES cheese. He's infatuated with cheese. Cheese and him go hand and hand. There's never such a thing as "too much". *sigh*

On the upside, it helps me throw some veggies into food without him making bad faces. So I guess it's a win.

I wanted something easy, simple, and different tonight for dinner. We all love pasta/italian. And pasta goes with cheese well. I debated macaroni and cheese, but I bet I'd never hear the end about how it's not his Aunt Terry's, but it's good.

I'm okay with that, though. Terry makes some bomb mac and cheese.

So, I threw some stuff together in a dish and BAM. Dinner.

I love easy and cheap dinners.

It was my birthday. :)

On the 14th, yesterday, I turned 20...something. That's not important.

For dinner, Kyle took me to Texas Roadhouse, where we spent $30+. Ridiculous. That much for ONE dinner? Ugh. It ticked me off so bad, you don't even know. And please believe, I ate enough peanuts and rolls to make up for it. And made sure to drop my shells on the floor.

Anywho.

In a previous post, I talked about how badly I wanted to bake tons of bread. Well, I still don't have a deep freeze, so the mass quantities are on hold. But I baked some bread tonight, and I'm HAPPY. I baked Kyle a loaf of cinnamon roll bread, which is the cinnamon raisin bread I posted minus the raisins, and then baked some honey wheat bread.

This is going to go great with our dinner tonight.

And I justify this because wheat is better for you.

Also, the recipe is without a lot of the step-by-step pictures. Mainly because I was SUPER ticked off with the yeast. You don't even know how bad. I almost threw this dough out. But then a SUPER AWESOME BAKING FRIEND of mine, Cat (whose blog is seen here), gave me some tips.

Cooking + Kids = Hard

Gabe's been in and out of his separation anxiety phase. But the only time it kicks in full blown is when he knows I'm making or have food.

Boys. Growing boys. Ugh.

Ontop of that, money's been pretty tight. Christmas put anyone and everyone in a bind when added in with the economy.

(Times is hard...Times is HAAAAAAAAAARD. - Channeling Sweeney Todd)

Needless to say, I've had to try and figure out how to make a good dinner for little monies.

Alas. Soup.

No, I didn't just throw soup in a pot and call it mine.

It's simple. It's pretty cheap. It's chicken.

My favorite things all in one.

I have a feeling I say this to myself WAY too much in life.

That can't be good.

So many things these days give us cancer, cause obesity, etc. Where's the enjoyment in food anymore?! 

THROW CAUTION TO THE WIND!

Yeah, okay, maybe not that extreme...but why not enjoy food while you can? I can promise you, you won't be able to taste it when you're dead and gone.

So, while these may not be the healthiest side dish in the world, they're amazingly delicious.

And, come on. Everyone loves apples.

Unless you're weird.

Dear Bestie, Thanks For Letting My People Take Your Food.

It's no secret. My sister (*coughbestfriendimetonline4+yearsagocough* is Cherokee. So much, infact, that her ringtone on my phone for the longest time was the most amazing thing ever. The fact that we called eachother a lot made it even better. 

"CHEROKEE PEOPLE! CHEROKEE PRIDE!"

^.^ 

Well, I'm part Native American, too. No idea how much, but I know it's in there. Which is why I'm one of the few Asian-American's that can tan like it's nobody's business..and why people constantly mistake me for being Mexican.

Anyway.

My first time ever making a Thanksgiving dinner by myself, she was visiting. It was after Dot was born, and I kidnapped her and Logan for a month. The best month ever, might I add. She helped me figure out what to make, I converted her to a from-scratch cooker.

Yeah, that's not completely true. Let's say she cooks MORE things from scratch now.

This? This was one of our favorites. And the kids' favorite. They were like vultures. No joke.

Suh-weeeeeeeeeeeet potatoes. Yum.

I'm pork's and poultry's worst enemy.

It's no big secret. I love chicken. It's a family thing, I think. Me and my dad could eat chicken most, if not all, of the time. Don't even get me started on some turkey. Birds must hate us.

I definitely dig on some pig, too. Bacon is good times, but sliced ham? I love it. Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches? Yum. Yum all day long.

So, you know, you just HAVE to combine the two. And throw some cheese in there.

HOW MOUTH WATERING DOES THAT LOOK?!