Chocolate Lava Cake

Chocolate Lava Cake

 4 ounces of chocolate chips

1 stick of butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

6 T flour

Melt butter and chocolate in small saucepan then remove from heat. Stir in sugar until dissolved, then eggs and yolks. Stir in flour.

Grease 4 custard cups, and pour chocolate mixture into them. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes until outside is firm (center should still be liquid).

My Famous Cookies

Today was the day I made MY cookies. 

Everyone knows and loves these cookies that I usually give out every year.

Angel’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar

¾ cups softened butter (1 ½ sticks)

1 egg

Beat until fluffy.
Mix in:

1 1/3 cups rolled oats

1 1/3 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt
When combines, slowly stir in

½ cup choc chips

½ cup white choc chips
1/2 cup holiday M&Ms

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes until they start to  turn golden

My Task

MY TASK

by E. Hadley

from the Fort George Herald



A homekeeper? Ah, yes, dear heart and more,

Keeper of hearts, for those, love gave to me,

Upholding weary hands that else might fall,

Smoothing a little head upon my knee.



A home keeper am I this is my task,

To make one little spot all snug and warm,

Where those so bruised and beaten by the day,

May find a refuge from the night storm.



Gladly I serve; love makes the serving sweet,

I feel no load; love makes the burden light,

A happy keeper I; of home and hearts.

Serving I reign, a queen, by loves own right.

It's a ...

Oregon

We’re home. The trip was cut short a bit by the weather, but that’s ok.

We headed to Vancouver WA and were greatly disappointed by Joe’s Crab Shack (eww), but I found a Baja Fresh and that made my whole trip! I miss food from CA SOO much!!!

We went to the Tillamook Cheese factory:

Then the highlight of our trip:

The End of the Oregon Trail!

http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/joomlaeotic/

Peter loaded up our wagon:

Andrew built a fire, then made dinner:

They had the most gorgeous dolls! I had to buy the yellow one in case baby is a girl, and we got a matching baby girl bonnet as well! 

We stopped at Bob’s Red Mill

Then the next day went to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) and were able to spend some time with some good friends of ours who had moved to Oregon.

We were headed to the Point Defiance Zoo, but the weather canceled that for us! So it was a fairly short trip, but we had fun!

Crock Pot Cooking

I have never been a crock pot girl. In fact I have given away at least 4! In the first 2 years of our marriage, it seemed like every time I turned around someone had bought me a crock pot! And I was convinced I could just never use one! This summer I decided I needed one and got it from Freecycle, and made awesome granola (why I got it), but decided to try some roasts and other recipes. If I was going to have it filling space in my pantry, then it needed to earn it’s keep!

~Crock Pot Enchiladas~

2 lbs of ground beef
3/4 an onion finely chopped
2 cans of pinto beans (I used one plain, one seasoned)
1 1/2 jars of salsa (we used Pace medium)
taco seasoning ( 1 package or 1/4 cup)
1 small can of sliced olives
1 lb block of extra-sharp cheddar cheese (I used 1/2 cheddar, 1/2 Monterey Jack)
about 8-10  corn tortillas

 ~~Garnish with~~

chopped scallions
black olives

Brown ground beef and onion (and jalapenos, if you use them) add pinto beans, olives, salsa and taco seasoning.

~~In crockpot layer ingredients as follows:

ground meat/salsa mixture on bottom

tortillas (I use 3 per layer)

cheese

continue alternating, ending with cheese on top.

Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for about twice as long.
It may require a bit longer if you made it the day or night before, and had it in the refrigerator. It will look bubbly and cheesy and delicious when it’s done. We serve with warmed up flour tortillas as well

And since I mentioned the granola, I’ll post that as well! Its yummy on top of oatmeal, or alone as a crunchy snack,  and Andrew loves it in milk as a cereal.

Crockpot Granola

5 cups rolled oats

½ cup coconut oil

½ cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup shredded coconut

Put al in crock pot with lid cracked open and cook on low 3-4 hours stirring every so often.  Let cool and add dried fruit, nuts seeds etc store in airtight container

A gift for a friend

Washcloths crocheted by me with love, and locally made soap, hand made by a friend!

Since Dinner is cooking

Sweet Potato Cookies

1 cup cooked sweet potato or pumpkin
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour (I use whole wheat)
1/2 cup  chocolate chips
1/2 cup  pecans, chopped

 Form into walnut sized balls and place on buttered cookie sheets(we use pizza stones) . Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. Let cool completely before removing to an airtight container for storage. Store in refrigerator.

Peter's Magician Birthday

 

My Dad met a magician through work, and hired him to perform at Peter's birthday party. All the children had a fun time! 

Salmon

Since Joan was so excited over the salmon we brought her,  I figured I’d share the recipe for that too:

Salmon Marinade:

1/3 c soy sauce

¼ c orange juice concentrate

2 T tomato sauce

2-3 T olive oil

½ t mustard  
2 cloves garlic

1 green onion chopped (the whole thing)

*Mix together marinade at least 1 hour, cook extra marinade on stove to serve as dipping sauce. BBQ salmon high heat 10 minutes on a soaked cedar plank