Introducing again...

So, after making the decision to end my family blog for now, I have now decided to start another blog..yep. This one, however, will be dedicated to all things baking/cooking, and i will post recipes and such over there. You can find it over there...sugar lane eats.

I want this blog to be mainly just me...again. I am excited about the new blog. If you feel like it, pass it along. I would love to have it be a place to share recipes..because as you know, the kitchen is the heart of the home! So, if you would like to contribute and such, let me know. I would love it! :)

And if I seem a little wonky and crazy in post today, I sincerely apologize, I am running on less than three hours of sleep, and really, why am I this blog when I should be taking a nap? In fact I'm going to do that right now!

Two Recipes...and results

First up, I talked with the good old doc on Sunday, and although my heart is normal, I do have some signs of a sinus arrhythmia, which translate into: taking a small pill every day for the rest of my life. On to the recipes! I'm not sure if I have posted one before...and I'm too lazy to check, so if this is a repeat, sorry! And if not, enjoy!

First up,

Black Bean Burgers

as most of you know, I have been trying to cut out most meat from my diet, these little ditties certainly do the trick. I can't remember where I found the recipe. But, my kids will eat this without complaint, so try it out!

"Meatless Burgers"

1 can Northern beans

1 can green chili's

2 medium green onions

1 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup corn meal

2 tablespoons oil

5 slice Monterey Jack cheese

hamburger buns

place beans in blender and process until slightly mashed. In a bowl, mix beans, chili, onions, bread crumbs and egg together. Form into patties...I have used the corn meal to help form the patties because they tend to be sticky. Pat each patty in the corn meal, making a coat..Place oil in a skillet on medium heat, and cook the patties on both sides until crisp. Place on hamburger buns and assemble. This recipe is essentially a base. You can inter change most of the ingredients. For instance, I use black beans instead of northern beans because I like those better. I made these last week, and didn't add the chili's or green onions, but I did have some red bell pepper on hand, and cilantro. I also added some seasonings, like cumin and pepper to give it more of a mexican feel. My daughter requests these. try them for a meatless and yet healthy and yummy meal!

Next, you are going to love me....Cookie Dough Cupcakes...yep cookie dough cupcakes. I found this idea on my new favorite food blog, Meet Me in the Kitchen you can find her recipe here. The only part of the recipe that I kept the same was the cookie dough part. I didn't like how much butter the other recipe used, and personally, I like my buttercream frosting, so...here is my take on this cupcake..and if you have a chocolate chip cookie lover in your home, I am almost 100% positive they will LOVE this cupcake...

For the Cupcake: either use your favorite Vanilla cupcake recipe, or box..or you can use mine here:

Vanilla Cupcakes:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room remperature

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla.

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pan with paper cups. In a mixer, mix the butter alone for about 1 to 2 minutes, let it get light and airy. Add the sugar and this important, beat the sugar and butter together for 2-3 minutes. This will seriously help your cupcake out! (trial and error, ladies) Add the eggs one at a time, allowing the egg to mix for 30 seconds each time...again, this is an important step you don't want to miss! Add in the baking powder, and then gradually add in the flour and last, the milk. Seems a little weird..usually you alternate..but trust me, this recipe works! Add the vanilla, and mix until just blended...be careful not to over mix! (at this point, you could add chopped chocolate pieces in with this if you want a more intense chocolate flavor to your cookie dough palate.) Fill each cupcake paper with about 2 tablespoons of batter, or if you have a ice cream scoop, use that. I tend to under fill the liners, unless I have the large nut cup size..which Michaels is forever out of... Bake for 20 minutes or until the cake bounces back up if touched with your finger..let cool mean while....

Cookie Dough Filling:

4 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temp

6 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoon all purpose flour

7 ounces sweetened condensed milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips..and sense I didn't have those on hand, I just chopped the chips I had into smaller bits..

Cream together the sugar and butter. Add in the flour and then the condensed milk with the vanilla. Mix in the chocolate. You can let the dough chill if you want too...I didn't and am glad I didn't...I will explain later....

Brown Sugar Buttercream

2 sticks of unsalted butter

1/4 cup or so of brown sugar

mix these together until the sugar is dissolved in the butter and then add:

About 2-3 cups of powder sugar, I'll leave it up to you. I like my frosting sweet, which is why i add more powder sugar, but some people like it not so sweet...Add about 2 cap fulls of milk (no measuring spoons needed!) and then add some vanilla. Another cap full. Mix that all together until you get the smoothness you want...add more milk if you want it extra smooth..and so on.

To assemble:

Cut a hole in each cupcake using a paring knife, I have also used the back end of a frosting tip..cut the excess cake off the top of your piece of cake you just cut. Fill a piping bag with the cookie dough filling..see, if it was chilled, it would be harder to work with, and I am all for easy steps! Place the top part of the piece of cake you cut back on the cupcake, hiding your filling, and then pipe on the buttercream, sprinkle with chocolate chips...sit back with a glass of milk and bite into heaven!!! :) Oh yeah, repeat the first couple of steps until all the cupcakes are done!

just quickly...

the results are in, and my heart appears to be normal. But they still haven't explained to me why it still hurts sometimes and why it skips a beat every couple of beats...but normal. Hopefully that means that i stressed out this week for nothing...

But thank you for your prayers! Seriously. I believe that it is because of the power of prayer that my heart is "normal" :)

Update...

Well, i went in for the echo cardiogram yesterday. A very long, very boring hour of laying on a bed. Why do they make ultrasound rooms dark, and warm? I wanted to take a nap! I haven't heard anything from the doctor's office yet. I called yesterday afternoon, but they have yet to call me back. So, I suppose I'm still in limbo. Which I hate. I just want to know! I want to move on from limbo, and from the uncertainty of the future...like tomorrow! I want to know what I can do so that I can live a very long time!

I have had a rough couple of days. From the emotions of not knowing, to the fear that this might not turn out so well, to the comfort of knowing that people who love me are praying for me, to disappointment...to peace.

Thank you for your prayers, for you love and support. Seriously, thank you. you will never know the extent of what your love has done for me.

Drama, thy name is EMILY

Okay, so I was all excited about this week. Could not be happier. I had a news resolution going on with supportive people (thanks Mindy for inviting me!) I was getting all my work outs in for my goal this month. I actually called a friend and had a great talk wit her (thanks Bri! because if you know me, you will know that I usually never call anyone..nope, not even family. It's a rarity. I don't know why...I just never call anyone!) and I had amazing comments posted on my blog..(thanks to you gals who read this little bit of me!) Things were looking, up, up, Up...and then yesterday happened. Let's see, shall I run through my day?

*woke up to the little man poking me in the and saying "ba, ba" a lot.

*got the boys ready headed out the door..forgot that L had a play date..again.

*while doing the Thursday errands, I noticed that my left side of my chest was feeling tight..shrug.

*started thinking more about my chest because it was not getting any better..started thinking immediately about what would happen if this chest thing was more than just a breathing problem..

*got to good old Wally-world (read the sarcasm..hate that place sometimes) get to the check out, super busy, was told to go to aisle 5, it was free. Not so, old Lady was there, demanding that they give her cash back from her check and stood there arguing over 5 cents. YEP, five cents! E tried to climb out of the cart..crying loudly that everything is "scary" and saying "DOWN" a lot. L trying to push buttons on the credit card scanner..

*come home, put away groceries, turn around E has dumped sugar all over the floor, and was sticking his hand in the shortening..

*chest still hurting, call the DR and made an appointment after scaring myself silly with all the articles online about chest pains..that was fun.

*Call my Dad in tears, freaking out, because it dawns on me that I have three grandparents who all had heart problems, two of which had surgery...really did not need the freak out..

*woke up this morning, noticed that the kids had managed to mess up the entire house while I was sleeping in, in fifteen minutes!

*turn around E is on top of my counter trying to get a piece of "dandy"

*go to make cupcakes, forgot to buy cocoa, run to dreaded Wally again..

*E has found his way back on to the counter...AGAIN

*E playing outside thinks it would be great to go down the slide while his brother is trying to climb up the slide..

*Me worried about my heart, again.

*go to the Docs, late as usual. Takes an EKG, takes an x-ray, waiting around for two hours.

*given Asthma meds to see if I just have a bronchiolitis thing..not helping me one micro second..

*told to schedule a echo cardiogram for next week, just in case it is not asthma..

oh yes, and the kicker, finding out that the good old kicker has enlarged about 50 % than where it should be. But everything else about the heart seems to be oookkaayy. Possibly.

*worried, and stressed.

See, lovely two days to end my week. So, I don't know if I'll accomplish my work out goals this month, at least not until I find out what is going on...

Babka Bread

I found this lovely bread over at purple foodie. It seriously is so yummy. And you can put frosting on it, but I like it better without. And just to show you guys how often I have made this bread, I have memorized the recipe! I've made it at least once a week for two months now!

Babka Bread:

6 tbsp butter, softened

6 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp yeast

3/4 cup lukewarm milk

4 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Cream the sugar and butter together so that it is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the yolks, one at a time, mix for about 30 seconds each yolk. Add the vanilla. Add the flour one cup at a time. (I have found that you don't need the 1/2 cup, reserve it for when you knead the dough) in a bowl, combine milk and yeast. Whisk until the yeast is some what dissolved. Make sure your milk isn't too hot! it should feel slightly warm to the touch, and add that to dough. It will be kind of wet. Add a little flour and knead 2-3 minutes. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise 2 hours. yep, 2 hours. After the 2 hours, lightly dust your counter with flour and roll out the dough to large rectanagle..put butter, cinnamon and brown sugar on the dough, and then roll like you would for cinnamon rolls. You will have a really long roll of dough. Cut it in half and then, with a knife, cut down the middle of the dough, leaving the top somewhat in tact, and braid. Press the edges together. Place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick..now, you can let the bread rise some more, or you can bake now..at 350. Bake for 20-25 minutes. I have tried this bread with chocolate as well. It's easier if you buy the bar chocolate and chop it into really fine pieces, and then sprinkle on the dough..we had cinnamon with it, and it was very yummy! :)

Light Recipes..even some vegetarian ones too!

here are some of the recipes I have tried in the past week and a half with my family. Just a side note about tofu, the kids haven't been enjoying as much as I do. But I figure it's takes what? 20 times for them to like anything out of the ordinary, right? So, keep on trying...

Tofu Taco's (found at this site )

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Chile powder

1/2 tsp red pepper sauce (like Franks)

16 ounce frozen extra firm tofu thawed

2 Tbsp olive oil

Note: Make sure your tofu is completely thawed because it won't crisp up if any moisture is left in the tofu..)

Preheat oven 350

mix the first six ingredients together. Drain the tofu and crumble. Add to the mixture and stir

Spread olive oil on a cooking sheet, and then add the tofu mix. bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Take out and stir, then bake for another 20 minutes, or until the tofu is crisp. Use for the filling in your tacos, or for any place that you add ground meat.

Crispy Chicken Nuggets or Tenders (from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger)

Cooking spray

1/2 sleeve whole grain saltine crackers (about 20 crackers)

2 1/2 cups corn flakes

3/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 large egg whites

1 cup plain yogurt

1 tbsp dijon mustard

Chicken, about 3 lbs

in a food processor pulse the cracker and cereal until a fine crumb (I used a ziploc bag, and a meat mallet) In a shallow bowl or plate, add the cereal mixture, the seasonings together and toss to combine.(i used seasoning salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder because that is what my family likes) In a large bowl, combine egg whites, yogurt and mustard. Add the chicken to the yogurt mix and coat each piece. Then, one at a time, dip the chicken pieces in the cereal mixture. Place on a prepared baking sheet, spray the chicken with cooking spray. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink.

Going Meatless..well, sort of (this is going to be long)

Apparently, my child of five has downloaded something on my computer which caused all the lovely green underlined words...M is suppose to fix it sometime....

On to the reason for this post....And disclaimer...I have not written this post to offend anyone, or to hurt anyone's feelings. These are simply MY thoughts and do not reflect on any other person.

I have tried writing this post four times now. I have been trying to get my thoughts across in a cohesive manner, and so far have come out sounding like a fruit case...I don't want to sound like that, because I'm not. Just suddenly very passionate about this topic. So, please bare with me! While I try and write this post this one last time...it might take me a while to get all my thoughts across...so sit down, grab a snack and indulge me for a few minutes...

I have been trying to loose weight. Trying, but not succeeding as well as I had hoped. And then some thoughts have come slowly to the surface and I had to finally be honest with myself. I haven't really been trying...well, I have been exercising more, but I haven't been doing that great at the whole diet thing...let's face it, I haven't gained a total of 18 pounds in the past seven months by eating a healthy diet. So, I have been trying to get my mind to process what I know, and what I need to do. I have been searching for an answer. My answer has been coming in a very loud rush. I have tried ignoring this rush...more like a tsunami than a gentle stream. M put it out there a few weeks ago...the Word of Wisdom. he wanted to start following it more. And that got me thinking a lot. So, having been in Sunday School numerous times, and having to sit in on the Word of Wisdom lessons, it occurred to me that I have never really read, or understood the main points of this guidance. This started the gears in my little brain to hum... what if I were to follow the word of wisdom? Some things have occurred the past few months that have really brought the points of the Word of Wisdom out to me...(like gaining weight in seven months, and my kids getting sick, our budget getting tighter and my body bulging..oh wait, i already put that!)

Here are some things I have realized the past couple of months. I watched Food Inc, a documentary on the food industry. They focused mainly on meat products and soy beans. I don't know how much of the film was edited to make their point more valid, but what I learned in that film made me decide some things. First, my kids will no longer be eating at fast food, or chain restaurants that have processed, frozen foods served. Mom and Pop places all the way, and Subway..although the sandwich meat is processed, I feel that it is much more healthier to eat there than say, Mcdonalds..which by the way, their chicken nugget has 38 ingredients, and that most of those ingredients are corn products And that most fast food products are sprayed with a flammable chemical to "retain freshness". I have given my kids plenty of happy meals, and kid's meals. I am actually grossed out by fast food now. Not only that, but meat is more fatty and unhealthy than when my grandparents were kids. Scary. So, I have decided that we are going some what meatless in my house hold. My kids ate tofu for the first time last week. it wasn't a huge hit, but they ate it, and I actually liked it a lot....so, less meat which is part of the Word of Wisdom...and side note, in the WW the Lord even warns us of "conspiring men" which in this case, I believe is the food Industry as a whole. Look at our country. We are FAT, and getting FATTER. We even have tv shows of FAT people trying to loose weight...and some fail. Because they believe they are being deprived of yummy foods...HUM. When I posted on Facebook that I was going some what meatless, did anyone say, "good for you" no, most people told me I was crazy, or that meat was good and why would I want to take that out of my diet?? I was actually surprised by the responses. We aren't suppose to eat a lot of meat. Our diet is suppose to be made up mostly of grains, vegetables, fruit, and form of protein ...so, I felt a little down, but not much, because like I said, this sudden passion has come in one huge wave. and this decision was for me and my family..it's not going to affect anyone else outside of my home.

I have also learned that what I put into my body affects the way I act, emotionally and physically. When I am eating the foods that are healthy and for the most part, homemade, I feel better all around. My body is able to do more, I feel happier...but when I am eating unhealthy foods, I start to become weary, I am more sluggish, I have less of a desire to do things...I believe that what we feed our bodies does actually feed our souls. So, my focus has become, eating more of the things Heavenly Father has provided for us, and less of what man has provided. Does this mean that i will stop buying all processed foods? I'm not sure yet. My kids love certain foods...but there are healthier ways for them to eat it. I made homemade Mac and Cheese last week, and it tasted infinitely more delicious than the boxed stuff...will I stop buying the boxed stuff? NO, probably not. Luke loves hot dogs, they are processed meats..but I have been buying the Oscar Meyer brand, they have some that are nitrate free..and are seasoned and preserved by natural means, not chemical. Sariah loves Ramen noodles. Will I stop letting her eat them? No, but i will make sure that it isn't every day! Ethan loves chicken nuggets, but how easy is it to make home made ones? So easy, so simple,I found a recipe for home made chicken nuggets that taste great and are easy to prepare! (recipe coming soon) if I make most of the meals we have, then I can control what is in our food. Think about it, a Hostess Ding Dong has 48 ingredients, my homemade chocolate cupcakes have about seven. I believe that part of the problem with our country is people stopped making homemade, healthy meals. People even claim that it is cheaper to eat fast food than to eat healthy..which has been very interesting to me, when you think about it, because if you buy a meal for every one in your house hold, it ends up being at least 15.00 dollars, but I can feed my family at least two meals for that price...We have become of nation of MORE. I was truly mortified when i went to the Cheese Cake Factory in September. Their serving sizes were out of control huge...I was shocked by the size of it. It actually made me a little sick. (and I know a lot of people love that place) I didn't eat much there. But go to any restaurant and the servings could feed at least two very hungry people!. Is there anything wrong with eating out and enjoying our food? No, I don't think there is. But I also think we have become so use to over indulgences that we feel deprived when we can't have the foods that are processed. Another example. I made a new kind of bread, Babka bread. It is a Jewish sweet bread. You can add chocolate, or cinnamon, or any filling you want, the bread is sweet. Not overly sweet, but still delightful.(another recipe coming soon) I gave some to friends, and they both asked if the next time I make it, if I would add frosting to the already sweet laden bread!

I have been thinking a lot about what I put in my body. I haven't been the greatest at it, but the flood of desire to treat my body more like a temple and less like a sieve has been pushing me towards this passion. I am not a fanatic. I know there will be times when i will slip,..I know that. But I have also come to realize that if I follow the Lord's way, if I actually listen to his words, and follow his outline towards health, than my family will blessed.

I believe that if I feed my body healthy, minimally processed or unprocessed foods, the Lord will grant my body the strength it needs. Why wouldn't I want to feed my family healthy foods when I am promised those blessings? The Word of Wisdom is more than just about food to avoid..it is more than trying to decide if hot chocolate is considered a hot drink...(seriously, sat in a class that argued over this point for the entire hour..and did anyone agree? My whole point, hot chocolate won't keep you out of the temple..therefore, good!)it's a promise, that in the end, if we choose to follow it, than we will be blessed. Will we be kept out of the temple for not eating healthy foods? No, but have you ever been to a Sunday School lesson that addresses the food part of the lesson? It has been my experience that everyone glosses over that part, and skips to the parts of the word of wisdom most members don't have a problem with, like drug abuse, drinking coffee, or drinking alcohol. I think it's because we all have some problems with the food aspect of the word of wisdom. The Word of Wisdom is a choice. It even stats.."to be sent greeting, not by commandment or constraint" see, we don't have to follow the word of wisdom but if we do, this is what he promises us "and all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings walking in obedience to the commandments shall receive health in their navel and marrow in their bones and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge even hidden treasures and shall run and not be weary and shall walk and not faint"

So this is why, I have chosen, along with my family, that we will be going some what meatless. Most of our daily meals will consist of healthy, home made fair, and will be based on grains and vegetables. I have been blessed with children who like to eat vegetables and fruit. I want what is best for MY family. And part of that is following the guidelines of the WW. I have felt that if I do this for myself and my family, we will be blessed. And heck, maybe I'll get rid of my bulge while doing so! :)