Wow, what a day. We woke up to find a foot of very wet snow covering the farm. Of course I had kept the kids up late the night before building a ridiculously large snowman in the front yard, so we had enjoyed the bounty of white stuff already, but Mother Nature had decided to let it sleet all night after giving us such a beautiful head start. Our poor Frosty was all lopsided this morning from the downpour, so we filled an empty bottle of Jack Daniels with Iced Tea and set it beside his galoshes.
The weather decided to keep all of us in though. I had been up since 3am with heartburn thanks to some tasty leftover enchiladas, so I decided to go out at 5am to try to move the cars out of the way so our neighbor could plow our driveway with the tractors. BAD IDEA.
As I artfully tried to manuever the SUV backwards around the curved driveway, I misjudged where the driveway (and the curve) was and ended up in the front yard. After several tries, throwing the car back and forth from reverse-into-drive, and littering my front windshield with grass (how did it get there?), I decided to quit.
I walked back to Tori's Acura and decided that pulling it uphill 30 yards couldn't be that damn difficult. Well, I think I'm an idiot. Step one - remove dog from driveway. Eager Labrador Retriever in path of car makes for a difficult time. So after same back-forth motion of ten minutes, I finally get car moving uphill just to find one yellow dog laughing at me while I slam on my brakes and slide back down the hill.
I see that I have made quite a path, so I try again. I back up a bit, get a running start, and make it all but 10 feet from the top - where I very gracefully manage to twirl the car sideways and land in a snowbank that used to be my flowerbed near the unattached garage. Perfect. Now I really quit. I decide to call both schools and tell them the kids have pinkeye.
Somehow we all survive the day and get through lunch and school projects, and I really do come down with pinkeye. That's what I get for lying to the school.
DINNER!
*Asian Salmon
*Basmati Rice
*Sweet & Sour Cucumbers
*Buttermilk Chocolate Cake Bars
Since I couldn't get out to shop, I raided the freezer. I had salmon in the freezer, so that's what we had! I threw together an asian-inspired sauce (ingredients will follow). I never measure when it comes to stuff like this, so don't ask.
Sauce:
*Soy Sauce
*Rice Wine Vinegar
*Water
*Sugar
*Brown Sugar
*Ginger
*Chinese Five Spice Powder
*Sesame Oil
*Green Onions
*Garlic
I just throw it all together until it tastes right, simmer - then thicken with cornstarch. Spoon over salmon, bake 15 minutes at 350.
For the basmati rice, I use a rice cooker that a wonderful Korean neighbor gave me as a gift years ago. It is indispensible. I rinse the starch off the rice first, then use one part rice to two parts water or chicken broth. I also add 2 T butter. I throw in chopped scallions when cooking asian foods. The recipe is the same for stovetop, you just have to bring the liquid to a boil, add the rice, then simmer on low for whatever time it says on the package.
For my cukes, I buy two large seedless cukes, slice them VERY thinly, slice onion or green onion very thinly as well, and place in a large bowl. I bring some rice vinegar to a boil, remove from heat, add sugar to taste, add a pinch of salt, and pour over cucumbers to wilt. Put in fridge until ready to serve, pour off liquid and serve. Totally yummy and cuts the sweetness of the salmon.
Buttermilk Chocolate Cake Bars
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp kosher salt
(frosting)
1/2 C heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2 (milk will work fine)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T butter - softened
3 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Grease/flour bar pan
3. Combine flour and sugar in bowl, set aside.
4. Heat water, butter, and cocoa powder in saucepan over medium heat on stove. Bring to boil, whisk occasionally. Remove from heat
5. Whisk in flour mixture.
6. Whisk in eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, vannila, and salt. Mix well. Pour into pan.
7. Bake 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove to cooling rack. Cool 10 minutes before frosting. Do not cool any longer though!
8. For frosting, place milk, cocoa powder, and butter in saucepan, whisk until melted and smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Spread over warm cake using offset spatula. Cool completely.
Cut into squares, Store in refrigerator.
The weather decided to keep all of us in though. I had been up since 3am with heartburn thanks to some tasty leftover enchiladas, so I decided to go out at 5am to try to move the cars out of the way so our neighbor could plow our driveway with the tractors. BAD IDEA.
As I artfully tried to manuever the SUV backwards around the curved driveway, I misjudged where the driveway (and the curve) was and ended up in the front yard. After several tries, throwing the car back and forth from reverse-into-drive, and littering my front windshield with grass (how did it get there?), I decided to quit.
I walked back to Tori's Acura and decided that pulling it uphill 30 yards couldn't be that damn difficult. Well, I think I'm an idiot. Step one - remove dog from driveway. Eager Labrador Retriever in path of car makes for a difficult time. So after same back-forth motion of ten minutes, I finally get car moving uphill just to find one yellow dog laughing at me while I slam on my brakes and slide back down the hill.
I see that I have made quite a path, so I try again. I back up a bit, get a running start, and make it all but 10 feet from the top - where I very gracefully manage to twirl the car sideways and land in a snowbank that used to be my flowerbed near the unattached garage. Perfect. Now I really quit. I decide to call both schools and tell them the kids have pinkeye.
I'm totally excited about the prospect of spending the day with all three kids at home. The kids both have projects that I can help out with and Lexi loves having everyone home. After breakfast, three episodes of eldest daughter accusing son of passing gas on purpose, youngest daughter drawing on both projects, son hitting older daughter's elbow while drawing for project, and Christmas music playing entirely too loud - I'm ready for a nap. I ask the older children to watch the baby while I take a shower. Unfortunately the baby hears me say this, runs down the hallway shrieking while ripping all her clothing off (including her diaper), and hauls ass up the stairs before I can get there. Once again, I share my shower with a three-foot tall monster who squirts all the shave cream on my feet and says "pretty mama!"
Somehow we all survive the day and get through lunch and school projects, and I really do come down with pinkeye. That's what I get for lying to the school.
DINNER!
*Asian Salmon
*Basmati Rice
*Sweet & Sour Cucumbers
*Buttermilk Chocolate Cake Bars
Since I couldn't get out to shop, I raided the freezer. I had salmon in the freezer, so that's what we had! I threw together an asian-inspired sauce (ingredients will follow). I never measure when it comes to stuff like this, so don't ask.
Sauce:
*Soy Sauce
*Rice Wine Vinegar
*Water
*Sugar
*Brown Sugar
*Ginger
*Chinese Five Spice Powder
*Sesame Oil
*Green Onions
*Garlic
I just throw it all together until it tastes right, simmer - then thicken with cornstarch. Spoon over salmon, bake 15 minutes at 350.
For the basmati rice, I use a rice cooker that a wonderful Korean neighbor gave me as a gift years ago. It is indispensible. I rinse the starch off the rice first, then use one part rice to two parts water or chicken broth. I also add 2 T butter. I throw in chopped scallions when cooking asian foods. The recipe is the same for stovetop, you just have to bring the liquid to a boil, add the rice, then simmer on low for whatever time it says on the package.
For my cukes, I buy two large seedless cukes, slice them VERY thinly, slice onion or green onion very thinly as well, and place in a large bowl. I bring some rice vinegar to a boil, remove from heat, add sugar to taste, add a pinch of salt, and pour over cucumbers to wilt. Put in fridge until ready to serve, pour off liquid and serve. Totally yummy and cuts the sweetness of the salmon.
Buttermilk Chocolate Cake Bars
(cake)
2 C flour
2 C sugar
1 C water
1 stick butter - softened
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (also good if you add 1 tsp cinnamon here)2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp kosher salt
(frosting)
1/2 C heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2 (milk will work fine)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T butter - softened
3 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Grease/flour bar pan
3. Combine flour and sugar in bowl, set aside.
4. Heat water, butter, and cocoa powder in saucepan over medium heat on stove. Bring to boil, whisk occasionally. Remove from heat
5. Whisk in flour mixture.
6. Whisk in eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, vannila, and salt. Mix well. Pour into pan.
7. Bake 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove to cooling rack. Cool 10 minutes before frosting. Do not cool any longer though!
8. For frosting, place milk, cocoa powder, and butter in saucepan, whisk until melted and smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Spread over warm cake using offset spatula. Cool completely.
Cut into squares, Store in refrigerator.
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