Meghan's Kitchen & Aviary

Beef Tips & Noodles

2010-04-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Beef Tips & Noodles

2 lbs stew beef
3 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 t. dried parsley
12 oz. egg noodles
pinch of:
onion powder
garlic powder
salt
pepper

Place beef, soup, and spices into a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

Boil noodles until tender.

Combine all together and serve!

Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

2010-01-28T08:36:00.000-08:00

Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

1/2 c. butter softened
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. crushed pecans
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Cream together butter and peanut butter. Add sugars. Beat until fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat until well blended. Stir in oats and pecans. Spread mixture into 11x7 pan. TIP: To keep the mixture from sticking to your spatula while you spread it-dip the spatula in water. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Cut and eat while still warm and gooey.

Beef Chip Spread

2010-01-07T07:09:00.000-08:00

I LOVE that Armour dried beef that comes in the little jars. I love beef chip gravy and biscuits and I figured this would be fun to try as well.

Beef Chip Spread

8 oz. cream cheese softened
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 large jar Armour dried beef

Remove beef from jar and tear up into small pieces. Beat cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Stir in Worcestershire and beef pieces until well combined. Serve with bread or crackers. (I'm going to eat mine on bagels!)

Taco Dip

2010-01-07T07:05:00.000-08:00

It's cold and yucky outside! Who wants to go out? I got lots of goodies at the grocery store this "weekend" to make some yummy treats. I love dip and I haven't had any good dip in a long time. This stuff is pretty good. Got it out of a recipe book for Christmas and tweaked around with it to make it my own version. Enjoy!

Taco Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. picante sauce
1 package Taco seasoning

Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until creamy and well combined. Stir in picante sauce and taco seasoning. Serve with chips or veggies.

You can make it mild or hot, I prefer mild, so I used mild picante sauce and mild taco seasoning.

Update Time!

2010-01-05T04:25:00.001-08:00

I know it's been a while. Happy New Year! Had a little infection left over from that swine flu I had a while back. But no worries! I feel great now.

The birds are fine, happy, healthy.

Cheeko has been a bit nippy lately. I think he's getting ready to molt. He's just got that look and attitude about him. I had to take his birdy buddy out of his cage yesterday morning because he got so aggressive over it that he tried to shred my hand. Typical conure!

Maverick is learning new words, STILL! His latest phrase? "Want some." He'll say it when he wants some orange juice. This little guy is so intelligent. Ryan said he was walking around on the bed the other day, proclaiming "want some!" So he got him some juice. He's learning how to work the system.

Gizzy is still her cute, cuddly, self. I got her some pistachios that were on sale at Wal-Mart around the holidays and she loves foraging for them in her plastic foraging wheel. When I wasn't feeling well last week, she was being so sweet. She'd just sit on my shoulder and snuggle up next to me and keep me warm. And every morning when I wake her up, the first thing she wants is to be held and cuddled on. I've never heard of a Grey being so affectionate. She's more cuddly than a conure!

New Bird...I don't believe I'm going to go to the same breeder I was planning on using to get the macaw. Sounds like they're simply focusing their breeding efforts on Amazon parrots. However, it looks like a wonderful aviary.. They really care about their birds and who they send them home with. There's a wonderful place in St. Louis that Ryan and I had the opportunity to meet at a bird show, similar to a Bird Fever type of place we have up here in Indianapolis. They have amazingly well socialized, well behaved parrots. So when the time is right, looks like that's where I'd like to go. It's quite a drive, but it's worth it for birds that are put first.

I'd like to make some goodies while I'm off this week. I'll post pics if I get around to it!

Have a good morning!

White Chocolate Chex Mix

2009-12-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

Mmmm yummy snack! And great this time of year with Christmas colored M&Ms. Looks festive and pretty.

White Chocolate Chex Mix

3 c. Rice Chex cereal
3 c. Corn Chex cereal
2 c. pretzels
2 c. mixed nuts
12 oz. M&Ms (I prefer dark chocolate M&Ms)
16 oz. white chocolate chips.

Combine all dry ingredients in a LARGE mixing bowl.

Melt chips in the microwave on high for 90 seconds. Stir chips as chips retain their shape when melted. If chips are not yet melted, pop back in the microwave for an addition 15-30 seconds and stir until melted. Pour over dry ingredients. Combine and stir until everything is well coated.

Place a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet. Pour mixture out on the cookie sheet and spread out mixture. Place cookie sheet in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from freezer. Break up the mixture and place in an airtight container.

Chili

2009-12-17T12:50:00.000-08:00

I HATE SPICY FOOD! I HATE SPICY FOOD! Did I mention that I hate spicy food? This chili is really really mild...so not spicy that you could give it to a child.

Mild Chili

1 lb ground round
1 c. elbow macaroni
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 c. mild Pace picante sauce
1 can mild chili beans
3-4 t. chili powder
1-2 t. ground cumin
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
big pinch of garlic powder
big pinch of onion powder

Brown ground round. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Cook until no longer pink.

Boil elbow macaroni pasta.

Combine beef and pasta in a large pot. Stir in beans (if desired). Add tomato sauce and picante sauce. Stir until well combined. Add in chili powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Simmer on the stove on low until heated through. Or combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 1-2 hours or high for 45 minutes to an hour until heated through. Serve with shredded cheese and saltine crackers.

NOTE: Add the chili powder and cumin in the chili 1/2-1 t. at a time. You don't want to go dumping a bunch of it in at once and find out it's too spicy for your taste. You can always add more in but you can't take more out!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving! It went by too fast! I have some cute pics from the holiday.

Gizzy liked the foot toy with peanut butter!

Maverick clowning around.

And enjoying some turkey.

Cheeko defending his new "fort."

And I made this yummylicious cheesecake. Recipe from foodnetwork.com. It's from Paula Deen so it's guaranteed butter-free, fat-free, and calorie free. LOL. Just kidding.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:
1 3/4 c. crushed graham cracker crumbs
3 T. light brown sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 stick melted butter

Filling:

3 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
15 oz. can pumpkin (make sure not to get pumpkin pie filling by accident!)
3 eggs + 1 yolk
1/4 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. cloves
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 t. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. Add melted butter and toss crumbs with a fork until everything is moistened. Press down into a 9 in. springform pan. TIP: To help press your crust down, use a the bottom of the glass and spray with a little bit of cooking spray (fids OUT and AWAY from the kitchen!) to keep crumbs from sticking.

In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs + yolk, sour cream, sugar, and spices. Add in flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Bake for 60-70 minutes. (I baked mine closer to 70 minutes, but her recipe called for just an hour). Let cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

TIP: I bake my cheesecakes in a hot water bath. I place a layer of aluminum foil around the cheesecake pan and place it in a 15 x 11 pan that is filled with HOT water that comes halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan. This helps reduce cracking by allowing the heat to indirectly bake the cheesecake. It works everytime. Just be careful no kids or dogs bump into you when taking it in or out of the oven.

Also, you know when your cheesecake is done when you touch it with WASHED, CLEAN HANDS and the center springs back. ;) No swine flu in the food please!

Macaw

2009-11-19T18:44:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting a macaw for a very, very VERY long time. Since I was 5 years old actually. Now each day is a day closer until I can have one in my flock.

I got in touch with a breeder and my name is on a waiting list for a baby Blue & Gold. I decided in the end on the B&G instead of the scarlet. I have always loved the scarlet macaws but I feel that I would enjoy a B&G a lot more and feel it's better suited for me.

There are no babies yet. The parents have been busy in the nestbox. However I am on a waiting list. So if there's people infront of me, this could definitely be a while. And I'm more than happy to wait. I was impressed with the breeder's website and also reviews from other parronts with the quality of care and the amount of love they put into what they do. They really put the birds' best interest first and foremost and that's what's important.

A macaw lays a clutch of 1-3 eggs. Incubation period can be 26-29 days. And it can take months to wean a baby. Handfeeding is very tricky. If you get the food down the wrong tube, you can kill the bird. It's a very, VERY delicate thing that's best left to professionals. A huge problem in aviculture is a lot of dishonest breeders out to make a buck will sell unweaned babies. You see it and read about it all the time on the forums. These poor people have a baby that's not weaned and they are freaking out, not knowing what to do. I know someone who got into a weaning nightmare with a shady breeder and it was a very, very heartbreaking situation.

I feel that this is something I have extensively been researching for a very long time and definitely feel ready to make the commitment. It hasn't been thought through lightly, as this bird could potentially outlive me. This will most likely be my last feathered kid.

I'll keep posting updates and keep everyone informed.

OH and I'm sure you all want to know...regardless of the sex, boy or girl, the bird's name will be Rudder...yes...as in an airplane rudder...

Lemon Cupcakes

2009-11-17T16:02:00.001-08:00

These are courtesy of a Kraft magazine that usually comes free in the mail once in a while. They're absolutely delicious. And since they're just made with egg whites, they're more like sponge cake-cupcakes. And they're really easy.

Lemon Cupcakes

1 package white cake mix
1 package lemon flavor Jell-o pudding & pie mix
1 c. water
4 egg whites
2 T. oil
16 oz. confectioners' sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 T. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, egg whites, and oil until moistened. Beat on medium speed until everything is nice and smooth. Spoon batter evenly into lined muffin tins.

Bake 21-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Remove from pans and cool completely.

Beat confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, butter, and lemon juice on low speed until well combined and smooth. Frost cupcakes.

*NOTE: This recipe will give you a LOT more icing than you need. What I did was froze my leftover icing. So when I go to the grocery store the next week, I'll just buy a package of white cake mix, make some quicky-cupcakes, and use the remaining icing.

*NOTE #2: As I am writing this, I hear a little African Grey voice proudly proclaim "Come on out!" and she proudly leaps off her playstand into the floor. I run to get her back to her playstand and narrowly avoid a parrot poop on the floor! Only at Megs Food n Fids is it totally acceptable to discuss bird poop and food in the same post! Hehe enjoy your cupcakes!

Cheeko's New Cage

2009-11-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

Well I ordered Cheeko a beautiful new big-boy cage and it's been sitting in the living room, it's in box, unopened for a week since I've been knocked out with swine flu. So yesterday my mom & dad put it together for him. I'm sure he appreciates all their hard work.

Rowan from BirdyBooty.com did an amazing job with this precious swing for Cheeko. The airplanes are just too Meghan right?

Come on in!

Uh oh! I think he's curious about these curtains...

FLU UPDATE: I'm doing a little better. Still exhausted. Good news is the fever has gone down. I've missed a week of work. I'm doing a little better each day. Today I felt well enough to go to the Starbucks drive-thru and get breakfast. But it wore me out. Ugh. But I've got a horrible case of laryngitis and sound like Minnie Mouse. I sure hope that goes away as soon as possible! It's embarrassing!

It's Been Awhile

2009-11-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

Yes, it looks like it's been about 2 months since I've updated. A LOT has happened. Started a great new job and have been really busy.

Right now I've been oh so blessed to get hit with H1N1. I've been MISERABLE since Tuesday. Woke up with a small tickle in my throat Monday and Tuesday it was a full blown flu. Each day is a LITTLE better than the last. I've almost completely lost my voice. I thought this H1N1 was supposed to be a mild flu? For me, it's been anything BUT mild. My asthma has been making this really hard to kick. I had a nice little visit to the ER Thursday night. If you go in there and mention SWINE FLU they immediately put a mask on you and usher you back to a room! That means NO WAITING and no long sits in the waiting room! HAHAHA.

Once I'm not a walking cloud of germs, I'll try to cook some more and update on the birds. Since H1N1 has jumped around to cats, I don't want to get near my pets. Don't know if dogs or birds can catch it, but I'm not taking a chance. Mom has been helping out a lot.

Stuffed Peppers

2009-09-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

Made these from peppers out of Mimi's garden!

Stuffed Peppers

4 Green Peppers
1 package of Lipton Fiesta Sides Spanish Rice
Cheese (if desired)

Slice tops off peppers. Discard seeds and veins so you essentially have a shell.

Prepare rice according to package directions.

Fill pepper shells with rice.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, sprinkle cheese on top if desired.

So easy my dad could do it without burning the house down!

Crunch Pumpkin Bars

2009-09-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

This recipe came out of a cooking magazine I subscribe to. (Taste of Home Healthy Cooking) Enjoy!

Crunchy Pumpkin Bars

30 oz. pumpkin pie filling
12 oz. evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 box yellow cake mix
6 oz. chopped pecans
1 c. melted butter

Combine pumpkin pie filling, milk, and eggs. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with cake mix. Sprinkle with pecans. Pour melted butter over the top. Serve with cool whip.

Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes.

Let set up and refrigerate. Yummy! It's like pumpkin pie, only better!

Black Palm Cockatoo

2009-09-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

Guess what I got to lay my eyes on last Friday? Yes, you guessed it! A real, live Black Palm 'Too! I feel like a kid on Christmas morning! I am so, so SO excited I got the opportunity.

I ran into Bird Fever up in Indy to get some loot for the fids. And I couldn't believe what I laid my eyes on.

They are incredibly beautiful in person! Pictures do not do justice. A member on BB described them as "prehistoric looking." That's the perfect description. That's why I love them! There's nothing like the beauty of a black palm 'too! And to see one up close in person is a really once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. These guys are VERY rare. And NO, I'm not adding one to the flock! They're about a $20,000 bird.

I guess I can just admire them from a distance! *sigh

Also, I was really impressed with that store. They have a great selection of toys and food at pretty reasonable prices. It's definitely not rip-off city.

They also have a lot of birds in the store! I also got the chance to see a Greater Vasa Parrot. Another rare one. Man, they're gorgeous too!

Sprouting!

2009-09-07T14:36:00.001-07:00

Happy Labor Day!

I was always kind of intimidated by sprouting in the past. But a month ago, I decided I wanted to give it a try. I felt up to the challenge! And guess what...it's not a challenge at all! Now I haven't done sprouting with beans yet. They're a bit trickier. I might try legumes here soon and I'll do an entry on that. But this is easy and a great way for beginners to learn.

I ordered a sprouting mix from this website:
www.parrotsontheporch.com

I HIGHLY recommend this website. They have absolutely wonderful products. They have all kinds of great things, such as birdie bread and things to add into Birdie's diet. And they have great prices...you won't get ripped off!

I ordered the medium beaks sprouting mix since I'm sprouting for medium sized birds. They also have large and small if your fid is bigger or smaller. It's got lots of great things in it. This mix contains:

*Wheatberries
*Spelt
*Triticale
*Barley
*Brown Rice
*Kamut
*Fenugreek
*Millet
*Quinoa
*Pumpkin Seed
*Safflower Seed
*Hulled Sunflower Seed

Or you can go to the health food store and make your own mix. Whole Foods sells these ingredients and I know a lot of parronts who like shop there. However since I'm in Podunk, Indiana...we don't have Whole Foods. OK...I'm going to digress. We went into a Whole Foods in Plantation, FL while I was at Sheffield and holy mackrel! That place is too freaking cool.

OK...back to sprouting.

Supplies:
Alright, first of all you'll need a jar for your sprouts. I use a jelly or jam jar which you'd use in canning. It works perfect.

Now, you'll need a screen. I ordered this one off of the forementioned website. You can also find them at the craft store.

Now...let's sprout!

Step One: You'll need to soak your seeds overnight. Place them in the jar. Put the screen on, and put the lid on. Rinse several times until water runs clear. Fill the jar up and soak seeds overnight. Be sure to place your jar in an area that is cool and dry.

Good morning! Now what you have here is known as soaked seed. And you can rinse and drain this and feed this to Birdie. Soaked seed is very nutritious as well.

Step Two: If you're not going to do soaked seed, rinse and drain the sprouts. Rinse and rinse until the water runs clear. *TIP If you live in an area where mold is common or there's high humidity, I strongly recommend rinsing your sprouts with a touch of apple cider vinegar. Some people I know use grapefruit seed extract. I personally prefer apple cider vinegar. It's also a great thing to add into your bird's diet because it helps balance out the flora in their digestive system.

Repeat this rinsing process about 3 times a day. I do it when I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner so I don't forget.

You should start to see sprouts appear within the first day and by the second or third day, they should be ready.
javascript:void(0)

Sprouts after 2 days

Keep in mind that when the tails on the sprouts reach more than 1/4 of an inch in length, that they will begin to taste bitter to Birdie. What I do is soak my mix on Friday night and rinse on Saturday, Sunday, and by Sunday evening, my sprouts are ready.

Store leftover sprouts in the refrigerator for up to one week.

What if my seeds don't sprout?
If they are not sprouting, toss them out! They are dead and shouldn't be fed to your bird. Your sprouts should have a nice, earthy smell to them. If you try to sprout dead seed it will just decompose and get nasty.

TIP #2: I wouldn't leave the screen on throughout the day, just when rinsing. Because the metal screen will rust where the lid comes into contact with it.

Have fun and hope your fid enjoys his/her sprouts as much as mine do!

Best Ever Pumpkin Bars

2009-09-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

These are courtesy of the Pillsbury Dough Boy. I guarantee there's no better pumpkin bar recipe out there.

Best Ever Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. oil
15 oz can pumpkin*
2 c. all purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 t. ground cinnamon**
1/2 t. ground ginger**
1/4 t. ground cloves**

Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
2-3 t. milk
1 t. vanilla
4 c. confectioners' sugar
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 15 x 10 x 1 pan with cooking spray.

Beat eggs, granulated sugar, oil, and pumpkin until smooth. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Spread into pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and bars spring back when touched. Cool completely.

For frosting:
Beat cream cheese, butter, milk, and vanilla on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, about 1 c. at a time on low until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Spread frosting over bars. Sprinkle with pecans.

Store in the refrigerator.

*Be sure to get canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling!
**You can substitute 2 1/2 t. of pumpkin pie spice in place of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

Crescent Rolls (Pics included)

2009-09-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

This is the same dough recipe from my Yeast Rolls post back in February.

I'm using the same dough, different roll.

Roll Dough

1 package active dry yeast*
1 1/4 c. warm water
1 c. scalded milk
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. shortening (Crisco butter flavor works great)
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1 egg

Soften yeast in water. Combine milk, sugar, shortening,& salt. Let cool to room temperature. Add 1 1/2 c. of flour and beat well. Beat in yeast and egg. Gradually beat in remaining flour until a soft dough forms. *TIP #1: To keep dough from sticking to your hands when working with it, wet your hands down with water.

Put your dough in a greased bowl, also greasing the surface of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours or until the dough is double in size.

Dough before

Dough after 1 1/2 hours.

*If you can't find yeast packets at the grocery store, you can just buy a jar of yeast. 2 1/4 t. of yeast = 1 packet. Be sure to refrigerate after opening.

OK. Turn dough out on to a lightly floured surface. And lightly means lightly! No one wants to eat yeast rolls that have a coating of flour on them. Ick.

I found it easier to split the dough into 2 sections. Roll into a 12 inch circle. Cut dough into 8-12 wedges. Brush with melted butter.

Starting with the big end, roll your triangle up. Place with the flap down on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Set aside and let rise for 45-60 or until nice and big.

Preheat oven to 400. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

Makes 2 dozen rolls.

Gizzy's Cold

2009-09-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

Well, Gizzy hasn't been feeling to well lately. Monday she started wheezing. So I called the vet and we got her in ASAP.

She's got an upper respiratory infection. But it was caught early and didn't get into her air sacs, nor is she having a runny nose, which is a good sign. Had it got down in her air sacs, we would have been in big trouble. For the non-bird people reading my blog, when birds get sick, it's a lot more difficult for them to get over it than other pets. They do not do well with illness.

She got a shot of Convenia plus she's on Baytril for the next two weeks. Luckily, Dr. Hall was able to put the Baytril in a water solution that I can put in her water so that I don't have to fiddle with giving her meds orally. It causes a lot of stress + it's very tricky. I've never adminsitered meds orally to a parrot and now is not the time for me to learn!

She's so far doing pretty well. I've not heard much wheezing out of her the rest of the week. She's been sneezing here and there. I've been keeping her warm and covered up. Plus, she's eating really well and has a great appetite.

So where did she get this nasty cold? Hard to tell. I personally think she got sick from that nasty place I was at in Kentucky. The place was filthy when I moved in. I had sinus troubles during the time I was there, and I'm sure it wasn't good for Gizzy either. The stress of the move obviously wasn't helpful at all as well.

But now she's back home and settled in. She loves getting cuddled up in my big pink fuzzy bathrobe every morning. I have to let her out first thing so she can have her morning cuddles or she gets cranky.

I'll keep everyone posted on how she's doing.

Update + Peachy Shrimp (diabetic friendly too!)

2009-09-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

Hi friends. I know it's been a month since my last update. The past month has been really really bad for me. Just a total zoo. BUT I'm back and I will TRY my hardest to get on here very frequently and update. I said that once before but I MEAN it this time! I've got plenty to blog about...lots of new recipes + bird things.

My mom made this shrimp tonight for dinner and it was DE-LICIOUS! And it's so easy my Dad could make it without burning the house down. And...it only takes like 6 minutes.

Peachy Shrimp

12-15 raw frozen shrimp, peeled, deveined, and no tails
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 jar sugar-free peach preserves
1 t. Worschetshire sauce
1 T. soy sauce
4-5 dashes hot sauce

Thaw out shrimp according to package directions.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add shrimp. Cook 3-4 minutes per side. You know when the shrimp is getting done when it starts getting pink in color.

Combine the ingredients for the glaze in a medium bowl. Blend well. Once shrimp is done, use a basting brush and brush the shrimp with the glaze.

Hot Pasta

2009-08-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is good as a side dish or even by itself for a quick lunch. And it'll clear your sinuses out in no time!

Hot Pasta

1 c. mini penne pasta
2 T. olive oil
Small teeny-weeny pinch each of:
Red pepper flakes
Garlic & Pepper Medley (or black peppercorns ground up)
Garlic Powder

Boil the pasta until tender. Drain. Stir in olive oil and spices.

It's really quick and easy!

The Monkey House

2009-08-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying your rainy thunderstormy Tuesday if you're reading from Indiana. I got drenched today going out to get some lunch. I'm taking a little break from packing to update and share something fun and off-topic from what I usually blog about.

I'm a sucker for old, historic homes. I've always said if I'm going to blow money and buy a really nice house, I want something older and historical. IMO, a lot of these new luxury houses you see popping up look EXACTLY a like. There's nothing unique about them! Watch HGTV...even the interiors in a lot of those places look a like! Why would you want to spend a million bucks on a house that looks like every other house in the neighborhood. What's fun about that?

This is one of two historic houses in Columbus (Indiana) that I'm just obsessed with. We actually used to live across the street from it. And supposedly these people used to have pet monkeys, so I always referred to this place as "The Monkey House." I still call it that.

The house was built in 1910. The exterior is made of limestone and apparently the walls are 16 inches thick. I just love how it looks from the outside. If you're interested in a good read and want to learn more about the history of the home, here's a blog link from the Columbus Historical Society about the place.

http://columbushomestour.blogspot.com/2008/09/1910-washington-street.html

When we went on the homes tour, I'll admit, it was VERY disappointing. You see this sprawling mansion on the outside and inside it needs A LOT of work. The carpet looks bad as does the wallpaper. And the kitchen looks like something from 1930. It was pretty bad. And he bathrooms definitely need updating! And aside from everything cosmetic, I'm sure there's a lot of other things that need work. It probably needs new wiring as well.

But as you can see in the pictures, the walnut woodwork is just gorgeous and I'm sure if you fixed it up, you'd have a gorgeous home with a neat history! But, my mom would have to disagree. She hates the Monkey House! Hehehe.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

2009-08-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

OK...I know some of my readers on here are international so let me explain this.

Here in the States we have a seafood chain called Red Lobster and they serve these biscuits that are really good. They're called Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

I found this recipe online and switched a few things and cut it down to make 8 servings. Enjoy! It really does taste like the real deal thing!

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

1 3/4 c. Jiffy Baking Mix
1/4 c. + 1/8 c. cold milk
2 T. cold butter
1/8 t. garlic powder
1/2. cup grated cheddar cheese

To brush on top:
2 T. melted butter
2 t. dried chives
1/8 t. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut butter into baking mix with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cheddar, milk, and garlic powder. Mix until combined. But don't over mix it! (If you over mix it, the gluten in the dough will break down and you'll end up with tough biscuits!) Just mix it until everything is nicely moistened.

Drop by 1/4 cup-fulls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 15-17 minutes.

When biscuits have about 2 minutes left, brush with the melted butter mixture.

From Ryan

2009-08-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! Hope you all are having a great summer. One of my favorite things to do during the summer is grilling! In fact any season is good for grilling for me, but summer is the most enjoyable (rather than shivering in the snow while flipping burgers). (Ok...this is Meghan and I'm going to interject here and tell you that Ryan will for real actually stand outside and shiver and grill food.)

Anyway, here is a great summer evening dinner that I really enjoy. It is pretty easy to prepare but does require a little forethought. This meal was inspired by Chef Adam Perry Lange but I added and subtracted ingredients to make it a bit more practical. So without further adieu, here is my french inspired Steak and Midwestern BBQ side dishes.

For the Steak:

I chose an 8-10 ounce Sirloin for the actual meat. It was previously frozen and was allowed to thaw 24 hours in the refrigerator.

While the grill is warming up, season the steak with fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Just a few pinches on either side. Once you feel that there is enough seasoning, lightly coat the meat with canola or vegetable oil. Its important to rub the meat down with the oil after seasoning otherwise it wont lock in the flavor correctly. Also do not use olive oil for this portion, only use canola or vegetable oil, olive oil wont burn off properly and will kind of smolder on the meat. After this the meat is ready to cook.

Use non-stick cooking spray on the grill before applying your meat to grill. Once the meat is grilling try to avoid flipping the meat too much. It should only be flipped every few minutes. Depending on the grill try to cook around medium heat. Also every time you flip the meat, season the meat with more pinches of sea salt and ground pepper

While the meat is grilling, prepare the final seasoning for the steak. Use a cutting board and combine chopped Italian parsley, lemon zest, garlic salt, fresh ground pepper, and sea salt. Finish off the mixture with about 2 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil.

Once the meat is cooked to rare to medium (depending on preference) take the meat off the grill and place it on the cutting board with the seasoning mixture. Flip the meat around to make sure the meat is coated nicely with the seasoned mixture. Then place the meat on the grill for another minute or two a side to set the flavor in.* I did this process twice, then cooked it over the hottest place on the grill to caramalize the mixture. Just be careful not to burn the outside of the meat.*

Once the meat is cooked to the desired preference, it needs to cool for a few minutes then it is ready to serve.

For the Corn:

I chose bi-color corn on the cob. A few hours before cooking, soak the ear of corn in cold water. I usually let it soak until right before cooking. This will allow it to hold plenty of moisture when cooking.

Before cooking, remove most of the outer husk of the ear of corn, I usually leave 1-2 layers left. Then also peel back the husk and remove the silk. Once the ear is cleaned up with a little bit of husk left, either leave wet or apply some butter.

Now put the corn on the grill under low to medium heat. While it is grilling apply some “Mrs. Dash Original” seasoning to the corn within the husks to give it a “peppery” smoked taste.

Cook the ear of corn for about 15 minutes constantly turning the ear every 2 minutes or so to prevent it from getting to dry or burnt.

For the baked beans:

2 cans of Van Camps pork and beans
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tbsp of mustard
2 tbsp of ketchup
2 tbsp of hickory BBQ sauce
cooked pieces of bacon or bacon bits

Preheat the oven to 325F degrees

Place all of the ingredients in to larger Pyrex bowl and thoroughly mix together. Cover and place onto the middle rack and bake for 45 minutes.

Apply everything to plate and serve. As for a nice summer beverage to match for this meal, I would recommend an India Pale Ale (such as Red Hook's Long Hammer) or a Ryan's Limey Rum and Coke (as seen on this blog!).

Hope you enjoy this meal as much as I do!

-Ryan

How Many...?

2009-07-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

This discussion was SOOO interesting on ThePerch and BirdBoard. How many birds would you have if you had every bird you wanted? You know what I'm talking about...we all have a little list in our mind of the species we just love. So what do YOU want? Here's my list!

Scarlet Macaw or B&G Macaw

Citron Crested Cockatoo

Blue Headed Pionus

And I know Ryan's list includes...

Green Cheek Conure

Painted Conure

Umbrella Cockatoo

Hahn's Macaw

OK...NO we are not going to end up with all these birds! My limit...5-6 parrots total. Some people know from an early age that they want a big family with a lot of kids. Not me, I knew that I wanted my own big flock of parrots. So I do plan on adding more to The Flock in the future. What we BOTH are dead-set on is a macaw. I've been in love with macaws since I was about 5. The Flock wouldn't be complete without one! So Mom & Dad...you're the ones to blame for the my macaw obsession! Remember when we went on vacation when I was like 5 or 6ish and some lady with a macaw and a cockatoo was letting people take souvenir pictures with her birds? I'm sure that picture is around here somewhere!!! I think I was wearing a navy blue and white polka dotted shirt in the picture. It was a Polaroid.

What Michael Jackson Means to Me

2009-06-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

So Michael Jackson is either one of those people you absolutely couldn't stand or your absolutely loved. Well...I LOVE Michael Jackson. IMO...Michael is one of the most talented people that has ever lived. I love every single Michael Jackson song...there is not one that I don't like. And you can't help but be amazed by all those crazy dance moves. He was really a musical genius. However, he did make some bad decisions. But here's my $0.02 on the whole child molestation thing:

Sure, there's evidence there that maybe he did some wrongdoing, but seriously...I think in this case these kids' parents should have thought things out a little more thoroughly. I wouldn't care if he's the King of Pop or the guy next door...why on Earth would you let your child spend the night at a man's house who thinks he's Peter Pan? Come on...these people were just out to make a fast buck and I think they took advantage of Michael.

But I digress. Michael will be greatly missed. It's hard to believe the King of Pop is gone. So what's my favorite Michael song? I like Billie Jean. I think my favorite album though would have to be Bad and my favorite video? I loved them ALL!

Cheeko LOVES to watch youtube videos hehe...so I put on some Michael for him to enjoy! He loved it. It was so funny because Gizzy got in on it too. During "Thriller" she started making her owl noise, "Hooo! Hoooo!" So funny!

Speaking of the birds and food...I really want to try and make some sticky wings here sometime. I'll post the recipe sometime this week.

Thanks for reading

Birdie Macaroni

2009-06-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

I made this for Gizzy the other night! She loved it!

Birdie Macaroni

Cooked macaroni pasta, drained
Butternut squash baby food
2 T. frozen vegetables, cooked
1 baby carrot, chopped

Coat the macaroni pasta in a little bit of the butternut squash babyfood so it's like a sauce. Stir in the frozen veggies and carrot. Serve to Birdie!

NOTE: Be sure to buy babyfood that doesn't have added vitamins and minerals, especially iron since our fids are prone to iron storage disease.

Gizzy loved the peas in her frozen veggies...it's her favorite!

The Kids

2009-06-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

OK...I'm really going to TRY to quit neglecting this thing like I have been here lately!

Update on the kids:

Gizzy: She's been really good lately. She recently had her wings clipped. The neighbors are getting a new roof and the contractors outside banging around scared her, so she bolted downstairs in a panic. We don't need her getting hurt! I really hated to clip her but she doesn't need to be flying around like that! The vet says he can see MAJOR improvements from the day after I brought her in. He said she's really filling out nicely and her feathers are getting a really nice sheen to them. I'm very excited. She's also picking up a lot of new words and sounds. I think she's trying to sing the Menard's commercial on the radio. She's also dropped the S word on me as well. But that's what I get for trying to fiddle around with my printer in her presence when it wasn't cooperating! Oops.

Her favorite thing ever is oatmeal. She'll go nuts for it. I usually give her oatmeal a few times a week with baby food mixed in (only the baby food with the veggie/fruit puree and water! no added iron and such!). She LOVES the Chiquita Bananas and Squash. Yum yum. However, her squash gave her the runs tonight. Ick. We had 2 accidents outside of the cage.

Cheeko: Well, he's molting. His cage is full of orange feathers. There's enough there that it looks like an orange massacre lol. He's gained quite a bit of weight since I went to Sheffield. Ryan spoiled him a lot when I was gone. ;). I really need to get a gram scale so I can keep track of his weight. I'm trying to get him to exercise...he LOVES to run up and down the hall and climb his birdie ladder. So I do that with him daily.

He's also been super grumpy since he's molting. I was laying down with him yesterday (yea, all 3 of them are worse than dogs are with the bed...each thinks it's "their" place lol). So I was just lying down when all of a sudden an orange bundle of fluff decides to run up and grab me between the nose. My nose bled on and off again for a couple days. The scab is finally gone. Which is good. I know this is gross, but I'm a huge fan of those nasal irrigation things. Hadn't been able to use it since it's mainly just salt water and that'd burn like heck in my injured nose! Geesh. He's been really loony.

Maverick: Oh I finally get to see him tomorrow! I'm super excited! I can't wait! He's such a lover and such a sweetheart. Last time I was at Ryan's and I left to go back to Columbus, as I was pulling out of the driveway, Ryan called and told me as I was pulling out, Maverick looked up and said "Bye! Bye!" He's such a little Einstein. His hormones are getting a lot better than they were last time I visited. I'll be glad when "breeding season" is almost over! For the non-bird people reading, all parrots are extremely hormonal and moody in the springtime, as in the wild, that is their natural mating season. So one minute they're biting you or screaming at you, and the next their regurgitating their dinner on you...yes gross, but in the parrot world-regurgitating food is the way they say "I love you." Maverick's "Hello!" is also getting REALLY clear!

That's all for now! Ryan will be here this weekend and I'm sure we'll get pics of them all to upload.

Guilt-Free Layered Butterscotch Dessert

2009-05-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

Feel fat after eating my brownies from the previous post? Try this next time around.

Guilt-Free Layered Butterscotch Dessert

2 c. sugar free pecan shortbread cookies
1/2 c. Splenda (divided)
6 T. butter, melted
16 oz. reduced fat cream cheese (softened)*
1/2 t. vanilla extract
3 c. + 1/4 c. cold milk
2 packages of sugar-free butterscotch flavor instant pudding & pie filling
8 oz. Cool Whip

Place the cookies in a plastic zip top freezer bag. Smash them until they resemble coarse crumbs. Combine, cookies, 1/4 c. of the Splenda, and melted butter until moistened. Press into a greased 9 X 13 baking dish. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, add cream cheese, remaining Splenda, 1/4 c. of milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and well combined. Spread over pecan shortbread crust.
TIP: When spreading the cream cheese mixture over the crust, use a metal spatula that you'd use to ice a cake with and wet the back so that way it's a. easier to spread and b. when you wet it, the mixture won't stick to it and pull up the crust.

In a separate mixing bowl, add the 2 packets of pudding mix and about 2 3/4-3 c. of the cold milk. I started out with 2 3/4 c. and found I needed a little more, but you probably won't need over 3 or it's going to get runny. Mix on low speed for a few minutes. Set aside and let sit until it is soft-set. Then, spread the pudding mixture over the cheese mixture.

Spread cool whip on top of the pudding layer.

Refrigerate for several hours or overnight until firm.

*If you don't want to wait all day for your cream cheese to soften, just nuke it on high in the microwave for 30 sec. Oh..and remember reduced fat doesn't mean reduced calories! It's just a little easier on your arteries. ;)

Really Rich Triple Chocolate Espresso Hazelnut Brownies

2009-05-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

These are great for chocolate lovers!! Like the name says...these are REALLY RICH. So I would only cut them up into 1 inch squares or so!

Really Rich Triple Chocolate Espresso Brownies

3 oz. bittersweet baking chocolate*
2 oz. semisweet baking chocolate
2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
3 T. unsweetened baking cocoa
1 1/2 T. instant coffee**
8 T. unsalted butter (cut up into about 6 pieces)
3 large eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
2/3 c. oil
1/2 t. salt
1 c. all purpose flour

TOPPING
Nutella

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

OK-this part may seem complicated but it's really not...just follow my directions so you won't make a mess or ruin your stuff.

If you don't have a double boiler (or you're like me and don't feel like messing with it and dragging it out...), use a medium glass mixing bowl. Bring some water to a boil in a medium-large saucepan, reduce heat, and let it simmer. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan so it rests in it. Add the semisweet chocolate, the bittersweet chocolate, the unsweetened chocolate, and the butter. Whisk and stir together until it is nicely melted and really smooth. Keep stirring.

Whisk in the cocoa and the instant coffee until nicely incorporated. Remove from the bowl from the saucepan and sit aside to cool. NOTE: You MUST let that chocolate mixture cool quite a bit before adding it into the egg mixture or else you'll cook your eggs. GROSS! You don't want scrambled egg brownies. You'll know it's cool enough when you stick your finger in the mixture and it's lukewarm. (Clean fingers of course)

In a separate mixing bowl, add eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil, & salt until well combined. SLOWLY whisk in the chocolate mixture until well incorporated. Once that's done, slowly add in the flour, whisking after each addition until thoroughly blended. Once that's done, pour the batter into the 8 inch baking pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool to room temperature and frost with Nutella and refrigerate for up to 5 days. If you want to freeze these, don't cut them up, but just wrap them in foil and when you're ready to serve, defrost in the counter, top with the Nutella, and enjoy.

*My recipe called for 5 oz of semisweet chocolate. However, I had some leftover bittersweet chocolate in my freezer that needed to be used up. So that's why I used 3 oz. of the bittersweet and 2 oz. of the semisweet.

**I used decaf instant coffee for this. I drink a lot of Diet Coke so I don't need any more caffeine. Also, you can buy the instant coffee (Nescafe brand) in a box iof 6 individual single serve packets for about $1.00. That's cheaper and less wasteful than buying a jar of it especially if you don't drink it (i.e. my mother).

Food for Thought

2009-05-26T19:43:00.001-07:00

Ryan and I had a discussion tonight about bird people vs. non-bird people. I am addicted to birdboard. Another member (a man) posted that he was at a party over the holiday weekend and he was talking to a lady who seemed interested in him. However, once he showed her a pic of his lovebird, Kiwi on his cell phone, he was immediately rejected...the girl said he was "sad" and basically a loser since he thinks so highly of his lovebird. However, I'm sure if that was a pic of his puppy...he wouldn't have been called sad or a loser...he probably would have gotten her phone number. Also, I read a discussion about what do you tell non-bird people who just don't get it? So many people had different responses...found it a very interesting read. Makes me think...what DO you tell a non-bird person? Usually what I've found it's really more of whether the person is an animal lover or not...the animal lovers may prefer another type of companion animal...but they understand WHY we love our parrots so much.

So why do we love parrots so much? They're intelligence. It's really unlike ANY other creature on this Earth...no cat or dog has the intelligence that a parrot has. It's really alien...sometimes it's just eerie that an animal can identify objects, solve puzzles, dance to a beat, and use tools.

The three of them never cease to amaze me. Gizzy has figured out how to WEAVE fabric through the bars of her cage. She however isn't too much of a talker, but if you're up to something and she can't see you...she always says "What are you doing?" And that is the ONLY time she will use that phrase...she rarely uses it, unless she wants to know what's going on. That's exactly why Ryan and I love parrots so much...an animal has the ability to communicate just like us...and not mimic it. It's very amazing that an animal is inquisitive.

Any bird person will tell you the same...We do not have parrots...but little toddlers covered in feathers.

Banana Bread

2009-05-19T04:55:00.000-07:00

Add 3/4 c. of chopped nuts if you wish. I omitted them.

Banana Bread

1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ginger
1/4 t. allspice
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
4 medium bananas, mashed

Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl. Set aside.

Beat butter until creamy. Add in sugar until nice and smooth. Beat in eggs until well combined.

Mash the 4 bananas. I personally like to use an emulsion blender on them when they're done mashed...that way they're REALLY smooth. If you don't get those bananas really smooth, you'll end up with big slimey pieces of banana that sink to the bottom of the bread and it's not pretty.

Alternately beat in the flour mixture and the bananas into the butter mixture. Beat until well combined and smooth. Pour into a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for an hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. ENJOY!!

I'm BACK!

2009-05-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm back!! I am all done with school! I took my oral and practical exam on Friday and did great! I'm happy to be back.

At the suite we stayed at, we didn't have an oven!! Only a cooktop and a microwave! AHHHHH! Needless to say, I'm VERY happy to have an oven and be back in the kitchen.

I didn't have any key lime pie in Florida even tho that's the state pie! Ryan had asked me about a cheesecake, so I decided to combine the two.

Key Lime Cheesecake

1 3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs (I used Honey Maid)
5 t. melted butter
1 c. + 1 T. granulated sugar
24 oz. softened cream cheese*
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. lime juice**
1 t. vanilla extract
3 eggs
5 drops green food coloring
1 T. all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350.

Place the graham crackers in a large ziptop bag. Crush with a rolling pin until they resemble coarse crumbs.

Mix the graham crackers, 1 T. of sugar, and melted butter until moistened and well combined. Press into the bottom of an 8 in. springform pan. (I sprayed the pan with a little cooking spray first).

Bake at 350 for 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add lime juice and eggs. Continue beating until nice and creamy. Add in the food coloring.

Pour filling in the pan on top of the graham cracker crust. Place in a hot water bath. (Fill up a large pan with HOT water until it comes halfway up the side of the springform pan. Be sure to add some tin foil around the outside of that springform pan so no water leaks in).

Bake at 350 for 65-70 minutes, or until the center springs back when touched. Or until you notice the top of the cake starting to get very light brown.

Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with cool whip. Enjoy!

*Reduced fat cream cheese works just fine.
**I used the lime juice from those little bottles that look like limes you can find for $.78 at Wal-Mart...I was NOT in the mood to juice a bunch of little limes).

Did you know? REAL key lime pie actually isn't green? It's more of a yellow-ish color (eggs). So that pretty green is food coloring. I like mine the fake green way...so I added some food coloring to this. ;) And doesn't it taste more limey if it's green anyway? Hehe.

I'll Be Back!!

2009-04-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't updated!! I've really been bad about neglecting my blog lately. I have a week and a half till my residency class. I leave on May 2nd and will be gone until the 17th. Don't worry! I promise I won't disappear!

I have to find a good Manhattan clam chowder recipe. My mom's been after me about it for some time! Sculley's in Madiera Beach, FL has this little hut place that's kind of like an outdoor eatery/bar and they serve this amazing Manhattan clam chowder. Best ever!

Birds are all well. Gizzy's doing GREAT. She's got a new thing now...oatmeal! She loves her oatmeal. She just begs for it! And she's also figured out how to sneak stuff out of the toy & treat basket, so that's now hidden from her.

And Ryan, I hope you get well soon! He's got a terrible cold/flu thing going on.

xoxo

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

2009-04-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

CRUST
2 c. crushed Oreos
2 T. melted butter

FILLING
3 eggs
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips.
1 T. flour

Combine crust ingredients. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with clean fingers.

Beat eggs. Add cream cheese, sugar, & vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add whipping cream and blend well.

Mix the 1 T. of flour and chocolate chips until they chocolate chips are nicely coated. The flour keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the cheesecake.

Pour 1/2 c. of the chocolate chips in the cheesecake batter. Pour into prepared crust. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/2 c. of chocolate chips.

Bake at 325 for 65-70 minutes OR until the center is set.

To minimize cracking, place in a shallow pan with HOT water that comes halfway up the side of the springform pan. Wrap your springform pan in aluminum foil just so no water leaks into the pan.

To keep the cheesecake from sinking in the center, don't let kids and dogs horseplay in the house and jar the floor.

Once cheesecake is finished baking, remove from oven and cool COMPLETELY. Remove from sides of pan carefully. I'd use a butter knife to loosen any edges up. Refrigerate overnight OR wrap in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to one month.

PS-This cheesecake recipe will look prettier than the picture. I did this cheesecake before I figured out to add flour to keep chips from sinking. So I added some to the top for decoration. If you follow this recipe, it will look better.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! I hope you all had a great Easter! We sure did. We didn't really do much. But that's what a holiday is for, right?

We enjoyed a nice turkey for Easter! I was so excited. I'm a dark meat junkie!!

GIZZY UPDATE
Gizzy is adjusting wonderfully to her new home. She's such a great little girl and she's so intelligent, it's unbelievable. She's getting more and more vocal. She's surprising me with all her cute sounds. She mimics a smoke detector to a T, she has a dozen different whistles, she says "COME ON!", and I don't like this, but obviously since the previous owner was a smoker, she mimics the sound of someone puffing on a cigarette. I'm saying it's her sigh, or someone blowing out a candle. I've tried to ignore it, like you would if they say a potty word, but she does it 24/7.

She's also loving her newspaper bouquets and shredder toys. She has not chewed her feathers at all since she's been home! Lets keep it that way. She's also a huge cuddler. She loves to snuggle up to you and give kisses.

Like I said, she's unbelievably smart. I was relaxing and watching Dirty Dancing this afternoon, so I turned her radio off. I have it down by her cage. She crawled down to the floor, stared at the radio, looked at me, stared at the radio, etc. So she's figured out that's where the music comes from! Once I got up to turn it on, she was content and went back to the top of her cage.

She LOVES to just sit and watch you and see what you're doing. Her favorite fruit is grapes. She goes nuts for grapes.

Last night was a little difficult. She had a couple nightmares, so I didn't sleep too well. She woke me up around 6 am. She was freaking out...growling, etc. So I woke her up, gave her a little head scratch and we were able to go back to bed. I hope tonight goes better.

As far as her age, she is NOT 11. I contacted a lady on birdboard who's got her own flock of greys, including rescues, and we did some research on her band number. She is at least 18. But that's very young for a bird that can live upwards of 70 years.

I'm sorry I haven't posted any recipes lately. I've been so busy. But I might post my chocolate chip cheesecake recipe sometime this coming week. We had it at thanksgiving, and since we had turkey today, it reminded me of it. Plus, I'm in the mood for some pancakes. I'm working on a recipe that's for BOTH people and parrots! Vicky on facebook had said she was making a pancake breakfast for her flock on Easter so I'm going to steal her idea!!

Here's some pictures of Gizzy. Pictures just don't do justice. She's even more adorable in person.

Playing with a newspaper bouquet.

Having a cuddle with Mommy.

Scratching her head with her shredder

Chowing down on a grape.

Vet Visit

2009-04-10T10:59:00.001-07:00

Well we made it to Dr. Hall this morning and I have some great news.

He said it's miracle Gizzy's alive. He checked her out...she has no signs of respiratory distress, heart problems, mites, or foot issues. He said her only problem is that she is SEVERELY malnurished (not surprising right?). She's very small for her size and she's also very underweight. Once we start getting GOOD food down her we can get her back up to a healthy weight again. He was shocked her respiratory system is fine since she'd been inhaling a bunch of smoke.

He took a look at her feathers and the plucking issue and said it's very obvious that's a result of the severe malnutrition as well as the stress and trauma she was subjected too. Luckily nothing related to disease or parasites. No follicles have been damaged and she will regrow her feathers where she has plucked! She's got several pin feathers coming in so we just need to stimulate her like crazy so she'll leave them alone. Her flight feathers are in rough shape and it's obvious recently she had begun mutilating them. Sounds like we got her out in the nick of time.

The lost toenail is a result of the malnutrition and trauma. There's evidence that the joint had been broken on that toe at some point in her life, so she'll never regrow her toenail. However, she has no trouble balancing without it. Other than that, her feet are in excellent shape! No sign of disease on her foot and no sore spots.

No ulcers in her mouth or on her throat!!

He said she's shocked that she's taken so well to her new diet. He said it's obvious she's just dying for healthy, nutritious food. No more crackers or cookies EVER AGAIN!

They're going to call and check on her next week and we have to take her back in another 90 days so he can check out her feathers and see if they've improved. I'm hoping her plucking issue will get better since she's away from all the stresses she was being subjected to. I'm going to make her some newspaper bundles to shred today since she went nuts shredding stuff last night.

He said too that since she hasn't really talked, that's another obvious sign of understimulation. He said that now she's with us and we'll stimulate her properly, she should start picking up new words. Gotta start really watching our language. I don't want her picking up naughty words.

I can tell she's getting a lot more comfortable because she's starting to push her boundaries. I had to tell her NO for the first time this morning. Since she was once allowed to chew up furniture, she's taken an interest in my jewelry chest. She just eyeballs it like "Oooooh I think I want to chomp this." NO! Haha. Just got to distract her. I've got her some good wood toys.

I can tell she's an incredibly smart bird. She's already learned "step up." And she's doing excellent with it. She's even mimicking the dog clicker I use with her. It's incredible. She also mimics the battery test the smoke detector does. I can't even tell the difference between her and a real one.

The big problem with step up is her balance. It's terrible. She holds her wings out like arms to balance herself. Hopefully she'll start feeling more confident. I think she's terrified I'm going to drop her. She just clutches to you like a child that doesn't want to go to school.

Since she's so healthy (surprisingly), her quarantine period will only have to last another 3 weeks or so. No need to do a 60 day quarantine or anything. However, introducing her to the other birds might be a little difficult and we need to do it slowly. Other birds might be stressful to her since she wasn't introduced to others properly in the past. So just sitting her in the room with the others a little at a time so she doesn't start self-mutilating again.

My goal for 90 days is to get some weight on her, get her feather condition a little better, get her balance better, and get her confidence level up. She needs to become more independent. I don't want her to become completely codependent on us.

She did good at the vet's office, but since it was so new, I need to really watch her like a hawk today so she doesn't pluck. We've made it without any plucking since she's been home.

Thanks for your love and comments and everything!! I really appreciate all the support and encouraging words I've gotten. It's meant a lot to me.

NEW BABY-UPDATE

2009-04-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends!! If you haven't read my note on facebook I guess I'll update ya here.

To make a long story short, the previous owners had NO BUSINESS WITH A LARGE PARROT, especially a Grey since their intelligence makes them so sensitive. Her needs have not been met, thus resulting in self-mutilation. But, these are problems that can easily be fixed with proper reinforcement of good behaviors, good diet, and a lot of love. Like I said, she's plucked and feather-chewed in the past. But the follicles don't seem to be damaged. Even if she isn't the most beautiful bird, I love her with all my heart and I'm so happy she's with me.

She's filthy dirty. Reeks of smoke. Yes, I'm dead serious these people thought smoking in the house around her was perfectly acceptable. But she got a bath today and she'll get one each day until we can get that smell off of her. She was sneezing her little head off yesterday, but since she's not sneezed as much.

Her diet she's been on...totally not suitable. I guess they thought letting her eat whatever is fine. No! Feeding her peanut butter everyday? Greys are extremely prone to heart disease so they have to be on a low protein/low fat diet. Also allowing her to have crackers? FULL OF SALT! We're correcting that immediately. She's taking well to her new diet and LOVES the fresh fruit and dehydrated nut/veggie/fruit mix we've added to some Zupreem. Ryan and I discussed and it at length and we don't trust the pellets they had her on were a good brand. So she's being switched to Zupreem ASAP and we're not even worrying about conversion ratios...she won't touch those cheap pellets. She spits them out. I would too. I don't care how expensive Zupreem is. I don't think it's right to sacrifice the quality of food to save a buck. I'm also sure once her diet changes her feathers will get a nice sheen to them.

She's a very sweet little girl. She's very shy, but each day is a little bit closer to getting her better. We've made some progress since yesterday. This is going to be quite a journey to getting her healthy. I'm sure she's got a vitamin/mineral deficiency. She's missing a toenail, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's due to a calcium deficiency. Looks like it's growing back tho. Once we get her on the right foods, I'm sure she'll feel a lot better. I had to replace a LOT in her cage because it smelled of smoke so bad. I didn't want to take away what was familiar, but what's familiar is unhealthy.

Right now, she's just taking everything in. She's just wanted to sit and relax so I let her do just that. It seems like she was left to just roam around on the floor. Obviously when that's the case, they end up having a lot of nervousness issues. Once she gets a new cage, we can get her up pretty high so eventually she can accept it's OK to be confident.

She does not understand the "step up" command. Has NO CLUE how to step up on me because these people handled her like a chicken. But one she's out of the cage, we'll start her step-up training. Right now, I'm just getting her used to be held that way. I REFUSE to handle her like a chicken even though that's what she may be used to. I had to towel her to get her in her cage last night and the vet said I'll probably have to towel her to get her to come out. We'll try that tomorrow. Her balance is terrible. But she seems to do OK on her perches in the cage. Occasionally she has a slip here and there, but doing well for the most part.

She LOVES the radio. She's crazy about it! I've just let her sit and listen to the radio and sleep all day. She's got to be exhausted. She's gritting her beak, so that's a good sign she's content and happy. She does some cute little noises, like a microwave beep and she sings. Other than that, she's dead quiet. I have to check on her to remind myself she's in my room! haha.

I'll update on her progress and add some photos later. I need to study now and get some eBay stuff taken care of.

Thanks for your support and encouragement. You have no clue what it means to me. These next few days and weeks are going to test my patience, but each baby step is a step closer to her getting 100% better.

This little bird is lucky to be alive. Between the smoking in the house, poor diet, other birds (previous owner was a bird hoarder with 40 something birds in the house at once), hazards in the house left and right, it's a miracle she's toughed it out.

She's got it easy now! Ryan and I are going to make sure she's very happy. She'll have her own room at his house and hopefully a manzanita tree/play perch. Ryan hasn't seen her yet! I know he's so excited.

I will update Friday after our vet visit.

Update-New Parrot

2009-04-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. As you obviously know, my URL has changed. Sorry if I haven't updated as much. I have been a little overwhelmed with schoolwork. I'm done with the assignments, I just have to go over and really memorize and study everything I've learned in the past 3 months.

Also, I going to heading to Martinsville tomorrow to pick up my new little girl.

This isn't her, but you get the picture what she'll look like.

Her name is Gizzy and she's an 11 year old Timneh African Grey. They're similar to the Congo Greys, only a little smaller in size, have darker charcoal-colored feathers & a maroon tail. They also have a sweeter disposition and tend to love and go to everyone. Congos can be a little reserved. Once she's settled in, I'll post pictures of her. I'm both excited and nervous at the same time. I'm going to get her into Dr. Hall next Wednesday so we can get her vet-checked and established there. The lady who's got her is downsizing her companion parrots and I'm more than happy to take her in. I believe she's got a pair Congo breeders & Eclectus breeders. Yes, she talks...she doesn't say much, but she's a really sweet little girl. Apparently the previous owner must have been some type of opera singer or liked opera music, because she does this opera-singing thing. I'm sure it'll be interesting!! I can't wait to hear it. And who knows what noises she'll pick up at home. Gizzy also LOVES big dogs hehe. Her best friends are a couple of great pyrenees. Hehe. I hope Cheeko & Maverick aren't jealous of her! She'll be sleeping in my room for her quarantine period. I'm so happy to be adopting an "older" bird. But...she's still really young...they can live to be 50-70 years old.

Maverick is still dealing with hormones. Yesterday he regurgitated his peanuts all over me. Haha, it was a mess. But I guess I should be flattered. That's the ultimate "I love you" from your bird! Cheeko's tried to regurgitate on me a few times here recently, but nothing like Maverick haha.

But check back for some pics and recipes. I'll try to update...I've got 40 days till graduation. I'm so overwhelmed so don't worry, I didn't or won't disappear.

xoxo

Strawberry Fields Salad

2009-04-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

I really don't like salad, but I decided to give the strawberry fields salad at the Pie Company a shot...

It was so good! It had strawberries, apples, mandarin oranges...it didn't even taste like salad!! Yummy! I didn't even think I was eating a salad!

Stuffed Shells

2009-03-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

Here's what I'm bringing to Terre Haute to visit you Ryan!

Stuffed Shells

12 oz package jumbo pasta shells
1 lb lean ground beef
1 T. dehydrated minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 c. cottage cheese
1 jar Prego marinara sauce

Boil shells until done. Combine ground beef, onion, garlic, & salt and pepper to taste and brown in a skillet until done.

Mix cottage cheese and diced tomatoes until well combined. Spread a small amount of the marinara sauce in the bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish. Stuff shells with cottage cheese mixture. Top with ground beef. Pour remaining marinara sauce over the shells and beef.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes until bubbly. Cover with foil.

Happy Birthday Maverick

2009-03-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

Guess who hatched 3 years ago today?

These were taken during his first week at home when he was only 6 months old. Time sure flies.

No-Sides Casserole

2009-03-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

You don't need sides with this because it's got all your sides in it!

No-Sides Casserole

1-2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into strips
8 oz. egg noodles
1 10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 10 3/4 oz. can cream of celery soup
1/2 soup can-full of water
1 c. frozen vegetables
1 c. potato chips, crushed

Cook chicken breast strips until done. Boil egg noodles until done.

In a large pot, combine egg noodles, chicken, soups, & water. Stir until well blended. Add in vegetables.

Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 glass pan. Sprinkle with crushed potato chips.

Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes.

Cinnamon Rolls

2009-03-26T13:40:00.001-07:00

Ryan's going to be so excited when he comes to Columbus this weekend! We always do cinnamon rolls when I come visit!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 c. hot water
1 c. buttermilk, scalded
3 T. granulated sugar
1 T. salt
4 c. bread flour
4 egg yolks
1 c. butter, softened
1 T. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted

Dissolve yeast in water. (Run faucet on hottest setting, should be about 120F). Add buttermilk, 3 T. sugar, salt, flour, egg yolks, & softened butter. Combine until it forms a dough and all ingredients are well incorporated. Wrap dough up in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 hours.

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangular shape, about 1/2 in. thick. Brush the dough with the melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of the dough.

Start at the end and roll the dough up like you would a jelly roll. Place seam-side down and cut 2 inch slices. Place rolls on a greased baking sheet. Cover with a damp towel and let rise until rolls are double in size.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden. Frost with icing.

ICING

1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1/4 c. melted butter
2 T. water
1 T. vanilla

Whisk together all ingredients until smooth.

I froze my rolls. I'll ice them when we eat them this weekend. :) Since these rolls are so huge, just freeze them in batches if you aren't going to eat them all at once. Also, cut or double the icing recipe if you want more or less. I thought the original recipe for the icing would make too much, so I cut it in half so we waste less. :)

Cinnamon Baked Apples

2009-03-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

I found a recipe for these in one of my Gooseberry patch cookbooks but after trying it, I've totally rewritten it. It was very good, but I think next time around I want something a little healthier.

Cinnamon Baked Apples

2-2 1/2 lbs Golden Delicious apples.
1/2 c. Splenda
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 T. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350.

Wash and thinly slice the apples. I left the peels on. I think it gives the apples more texture, plus that's where all the nutrients are.

Put the apples in a large bowl. Mix the Splenda, confectioners' sugar, & cinnamon in a small bowl. Add to apples. Stir well to coat.

Brush a little bit of the margarine in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Add apples and pour the rest of the margarine over the apples.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Increase temperature to 375 and bake an additional 10 minutes until apples are tender

Sesame Chicken Wingettes

2009-03-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

Finally some time to sit down and post today! I've been studying, listing things for sale on eBay, trying to clean up my room, and play with Cheeko. Maverick's been bouncing off the walls tonight like a little kid that just ate a bunch of sugar. He will NOT settle down! In the meantime, enjoy this recipe!

Sesame Chicken Wingettes

2 packages of chicken wingettes
1/2 c. melted butter
1 1/2 c. Italian-style breadcrumbs
1/2 package Toasted's sesame crackers, crushed (you can use what's leftover from my Chicken Nuggets recipe! Check earlier posts)
1 1/2 t. paprika
Dash cayenne pepper
1 c. milk
1 egg
Salt & pepper to taste

You'll need 2 baking dishes for this. Use a couple 9 x 13's or 7 x 11. Doesn't matter what size really as long as you can get all your wingettes in the oven.

Divide the melted butter evenly between the 2 baking dishes. Pour 1/4 c. in each dish.

Mix the breadcrumbs, crushed crackers, paprika, & cayenne pepper in a shallow bowl.

Whisk the milk & egg together in a separate shallow bowl.

Remove chicken wingettes from the package. Dip in the egg wash, roll in the breadcrumb mixture to coat, and place in the baking dish. Sprinkle with a little salt & pepper to taste.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until juices run clear and no pink remains. They will be nice and tender! Enjoy!

Spicy Carrot Coins

2009-03-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

My version of a recipe in a cooking magazine I get. Enjoy!

Spicy Carrot Coins

1 1/2-2 lbs. whole carrots, peeled & sliced into 1/2 in. slices
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground paprika
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt
1 Splenda (or 1 T. white sugar)

Bring water to a boil. Add carrots & spices. Reduce heat and simmer. Once carrots start to begin to get tender, add in Splenda. Simmer until juice thickens and no more remains. It creates a nice sauce on the carrots. No need to drain. Serve.

Zesty Cheeseburger Soup

2009-03-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

This was one where I changed a lot around to suit our tastes. Can't go wrong with soup!

Zesty Cheeseburger Soup

1 lb. lean ground beef
salt & pepper
onion powder
1 clove garlic, finely minced
4 small-medium size potatoes, peeled & cubed (I used Russet potatoes)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced.
1 1/2 c. water
2 t. beef flavoring
6-8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
2 1/2 c. milk, divided
3 T. all purpose flour
8 oz. Velveeta, cubed
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
Garnish-chopped green onion, crumbled bacon

Combine ground beef and garlic in a skillet. Season with salt, pepper, & onion powder. Drain and keep warm if you are still working on the next step.

Combine potatoes, carrots, water, and beef flavoring in a large saucepan. Add a little salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add in crumbled bacon. Stir in 2 cups of milk.

In a small bowl, whisk flour and remaining 1/2 c. of milk. Add to soup SLOWLY.

Bring to a boil and let boil for just a couple minutes, until thick and bubbly. Reduce heat.

Add Velveeta and stir until melted. Add cayenne pepper.

Garnish with crumbled bacon and green onions.

TIP: You can omit the cayenne pepper if you wish. I hate anything terribly spicy and I found the 1/2 t. of it worked well for me. You can also add more if you like hot stuff.

TIP: I use Dairy Ease lactose free milk. I wouldn't use soy milk in this. It's too sweet-the soup would be nasty.

Apparently, this little guy likes fries with his cheeseburgers...

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2009-03-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

Who says you can only eat pumpkin in the fall?? I like it year round!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

4 eggs
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. packed light brown sugar
15 oz can pumpkin (be sure you get canned pumpkin NOT canned pumpkin pie filling)
1 c. oil
2 c. all purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
a SMALL pinch of ground cloves (be very careful, too much will make the muffins really nasty)
1 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped pecans

In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugars, pumpkin, and oil. Beat well with a mixer until well combined and smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, & cloves. Add to the pumpkin mixture slowly, about 1/2 c. at a time. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

Line muffin tins with paper liners. Fill 2/3 the way full. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 2 dozen muffins.

Spring Cleaning

2009-03-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

I jumped on the Oprah's Clean Up Your Messy House Tour bandwagon and decided it's time to de-clutter my messy bathroom. It was bad. There's no before pictures because it's too embarrassing! All together, I hauled out 4 garbage bags of stuff out to the trash! I'm so embarrassed to admit that. I found some stuff that had to be over 10 years old. YIKES!

This is how bad it was:

Remember when Bath and Body Works used to have that Chuckleberry scent years and years ago? Yea, I found a half used bottle of Chuckleberry hand lotion I never knew I had.

Now I finally have room for all my things now instead of piling things up and digging through everything in the mornings to find everything.

Now my bathroom is clean but my room is really bad. When I moved out of my apartment, I gave a ton of stuff away to Goodwill but I still feel like I have NO room in my closet. And I just cleaned it out last spring/summer. Ugh. I'll get around to that.

But I'm so proud of my AFTER!

Playtime

2009-03-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

Playtime is always fun! Never the same day twice.

Oooh, which colors should I play with?

Happy Hut! He loves anything soft & cuddly.

HI MOMMY!

Look out! Here I come!

Goodnight. I'm all tuckered out.

Peanut Butter Criss Cross Cookies

2009-03-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

These are Ryan's favorite! He's going to be so excited. There's plenty in the freezer for you!

Peanut Butter Criss Cross Cookies

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. creamy peanut butter
3 c. all purpose flour, sifted
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

Cream butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in peanut butter with a wooden spoon. Add dry ingredients gradually, stirring well after each addition.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.

Have a little dish of water & a fork handy. Dip the fork into the water and press the back onto the cookies, making a crisscross pattern. Be sure to dip in the water several times. I usually do about 3 cookies and dip again.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Cheeko Bird

2009-03-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

Well, Cheeko's now found a new, fun activity...taking baths under the faucet! He usually rides around on my shoulder when I'm folding clothes or doing things upstairs. I had gone in the bathroom to wash my hands and he got all excited about the running water. So he decides he has to go check it out. He was splashing it everywhere, trying to drink out of the faucet, and just having so much fun. He's one of those weird parrots that isn't fond of bathtime, so this is wonderful to me! He just thinks he's having fun and not taking a bath. I'll have to add some pictures.

Cheeko's also one of those birds that's so finicky about new toys. It takes me forever to pick out toys for him because he's SO picky and there's certain things that freak him out. I typically know anything with leather or seashells is a safe bet. I got this toy for him at a bird show a while back. He loves trying to untie the knots of leather. He'll get it halfway untied, and not pull the strip through the loop, get frustrated and walk away from it. He's so much like a little kid.

Oh back to bath time! If your bird has dry skin, try this stuff, it's really amazing. Cheeko tends to get dry skin from time to time and his feathers look rough between bathings. So after baths, I add this to his tail & flight feathers and they look really great. Natra Pet Bird Bath (Foster & Smith $6.00)

Strawberry Fluff Icebox Pie

2009-03-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

Springtime is ALMOST here. I can't wait. This pie is so pink & fluffy & pretty. And the strawberries that dot it make it so cute. Reminds me of Easter time.

Strawberry Fluff Icebox Pie

1 9-inch graham cracker crust pie shell (We use Fifty-Fifty brand-sugar free)
8 oz softened cream cheese
8 oz container Cool Whip
1 package strawberry-banana sugar-free Jell-o
1/2-3/4 c. chopped fresh strawberries

TIP: You can let your cream cheese soften at room temperature, or do what I do, and pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds on LOW power, microwaving a few seconds longer if needed. Allow to cool to room temperature before working with it though.

Cream the cream cheese with a mixer. Add in Jell-o. Beat well until well combined. Whisk in Cool Whip. Fold in strawberries. Spoon into pie shell. Refrigerate for several hours until set.

Serve with fresh strawberries.

TIP: How did I slice the strawberries for this pie? I quartered them lengthwise, then cut the quarters in half.

Nutty Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

2009-03-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

Speaking of muffins, I want to share these pics with you!

This was my budgie, Muffin. He passed away 2 years ago (we think he had a stroke). I loved this little guy more than anything. I got him when I was only 11 or 12. He lived quite a long time! The best part of my day was coming home from school and he'd be waiting on me to play with him. Ryan asks me quite a bit if I want another budgie, but I don't know...maybe down the road. Doubt I'd ever find a budgie as sweet as he was. I miss you so much Muffin!

Nutty Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 1/4 c. quick cooking oats
1 1/4 c. milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. veggie oil
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. miniature chocolate chips (BE SURE you use miniature for these!!)
3/4 c. chopped pecans
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
4 t. baking powder
1 t. salt

Combine oats & milk. Allow to set for 15 minutes in the fridge. Remove from fridge & stir in egg, vanilla, oil, brown sugar, chocolate chips, & pecans. Combine flour, baking powder, & salt. Stir well until everything is nice and moistened.

Line 2 muffin pans and spoon filling in the cups, filling 2/3 the way full. Sprinkle with a little brown sugar.

Bake at 400 for 22-25 minutes or until done in the center.

TIP: For a healthier substitute or if you are low on oil (like I was), you can substitute yogurt. I used 1/4 c. + 1 T. vanilla yogurt and the remaining oil together to give me 1/2 c.

TIP: Chocolate chips & walnuts are a classic combo. Use them instead of pecans in the recipe if you wish. I always use pecans or almonds, can't eat walnuts.

TIP: Muffins freeze so well, so I always freeze what I don't use and set out enough for a couple days worth of breakfast. They stay fresher that way and you don't end up throwing so much away.

Chicken Nuggets

2009-03-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

I'm SOOO excited. Mom got her annual recipe 2009 cookbook from Taste of Home! I had to try this recipe right away, I couldn't wait!

There's so many other good recipes in there I'm so anxious to cook. Check back for fried chicken, sweet & spicy ribs, tuna veggie macaroni, beer battered potato wedges, watermelon bombe (the cutest thing ever!), crab crescents, & more!

These chicken nuggets are great because they're so much healthier (and tastier!) than the fast food kind. I love the cumin in these. Makes them really tasty. Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Nuggets

1/2 c. mayonnaise
3 T. milk
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. paprika (original recipe calls for 1/4 t. cayenne pepper)
Box of Toasted's sesame crackers
1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

Cut up chicken breast into small bite size cubes. I prefer the thin chicken breasts because they don't take as long to cook. If you can't find the thin ones, just buy the regular ones and pound them thin.

Open your box of Toasted's crackers. There's 2 packages of crackers inside. Put one package and half of the other in a gallon size freezer bag. Crush well with a rolling pin.

Combine mayonnaise, milk, & spices in a shallow bowl. (I prefer to use a 9 inch pie plate when making chicken...they work perfect.) Whisk together until nice & smooth.

Pour your crackers from the bag into a separate pie pan.

Set up a little assembly line. Just coat in the mayo mixture, toss in the crackers, & place on a baking sheet. (TIP: Line baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. I also sprayed the foil with a little cooking spray.)

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, turning once at 10 minutes.

Pics to share & Nutella

2009-03-13T15:44:00.003-07:00

Hi everyone!! Well Maverick's doing a little better today than yesterday! He was even feeling up to eating some treats out of his favorite spoon. Cheeko is still eating as usual!

Yum! Beans!

On another note, I bought some of that Betty Crocker dark chocolate brownie mix. I
was in the mood for brownies but I didn't have time to make them from scratch. You know they're REALLY good when you spread a little Nutella on top of them? They taste a little more homemade that way! Try it! Nutella's great.

Food & Beak update

2009-03-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

Well I haven't been cooking much. I've been really busy lately with stuff...plus Maverick's really been a handful the past day or so.

I contacted the vet today and it seems as if the problem is just a little bit of a sore jaw. He tends to get pretty wound up during his vet visits. Dr. said if he's not eating the hard food by Monday, he'd need some pain medicine...but

GOOD NEWS!

He's eating his Zupreem again! And he's been so hungry for it.

Along with the baby bird formula, I fixed him some sweet potato baby food mixed with some peanut butter and he ate that. He also liked the bananas baby food. And of course he couldn't resist a little hunk of cheese. ;) I'll still keep him on a little bit of his soft food until he gets back to his normal eating schedule. Cheeko is still my little piggy tho!

I'll have more posts later when I have time to cook!

Glad things have settled down a bit. :)

My beak hurts Mommy!

2009-03-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

Guess who got to go out and enjoy the nice weather? Cheeko and Maverick did! I took advantage of the warm day yesterday and took them to the vet to get their beaks & nails trimmed. And since the vet's office is out in Hope, they got to enjoy a little car ride!

They're beaks can be sore a day or so afterward, so Cheeko's been dunking his food in water to soften it a little, but Maverick tends to be the baby of the two haha, so I've made him a little something to drink that's a little easier than Zupreem.

Just slice up a banana and set aside 4 slices. Blend together with a little bit of orange juice and wa-la! You get a smoothie for Birdie! I also froze the banana I didn't use. Maybe I'll get some strawberries and make them a straw-nana orange smoothie!

This is a good way too to get the finicky eaters to try new food especially if they're Juice-a-holics like Maverick. If I can work it in to something orange, he'll try it. They are perpetual 2 year olds!

Stealing a sip of Mommy's crystal light

Wanna go to Russia?

2009-03-09T17:36:00.001-07:00

I'm on the hunt for a good Russian cookbook now. Ryan and I went to his sister's birthday party, which they did more of a Ukrainian flare with the food. It was all so yummy. I swear if I were allowed to eat that everyday, I'd look like a blimp!!

The Russian salami is the best I've ever had. It's a lot thicker and different and definitely much tastier than our salami here. His mom said that they use a lot of garlic (maybe why I like it so much! haha)

They also have these little dumplings that are filled with pork I think? I don't know the name of them, I just know they were delicious and I can't wait to eat them again.

I'm excited to find a cookbook and a Russian grocery store & eat more!

Deviled Eggs

2009-03-08T12:16:00.001-07:00

Mom wanted deviled eggs today. I only made 4 since we're the only ones that will eat them. Ryan's been complaining about the smell. Haha! So here's my recipe. We're under a tornado watch here today (gotta love springtime in Indiana). Better get this done so I can charge my computer in case the power goes out!

Deviled Eggs

6 eggs
1/4 c. mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip!!)
1-2 tsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. relish
Good size pinch of onion powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Paprika

Hard boil eggs. Bring to a roaring boil, turn down and let boil for about 15-20 minutes. Be sure to salt your water so the shells are easy to remove. Cool and peel.

Slice eggs in half, lengthwise. (TIP: I wet my knife when slicing through my eggs. Wet once, slice, wipe off, repeat. That way, no yolk gets on the pretty white.)

Using a small teaspoon, remove yolk from eggs. Crumble with a fork so that the yolks now resemble coarse crumbs. Add mayonnaise, mustard, & relish. Mix well until well combined. Add salt, pepper, & onion powder to taste.

Spoon filling into a zip-top gallon size freezer bag. Cut a piece of the end off and pipe filling into empty egg shell. You can use a piping bag and use one of your fancy tips, but those things are a mess to clean up. You can just throw the freezer bag away when you're done.

Sprinkle with paprika to garnish. Enjoy!

TIP: When I make deviled eggs, I never measure anything, I typically just eyeball it. So just play around with it a little bit and add more or less of whatever to suit your taste. I usually just go by a pinch of this, a spoonful of that, etc.

Mayrene's Pie!

2009-03-02T07:03:00.001-08:00

My mom's gonna love this post!

This is from a series of books we read over the summer. They have recipes at the end. One of the recipes is called "Mayrene's Wedges." I made it over the summer. It's pretty good. Kind of wanted it to be more of a pie, so I made a few changes and a new name!

Mayrene's Pie

1 9 inch pie crust (regular size pie crust is OK-but use a deep dish pie pan)
2 large eggs
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 325.

Beat eggs in a large bowl on high until foamy. Beat in flour & sugars. Beat in butter. Fold in chocolate chips, nuts, & coconut. It should have a rather thick consistency. Spoon into pie shell.

Bake 55-60 minutes or until done in the center. Cool & serve with Cool Whip! Or if you're Ryan, have a big cup of black coffee! haha

PS-This pie is really easy and has minimal clean up- you only dirty up one bowl, 2 beaters, a wooden spoon, & 1 measuring cup.

Guess Who's Excited?

2009-03-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

Maverick's coming tomorrow! He's going to be so excited because Grandma bought fresh fruit cups with his favorite-Honeydew melon!

Plus, he hasn't seen his brother in about 2 months!

Rigatoni Positano

2009-02-28T14:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, Ryan, here it is. I promised I'd put this on here for you! When I bought the romano cheese, I figured I should post this as well. I actually have a lot left over, so maybe you'd want this again?! hehe

Ryan loves this stuff & I made it for him over Christmas. Mom & I personally think it smells, so I refer to it as "the stinky" but everyone's different...if you're big on eggplant, this is the dish for you.

This dish sounds difficult BUT IT'S NOT! All you have to do is prioritize and you'll be fine. Just follow my directions and you won't mess it up.

Rigatoni Positano

2 jars Prego Marinara Sauce
3/4 c. mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. romano cheese
1 lb. chicken breast, cubed
1-1 1/2 T. freshly minced garlic
1 large fresh eggplant
1/4 c. olive oil
16 oz. box rigatoni pasta
Basil-fresh or dried.

Use a BIG skillet for this!! If you don't have a big HUGE skillet that can handle all this food, you'll have a big HUGE mess.

Cook chicken until done and juices run clear and the inside is no longer pink. Keep warm.

Boil rigatoni pasta until done. Drain.

(You can cook the chicken at pasta at the same time)

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium-low heat. Keep a good eye on it as olive oil has a low smoke point. (TIP: to check if your oil is hot enough, wet your fingers a little bit and splash some water in the skillet. If it pops-it's ready. Don't splash too much water or the oil will splatter everywhere, make a mess, & stain your clothes).

Cube up your eggplant at this point. Don't worry about peeling it. Don't do it before you get started or it will brown and get yucky while you're waiting the above ingredients to cook (kind of like apples do). Add it into the olive oil along with the garlic and sautee until done. It should be nicely browned.

Add chicken and one jar of marinara sauce to the eggplant mixture. Mix together well. Toss pasta in with the mixture. Add in your cheeses...SLOWLY & tossing until they are nicely melted. (TIP: This is where the 2nd jar of marinara comes in handy-you may find you need to add more...this is a lot of food! I didn't have 2 jars the first time I made it. You'll need two. You'll probably have leftover sauce-that's OK...use it for something else). You may also find you prefer a little more cheese than what the recipe calls for. Add it in as you wish. Be careful not to add too much. Easy does it.

Sprinkle with basil and a little extra mozzarella cheese.

CONFUSED ABOUT HOW TO CUT UP THE EGGPLANT?

I posted a really great link that shows you step-by-step how to cube an eggplant. This is exactly the way I did it for this dish and it turned out great!

http://www.cookthink.com/reference/314/How_to_cube_an_eggplant

WHAT ABOUT SEASONING?

I didn't add any seasoning to this dish, except for maybe a little salt & pepper to my chicken while I was cooking it. There's plenty of seasoning in the Prego sauce. You don't need it! See, I said it was easy! :)

Quiche Lorraine

2009-02-28T12:25:00.000-08:00

We're having salmon for dinner tonight. Yum! I'm so excited. And I made this to go along with our salmon. I used romano cheese in it. It's made from sheep's milk, so it's a lot easier on your tummy and it's really tangy. I love it! This came from my ratatouille cookbook from Ryan! I've been so excited about making this!

Quiche Lorraine

1 9 inch pie crust
3 eggs
1 1/3 c. half & half
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3-4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
2 c. grated romano cheese

Preheat oven to 375.

Whisk together eggs, half & half, salt & pepper.

Sprinkle bacon into the bottom of the pie shell. Sprinkle about half the cheese in as well.

Pour the egg mixture over the bacon & cheese. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.

Bake until slightly puffy & golden brown. About 45 minutes.

You can serve hot, cold, or in between. Enjoy!

Something Funny

2009-02-25T19:14:00.001-08:00

He's such a little piggy that he chases you down when you have junk food out. (I only wish he was this way with GOOD stuff...) I had a friend over recently, who happened to bring ice cream to eat, and he would not leave her alone!! He's even so bad that he sneaks food up into his Happy Hut in the middle of the night! I find the crumbs in the morning! Well, I guess he even recognizes pictures of food too...and no, I don't give him cheeseburgers! haha

My last night in Terre Haute

2009-02-25T15:01:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I'm leaving to go home tomorrow. I had a huge workday today but I still left plenty of time to update today. I've already figured out some food I'm really excited about making when I get home. So I'll keep you posted.

TO MY READERS WITH FIDS:
I'm going to post that birdie bread recipe with the new bird treats when I get home...Maverick loved them and ate every bit out of his forage box. Can't wait to see if Cheeko does...I have to treat him like a 2 year old when it comes to trying new food.

In the meantime, here's one from Ryan.

Ryan's Spicy Southwest Sandwiches (another great one for leftover chicken!)

2 slices sourdough bread
Precooked chicken, sliced into strips & reheated
4-5 pinches of Colby/Monterey Cheese
Bacon (crumbled)
Spicy/southwest mustard

Toast 2 slices of sourdough bread

Assemble your sandwich with the chicken, cheese, bacon, and apply a strip of the hot mustard. Microwave for about 30 seconds or until cheese is melted. Enjoy. Also, if you want, you can cook this like a grilled cheese. Ryan just does it this way-quickie meal before work!

Ryan's Screwdriver with a Twist

2009-02-24T16:49:00.000-08:00

Ryan bought some of that Simply Orange Mango and has another cocktail recipe to share.

1 1/2 shots Vodka
2 parts Simply Orange Mango
Lemon wheel

Pour vodka & juice over ice & mix well. Squeeze in a little lemon juice and garnish with a lemon wheel. Enjoy.

Ryan's BBQ Chicken Pizza

2009-02-24T16:27:00.000-08:00

The smell of these pizzas bring back good memories!! I'd always stop at Java Haute for a cup of coffee after ATC class and then head to Ryan's house to do my homework during my last semester of college. When I got there, he'd usually be making one of these before his night class or work. Makes me smile!

BBQ Chicken Pizza for one or two (These are great to make with any leftover chicken)

1 premade pizza crust
2 heaping tablespoons of each-Honey BBQ sauce & Original BBQ sauce
About a half a chicken breast (precooked), cut up into small bite-size pieces
1 c. pizza blend cheese (half mozzarella, half cheddar)
Red onion slices
1 T. bacon bits
Cilantro

Preheat oven to 375.

Assemble your pizza:

Spread BBQ sauces on crust. Distribute chicken evenly on crust.

Sprinkle on cheese.

Add onions & bacon bits.

Sprinkle with cilantro (fresh or dried, doesn't matter).

Bake for 13-15 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes, cut, and enjoy. Makes about 6 slices.

Ryan's Cocktail & Chicken

2009-02-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

I lucked out and I have a man that likes to cook. He's learning well and I'm so proud of him! Here's the meal he made tonight.

Ryan's Semi-Homemade Chicken Wraps

2 precooked fried chicken breast strips (reheated)
2 flour tortillas
Fresh lettuce
Sliced tomato
Honey Mustard

Assemble your wraps by layers lettuce, tomato, & 1 breast strip per tortilla. Squeeze a stripe of honey mustard on your chicken breast strip. Wrap up. Enjoy!

Ryan's Ginger Ale Cocktail

1 part Vodka
2 parts ginger ale
1 lime wedge

Mix vodka & ginger ale. Squeeze in the juice of a lime wedge. Pour into a funky martini glass & enjoy responsibly.

New Bird Treat

2009-02-22T09:51:00.000-08:00

We were at PetSmart yesterday and decided to get some treats for Maverick. I think I might use a little in a birdie bread recipe for Cheeko since he's so finicky about trying new food. I'll post that recipe later. Have you tried it? It's got pineapple, corn, banana chips, peas, peppers, pumpkin seeds, beans, and nuts. I'll let ya know if they like it.

New Cookbook!

2009-02-22T09:48:00.000-08:00

I am so excited!! Ryan got me a new cookbook! I love Ratatouille and this was my late Valentine's Day present. I can't wait to try out some of the recipes when I get home, especially the Quiche! I'll let you know how it goes.

Maverick's Melon Skewers

2009-02-21T16:43:00.001-08:00

These really work with any fruit, but Maverick is such a melon nut that we always use it for these.

I always order stuff from Foster & Smith for the boys and they sell these skewer toys for food, however, Ryan's come up with a more cost-effective way to get the same effect. I wouldn't use these on a larger parrot though, because I would be worried they could chew through the plastic and get choked. But for the conures, it works just fine.

What you'll need:

Fresh fruit
1 plastic zip tie
An extra pair of hands!

First, slide one piece of fruit onto the zip tie. You need to keep these smaller pieces or they'll fall right off.

Continue doing this until you have about 3 pieces on the zip tie.

Hook through 2 bars in the cage. This is where the extra pair of hands comes in. You need someone to distract the bird if he's impatient!

Be sure to remove all pieces out of the cage when done. You don't want fruit flies! Cut the zip tie out ASAP when Birdie is done eating the fruit. Enjoy!!

Ryan's Limey Rum n Coke

2009-02-21T16:22:00.001-08:00

Ryan loves cocktails and wants to share some of his recipes.

1 part Bacardi (clear)
2 parts Coke
1 lime wedge
Ice cubes

Pour rum & coke in a glass over ice. Squeeze the juice out of the lime wedge. Enjoy!

Frosty Strawberry Salad

2009-02-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

Picture to come soon ;)

This came from one of my Gooseberry Patch cookbooks! Yum yum! AND...you can even substitute a different flavor Jell-o if you don't like strawberry. Then it can be peach frosty salad, lime frosty salad, etc. I totally didn't plan to make this today either, I was just flipping through this cookbook and opened up to this page and thought, hey, I should try this stuff!

3 c. cold water
1/2 c. minute rice
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1 package sugar-free strawberry Jell-o (You can use the real stuff, however, I thought it might be WAY too sweet to use the stuff with sugar in it since you're already adding sugar and fruit)
8 oz. can crushed pineapple
8 oz. container Cool Whip

Combine water, rice & salt. Cover and cook on high until steaming. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add in sugar & Jell-o, stirring until dissolved. Add the pineapple WITH juice. Mix well. Refrigerate 1 1/2 hrs. or so until set. Fold in Cool Whip.

New

2009-02-19T13:11:00.000-08:00

I am now going to be adding BIRDIE recipes on my blog!

I hope all my fellow parrot parents will enjoy!

Don't worry, I'm not getting rid of my human recipes either!! :)

Maverick-Nanday Conure

Coffee Cake Muffins

2009-02-19T12:57:00.000-08:00

You don't even need a mixer for these muffins! Just a couple forks & a wooden spoon. They came from that red & white plaid Better Homes & Gardens cookbook my mom gave me when I went to college.

Muffin batter
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. butter flavor Crisco
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. milk

Crumb topping
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. chopped pecans
2 T. all purpose flour
2 t. ground cinnamon
2 T. melted butter

Sift together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix egg and milk together and add to flour mixture. Stir until moistened.

In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, pecans, flour, cinnamon, & melted butter. Stir until well combined.

Line 12 muffin tins. Add a little bit of batter to each muffin tin, topping with the crumb mixture. Again, add some more batter, and top with crumb mixture, it alternates. Only fill about 2/3 the way full. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

2009-02-19T12:43:00.000-08:00

Ok...I made these without chocolate chips, however, I think if were to make these again, I'd definitely add them (maybe 6 oz). I got this from one of my Gooseberry patch cookbooks :)

1/2 c. butter flavor Crisco
1 2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
5 T. unsweetened cocoa
2 c. all purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
1/3 c. milk

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in cocoa until well combined. Sift together flour, baking powder, & salt. Add the dry mixture into the cocoa mixture alternately with milk. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Quick n Easy Lemon Blueberry Pie

2009-02-16T07:25:00.000-08:00

Sorry I didn't have a pic of the last two posts. My lazy self forgot about it! I will add pics next time!

Ok, so I made this kind of by using the same stuff as for the lime pie I made a while back. Once again, I made it sugar free, but you can certainly use the real stuff.

Lemon Blueberry Pie

1 graham cracker crust
16 oz. cool whip
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 box lemon Jell-o
1 1/2 c. blueberries
2 tsp. lemon zest

Combine cream cheese and Jell-o. Add 2/3 of the cool whip to the cream cheese mixture. Blend well. Fold in blueberries. If you buy a whole package of them, don't use the entire package because the juices will run and your pie will be blue. Add the lemon zest...it will bring out the lemon flavor of the Jell-o. Pour into pie shell. Top with remaining cool whip. Refrigerate several hours until firm.

Yeast Rolls

2009-02-16T07:09:00.000-08:00

These do take some time, so be sure to do it when you've got some time to kill. It doesn't take long at all to make the dough, you just have to be patient while it rises.

1 package active dry yeast
1 1/4 c. warm water (if you turn the faucet on and let it run on the hottest setting you can, that water will be about 120F, which is about what you need to soften the yeast)

1 c. scalded milk
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. shortening (Crisco butter flavor works great)
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1 egg

Soften yeast in water. Combine milk, sugar, shortening,& salt. Let cool to room temperature. Add 1 1/2 c. of flour and beat well. Beat in yeast and egg. Gradually beat in remaining flour until a soft dough forms. Put your dough in a greased bowl, also greasing the surface of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours or until the dough is double in size.

Turn dough out on a LIGHTLY floured surface...you certainly don't want rolls covered in flour. Roll out dough. With a large biscuit cutter, (flour that as well so it won't stick), cut out little biscuits. Brush the tops with melted butter. Make an off center crease and fold. Brush again with some melted butter. Place on a greased cookie sheet and cover with a damp towel and let rise for another hour or until rolls are nice and big. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.

Bacon Explosion

2009-02-01T14:35:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my mom actually made this...I'm kind of afraid to try it...one bite and you might have a heart attack...

It's the Bacon Explosion...it's been going around in the internet.

I don't even have the recipe...just google it. It's sausage wrapped in bacon and smothered with BBQ

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

2009-01-22T15:56:00.000-08:00

Wanted to make something Ryan would like. (Ryan, I'll do the rigatoni another time! Promise!)

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. pack light brown sugar
1 egg
2 T. milk
1 t. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
Additional granulated sugar
~2 dozen Hersey kisses

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine peanut butter, butter, egg, milk, vanilla, sugars. Cream until well blended. Slowly add in dry ingredients. Dough will be stiff.

Using a cookie scoop or your hands, form into balls. Roll balls in sugar to coat.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Immediately after removing cookies from oven, top with a chocolate kiss.

Banana Muffins

2009-01-22T13:58:00.001-08:00

This was a recipe for banana crumb muffins, however I made a few changes...will try the crumb muffins at a later date.

Banana Muffins

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cinnamon
3 mashed bananas
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. packed light brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 c. oil

Preheat oven to 375. Line 10 muffin cups.

Mix flour, soda, baking powder, salt, & cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, beat bananas, sugars, egg, & oil.

Stir wet mixture into dry mixture until moistened.

Spoon into muffin cups 2/3 full.

Bake 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Tip: When mashing your bananas, mash them VERY well until they look like baby food and there are no clumps. You don't want pieces of mushy banana in your muffins!!!

Chicken Casserole

2009-01-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

This yummy casserole came from an Amish Heritage cookbook I ordered over the summer. It takes some time, but it's really worth it. I had taken a picture of it, but for some reason it doesn't want to upload correctly. Will add later.

Chicken Casserole

1-1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
3 T. olive oil
12 oz package egg noodles
6 T. butter
6 T. flour
3 c. chicken broth
heaping pinch of salt
heaping pinch of celery salt
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz Velveeta, cut up into cubes
Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing mix

Preheat oven to 300.

Cut up chicken into large chunks. Heat olive oil over low-med heat in a skillet. Sautee chicken until juices run clear and until no longer pink. Set aside

Boil noodles until done. Drain and set aside.

Reusing the same pan you cooked your noodles in, heat up the chicken broth and add the celery salt and salt.

(To minimize the amount of dirty dishes, just use the skillet you sauteed your chicken in and remove the grease and any pieces of chicken that may remain.) Melt butter over low-medium heat. Slowly add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture begins to bubble (about a minute or two). Remove from heat.

Add the heated broth to the butter/flour mixture, stirring quickly and constantly. Return to heat and continue stirring until mixture thickens...do NOT boil! (Now you may want to transfer this mixture to the pot you made your noodles in...use a BIG pot for this or you'll have a mess). Add the soups and Velveeta, stirring until creamy and smooth.

Mix the chicken and noodles into the sauce. Pour into a greased 9X13 pan. Liberally sprinkle stuffing mix on top. Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour...until mixture bubbles. You may cover with aluminum foil to prevent noodles on top from getting crunchy and overbrowning.

Egg Salad

2009-01-21T09:59:00.001-08:00

Egg salad is one of my favorite things to eat. I like my egg salad creamy, not a lot of crunch, so I leave out the onions and celery.

Easy Egg Salad

5-6 eggs
2-2 1/2 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise (don't use Miracle Whip!!)
2 t. sweet relish
Small pinches each of:
Salt
Pepper
Onion powder
Paprika

Hard boil the eggs (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and cool. Cut up eggs into small chunks. Combine with the mayonnaise. Stir well until yolks are blended and no large clumps remain. Stir in the relish and the desired amount of salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika. Refrigerate. Tastes great on wheat bread.

Tip: Salting the water that you boil your eggs in will make the shells easier to remove.

This is easy!

2009-01-18T09:16:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of people are put off by pies because they don't want to fiddle with the crust. What better to make than an icebox pie? You can just buy a premade crust or make your own from cookies. Here's one that only takes 5 minutes.

EZ "Key Lime" Pie (Sugar Free)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
16 oz. Cool Whip
1 package sugar free lime jello
1 graham cracker crust, sugar free (I use Fifty Fifty brand, you can buy them at Kroger)

In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, 12 oz. of the Cool Whip, and the jello. Beat with a mixer until well blended. Pour into pie shell. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving to allow to set. If you don't want sugar free pie, just use the real deal stuff, it works fine too.

Variation: Try using strawberry or raspberry Jell-o instead of lime. Serve with a side of fresh strawberries or raspberries for a healthy dessert.

French Fried Onions

2009-01-18T09:08:00.001-08:00

.
Ryan's always warning everyone to hide the French Fried Onions from me...They tend to disappear quickly as I eat them like potato chips! So I decided to make hamburgers with them.

French Fried Onion Burgers

1 lb lean ground beef
1 can French's french fried onions
Onion powder
Salt
Pepper
Velveeta slices

Reserve about 1/2 cup of your onions (we'll use them later). Take the remaining onions and crush up any big pieces. Put ground beef in a bowl and using your hands, combine the onions and the meat. Season with onion powder, salt, and pepper. Form into patties. Cook on a grill pan until well done. Top each burger with a slice of velveeta cheese. Using the remaining onions, divide evenly between the burgers and top. Makes 4 patties.

Hello

2009-01-17T20:16:00.000-08:00

Ok so I have a blog now! I figured since I love food & cooking, I might as well blog about it. I got a brand new Canon digital camera for Christmas, so as soon as I get this up and running, I will include PICTURES with all the recipes!

Sugar-Free Apple Pie

1 box Jiffy pie crust mix (8 carbs)
6 c. thinly sliced Golden Delicious apples
3/4 c. Splenda
1 T. butter
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. vanilla extract
Optional: 1 T. flour
1 egg
1 T. water

Preheat oven to 450.
Prepare pie crust as directed on package. Press bottom layer into a 9 in. pie pan.
Peel and thinly slice the apples. Place in a large mixing bowl.
Combine Splenda and cinnamon. Add the Splenda/cinnamon mixture and the vanilla with the apples and combine until the apples are well coated.
Since this is a diabetic pie, I omitted the flour as I was trying to keep this as LOW carb as possible. If you wish, go ahead and add your flour in.
Pour filling into pie crust. Dot with the butter.
Using the rest of the pie crust, create a lattice on the top.
Using the egg and water, whisk together to create an egg wash. Apply to top crust.
Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake for another 30 minutes.
To avoid over browning, you may cover the pie with a layer of aluminum foil.

Happy Eating!