Old Fashioned Pancakes

       My husband enjoys a big breakfast on the weekends while  I can eat a piece of toast and be just fine with it.  So for a special treat, this Saturday I decided to make him homemade pancakes.  I couldn’t find my original recipe so I just pulled one off the Internet.  It made fluffy, light pancakes that were great with butter and syrup.

Old Fashioned Pancakes (adapted from Allrecipes  )

1 ½ c. flour

3 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

2 T. sugar

1 ¼ c. buttermilk

1 egg, beaten

3 T. melted butter

1.     1.  In a large bowl combine the buttermilk, egg, and butter.  In a smaller bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  

2.   2.  Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture and whisk until smooth.  

2.      3.  Heat a frying pan over medium heat.  Spray with cooking spray.  Pour two pancakes into the pan, using ¼ c. batter for each.  When the top begins to bubble flip the pancake and allow to cook for two more minutes.  

4.   Remove from pan and serve.

This post linked to:
Meatless Monday, Mangia Monday, Making You Crave Monday, Mouthwatering Monday, 
Tasty Tuesdays, Trick or Treat Tuesday, 

Golf Course Cupcake Cake with Simple Vanilla Cupcakes #SundaySupper

    This week for #SundaySupper we are doing part two of  the recipes from Katie Workman's cookbook, The Mom 100 Cookbook.  I've been enjoying working my way through this cookbook during the past month. I've made the Japanese Restaurant Salad, Chickpea Poppers, two version of the Basic Vinaigrette, and Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry.  They all been wonderful recipes but the one thing I haven't tried yet was a dessert.

     That brings me to this past weekend.  It's my dad's 60th birthday this month and we were having a surprise party for him last weekend.  He had no idea we were planning it.  I wanted to make him a special cake for this big occasion.  He loves to go golfing so I thought about a golf cake but then I came across a picture of a golf cupcake cake.  I needed a good vanilla cupcake recipe for the base and knew I saw one in Katie Workman's cookbook.  Sure enough there was a recipe for simple vanilla cake with a variation for making cupcakes.

      These cupcakes were simple to bake and I already had all of the ingredients on hand.  The only change I made was to cut out some of the butter and add in applesauce in it's place to cut down on some of the fat.  These cupcakes are super moist and buttery.  They also hold up well to frosting.

      For the frosting I made a simple buttercream and dyed 3/4 of it green and then divided the remaining 1/4 into two bowls.  I dyed one blue and left the other white.  To make the golf course I first placed the cupcakes where I wanted them on a cake board.  Then I frosted the sand trap cupcakes with white and sprinkled them with crushed graham cracker crumbs.  Next I did the putting green. It was a little more difficult because most of the pieces had half sprinkles and half jimmies on them.  Then I finished up with the water hazard.

     My dad absolutely loved the cake!  He thought it was so creative to use cupcakes, that everyone could grab, and make a golf course out of them.  I really like the way they turned out too and they tasted good as well. 

Golf Course Cupcake Cake with Simple Vanilla Cupcakes (cupcakes recipe from The Mom 100 Cookbook by Katie Workman)
10 T. butter (1 stick + 2 tablespoons)
1/2 c. applesauce
3 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 1/4 c. sugar
5 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 c. low fat milk

For the buttercream:
2 sticks butter, softened
3 c. powdered sugar
2 t. vanilla
2-3 T. low fat milk

For decorating:
2 sheets graham crackers, crushed
1/4 c. blue sprinkles
1/3 c. light green sprinkles
1/2 c. dark green jimmies
Tiny white mints 

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 muffin tins with 24 cupcake liners.  Set aside.

2.  In  medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3.  Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Using an electric mixer beat them together until light and fluffy.  Add in the applesauce and mix until combined.

4.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Stir in the vanilla.

5.  Add half of the flour mixture and mix until just blended.  Add the milk and stir until almost incorporated.  Mix in the remaining flour until just combined.

6.  Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling 3/4 of the way full.

7.  Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8.  Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tins.  Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

9.  Meanwhile place the softened butter for the frosting in a large mixing bowl.  Beat on medium speed until the butter is fluffy.  Add in the powdered sugar and beat until well incorporated.  The frosting will be stiff.

10.  Mixing on low speed, add in the vanilla and then the milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it is the desired consistency.

11.  Dye 3/4 of the frosting green.  Dye half of the remaining frosting blue and leave the rest white.

12.  Frost 18 cupcakes with the green frosting, 3 with white, and 3 with green.  Top the white cupcakes with crushed graham cracker crumbs.  Top the blue cupcakes with blue sprinkles.  Using the picture as a guide, top the green cupcakes with green sprinkles and dark green jimmies.

13.  Assemble the cupcake cake on a cake board.  Use tiny white mints for gold balls and make a flag for the hole.  Enjoy!

The Sunday Supper Group has enjoyed creating Katie’s recipes.  We are honored to have Katie as our guest during our #SundaySupper live chat at 7:00 pm est.  Join us and chat with Katie about being a mom, kids and Spending time Around the Family Table.
We will be giving away 3 copies of the Mom 100 Cookbooks. This is an event you don’t want to miss!!
Here are some  favorites we will be sharing with you during #SundaySupper this week.
Salads:

• Japanese Restaurant Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing  Shockingly Delicious @shockinglydlish

Main Dish:

• Spicy Ranch Bacon & Avocado Quesadilla Daily Dish Recipes @nicolehcook
• Turkey Meat Sauce The Meltaways @MrsMeltaway
•  Lasagna with Turkey Meat Sauce GirliChef @girlichef
•  Salsa Chicken Quesadilla with a homemade cilantro chimichurri Juanita’s Cocina @juanitascocina
• Individual Grilled Pizza Big Bears Wife @bigbearswife
• Beans and Cheese Quesadila with Tomato Salad Basic n Delicious @basicndelicious
• Grill Roasted Honey Ginger Chicken Are you Hungry? @redkathy
• One-Pot Arroz con Pollo – Cuban Style Comfy Cuisine @trish0605
• Sesame Noodles With Shrimp and Vegetables Magnolia Days @reneedobbs
• Fresh Mozzarella Pasta Casserole Twitter Doggie at The Dinner @doggieatdinner
• Arroz con Pollo Puerto Rican style Cooking by the seat of our pants @cbsop
• Rice Toppings of Garlic, Lemon, Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Summer Pineapple The Queen’s Notebook @mango_queen
• Pizza Quesadillas Meal Planning Magic @mealplanmom
• Sesame Noodles Cupcakes and Kale Chips @CupcakeKaleChip
• Lasagna Parcels with Turkey Meat Sauce Small Wallet Big Appetite @wallet_appetite
• Grilled Garlic Lemon Rosemary Chicken Pippi’s in the Kitchen Again  @shlylais
•  Grilled Breakfast Pizza & Sauteed Corn & Spinach Grilled Pizza Momma’s Meals @mommasmeals
•  Pear, Goat cheese and Pancetta Grilled Pizza MamaMommyMom @mamamommymom
•  Sauteed Corn, Spinach, Bacon and scallions! Mama’s Blissful Bites  @mamapoolecooks
•  Thai Style Sesame Glass Noodle My Trials in the Kitchen @seetfei
•  Caramelized Onion & Flank Steak Quesadilla In The Kitchen with KP  @InTheKitchenKP
•  Teriyaki Skewers Real Best Recipe @realbestrecipe
•  Skillet Spinach Corn with Edamame Cilantro & Bacon Bits Sue’s Nutrition Buzz @ssunithi
• Pulled Pork with Papa Mike’s Cole Slaw In the Kitchen with Audrey @audreysmamma
• Sauteed Corn, Spinach Bacon and Scallions That Skinny Chick Can Bake @thatskinnychick
• Arroz con Pollo Portuguese Style Family Foodie @familyfoodie

Desserts:

• Fudgy One Pot Brownies Mrs. Mama Hen @MrsMamaHen
• Simple Vanilla Cupcakes Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks @HezziD
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares Chocolate Moosey @chocolatemoosey
•  Butterscotch-Bacon Apple cookies What Smells So Good? @jo_jo_ba

Wine pairing Wine Everyday  @wineeveryday

We will be sharing great family recipes all afternoon and want you to share yours with us! #SundaySupper starts every week at 3:00pm EST by showcasing fabulous recipes.  Follow us on twitter by using hashtag #Sundaysupper or using Tweetchat.  We love to feature your recipes on our #sundaysupper pinterest board and share them with all our followers.

This post linked to:
Think Pink Sundays, Sundae Scoop Sundays, Crazy Sweet Tuesdays, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Totally Tasty Tuesdays,

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune--and remarkable power--to whoever can unlock them.

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved--that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt--among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life--and love--in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.
Are you ready?
(--synopsis from Goodreads)

     I absolutely loved this book!  The world that is created in this futuristic book is incredible.  The "real world" has been basically destroyed by war and people live in stacked trailers 20 or 30 units high.  The streets are dangerous and anything of value is stolen immediately.  The only relief from the world is the virtual world of OASIS.

      Wade is such a likeable character.  He's a poor, teenage boy who lives with his aunt.  His parents have passed away and his remaining family members steal anything he is able to keep.  He was only able to obtain an OASIS console if he was willing to go to virtual school.  When Halliday dies Wade embarks on the treasure hunt for the hidden "Easter Eggs" and the big prize.


      Along the way Wade works with his virtual best friend and his virtual crush.  While they share basic information it's every man for himself in a race to the finish.  The entire book is riddled with fun references to the 1980's.  The music, the video games, and the TV show knowledge that the characters need to know was so much fun for me to read about as a child of the 80's.  Even the "Easter eggs" reminded me of secret rooms and pathways I found in the original Nintendo and Sega systems.


     In the end the book is all about fighting for what you believe and knowing who your friends really are.  This is a book I could easily read over and over again and find something new in it every time.  


I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.  

This post linked to:
Saturday Situation,

Lemon Curd with Berries: What's Baking?

     In the summer our typical breakfast is low fat vanilla yogurt topped with fresh berries and homemade granola.  It's healthy, it's filling, and it's really good.  However, I can only eat the exact same breakfast so many days in a row before losing my mind.  I still wanted something that was cold and had fruit in it, but I wanted something different.

     I found what I was looking for in the most recent issue of Cooking Light Magazine.  I love Cooking Light for it's healthier recipes that use everyday ingredients and taste great.  A gorgeous picture lemon curd layered with berries was just waiting for me on one of the pages.  Now I know that traditional lemon curd has a ton of fat in it, but in true Cooking Light form, they lightened it up.  This was also perfect for July's What's Baking? challenge which is hosted by Jaida of Sweet Beginnings.  She challenged us to cook with summer fruits.

      The lemon curd was tangy and fresh tasting.  I added in my fresh fruit and still topped it off with homemade granola.  It was a refreshing change from the yogurt I eat most mornings and we ended up getting 6 servings out of it.

Lemon Curd with Berries (adapted from Cooking Light)
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. fresh lime juiice
1/4 t. salt
6 egg yolks
3 T. butter
1 t. lemon zest
1 t. lime zest
1 1/2 c. blueberries
1 1/2 c. strawberries, sliced
1/3 c. granola (my recipe)

1.  Combine the sugar, lemon juice, lime juice, salt, and egg yolks in a small saucepan over medium heat.

2.  Heat the mixture until it reaches 180 degrees or it begins to thicken, about 8 minutes.  Stir constantly with a whisk while bringing it to temperature.  After it reaches 180 degrees remove from heat.

3.  Add in the butter and zests, stirring until the butter melts.

4.  Pour the curd into a medium bowl.  Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours.

5.  To serve spoon 2 tablespoons of lemon curd in a small dish, top with 2 tablespoons of blueberries and 2 tablespoons of strawberries.  Repeat the layers again and then top with a heaping tablespoon of granola.

This post linked to:
Foodie Friday 1, Foodie Friday 2, Shine on Fridays, Sweet Tooth Fridays, 
Sweets for a Saturday, Seasonal Inspiration, 

Slow Cooker Chicken with Corn and Poblanos

     I love making big crock-pot meals that have plenty of leftovers for my lunch the day.  I've recently been looking for low fat meals as well.  This slow cooker chicken seemed to fit the bill.  While I liked the original recipe, I thought it lacked a bit in the flavor department so I added in some tomatoes and some spices.

      I was going to put the chicken over top of couscous but then my love of enchiladas/tacos/burritos got in the way and I ended up wrapping them in flour tortillas and turning them into soft tacos.  I enjoyed the tenderness of the chicken as well as the spice from the peppers and the burst of sweetness from the corn.  The next day I had the leftovers over top of couscous which was delicious as well.  This chicken is very versatile so it's easy to make it into one dish the night it's made and then turn it into a different dish the next night.

Slow Cooker Chicken with Corn and Poblanos (adapted from Prevention RD)
1 onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 lb. chicken breasts
3 poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz) bag frozen corn
1 t. black pepper
1 t. salt
1 t. cumin
3/4 c. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

1.  Place the onion and garlic in the bottom of a crock-pot.

2.  Rub the chicken with the salt, pepper, and cumin.  Place the chicken on top of the onions.  Layer the corn, poblanos, and tomatoes on top of the chicken.

3.  Turn the crock-pot on low and cook for 8-10 hours.

4.  Remove the chicken from the crock-pot and shred.  Return the shredded chicken to the crock-pot and stir in the yogurt and cilantro.  Serve in a tortilla or over top of couscous.

**If you want to freeze this recipe prepare the meat as instructed stopping after you shred the meat.  Do not add in the yogurt and cilantro.  Place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.  When ready to use thaw in the refrigerator overnight.  Add 1/4 c. of water to the chicken and heat in the oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until hot.  Remove from over and stir in the yogurt and cilantro.**
This post linked to:
Full Plate Thursday,  It's A Keeper Thursday, Frugal Food Thursdays,

Reuben Sandwiches

     I was recently part of a sandwich swap and realized I hardly had any sandwiches in my blog!  I found this to be odd because I eat sandwiches for lunch 2-3 days a week but I never blog any of them.  On a whim one day I went to the market and bought corned beef, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut.

     I've never been a huge fan of Thousand Island dressing.  I just don't like the way it tastes.  I searched around to find a homemade recipe that I thought I would like.  This one hits the spot.  It's so much better then the bottled stuff.

     The Reubens turned out awesome.  The bread was lightly toasted, the cheese was melted, and the meat was hot.  The sandwiches were stacked high and were bursting with flavor.  We can't wait to have them again soon!

Reuben Sandwiches (dressing recipe from The Galley Gourmet)
For the sandwich:
8 slices marble rye bread
8 slices Swiss cheese
4 oz. corned beef, thinly sliced
1 c. sauerkraut

For the Thousand Island Dressing:
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 T. Heinz Chili Sauce
2 T. finely minced pickles
1 T. finely minced onions
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. finely chopped parsley
1/2 t. salt
1 t. black pepper

1.  In a small bowl combine all the ingredients for the dressing.  Mix thoroughly.   Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before using.

2.  In a small skillet oven medium heat saute the corned beef until it is hot. 

3.  Preheat the broiler to high.  Place marble rye slices on a heavy baking sheet.  Broil 6 inches from heat for 1 minute per side.  Remove from oven.

4.  Place 2 slices of Swiss cheese on 4 slices of the bread.  Place 1/4 cup of sauerkraut on the other 4 slices of bread.  Broil for 1 minute.

5.  Remove from the oven.  Divide the corned beef and place on top of the sauerkraut.  Place a tablespoon of dressing on top of the corned beef.  Top with the bread that has the Swiss cheese on it.  Serve immediately.

This post linked to:
Cast Party Wednesday, Whatcha Whipped Up, What's Cooking Wednesdays,

Behind God's Back: Secret, Shadows, and Sex by Anna O'Moss

      When six old friends meet for lunch… they discover things about each other… they never knew existed…

      Sandra, a writer, excited to have a book deal, which is based on her story of FORBIDDEN LUST, now must tell her friends what really happened on their last church camping trip. They swore they would never speak of it again and now it is going to be exposed to the world.Now in her forties, Darlene is outraged, until she lets them in on her secret.

      As their day turns into the night, a few bottles of wine later, these forty-year-old women share their secrets of forbidden lust too. Some tales are riddled with guilt, and others are so guilty because their stories of sexual pleasure are forbidden in the eyes of society, especially when their spiritual and religious beliefs conflict with each other.

      As the story unfolds, the girls are appalled to learn about one of their secrets that they take a vow to remain friends forever – the same vow that they took twenty-five years ago, which brought them together this afternoon. Sandra didn’t know these hidden fascinating stories about her friends would end up being including in her book. All that she knew was the little secret between her and Darlene and that ‘unforgettable night’!

     Their stories are of love, humor, anger, pain, and, sometimes, graphic sexual dialogue, along with their vivid images, and those haunting teenage memories move them to tears, and leaves them all questioning life itself.  (synopsis from the author)

      The first few chapters of this book were a little confusing.  The author kept bouncing back and forth between the characters and sharing tidbits of their lives but it was all jumbled and didn't make much sense.  I had a hard time getting through the early chapters.

     Once the big secret is revealed the book gets really good.  The shock of the story leaves one friend horrified, one sobbing, and another shocked to her core.  As the women try to get themselves together they begin sharing their own secrets of "forbidden lust".  The stories range from shocking and jaw dropping to slightly embarrassing.  I couldn't wait to find out what the next woman would reveal.  It kept me intrigued and into the story.

     The ending was a bit of a let down as it was months or years in the future and gave a quick wrap up of the women's lives.  It was a bit choppy and didn't seem to really flow with the rest of the book.

     Overall I found this to be a fun read that left me thinking about my own life, God, and sex.  It was interesting how each woman felt differently about God, religion, and sex.  This was a night that changed all of their lives, mostly for the good, all because of the secrets they were finally able to let go of and tell their friends.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

This post linked to:
Review Party Wednesdays, 

Twenty-Two Faces by Judy Byington: Author Spotlight and Giveaway!

About Judy Byington

Judy Byington, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., ret, has dedicated her life to humanizing and raising public awareness about the little known effects of ritual abuse and mind-control programming that tragically cause formation of multiple personalities in children.

The retired CEO, therapist, author and mental health supervisor is founder and leader of Trauma Research Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing information through CEU accredited seminars and lectures on Dissociation and coordinating ritual abuse survivor group, therapeutic and legal resources.

The former mental health supervisor spent twenty years in research with Jenny Hill while interviewing hundreds of ritual abuse survivors, legal entities, therapists, families of missing children and religious, media and community leaders. She works as a consultant on Occult crime with the Utah Attorney General’s office.

With a compelling drive to educate the public on the unimaginable horrors faced by children born into families practicing ritual abuse, Byington continues to pen books about survivors like Jenny Hill who suffer repressed childhood memories of forced participation in rape, torture and murder. Her upcoming book Saints, Sinners and Satan provides a first person account of her own experiences with multiple personality survivors and Occult crime.

You can find out more about the book at http://twentytwofaces.com or at the bloghttp://www.22faces.com

About 22 Faces

Referring to journals written throughout childhood,Twenty-Two Faces: Inside the Extraordinary Life of Jenny Hill and Her Twenty-Two Multiple Personalitiesdocuments how as a five year-old, Jenny overcomes ongoing abuse by turning to prayer while utilizing her alter states to compartmentalize trauma at the hands of a master mind-control programmer from Nazi Germany. After suffering deaths of a high school sweetheart, plus her only girlfriend, she somehow completes Army medic training, receives a nursing degree, prepares for a church mission and becomes a mother. Simultaneously led by sex-addict Head Alter J.J., intrepid alters assume frequent control, engaging in larceny and prostitution. With her children, her lifeline, the increasingly desperate nurse escapes a drugged-out pimping husband, blacks out in a job interview, comes to nine days later as an inpatient headed for the Utah State Psychiatric Hospital and only then learns what her life has really been.

One of my readers will win a copy of Twenty-Two Faces by Judy Byington.  The giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada.  The giveaway will be open until July 24 at midnight.  In order to enter the giveaway simply leave a comment along with your e-mail address.

Gooey Enchiladas for Secret Recipe Club

     Here we are in the middle of July already!  I can't believe how fast summer is flying by.  It's time again for this month's Secret Recipe Club.   This month I was assigned to Heather's blog, Join us, Pull Up a Chair.  Her blog has a little bit of everything in it from chocolate chip pecan pie and lemon butter cookies to broccoli chicken with cashews and cheesesteak stuffed peppers!  It was a tough decision to find the recipe I wanted to make but I went with the Gooey Enchiladas.

      These enchiladas are different from the typical ones I make because instead of a smooth sauce, the sauce is chunky and very salsa like.  Because it was 100 degrees the day I decided to make these, and we don't have air conditioning in our house, I had to adapt and make them in a skillet instead of the oven.

      They turned out cheesy, gooey, and delicious.  The inside of the enchiladas were stuffed with ground beef, black beans, cilantro, and cheese.  They are then topped off with the salsa sauce and cooked until the cheese is melted.  Since I made them in the skillet the bottoms were crunchy as well which turned out to be extra tasty.

Gooey Enchiladas (adapted from Join us, Pull Up a Chair)
1 t. olive oil
1 onion, minced  
3 garlic cloves, minced  
14 oz. can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes  
1 t. ground coriander  
2 t. cumin, divided  
1 t. oregano  
1 t. black pepper, divided  
1/2 t. salt  
1 t. chili powder 
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped  
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 c. black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. cheddar cheese
6 flour tortillas

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add in the onion and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute.  

2.  Add the tomatoes, coriander, 1 teaspoon of cumin, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and salt to the onions and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.


3.  In another pan cook the ground beef along with the remaining cumin, black pepper, and chili powder.  Drain the fat.  Stir in the black beans and half of the cheese.


4.  Divide the beef mixture between the 6 tortillas.  Spread a tablespoon of the tomato mixture on top of each.  Fold the sides of the tortillas in and roll.


5.  Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a large skillet.  Place the enchiladas on top of the sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with remaining tomato sauce.


6.  Cover the pan with a lid and heat over medium high heat for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.


7.  Serve with sour cream if desired.  

This post linked to:
Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday,

Twenty-Two Faces by Judy Byington

     Referring to journals written throughout childhood, Twenty-Two Faces: Inside the Extraordinary Life of Jenny Hill and Her Twenty-Two Multiple Personalities documents how as a five year-old, Jenny overcomes ongoing abuse by turning to prayer while utilizing her alter states to compartmentalize trauma at the hands of a master mind-control programmer from Nazi Germany. After suffering deaths of a high school sweetheart, plus her only girlfriend, she somehow completes Army medic training, receives a nursing degree, prepares for a church mission and becomes a mother. Simultaneously led by sex-addict Head Alter J.J., intrepid alters assume frequent control, engaging in larceny and prostitution. With her children, her lifeline, the increasingly desperate nurse escapes a drugged-out pimping husband, blacks out in a job interview, comes to nine days later as an inpatient headed for the Utah State Psychiatric Hospital and only then learns what her life has really been.  (synopsis from the author)

      Reading Twenty-Two Faces was a challenge for me because of the violent nature of the book.  Some of the details of Jenny's torture and abuse are very graphic and vivid and I could only read so much at a time before I needed time to process what I read.  It's hard to imagine that Jenny Hill was able to survive and live through what she did as a child.  It is truly amazing that she has lived into adulthood.  It is also amazing to me that she was able to get a nursing degree and pass her boards with 22 different personalities inside of her.


      At first I thought a lot about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her father.  It was a horrible experience for her but it also made her feel loved.  However, living in the house had to have been hell on Jenny because her mother pretty much hated her and those feelings showed in how her sisters treated her as well.  As she grew older, Jenny continued to be in mentally, sexually, and physically abusive relationships.


      Thankfully when Jenny was in her 20's she was finally admitted to a psychiatric hospital where a doctor recognized her as having multiple personalities.  She was treated in that hospital for a year and many of her personalities went dormant at this point in time.  


     This book is an in-depth look at what sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and ritual abuse can do to a child and how Jenny Hill was able to deal with it.  It's a sad and horrifying book but the strength Jenny shows throughout the book is remarkable.  It's a must read for anyone who is in the medical field, knows someone with a mental illness, or works with people who have mental illnesses or multiple personalities.  


I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.  

**Disclaimer-this book contains graphic details of sexual assaults and violence.**

This post linked to:
Review Party Wednesdays, 

Red, White, and Blue Cookies with Newman's Own Organics Dried Fruits + a Giveaway!

    I'm excited to be participating in another Food.Fun.Hop event hosted by Shy Babies & Little Inspiration.  For the Food Fun Hop the wonderful people at Newman's Own Organics sent me a box filled with dried fruits and Hermit cookies.  I received a package of dried apples, dried cranberries, and a berry mix.  Not only were they generous enough to give me these organic dried fruits but they are going to send a selection of them to one of my readers as well!

        We had never had the dried fruit or Hermit cookies before.  The cookies were soft, sweet, and delicious.  We finished them off in just two days.  The dried fruits were pretty awesome as well.  We liked the dried apples the best because they were soft and just a little bit sweet.  I ate them plain while my husband enjoyed them on his yogurt.  The berry blend was tasty too.  I enjoyed the different tart and sweet flavors.  The cranberries were perfect in my organic granola mix.  My husband is already asking when we can buy the apples again.

    When deciding what to make I immediately thought of something red, white, and blue because the berry mix contains cherries, cranberries, and blueberries.  I figured if I added in white chocolate I could make the perfect patriotic dessert.  These red, white, and blue cookies were perfect.  They had a delicate sweetness from the brown sugar, a tartness from the dried fruit, and a smooth creaminess from the white chocolate.  They were the all around perfect cookie.  We took some to our friends and they were devoured in minutes. 

Red, White, and Blue Cookies (adapted from Cookie Madness)
1 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
5 T. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. granulated sugar
1/4 c. applesauce
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. Newman's Own Organics dried berry blend
1/4 c. Newman's Own Organics dried cranberries
3 oz. white chocolate, cut into chunks

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a medium bowl cream together the butter and two sugars.  Stir in the applesauce and mix well.

3.  Add the egg, vanilla, and cinnamon to the butter mixture and beat for 30 seconds.

4.  In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

5.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until well combined.

6.  Fold in the dried berries and white chocolate chunks.

7.  Drop heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.  Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

     Now for the giveaway!  One of my readers will win a selection of Newman's Own Organics dried fruits!  The giveaway is open to US readers and will run through July 30 at midnight.  I will contact the winner via e-mail on July 31.

**Newman's Own Organics products were received in order to facilitate this review and giveaway, but all opinions are 100% my own.**

This post linked to:
Meatless Mondays, Mangia Mondays,  Making You Crave Mondays,

Prickly Pear Wine Spritzer #SundaySupper

    This week the theme for #SundaySupper is Beat the Heat which is being hosted by Jen at Juanita's Cosina.    It's been in the 90's here on and off for the past month and the only thing I wanted to beat the heat was a nice, cool drink.  Whenever it's hot, I want something that is light, fruity, and refreshing. 

     Last month my little brother went to Sedona, Arizona.  He took some breathtaking pictures of the sites and made me totally jealous for not being there.  However he did bring me back a present.  He brought me back a bottle of Prickly Pear Cactus Syrup because he knows how much I love to cook and enjoy using new ingredients.  I am totally new to Prickly Pear Syrup but I instantly had a ton of ideas.  My brother enjoys cooking as well so he told me he'd be happy to taste my creations.

     I wasn't really sure what the flavor of the syrup would be so instead of trying to use it in a baked good right off the bat I opted for trying it out in a mixed drink first.  This past week was scorching hot and I was dying for a white wine spritzer so I jazzed it up with some of this syrup.

     The flavors in the spritzer were perfect for a hot summer day.  The Pinot Grigio is a crisp white wine that holds the flavors of the Prickly Pear Syrup, lemons, and limes.  The drink was just barely sweet and bursting with fruit flavor.  The syrup also turned the drink a gorgeous pink color that looked so pretty with the lemon and lime wedges.  I can't wait to make this for our next #SundaySupper with friends!  I know it will be a huge hit!

Prickly Pear Wine Spritzer (an original Hezzi-D recipe)
3/4 c. Pinot Grigio (or any other white wine)
1/2 c. seltzer water
2 T. Prickly Pear Cactus Syrup
1 t. sugar (if using a dry white wine)
1 c. ice
3 lemon slices, thinly cut
3 lime slices, thinly cut
lemon and lime wedges for garnishing

1.  Pour the Pinot Grigio, seltzer water, Prickly pear syrup, and sugar in a shaker.  Shake well for 1 minutes.

2.  Strain the beverage into a tall glass filled with ice.  Add in the thinly cut lemon and lime slices.  Garnish with a lemon and lime wedge and a drizzle of the Prickly Pear Syrup.

Don't forget to check out these other #SundaySupper recipes to Beat the Heat:


#BeatTheHeat Appetizers:

• Refreshing Chunky Shrimp Salsa ~ The Weekend Gourmet
• Totally Cool Green Hummus ~ My Kitchen and I
• Smoked Whitefish Salad Bagel Bites ~ Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Watermelon and Goat Cheese Bites ~ Chelsea's Culinary Indulgence
• Strawberry Gazpacho ~ Diabetic Foodie
• Grilled Loaded Baked Potato Skins ~ In the Kitchen with KP
• Sweet & Tangy Chili Lime Fruit Salad ~ Sue's Nutrition Buzz

#BeatTheHeat Salads, Soups, & Sides:

• Cool Cucumber Salad ~ Momma's Meals
• Lemony Garbanzo Kale Salad with Tuna ~ Shockingly Delicious
• Hungarian Cucumber Salad Recipe - Uborkasaláta Recept ~ The Watering Mouth
• Tomato Salad with Macadamia Cheese ~ Cooking's Good Vegetarian Cafe
• Char-Grilled Corn Salad ~ The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Gazpacho ~ The Hand That Rocks the Ladle
• Summertime Sweet Pea Salad ~ Granny's Down Home Southern Cooking
• Apple and Poppy Seed Coleslaw ~ Damn Delicious
• Cold Cucumber and Orzo Salad ~ Mama.Mommy.Mom
• Carribbean Salad with Grilled Shrimp ~ Mama's Blissful Bites
• Chilly Dilly Cucumber Soup with Shrimp ~ Comfy Cuisine
• Mom's Creamy Pea Salad ~ Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Greek (Yogurt) Potato Salad ~ Family Foodie

#BeatTheHeat Main Dishes:

• Rainbow Slaw with Steak and Chipotle Crema ~ Cooking By The Seat of our Pants
• Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken ~ Make Dinner Easy
• Rolling with Kimbap ~ Kimchi Mom
• Ranch Chicken Tacos ~ Pippi's In The Kitchen Again
• Serrano Ham, Mozzarella and Arugula Sandwiches ~ Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Asian Veggie Lettuce Wraps ~ The Lemon Bowl
• Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork ~ Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• No Bake Pizza ~ The Meltaways

#BeatTheHeat Desserts:

• Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream ~ Supper for a Steal
• No-Cook Egg-Free Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream ~ Chocolate Moosey
• Peach Sorbet ~ Magnolia Days
• Gluten-Free Cookie Dough Ice Cream ~ No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
• Icebox Chocolate Pie ~ Doggie at the Dinner Table
• Honey and Elderflower Ice Cream ~ Small Wallet Big Appetite
• Blackberry Lavender Popsicles ~ Girlichef
• Frozen Chocolate Bananas ~ In the Kitchen with Audrey
• Strawberry-Lime Margarita Ice Cream ~ Cookistry
• Elegant Fruit Jellies ~ Happy Baking Days
• Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches ~ That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream ~ Baker Street
• Vanilla Peach Swirl Frozen Yogurt ~ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
• Espresso and Toasted Almond Semifreddo ~ The Messy Baker
• Mango Ice Cream ~ Queen's Notebook
• Raspberry Mousse ~ Basic and Delicious
• White Apricot & Honeysuckle Sorbet ~ Family Spice
• Biscoff Ice Cream Cupcakes ~ Juanita's Cocina

#BeatTheHeat Drinks & Cocktails:

• Shirley Temple ~ Cravings of a Lunatic
• Coco-Limeade ~ What Smells So Good?
• Prickly Pear White Wine Spritzer ~ Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Classic Daquiri ~ Katherine Martinelli
• Salty Lassi ~ Soni's Food for Thought
• Blueberry Mint Lemonade ~ Pescetarian Journal
• Sweet Basil & Cucumber Melon Smoothie ~ Daily Dish Recipes

Wine Pairings Provided By: ENOFYLZ

This post linked to:
 Scrumptious Sundays,

Zucchini, Squash, and Tomato Gratin

    I was excited when the theme for my cooking boards recipe swap was vegetarian this week.  I try to cook vegetarian 2-3 days a week but many times we end up having a pasta dish or tofu so I'm always searching for new main dishes.  I ended up with Zucchini-Tomato Gratin from Life and Kitchen.

    I was lucky that I just bought a block of Parmesan cheese and a block of Pecorino Romano at Giant Eagle Market District last weekend so I already had the cheeses on hand.  Because I am not a huge fan of tomatoes I only used one in this recipe and then added a yellow squash.  I like how simple this meal is.  It's basically just the sauteed vegetables, garlic, and cheese.

     The flavors blend together in the oven and they make for a terrific dish.  The garlic seeps into the vegetables and the saltiness from the cheese finishes off the dish.  I served it with crusty bread and an olive oil dipping sauce.  My husband really enjoyed it as well and thought it would be even better served over top of pasta so I may try that next time.  Either way, we both certainly enjoyed this dish and it was much different from our normal vegetarian main dishes.

Zucchini, Squash, and Tomato Gratin (adapted from Life and Kitchen)

1 large tomato, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 large zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch-thick diagonal slices

1 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
1/2 medium onion
2 Tbsp. olive oils, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼  c. chopped parsley
 ¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

¼ c. Pecorino Romano cheese

1.  Slice the tomatoes and place in a colander.  Sprinkle them with salt.  

2. Spread the zucchini on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.  Let stand for 30 minutes to sweat out excess moisture. Pat dry with paper towels.

3.  Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Dice the onion and saute for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and place in a bowl.

4.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

5.  Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in the same pan you just cooked the onions it.  Saute the zucchini and squash over medium high heat for 3-5 minute or until just starting to brown.  Do this in batches if needed. 

6.  In an 8 x 8 baking dish layer half the zucchini on the bottom.  Layer with half the squash, half the tomatoes, and half the onions.  Sprinkle with half of the garlic cloves, half of the parsley, and half of the cheeses.  Sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper.

7.  Layer the remaining zucchini, squash, tomatoes, and onions.  Sprinkle with remaining garlic, parsley, and cheeses.  Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

8.  Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the gratin is bubbling.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

This post linked to:
Foodie Fridays, Foodie Fridays 2, Shine on Friday,