Recipes

Both of these recipes are from Spark People.  I've included the nutritional information for those who are concerned about fat or carb grams or if your counting your calories. 

Hamburger Stroganoff
Serves: 2
This is so easy, you'll be ready to eat in no time!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb. lean ground sirloin
1 can fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 tablespoon light sour cream
1/2 cup mushrooms (optional)
1 cup uncooked wheat egg noodles

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook pasta as directed on package.
2. While pasta is cooking, brown beef.
3. Once browned and drained, stir in the can of cream of mushroom soup, light sour cream and mushrooms if you would like.
4. Turn onto low and simmer until pasta is cooked.
5. Pour pasta onto a plate, and top with the meat mixture.

NUTRITION INFO
Calories: 457.4
Fat: 27.7 g
Carbohydrates: 24.6 g
Protein: 24.6 g

Applesauce Carrot Cake

Serves: 16

Applesauce makes this cake healthier than your regular cake.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole grain flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large eggs
3 cups carrots, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
2. In a separate small bowl, combine the applesauce, oil and eggs. Add to the flour mixture, stirring until the ingredients are well blended. Add the carrots and mix again.
3. Pour the batter into a greased 9" tube pan, or use a 9" x 13" rectangular cake pan, or two bread loaf pans, or a cupcake pan.
4. Bake the cake in a preheated 350° F oven for about 1 hour, 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean. Set the cake on a wire rack for five minutes. Then, run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake, and turn the cake out onto the rack to cool.

NUTRITION INFO
Calories: 145
Fat: 6 g
Carbohydrates: 21 g
Protein: 4 g

Rylie has been a real trip lately.  Two year olds can be so much fun, in between the temper tantrums.  LOL  A week or two ago, she was outside with us in the evening.  We both smoke, but don't smoke in the house, so usually in the evening we go out for a smoke.  Well, when we came inside she had a big ol' skeeter bite on her little foot.

So, the next few days we kept telling her "stay inside so the skeeters don't get your feet."  Well, try to tell a 2 year old to stay inside the door while your sitting out on the porch.  Eventually she kept coming outside, but she would insist on sitting on our lap.  Kind of defeats the purpose of going outside to smoke when she wants to sit right on top of you. 

We kept saying "the skeeters are going to get your feet."  Well, little Miss decided that if she lifted her feet when she was sitting there the skeeters couldn't get her.  LOL  It was just too funny.  We'd say it and she would look down and lift those little legs up so the skeeters couldn't get her.

Then one day we were both standing out there, and we kept telling her she needed to stay inside so the skeeters wouldn't get her feet.  So she went off to her room, then Ray went inside and I was on the porch and she walked out...wearing her tee-shirt, a diaper AND her snow boots!  LMAO  Them skeeters weren't going to get her feet!  She was too dang cute, but smart as a whip.  I swear, that child is going to make us both gray.

During my big paint project, of course, the house has been pretty much a disaster area.  Things moved here and there, everything pretty much out of place, this and that unplugged, pictures off the walls, etc.  Well, one day Rylie found apile of extension cords.

Don't worry, she didn't try to play with the outlets and plug them in.  No, you've got to think like a "Superstar", lol.  She stood in the middle of the living room, between her father and I, and performed for us.  She held the chord up to mouth and used it as a micro-phone.  She sang and sang for us.  She even danced.  She'd stop and then we would clap for her.  Omygosh!  This child is too darn adorable.

Well, the living room is all done.  Finally.  I've got to finish the back entranceway, where the washer and dryer are.  It needs another coat of white, and I have to paint the door.  I've got one set of cupboards in the kitchen painted (they look really good) and I have 5 more sets of cupboards to do, plus the island and the pantry.  Then I will start on the dining room. 

OMG, I knew this was going to be a big project, but I didn't realize how very time consuming it would be.  Of course, when I did my other painting projects I didn't have a two year old to keep entertained.  Well, I should be done by Halloween...of 2007!  LOL  No, actually I figure a week or so on the kitchen and maybe a week on the dining room. 

It just takes a lot to cover all that panelling.  The Kilz coat and then 2 coats of paint.  It is very time consuming, but will be well worth it in the end. 

Have a good day.
Hugs,