Parmesan Crusted Chicken

I'm always looking for super fast recipes for the weeknights that I work.  I tried this one out last night and we all loved it.  It took me less than five minutes to get it into the oven.  (Throw some baked potatoes into the oven about 30 minutes before and keep them in while the chicken bakes-you've got dinner.) I might play around with it and make a couple of variations in the future.  It's so good, it's company worthy!  If anyone else has any fast, easy recipes for real life, please share. 

PS Sprinkle with parsley before serving for a prettier presentation. 

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.)
• 4 tsp. Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise with cheese in medium bowl. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Evenly top with mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs.
3. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Oh, baby!

Catherine is a finalist in the Hallmarks Vacations Gone Wrong Gone Right contest.  If you have a facebook account, start voting for her story (Oh, baby!) today.  You can vote daily until August 31, 2012.  The prize is 5 thousand smackeroos.  Catherine says that if she wins the money she is going to have a big beach party blow out with fakc moustaches and a pinata for everyone.  Just kidding.  But you should vote for her anyway.   Here's the link.
http://www.facebook.com/HALLMARK?v=app_446042162102952

OLYMPIC GOLD FOR SAILOR

Check out this link for a KSL news video of Sailor and Erin at the London Olympics. 
Everyone in the family has had so much fun watching the London Olympics....Can you imagine being there in person? 
So amazing!  We are so proud of them both and formally request them to upload some photos of their trip here.  :)
Here is the link:  http://www.ksl.com/?sid=21611607&nid=148&title=10-year-old-utah-girl-wins-trip-to-olympics&s_cid=queue-10

Springtime in Santa Clara

"A garden is a place where modern women may step off the merry-go-round of their existence. It is a place to find a haven where birds and butterflies love to be.  It is a place where you can create something beautiful with a little patience.  It has the ability to make us content and calm for a moment.  Gardening was once valued because it could give women piety and refined sentiment. Gardening is creative work much like painting or writing a poem." I read this somewhere once upon a time. 

Dieter

Curious Chocolate Cupcakes

I've seen this recipe over the years and I've never been able to forget it. The list of ingredients looks bleak. It has no butter, no eggs, no cream-all of the wicked creatures that create silky textures on your taste buds. Instead it has water, oil, and vinegar for Pete's sake. Ancient, Biblical ingredients. I might have written it off, but the reviews for this recipe are stellar, glowing even. On an eggless Sunday (does that ever happen to you?), I decided to give it a whirl. I can't explain it, except to tell you that these archaic ingredients unite to form a chocolate miracle. They are delicious. I frosted mine with pure chocolate ganache-about 1 cup cream to 1 cup chocolate chips; melted, stirred, chilled until set. Try them yourself and leave me a comment and tell me how you like them. Happy Valentine's Day. E

PS If you are baking for a vegan, just dust the tops with powdered sugar and you are good to go.

PSS If you like milk chocolate better than dark chocolate, you could switeh out the water for milk to soften the chocolate flavor. But then you can't give it to your vegan friend.

Curious Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 ½ cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄3; cup cocoa powder
½ cup oil
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vinegar
Directions
Mix all ingredients together until moist and well blended.
Put in cupcake cups and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Frost with your favorite icing.
To make a layer cake, double the recipes and put in 2 round cake pans.
Increase baking time to about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Magic of Healthy Living

Disney is hosting another Magic of Healthy Living contest. You'll remember that Sailor and Annaliese attended last year at Disneyworld. This year the prize is a trip to the Disney resort in Hawaii. It'll be harder this time since they are only choosing five winners, as opposed to fifty the year the girls went. Still, it's worth a shot, right? I haven't quite got it all figured out yet, but I do know that you will need a photo of your family with an essay and that the theme can be either exercise of healthy eating. Good luck and here's the link.
http://family.go.com/healthy-living-tryit-contest/

Lemon Pound Cake

I (Erin) made this Martha Stewart lemon pound cake last night and Mom and I thought it was heavenly. Mom was going to copy the recipe, but I thought I'd post it here instead. It's nice to have a safe place to keep recipes and since I'm not Prudence blogging anymore, I'll plunk them down here when I find a winner. And this one is a champion, trust me. My apologies in advance to those who are trying to eat less in January. Glazed Lemon Pound Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
Zest of 2 lemons, finely grated
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 5-6 lemons)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Butter and flour two 4 1/2-by-8-inch (6-cup) loaf pans. YOu can also use a 12 cup capacity Bundt pan.
In a small bowl (or liquid measuring cup), combine buttermilk with lemon zest and juice. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three parts alternately with the buttermilk mixture in two, beginning and ending with flour; beat just until smooth (do not overmix).
Divide batter evenly between pans; smooth tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes (tent with foil if browning too quickly). Cool 15 minutes in pan. Turn out cakes onto a rack; cool completely before glazing.
Set rack with cakes over a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Pour glaze over cakes, letting it run down the sides; let dry, about 30 minutes.
For Glaze, combine 3 tablespoons lemon juice with 2 cups of powdered sugar.

HAPPY First Day of Autumn!

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." ~George Eliot

SUM-SUMMERTIME IDEAS

HAPPY SUMMERTIME!

Some Things To DO:
1.Have a water balloon fight.
2.Go for a walk or bike ride along the beach or a wooded path.
3.See the sunrise.
4.Have a picnic.
5.Watch the sunset.
6.Wash a car with music blaring.
7.Read a chapter book aloud to your kids.
8.Read a novel (something just for you!)
9.Go to an amusement park or local county/state fair and ride all the thrill rides!
10.Go fishing.
11.Make homemade ice cream.
12.Make Homemade Pickles
13.Make fresh lemonade.
14.Camp out in a tent.
15.Catch fireflies.
16.Take pictures of the kids having fun!
17.Eat watermelon outside, and let the juice run all over the place!
18.Walk in the grass barefoot.
19.Use lotion, soap, or shampoo that smells like coconuts.
20.Paint your toenails.
21.Fill up a bin of water and bubbles and let your kids wash the dishes. 22.Collect seashells and save them with some sand in a decorative bowl.
23.Sleep in at least once.
24.Hang your bed sheets outside to dry and bask in their clean sunshine smell.
25.Make strawberry shortcake.
26.Get someone else to take your picture with the kids, smiling and sun-kissed.
27.Eat Dinner outside.
28.Thank someone who has helped you out.
29.Eat your favorite summer fruits and berries.
30.Go swimming as a family.

Our HERO (The Birthday Boy)

My Hero

He wears no cape of flaming red
Or jumps through hoops or fly the skies o’er head.
His eye and ear can hear no sounds
When golf or baskets of balls on TV abound.

He loves the new technology and loves to be informed
And if there is an older vehicle or rhinoceros
His computer will find it there and his search
Engine will not halt until it can be found

His hobbies are his children and all their goals
He shares. He loves to make dreams come true
Just like Santa, the tooth fairy or a unique
Aging kind philanthropist.

He hates the word seventy and refuses to be
Burdened with such a label.
He would rather be forty and live for
An entire century at that age.

His voice is deep and penetrating,
His laugh is great to hear
His smile is contagious.

He has a love of pets or any downtrodden
He has always got the answer
Whether you agree or not
And he can close attention pay
When there is a problem you have got.

For me he will ever be the boy I knew
And loved. And it matters not his age
Or form, he will always the heroic guy be
For me and all our family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! WE LOVE YOU!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Good Morning to you. This picture of Laurie is fitting for her birthday, sometimes you look at one of you pictures and it opens up the memories and feelings of even the very moment it happened. Laurie and I were off to see a photographer in Whittier. I had the day off from work, Evelyn had let me use her car and Laurie was just the happiest little girl, we were looking at eachother and smiling. It was one of those, "I could not be any happier right now!" moments in time; those small gifts of time, are part of one's rich treasures in life.

Looking back into the past, and then thinking about today . . . is remarkable. Happy Birthday Laurie from Mom and Dad.

Aunt Janet

Every girl is lucky if she has a sister. Especially if that sister happens to be Aunt Janet.We love Aunt Janet because she laughs easily, she has strong opinions and she loves the Savior. Happy Birthday Aunt Janet.

Grandma Ruffolo

Emily D'Angelo was born on March 1, 1893 in Chicago, Illinois. When I was born, she was 48 years old. She was a tiny little lady and loved to keep her house so tidy. She had one sister named Rose. Her parents died in the 1920's before she came to California. She has two children still living, Uncle Jack in Bakersfield and Aunt Thresa in Desert Hot Springs. She loved to bake biscotti cookies and made cream cheese sandwiches at the beach. We like to remember her on her birthday, she would absolutely be thrilled to see how her family has grown. As my mother would say, "Happy Birthday Mom." -Mom

One in a Million

The Primary Friend website is sharing stories of children from all around the world. Sailor and West's cousin Addison is one of the featured stories. (He is Shane's sister Natasha's middle child.) If you click on the star in Georgia, you'll be able to hear about his life. It's too amazing not to share. We've only clicked on a few of the other featured stories and they have all been absolutely inspiring. Click here to get started. Maybe we should make some one in a million slide shows of the cousins for this blog..

A Bee In Bab's Bonnet

Hey everyone, there's a new writer and blogger in town. Click here to go check it out!

Dad's Knee Update

Saturday 8:30 PM: Shane and I visited Mom and Dad around dinner time. Dad looked great today. Yesterday he seemed animated but his color was a little pale; today the pink had returned to his cheeks. He was able to walk over to dinner using a walker. We are suprised, and yet not suprised, at how well he is doing. Mom was able to run home in the afternoon to take a bath and get a few more things. We went by again in the evening with a chocolate shake for Mom. They had a visit this morning from the Drehers. They brought a beautiful houseplant. Later, Dale Gubler came by for a visit. Lisa sent a beautiful arrangement of roses, so their room looks very cheerful. Mom says it looks like a couple of homeless people live there. Maybe I should send Mallory by with some pizza. Have a great night everybody.

Saturday 10 AM Good morning, everybody! Dad had a good night. He was able to sleep and this morning he felt only a minimal amount of pain. Mom slept well also. Dad's leg is on a CPM? machine that keeps it moving continuously. The knee continues to rotate the lower leg, much like riding a bicycle. Shane says that the machine keeps the titanium knee and surrounding areas flexible. Dad's looking forward to the BYU game with the amazing Jimmer today. Thank goodness that the hospital has the right channel. He won't have to miss any at all. Maybe we'll DVR it for him just in case. We're planning on visiting this afternoon. If anybody talks to Dad, post an update as a comment. Thanks, E
Friday night 8:50 update: We just got back from visiting Dad at the hospital. Other than looking a little pale and the fact that he was vertical with an IV, you might not have noticed that anything was wrong with him at all. He's had a pretty steady flow of visitors, including their good friends Peggy and John Ricks. We brought mom a pillow and a blanket and some cashews. She's going to spend the night on a little Barbara Renouf sized couch in Dad's room.
Sailor made Dad a chain of hearts that said "Get Well, Grandpa," and West wrote him a letter that said "Dear Grandpa, I hope you don't miss the Jimmer game tomorrow. Love, West" Dad got a kick out of that. Dad said he had talked to just about everybody today, but he's still trying to get in touch with Laurie and Heidi. Were going to head back tomorrow afternoon with a chocolate shake for Mom and we'll try to talk Dad into a cheeseburger from Five Guys. We'll stay in touch. Love to everybody, E

3:30 Update: I just got off the phone with Pop. He didn't sound sluggish in the least. In fact, he sounded energized! He wondered why he didn't just do both knees! He hasn't experienced any pain yet. (Leave that to Shane....) Do you want all the nitty gritty details? You do? OK, read on.
He had some chocolate, vanilla, and tapioca pudding.

He wanted his cell phone charger and laptop. (I'll bring them by tonight since Sailor and West can't come for the visit. Hospital rules during flu season, no visitors under the age of 14. They're planning on making him a flip-video message instead.)

He had visits from both the Drehers and the Gublers.

Mom and Dad are making friends with all the nurses, who are apparently the prettiest, nicest, smartest, most wonderful people in the world-like everyone that Mom and Dad meet.

Mom wanted a box of cookies from her pantry. Oh, c'mon-I can do better than that, Mom!
I'll check back in whenever I hear anything. If anybody talks to Dad, post a comment as an update. Thanks, E

10:30 Hey, everybody. I just talked to Mom. Here's the report: Dad made it through surgery and all went well. Mom was waiting in his room. I'll post updates throughout the day as I hear anything. E

Life Lessons from The Classics

A thought for the day from that Classic Peter Pan

“Mrs. Darling first heard of Peter when she was tidying up her children’s minds. It is the nightly custom of every good mother after her children are asleep to rummage in their minds and put things straight for next morning, repacking into their proper places the many articles that have wandered during the day.

If you could keep awake (but of course you can’t) you would see your own mother doing this, and you would find it very interesting to watch her. It is quite like tidying a chest of drawers. You would see her on her knees, I expect lingering humorously over some of your contents, wondering where on earth you had picked this thing up, making discoveries sweet and not so sweet, pressing this to her cheek as if it were as nice as a kitten, and hurriedly stowing that out of sight.

When you wake in the morning, the naughtiness and evil passions with which you went to bed have been folded up small and placed at the bottom of your mind, and on the top, beautifully aired, are spread out your prettier thoughts, ready for you to put on. "

And thus begins a new day for my own darlings. Mom

A New Year

“Your task is to keep yourself happy. Look for the good in life. The smallest good deed is worth a thousand good intentions. A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song. Never underestimate the value of the little moment.”


(From Mom)
"I have been doing these (see below) for several years, I like to share the forms with others. I am not sure if this will work on the blog, but maybe. Happy 2011!"

GOALS FOR 2011
BOOKS TO BE READ
1.
2.
3.
4.
PROJECTS TO COMPLETE
1.
2.
3.
4.
LETTERS TO WRITE
1.
2.
3.
4.
THINGS TO SORT
1.
2.
3.
4.
PHYSICAL FITNESS
1.
2.
3.
4.
SPIRITUAL GOALS
1.
2.
3.
4.
PLACES TO SEE
1.
2.
3.
4.
EDUCATIONAL GOALS
1.
2.
3.
4.
HOUSEHOLD IDEAS
1.
2.
3.
4.
PEOPLE TO HELP
1.
2.
3.
4.

HAPPY 2011!

Christmas Thoughts from Grandma

Christmas is for children or is it?
They say that Christmas is the time for little children
Sugar plums, dolls and trucks, gumdrops and candy canes
Santa Claus, Old St. Nick and reindeer flying in the evening sky
I am not so sure that is true in every case
Thinking of gifts for little ones, or friends
Seems to fashion within my deepest soul,
Some of my very best inclinations.
More thoughtful, gentler and an eagerness to share;
The music of the season, the colors in the shops
The decorated wreaths and boughs, the scent
Of pine where young families go to choose, the perfect fir tree
The singing of the carols, the tale of Wiseman, shepherds tending flocks
And angels are at the top of my shopping list.
The problems and disappointments of this modern world.
I would choose to pay a never mind to
For this month of holiday, I am welcoming change
In even my gift list for, I am gathering.
The Story of the tiny babe born in Bethlehem
Bringing back a store of memories of my own childhood,
That is the gift I long to bestow upon myself
And as I wistfully recall
Those sights and sounds of the past.
I feel glad to be
A grown child with memories wrapped like presents
All addressed just to me
Beneath my lighted Christmas tree.
I think I might like to place a few
For other ones I treasure to some like you.

By Barbara Renouf

Poetry Corner

West has been writing poetry for his composition course and I thought I'd share some of it here. (I hope that's OK. Maybe I need another blog for this kind of thing.)
Anyway, does anybody else want to share a poem here? Just email me (vsmylroie@aol.com) and let me know and I'll add it to the collection.

A Night Sky

The Night Sky

Is like a dark, sleepy face

With White Freckles.

A Snowflake

A snowflake is

A silver speck

Of spider web

Falling from Above.

A Winter's Garden Haiku

The Garden is Green.

Then Snow comes with a blanket.

The Garden is White.

A Silly Poem

I want to go to the pool

But the pool is too cool.

I guess I'll have to drool

To warm up the pool.

Who am I?

I am a creature

that creeps and crawls

Eats bugs

Bites and hangs

From a silvery web.

Only I can

Spin my own home.

What am I?

Come into my web

And find out.

Mwah ha ha.

Sailor wanted to add one, too.

Winter Breakfast

I don't mean to boast

But I ate the most

Hot Cocoa and Toast.

Before I burst,

Can I have more first?

Send more my way and I'll add them on. (Where are your poems, Reevey?)

Dad's Adventures

While the rest of us are still recovering from our travels, Dad (aka Mr. Incredible) has already been off on another adventure.

Dad, his brother, Uncle Rick, and their friend Mike? went off Steelhead fishing together. Apparently these are some of the hardest fish in the world to catch. They were only allowed to catch 3 each and they did just that. Dad said it was pretty rugged out there but completely worth the fun.

Looks like fun, but when do the girls get to go? :)

Better than Christmas Morning...

I just wanted to say...
that I'm getting excited.
The best part of the trip will probably be in here.
See you there.

Happy Conference Doughnuts and Happy Birthday Shane!

First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO UNCLE SHANE!
Shane is such a good guy, he probably loves having conference land right on his birthday. We hope he is having a great day. Interestingly, every year since he was a child, Shane has angel food cake and strawberries and strawberry ice cream for his birthday. Tonight we hear there will be Erin's gourmet pizza, too. We hope he has a Happy Birthday!


Second, for years Mom has been trying to implement this 'Doughnuts During Priesthood' idea. I think a few years (if you are lucky enough to live near Erin) it has actually come to pass. It all came of Elder Russell M. Nelson's talk:

'While the men in Elder Russell M. Nelson's family attend priesthood session, the Nelson women make doughnuts in preparation for their return. Then as everyone chomps, licks fingers and wipes mouths, the men share what they learned at priesthood meeting.

"It's a nice family tradition, symbolic of the fact that everything we learn and do as priesthood bearers should bless our families," Elder Nelson said in his April 1999talk "Our Sacred Duty to Honor Women."' by Trent Toone, March 30, 2010.

So good luck to you men off at Priesthood tonight.
Will anyone manage to get doughnuts made?

It is still fun to think that all of our family and other members worldwide are tuning in to Conference together this weekend--with or without the fried dough.

Here is Erin's Favorite Recipe (completely 100% shamelessly stolen from her blog--the photo, too) :)
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup mashed potatoes (I use 1 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes or buds)
4 and 1/2 cups flour, DIVIDED
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg (two quick shakes)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs until frothy. Add sugar and beat well. Add buttermilk butter, vanilla. Stir in mashed potatoes. Sprinkle exactly 3 and 1/2 cups flour, plus powder, soda, salt and nutmeg over the dough. Stir until just blended. The dough will be extremely sticky. Line a dinner plate with waxed paper. Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour on top of waxed paper. Gather sticky dough up and press onto waxed paper; sprinkle the top with remaining 1/2 cup flour. If you need to pat atop a little more flour to be able to work with the dough, go ahead and sprinkle/pat it on top but DO NOT mix it in. ( You can refrigerate dough for a couple of hours at this point if you want, but not for too long or the dough will turn black from the potatoes.) Let the dough rest on the plate for five minutes. Meanwhile, heat large heavy pot with 1 inch of oil until oil is about 375 degrees. Turn donuts out onto flat floured surface. Pat the dough into a square only slightly larger than the plate. The dough should be about 1/2 inch thick. (Do not knead in the flour that have you sprinkled on the donuts. It will cook away on the outside, promise.) Cut donuts with donut cutter, or use the top of a prescription pill bottle for donut holes. Holes are the best in my opinion. Fry donuts until pale golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Cool for five minutes before glazing.

Maple Glaze
Notes: This makes enough for half a batch of donuts, in case you want to make some powdered sugar donuts or plain sugar.
Combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons maple extract and about 4 tablespoons cream (or milk) until smooth.