Stop A Moment

Parmesan Potatoes

On backyard BBQ day, I love to make these potatoes for a side dish.

Parrmesan Potatoes

  Cut each potato in half. Then in half again.   Melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter. Pour in large baking dish.   Sprinkle 3 tablespoons parmesan all over melted butter.   Place potatoes on top, skins up.   Pour a little oil over each potato.  

Bake at 425 for 50 minutes uncovered.

I like dough

And not just the green kind.

Last night, I made chocolate chip cookies. Not long ago, I ate a cookie by eating around the chocolate chips as I prefer the dough and would leave a pile of chips on my plate. Then I finally had a revelation to start making one tray of cookies without the chips. After putting this tray in the oven, I then add chips to the rest of the dough.

It got me to thinking. My kitchen prep is odd.

We are a small family and yet all of our meals look quite different.

Take for example, our last night's dinner.

We had tacos. And burritos.

My son prefers soft shells so he had a burrito with taco meat and cheddar cheese plus beans in a cup on the side.

My husband only likes taco shells. He puts everything inside that shell except Spanish rice. The rice he eats on the side.

As for me, well I eat a taco shell inside a burrito shell but I do not eat meat. So inside my shells you'll find all of the fixings except the taco meat. I also have beans and rice on the side.

Tonight's meal is leftover goulash. There are two casserole dishes. One with meat, one without. My son doesn't like goulash.

Lastly, let's get to our beverages. In the interest of time, I'll review how we each drink water.

My husband likes his in a glass with large cubes.

I prefer a glass with chopped ice and a slice of lemon.

My son prefers the no ice, no lemon option.

It dawned on me last night.

There are strange happenings going on in my kitchen.

Direct from my kitchen

I'm writing this while standing at the island in my kitchen. I'm afraid to sit down or I might never move again. I've been here almost all day. But I LOVE to cook for company and holidays. (I confess to not enjoying preparing daily meals, however.)

The day started at 7:15 a.m. with my dear hubby calling to say good-morning and to see if I was up. I was not. He had left for an early meeting. After shuffling down to Nic's bedroom to give him his first wake-up warning, I began to get the day started.

By 8:35, we were leaving for school. I dropped Nicolas off and went to the store to grab a few last minute things (fresh bread, fruit, etc).

Thus began my day in the kitchen while trying not to taste test all the yummy concoctions.

On this Day before Thanksgiving, I got to work while watching some rather interesting shows on TV.

Here's a recap:

Made Quick Cherry Dessert. While baking, made the coleslaw.  After mixing in a large bowl, transferred to a nice serving dish and put in fridge.

Prepared fruit salad except for the bananas which will be added on Thanksgiving.

Made dough for caramel sugar cookies. After Cherry Dessert cooled, dusted with powdered sugar.

While chilling in fridge, began the cinnamon, glazed carrots. While carrots were in saucepan for 25 minutes, scooped sugar dough on to cookie trays and began baking.

Started a second batch of cookie dough because my boys are cookie monsters! While cookie dough chilled, finished the brown sugar, cinnamon glazed carrots and put in serving dish. Stored in fridge.

While cookies were baking, began Snickerdoodle Pie. Put pie in oven.

Pie out of oven just in time to go get Nicolas from school. (MIL will be bringing a pumpkin pie tomorrow as well.)

After dinner, began the stuffing. Cut up celery and onions (ouch on the eyes!). Browned the celery and onions, then added stuffing, bread crumbs and seasoning. After greasing crockpot, put stuffing in pot to be heated tomorrow.

To be done tomorrow:

The bird, of course

Butternut Squash

Corn

Peas

Sourdough bread in the bread machine

Mashed potatoes

Dinner rolls

Gravy

Cranberry sauce

For leftovers: make turkey salad or hot turkey sandwiches!

Am I forgetting anything? I'll have to consult my list. But I'll do that AFTER I've sat down so that I don't feel like I have to jump up and get to anything more this evening.

I'm done. I may go soak in the jacuzzi tub that I'm so thankful for....

Apple Crostada with Caramel

Thanks Betty Crocker!

I like to make this dessert for company. Heat the slices in the microwave and garnish with caramel sauce before serving.

I love my apple peeler which makes the chore of peeling apples a tad bit fun.

Chef Nicolas

In between playing with friends, swimming and other family activities, Nicolas and I decided to bake cookies yesterday.

The Chef did a great job with measuring, mixing and performing taste tests!

We used a recipe suggested by friend and Disney Mom, Darcie over at Such The Spot. This is the second time we've baked these yummy cookies.

The Chef at work: