Attempting to be a Super Mom

 Hey!! It’s been so long since I’ve come on here with anything other than recipes. Sadly, I haven’t been cooking much lately, so I don’t have any new recipes at the moment, but I have been super busy. It’s Nutcracker season in our house. It’s Christmas time, school concert time, and we have a million birthdays happening now and soon, but the thing that’s taking up all of our time is Nutcracker Shenanigans. All three girls are in the show. This year, Scottie is a sunflower. Rylie is a party child, a strawberry, and the understudy for both Clara and Fritz. Sydney is a snow, a trooper, and a part time flower. Ben is also working tech for the show. He’s been helping set everything up, and during the show he’ll be working the light board. I’ve been volunteering by watching littles during the tech week rehearsals, and another mom and myself have taken on the responsibility of running the Nutcracker Tea Party fundraiser for the pre professional dance company. It’s been fun, exhausting, so...

During Lent this last spring, I needed a meat free dinner to feed my sister-in-law and her family. Usually my potato soup has lots of bacon and bacon grease in it. I found this recipe here .This one is meatless, but it is important to add that it is NOT dairy free. There are adjustments you can do to make it dairy free though. It’s quick and was really well liked.  Potato Soup 6-8 cups russet potatoes, peeled and chopped 1 yellow onion, diced 2 stalks celery, chopped 1 clove garlic 4 cups vegetable stock 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded 1/2 cup sour cream or cream 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper Pinch red pepper flakes 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil In a large pot over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil. Once hot and melted together add the onions and celery. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add the potatoes and minced garlic to the pot and continue to sauté all of the ingredients for about 5 minutes. Add vegetable stock and increas...

A long time ago I mentioned a cookbook my grandma bought me when I was a teenager. It’s called Clueless in the Kitchen. This recipe came from that cookbook. We usually use the meatballs in this cookbook that I’d previously posted here , but lately I’ve been using some Teriyaki Pineapple chicken meatballs I found at Costco. They work out so well for this meal and the kids actively fight over the meatballs. Hawaiian Meatballs 1 14 oz can Pineapple chunks  1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tbsp corn starch 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1 tbsp soy sauce 3 tbsp vinegar 1 batch plain old meatballs 1 green pepper, cut into large squares 1 onion, cut into large squares  Rice Drain the pineapple chunks, pouring the juice into a measuring cup. Add enough water to the juice to make 1 1/4 cups of liquid. Pour into a saucepan. In the saucepan, add brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, soy sauce, and vinegar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened. Dump in the cooked me...

 I love a good roast, but it’s not something we do often enough in our house. We spend so much time in a hurry that I never take the time to prepare something nice and slow. I decided to do a nice roast for the family Friday night and it turned out amazing! Pot Roast 4-5 lb whole chuck roast 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 whole onions 6-8 whole carrots Kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika 1 cup red wine 2-3 cups beef stock 3 sprigs fresh thyme 3 sprigs fresh rosemary Generously season all sides of your roast with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.  Preheat the oven to 275. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over med-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan. Cut the onions in half and cut the carrots in to 2 inch slices. When the oil is hot, add the halved onions browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate and add the carrots. Toss them around until slightly browned and them remove them to the plate with the onions....

So I found this recipe a few years ago and have made it several times for my family, and even done it as a dinner for extended family once. It’s a pretty meal that tastes amazing, and it really is an easy meal that has a wow factor when cooking for company. I made it again last night, and my kids and husband all insisted that a picture of it should go on “the gram.” I double this recipe for my family but probably don’t need to as we always have tons of leftovers. I just usually buy my flank steak from Costco and use it all. Ancho Chili Flank Steak and Sweet Potato Tacos 2 lb flank steak 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp ground cumin, divided 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp ancho Chile powder, divided 4 tsp kosher salt, divided 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided 1/2 lb fresh tomatillos, husks removed 1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 large red onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces Flour tortillas, corn tortilla...