FIRST TIME MOM

Layered Ground Turkey & Broccoli Casserole

Good afternoon, ladies and gents!  This ordinary Momma is back with a new recipe to share.  My 22 month old son has not been eating well, which encouraged me to start looking for some fresh dishes to try.  I ended up finding a casserole, only to cut the ingredients in half, and then substitute and change most of them.  Honestly, that is one of the great things about cooking.  I love to take a recipe and make it my own.  

For a magnificient, kid-friendly casserole, you will need the following ingredients:

1. One pound of ground turkey

2. One medium onion

3. One can of waterchestnuts

4. One bag of frozen broccoli

5. One can cream of broccoli soup

6. One cup of sour cream

7. One half cup shredded mozzeralla cheese

8. One teaspoon Italian seasoning

9. Salt & pepper to taste

 

To make this amazing kid-friendly recipe you will do the following:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Lightly spray fry pan with Pam and brown your ground turkey with one diced onion and can of water chestnuts.  

3. Season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

4. Add the can of soup and sour cream and mix well.

5. Lightly spray a casserole dish with Pam.  Wipe out with papertowel leaving just enough to barely coat the dish.

5. Starting with your meat mixture, and then your broccoli, evenly layer in your dish.  I ended with broccoli, but it may not matter.

6. Add cheese on top.

7. Bake uncovered for one hour.

8.  Enjoy!!!  

 

This recipe was a BIG hit in my house!  My son, who has been refusing to eat, had three plate fulls.  We had left-overs today for lunch and it re-heated very well.  This one may not freeze well, due to the cream soup and the sour cream, but feel free to try it at your own risk.  Also, if you make this, please come back and tell us what you thought.   

 

 

Refrigerator Soup

The ordinary Momma is at it again.  By "at it" I mean cooking.  Yesterday someone mentioned on a friend's Face Book page a dish called Refrigerator Soup.  I usually clean out my fridge, freezer, and pantry and make my own version at-least once a Winter.  Some people may not have ever tried this so I thought I'd explain how I do it.  

To start your soup you are going to need a broth.  You can use some bouillon cubes and water or some canned broth.  Whatever you have will work.  It would be silly to run to the store for ingredients when you are supposed to be cleaning out your food stock.  :)  If you have both and aren't sure which to use I'd wait and put it in last so that you can see how much liquid you have.  I usually start with whatever fresh vegetables I have on hand.  For example, today I had yellow squash and carrots.  I was going to use Eggplant, but after cutting into it I was pretty sure it was spoiled.  Carrots can take a while to cook so I sliced them small and thin.  I used an entire squash and approximately 8-10 baby carrots.  I ended up using one can of vegetable broth and one can of beef broth.  I browned some hamburger, drained it, added my broth and then my cut up squash and carrots.

Moving on to the freezer I found an opened bag of green beans.  I tossed approximately one cup into my soup.  I had some frozen carrots on hand, but I try to go fresh with whatever I can and then use the freezer foods as a back-up.  Any frozen vegetables would do just fine though.  I've used anything and everything in the past.

After settling with the green beans I moved on to my pantry.  From the pantry I used a can of corn, mini butter beans, northern beans, and diced tomatoes.  I drained the beans, but everything else went straight into the pot.  As mentioned with the frozen items, any canned vegetables would also do.  I try to go fresh to frozen and then to canned.  

Now it's time for some seasoning.  I prowled some different vegetable soup recipes on the internet and made a list of different ingredients that would be good.  I settled on one teaspoon of each of the following: Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Parsley, Italian seasoning, Thyme, Basil and Worcestershire.  I've thought about adding rice or tiny chunks of potatoes, but I think I'll skip it this time.  Oh, don't forget to add salt and pepper.  I'd say start with a good ole teaspoon of each and then go from there until you get it how you want it.  

I hope you get the idea that the point is to use what you have on hand.  This is a great way to come up with a great meal while using items that you already have.  One less trip to the grocery store is always a plus.  Happy eating!!

 

Bright Red Bleeding Diaper Rash

This Momma is tired of diaper rash!  My eighteen month old son has had sensitive skin since the day he was born.  We use Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo, followed by Eucerin lotion.  We've also switched to baths every other day.  No matter what, there is always some sort of skin issue.  The worst of them all is a diaper rash, but even worse yet is the bright red bleeding one.

My son is a good eater.  I feed him normal everyday food.  He pretty much eats what I eat.  Certain foods like berries and tomatoes seem to give him a rash after eating.  I usually fight it with Desitin or A&D.  We also skip the skin irritating foods the next day so that he can heal.  

Our diaper rash turned into a Mommy night-mare the other morning.  I awoke to my son screeching in his crib.  Sometimes I let him fuss and fall back to sleep, but this time I didn't, which I'm thankful for. As usual, I tore him from his crib flailing and screaming, because that is just what he does.  I put him on the changing table and started our diaper changing routine and boy was I in for a surprise.  Almost all of my son's butt cheeks were a bright apple shade of red and raw as could be.  On one side it was so raw that there were little divets and specks of bright red blood.  This is the type of stuff a Mother hates to see.  

The Desitin and A&D were obviously not working and it was only 7am, which left us two hours until the Dr.'s office opened.  I found some prescription diaper rash cream that was for yeast infections and used that until I got better advice.  After consoling my little man, dressing him and getting him in his high-chair for breakfast I started on my hunt for a home remedy.  Where else would one go besides the ever trusty Facebook?  With 800 friends someone was surely qualified to help.

Within minutes of my Facebook post I got several comments AND a phone call.  Many many suggestions and opinions were given, which was nice.  It was suggested to use Corn Starch in the diaper, which I tried, but got zero results.  It may work for some, but it didn't for us, or atleast for this bad of a rash.  I did trying airing out, which resulted in toddler urine all over my floor and couch.  The Nystatin (for Yeast Infection) and the A&D would have to work until my Pediatrician called.

I was finally able to get ahold of the Nurse at our Pediatrician's office.  She prescribed me another tube of Nystatin, since mine was low.  We were to use that with an excessive coating of A&D over the top of it.  She also suggested Baking Soda bath's.  I will add that we tried a couple of those with what seemed like no results.  I probabaly didn't do enough of them though.

As far as results go, after the first application of the Nystatin the rash was 50% better.  The rash seemed to linger at that stage for quite a while.  My toddler seemed ok at this point.  He now felt like he could sit rather than kneel down to play, which was good.  I still wasn't happy with the results though.  I finally sent my husband to the pharmacy to get Butt Paste, which was suggested by all of my Facebook Mommy's.  To my amazement, the Butt Paste cleared up the rash probably another 30-40%.  The only spots left are where the little divets are.  I'm continuing to use the Butt Paste and am changing diapers as often as possible.  My amazing sleeper of a boy will hopefully sleep a full night tonight.  One can only hope anyway!

Great Gift ideas for a 12-18 Month Old Boy!

Good morning fellow Mommy's.  I'm in the helping mood and decided to share some gift ideas.  Gift giving can be tough, especially if you have several age groups to buy for or if it's been a while since you have had to buy for a person of that age.  I only have one child, so that is all I can help with.  I've given fifteen ideas, with an approximate price range.  If any of you have comments as to what your child loves, please share, along with their age and sex.

1. Sticks (COST-free)

2. Baloons (COST-$1ish)

3. Stuffed animals. (COST-$5 and up)

4. Flip books, touch and feel books, board books. (COST-$5 and up)

5. Balls of all sizes. (COST-$1 and up)

6. Music-cd's (COST-$5 and up)

7. Crayons and color books (COST-$3 and up)

8. Toy cell phone or ipod (COST-$5 and up)

9. Moving/Moving musical stuffed animal (COST-$10 and up)

10. Soft chair to sit in (COST-$20 and up)

11. Drum with drum-sticks (COST $20 and up)

12. Sit-To-Stand Giraffe (COST-$35ish)

13. Little People Farm Set (COST $40 and up)

14. Laugh & Learn House (COST-$100ish)

15. Bounce & Spin Zebra (COST-$140 "new")

Why I Like My Dyson.

My wonderful hubby and I have been together for over five years and in that time we have owned four vacuums.  The first two were semi-cheap, but the last one was a nice two hundred dollar bagless vacuum.  When we finally upgraded to it a few years back we were stoked.  We were tired of the old ones breaking down and sounding loud enough to break glass.  Well, I'm sad to report back that the new bagless vacuum wasn't much better.  It sounded like a 1970's beater car with no muffler.  I'm surprised it didn't just eat up the carpet because it sounded like it had a few chunks caught in the motor. 

The sound was only one small problem with that vacuum.  The suction was so bad that I couldn't even use it to clean my stairs.  The attachments were so bulky that they would constantly fall off, which was super annoying.  My hubby and I spent a good year considering buying a Dyson.  Over that year my hubby and his amazing Dad took ours apart several times to restore it back to working condition. 

After giving birth to our first born, and realizing that the machine was spitting out more dirt than it was actually picking up, we finally broke down and bought a Dyson, with the ball.  I've heard that the ball may or may not be good, for whatever reason.  Well, ours has worked miracles in our house.  The vacuum is very flexible, if that's what you want to call it.  I can maneuver it around furniture very well.  It has enough suction that I no longer have to haul up a commercial size shop vac to clean my stairs.  The attachments are wonderful too.  First of all, they are not bulky.  They are put in locations that do not stick out, making the machine seem larger than it is.  Instead, the pieces are secured tightly into each one's spot, keeping them from falling off multiple times while using or moving the machine, which can be annoying.  Anyway, I give this machine five out of five stars and highly recommend it.  If it lasts a long time, which I suspect it will, then it is definitely worth the purchase.

 

Are Sweats Sexy?

Okay ladies and gents.  This topic has been broached on numerous occasions, by people of all walks of life.  Everyone seems to have an opinion, so let’s discuss.  I will put a few facts/opinions down in black and white, but please feel free to add your two cents.

First of all, are sweats sexy?  Well, my answer is, it depends on several things.  First of all, is the person sexy to begin with?  Some people are so hot that they could wear footsy pajamas to retrieve the paper only to have a neighbor pass out from hyperventilation.  Ok, maybe that's stretching it a little bit, but you get what I mean.  There are also some people who can put on a super sexy dress with red heels and look ridiculous.  So, when talking about being sexy in sweats, the person wearing them has a lot to do with it. 

Another question when pondering if sweats are sexy is, what kind of sweats are they?  Are they the old fashioned ones that are tapered at the ankle and intended for running or are they a soft, luxurious velour pant-suit?  Also, are they fitted or are they one size too big?

I recently approached a male subject on this topic and he responded that a woman should run around the house in short shorts and a bra-less top.  Hmmm.  I'm sure the Mail-Man and the neighbor asking to borrow your phone would also love that.  Not-so-much.  Dressing super sexy could also just mean a nice sweater, some jeans, boots, hair done, make-up etc.  This sounds nice, except for the little known fact that this may take an hour or two to accomplish when you have a little one or two, possibly more, running around.  The other option would be to get up at 4 am, but I'm guessing that sweater would only bring out the blue in those under-eye circles.  Another down-side that I can think of is cost.  I'd say a decent sweat-suit that I personally prefer would cost around $60.  A nice pair of jeans and a sweater would cost more like $150+.  Add boots to that figure and it’d jump quite a bit.  Some men think saving money is plain sexy.  So, I ask again, are sweats sexy?

 

Quick and Easy Red Beans & Rice

Good morning fellow readers.  First of all, I want to say that I'm impressed with myself for writing at 8am.  Yay me!  Ok, now that my pat on the back is over I will tell you all about my yummy Red Beans and Rice recipe that I sort of came up with.  :)

First I want to admit that I have never had Red Beans and Rice until last night.  My neighbors are the ones who inspired me.  A few months ago I saw their delicious makings and have been curious ever since.  There have been a few times where I wanted to make it, but it just wouldn't work with my schedule.  I went to the trusty, or not-so-trusty, internet and found several recipes, most of which say that the not-so-fancy meal takes several hours to cook.  Some of them even say that the beans need to soak overnight prior to cooking.  Well, this ordinary Momma doesn't always have time to spend hours, or sometimes even wait hours, to cook a meal.  There was one recipe that took forty minutes, but it didn't look or sound as tasty as the others.  Hmmm.

This ordinary Momma came up with a solution.  (Insert another pat on the back here)  :)  I took three recipes and sort of combined some of their ingredients and some of what I had on hand that I thought was better.  The meal ended up super delish and will definitely be added to my file of recipes.  Please see recipe below.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Kielbasa (cut into 1/4 inch pieces)

1 onion (chopped)

1 bell pepper chopped (I used red)

2 T. minced garlic

2 cans kidney beans (drained)

1 can Rotel

1/2 t. Oregano

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper (more if you like)

pinch of cayenne (2 if you dare)

2 T. parsley

2. t. Thyme

1 t. Creole

2 boxes Rice-A-Roni Spanish or Mexican Rice (cheating, I know)  :)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook Kielbasa on medium in large, deep fry pan for five minutes.

2. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic.  Sauté till tender.

3. Add beans (drained) and Rotel (UN-DRAINED)

4. Add all seasonings.  Bring to boil and then let simmer for twenty minutes.

5. Prepare rice. 

 

The rice and the beans should finish cooking at approximately the same time.  Scoop the beans over the rice and enjoy!!! 

 

Making A Coffee Shop Quality Espresso Drink

Dear fellow latte lover's, is your addiction getting the best of you?  Do you feel down and depressed if you don't have your morning or afternoon caffeine?  My advice, Google professional counselor.  :)  If you need help with your lattes and not your mental issues, than you are at the right spot.  On another hand, if you have tips of your own to share, please do so in the comment section.

A while back I got a Gaggia Evolution espresso machine.  It cost $200.  I don't personally feel like I could have spent less than that and still ended up with a drink comparable to a coffee shop.  I could have spent more, but as a beginner I think this was the way to go.  If you want an excellent machine and have a deep pocket there are plenty of machines out there.  I've seen several blogs on them, so do your research before you buy.

Over the past year my drinks have been getting better and better.  "Better" in my latte world means less bitter and/or more crema, which is the foam that tops the espresso.  Now I will tell you what I have found that has increased the quality of the espresso and latte's I've made.  One of the most important things I've learned is to warm my machine.  The directions said you only need five minutes.  Some say more and some say less.  I personally say five to ten minutes for warming up your machine will make a difference.  You can warm it in two minutes, but your drink might not turn out as good.

Another thing I've noticed is that fresh water makes a difference.  I re-fill my tank right before I make drinks.  I do not ever brew with water that has been sitting in my tank reservoir.  Also, fresh beans and a fresh grind make a difference.  I've done a lot of experiencing with this and what seems to work best are whole beans that are pre-bagged at the grocery store.  The ones that are dispensed in the machine seem to lose their strength a lot quicker.  In the past year I've found that a pound of beans will make great drinks for two weeks.  After two weeks the crema will be little to none when I make espresso.  I will still brew it and drink it, but I don't consider it good enough for guests. 

As far as grinding goes, if you do research you will read that you need a grinder that costs $200 or more.  I don't disagree that a $200 grinder would increase the quality, but I will say that my $50 Cuisinart burr grinder from Bed Bath and Beyond does what I need it to do.  Both machines have worked together to produce a coffee shop quality drink, in my opinion. 

Another fix to a bad espresso pull is to tamp very firmly and evenly.  I have found that rotating the tamp while pressing disturbs the grind, making it loose, which ends with a bad drink.  Tamp as firmly as you possibly can.  Use as much grinds as your machine can take and make sure when you are done tamping that it doesn't slope.  It needs to be flat or your espresso shot will come out badly.

Lastly, if you want to pull better shots and end up with a drink that is more comparable to a coffee shop then you need to practice.  Use the tips above and practice, practice practice.  Once you have tried this several times please come back and comment as to how it has helped or hindered your home espresso drinks.  As always, thanks for reading.

 

STIR-FRY FOR SUPPER

This ordinary Momma has been at it again!  By “at it,” I mean cooking.  Last night’s main course/only course, consisted of a very easy, but tasty chicken stir-fry.   The ingredients and recipe are below.

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts (depending on size and/or what you have on hand…can substitute for a meat of your choice)

3 T. Corn-Starch

3 T. Soy Sauce

1 t. Ginger

½ t. Garlic Powder

3 T. Vegetable Oil

1 bag frozen Mediterranean Vegetables (can substitute other vegi’s)

1 drained can Bamboo Shoots (can substitute something else)

1 c. water

1 Chicken Bouillon Cube

 

Directions:

Cut chicken in strips.  Place in Tupperware with Corn Starch and toss to coat.  Add Soy Sauce, Ginger & Garlic Powder.  Let marinate in fridge for 20-30 min. 

Heat oven to 200 degrees.  Heat 2 T. of oil in wok.  Stir-Fry Chicken for approximately 4 minutes.  Place chicken in baking dish, put in oven, and turn off oven so the chicken will keep warm, but not cook.

Add 1 T. of oil to wok and re-heat.  Once heated, add vegis and stir-fry for 4 minutes.

Add water, bouillon and chicken.  Cook til sauce thickens.

*Goes great over noodles or rice, but is just fine without, since it has the Bamboo Shoots.

 

 

30 Minute Ground Turkey Dish

Hello ordinary Mom’s and Dad’s.  If you are looking for a quick, easy, hearty meal for the family, then you have come to the right place.  If you have read my previous blogs then you will know that I like to make simple meals with items that I have on hand.  Sometimes I dig on the internet for recipes that I possess ingredients for and sometimes I just whip something up. 

The other night I whipped up a turkey dish that was hearty, but light on the stomach.  The ingredients needed were one pound of ground turkey, one bag of frozen broccoli and one box of Broccoli Au Gratin Rice-A-Roni, along with ingredients needed for the Rice-A-
Roni.  If you are making a grocery list, get the exact ingredients, but if you are working with what you have on hand, then you can use any meat, any veggie, and any type of Rice-A-Roni that you have on your shelf. 

Now that you have your ingredients, it’s time to whip up that dish.  I browned my ground turkey in one pan while making my Rice-A-Roni in another.  Step one of the Rice-A-Roni is to brown the rice in some butter.  Once the ground turkey and the rice are browned, in separate pans, I add the butter/rice mixture in with the turkey, converting the meal to one pan.  Next I add in my bag of frozen broccoli, Rice-A-Roni seasoning pack and the stated amount of water and cook as the box directions state.  The end result is a very edible turkey-rice-cheesy-broccoli dish that is to be loved by all.