Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Shop my AVON store!
Shop my AVON store!: Here's a sneak peak at some of the latest products available at Avon. Be sure to click
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Um...
So, yeah. Evidently, I've been slacking on the blog front. Too much going on in life, not enough time. What else is new though, right? Tomorrow, I'm devoting my morning to a full update - some disappointments, some good stuff and a little bit of everything else. Til then, my friends, I wish you all a happy week!
Monday, April 26, 2010
From blah to yum!
I'm having one of those *feel sorry for myself* days (more like the entire last week) although I really have nothing to feel sorry for myself over. Life just hasn't been as pretty and organized as I think it should be lately and I've started to get a little anxious. Time to put on my "big girl panties" and get over it, right? Wish it was that simple. I've dealt with anxiety most of my life, and although it isn't too serious, it still sucks. One thing that I've found that has helped me tremendously is experimenting in the kitchen. Yesterday, I spent a good portion of my day making some delicious bread recipes. Here is a personal favorite, copied & pasted, courtesy of RecipeZaar.com's Ridgely:
The Ultimate Breadsticks
Makes 32 huge breadsticks
Ingredients
2 tablespoons dry yeast
3 cups lukewarm water, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup oil
8 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, melted (1 1/2 t. garlic salt may be added depending on variation used)
Directions
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1 cup of water with sugar.
2. Let stand 5 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients except the butter.
4. Stir into dough and knead until smooth and elastic and slightly sticky (I use a
heavy- duty mixer).
5. Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise until double, about 1 hour.
6. Punch down. Divide dough in half.
7. Roll one half dough out into a 12 x 18 inch rectangle on a floured surface.
8. Brush with melted butter.
9. Cut dough in half vertically, and then cut horizontally into 8 strips (16 bread sticks from one half of dough).
10. Repeat this same step with other half of dough. You should have 32 bread sticks all together.
11. Now at this point you can do the following variations:.
12. Cheesy Bread Sticks: Press buttered side down of breadstick in freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Twist bread stick multiple times and lay out on parchment lined cookie sheets. (I do about 8 to a pan-parchment necessary so the cheese won’t stick to the pan). Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until double in bulk and then bake. After baking, brush with remaining melted garlic butter.
13. Garlic Butter Bread Sticks: Twist bread sticks that have already been spread with garlic butter mixture. Place on greased baking sheet and let rise 30 minutes. After baking, brush again with melted garlic butter.
14. Herb & Cheese Breadsticks: Use plain melted butter to spread on dough, then sprinkle bread sticks with Parmesan cheese and Salad Supreme. Place on sprayed baking sheets and let rise 30 minutes before baking. Brush again with remaining melted butter after baking.
15. Pizza Breadsticks: Let buttered bread sticks rise on parchment lined baking sheets 30 minutes. Spread with pizza sauce and place pepperoni on top. The last 5 minutes of baking add shredded cheese.
16. Cinnamon Sugar Breadsticks: Dip bread sticks in 1 stick melted of butter (skip the brush with melted butter step). Roll in a mixture of 2 cups brown sugar and about 1 Tbsp cinnamon (might need more sugar mixture depending on how much you use). Twist and let rise on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake.
17. *Spray pans or use parchment paper and cover lightly while rising.
18. **Let bread sticks rise 30 minutes before baking.
19. ***Note all bread sticks will be cooked 15 to 18 minutes at 350° or until lightly browned.
Trust me folks, these are absolutely delicious & oh.so.simple! I don't own a stand mixer, unfortunately, but have no trouble making this dough by hand. It is a dream to work with & very forgiving! For a little flair, I like making a simple cheese sauce to dip them in. Here is my recipe for that:
(2) cans Campbell's cheese soup
(1) full can (use one of the empty Campbell's cans) of milk
salt to taste (I prefer Kosher)
Mix all ingredients and heat over medium heat until well combined and warm.
Hope you enjoy!
The Ultimate Breadsticks
Makes 32 huge breadsticks
Ingredients
2 tablespoons dry yeast
3 cups lukewarm water, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup oil
8 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, melted (1 1/2 t. garlic salt may be added depending on variation used)
Directions
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1 cup of water with sugar.
2. Let stand 5 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients except the butter.
4. Stir into dough and knead until smooth and elastic and slightly sticky (I use a
heavy- duty mixer).
5. Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise until double, about 1 hour.
6. Punch down. Divide dough in half.
7. Roll one half dough out into a 12 x 18 inch rectangle on a floured surface.
8. Brush with melted butter.
9. Cut dough in half vertically, and then cut horizontally into 8 strips (16 bread sticks from one half of dough).
10. Repeat this same step with other half of dough. You should have 32 bread sticks all together.
11. Now at this point you can do the following variations:.
12. Cheesy Bread Sticks: Press buttered side down of breadstick in freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Twist bread stick multiple times and lay out on parchment lined cookie sheets. (I do about 8 to a pan-parchment necessary so the cheese won’t stick to the pan). Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until double in bulk and then bake. After baking, brush with remaining melted garlic butter.
13. Garlic Butter Bread Sticks: Twist bread sticks that have already been spread with garlic butter mixture. Place on greased baking sheet and let rise 30 minutes. After baking, brush again with melted garlic butter.
14. Herb & Cheese Breadsticks: Use plain melted butter to spread on dough, then sprinkle bread sticks with Parmesan cheese and Salad Supreme. Place on sprayed baking sheets and let rise 30 minutes before baking. Brush again with remaining melted butter after baking.
15. Pizza Breadsticks: Let buttered bread sticks rise on parchment lined baking sheets 30 minutes. Spread with pizza sauce and place pepperoni on top. The last 5 minutes of baking add shredded cheese.
16. Cinnamon Sugar Breadsticks: Dip bread sticks in 1 stick melted of butter (skip the brush with melted butter step). Roll in a mixture of 2 cups brown sugar and about 1 Tbsp cinnamon (might need more sugar mixture depending on how much you use). Twist and let rise on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake.
17. *Spray pans or use parchment paper and cover lightly while rising.
18. **Let bread sticks rise 30 minutes before baking.
19. ***Note all bread sticks will be cooked 15 to 18 minutes at 350° or until lightly browned.
Trust me folks, these are absolutely delicious & oh.so.simple! I don't own a stand mixer, unfortunately, but have no trouble making this dough by hand. It is a dream to work with & very forgiving! For a little flair, I like making a simple cheese sauce to dip them in. Here is my recipe for that:
(2) cans Campbell's cheese soup
(1) full can (use one of the empty Campbell's cans) of milk
salt to taste (I prefer Kosher)
Mix all ingredients and heat over medium heat until well combined and warm.
Hope you enjoy!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Random thoughts for a random weeked
Indiana had a cold spell today and while that sounds funny since April is generally pretty cool here, we've had some unnaturally warm weather the last couple weeks. Just a few days ago, it was over 80! Regardless of the temp. though, we packed up our kiddies and headed to the park, all of us decked out in hoodies. This particular park is about 25 minutes from home but has a spectacular nature trail that my kids love to explore. My mission today was to get out of the house for a little bit, breathe some fresh air and just enjoy my family. My husband, however, had an ulterior motive - mushroom hunting! Soon, all 5 of our children were running around on a mission. Sadly, we came home empty handed but we very much enjoyed ourselves! Our oldest son was lucky enough to spot some animals and we could not believe the fresh deer tracks everywhere, as if they had been there just moments before.
It is very important to me that my children experience nature "in the raw", to step away from the television and video game systems for a few brief hours and learn about this wondrous planet we call home. The amazing thing? They love every.single.minute of it.
Tomorrow, my children are looking forward to my MIL coming to visit, and to be honest, I think I may be more eager than they are! She is planning on staying for the day and enjoying her grandbabies and I'm looking forward to feeding her a good meal. Stromboli is on the menu and let me tell you, I make a killer stromboli!
In case anyone out there is actually reading my blog, I hope you have a wonderful weekend as well!
It is very important to me that my children experience nature "in the raw", to step away from the television and video game systems for a few brief hours and learn about this wondrous planet we call home. The amazing thing? They love every.single.minute of it.
Tomorrow, my children are looking forward to my MIL coming to visit, and to be honest, I think I may be more eager than they are! She is planning on staying for the day and enjoying her grandbabies and I'm looking forward to feeding her a good meal. Stromboli is on the menu and let me tell you, I make a killer stromboli!
In case anyone out there is actually reading my blog, I hope you have a wonderful weekend as well!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Wow....
So I'm officially 27 now, and yet, I feel no different. My MIL, a very wise woman, once told me (okay, she told me this yesterday) that it isn't how old you feel physically but how old you feel mentally...how prophetic is that? As I'm pondering this information, I realize she is right. I pulled a muscle in my back the other day because I got up too fast. Ouch! But inside, I still feel like a giddy teenager, especially when my husband gives me that *look*. TMI? Sorry! Seriously though, I still feel young and heck, I still get mistaken for a 15 year old when I'm at Wal-Mart trying to buy a rated R movie. Annoying? YES! Flattering? YES!
Ahhh...life is good!
Ahhh...life is good!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
For fluffy cuteness, check out Julesbulia!
Let's get RANDOM!!
If you read my earlier post, you know we are trying for baby #6. I, being the shopaholic that I am, have already started shopping for cloth diapering supplies. Imagine my surprise when I ran across a wonderful WAHM on DiaperSwappers, who not only makes exceptionally high quality goods, but sells them at such an affordable price. Even if you don't cloth diaper & have no idea what I'm talking about, you have to admire the cuteness factor!
Every single pair is lovingly handcrafted - can you see the amazing workMOMship that went into each pair? Just look at those appliqués!! I paid $9 per pair for the owl & hedgie longies & $10 for the deer/tree, and get this, that includes shipping! I've already ordered 2 more pairs and turnaround time was a whopping 3 days. On top of that, you receive the most amazing customer service - Julie is an absolute dream to work with! Whatever your heart desires, you are sure to get a deal. Check her out today and feel proud knowing you are supporting a WAHM in this crazy economy!
http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=897340
If you read my earlier post, you know we are trying for baby #6. I, being the shopaholic that I am, have already started shopping for cloth diapering supplies. Imagine my surprise when I ran across a wonderful WAHM on DiaperSwappers, who not only makes exceptionally high quality goods, but sells them at such an affordable price. Even if you don't cloth diaper & have no idea what I'm talking about, you have to admire the cuteness factor!
Every single pair is lovingly handcrafted - can you see the amazing workMOMship that went into each pair? Just look at those appliqués!! I paid $9 per pair for the owl & hedgie longies & $10 for the deer/tree, and get this, that includes shipping! I've already ordered 2 more pairs and turnaround time was a whopping 3 days. On top of that, you receive the most amazing customer service - Julie is an absolute dream to work with! Whatever your heart desires, you are sure to get a deal. Check her out today and feel proud knowing you are supporting a WAHM in this crazy economy!
http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=897340
Just another day, right?
Tomorrow I celebrate my 27th birthday. Oddly enough, it just feels like another day for me. I'm not excited, I'm not sad that I'm rapidly approaching 30, I'm just enjoying life to it's fullest. It is amazing how life changes as you get older. During childhood, you look forward to turning 16, 18 & the infamous 21. After that, though, it just isn't that important anymore, ya know?
Both my husband & my children have repeatedly asked me what I want for my birthday this year. Honestly, I cannot think of a single thing I want or need right now, except a positive pregnancy test, perhaps. Yes, we are trying for baby #6! Other than that though, life is absolutely perfect in all the right ways. My light bill may be a few days late every few months but I've got a happy, healthy family and well, there isn't anything better than that in my eyes. I look forward to my husband coming home tomorrow and making me a cake like he does every year. I look forward to my children waking up for school and telling me "Happy Birthday" and that they "Love me because I'm the best mommy in the world." How could I possibly ask for anything else?
Both my husband & my children have repeatedly asked me what I want for my birthday this year. Honestly, I cannot think of a single thing I want or need right now, except a positive pregnancy test, perhaps. Yes, we are trying for baby #6! Other than that though, life is absolutely perfect in all the right ways. My light bill may be a few days late every few months but I've got a happy, healthy family and well, there isn't anything better than that in my eyes. I look forward to my husband coming home tomorrow and making me a cake like he does every year. I look forward to my children waking up for school and telling me "Happy Birthday" and that they "Love me because I'm the best mommy in the world." How could I possibly ask for anything else?
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Introduction
Okay, so I think it is sad that I've had a blog since 2005 and never once considered actually *blogging* something. I guess that is what happens when you are a mommy to 5 kidlets, right?
I guess all blogs should have a purpose & since my life is so crazily (is that even a word?) insane, my purpose will be to write about all the crazily insane things that happen in my life. Wow, did that make sense? I may post recipes, or write about what new antics my kids are up to. I may even post about how I'm a self-proclaimed shopaholic, especially for homemade goodies from places like Etsy & Hyenacart.
So in closing, I don't know what to tell you to expect from this blog. I don't know what to expect from this blog, because, well, it's Metz Family Randomness!
Jennifer
I guess all blogs should have a purpose & since my life is so crazily (is that even a word?) insane, my purpose will be to write about all the crazily insane things that happen in my life. Wow, did that make sense? I may post recipes, or write about what new antics my kids are up to. I may even post about how I'm a self-proclaimed shopaholic, especially for homemade goodies from places like Etsy & Hyenacart.
So in closing, I don't know what to tell you to expect from this blog. I don't know what to expect from this blog, because, well, it's Metz Family Randomness!
Jennifer
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