Breakfast Casserole

Just look at the picture and the ingredients.  No other explanation is needed.  Yummy!

Breakfast Casserole

2 bags of frozen hashbrowns/potatoe mix
1 onion
2 cans of green chilies
1 pound of cooked and drained ham, bacon, or sausage
6 eggs
1 cup milk
Cheddar Cheese


How to make
Cook meat and drain the remaining oil, set aside. Cook hashbrowns and diced onions as directed on package.  Layer the hashbrowns and onion mix on the bottom of a greased 9x13 casserole dish.  Salt and pepper the hashbrowns. Whip the eggs and milk with a fork.  Add the chilies and pour egg mixture over the hashbrowns.  Top with shredded cheese until covered the way you like.

Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes or until bubbling and firm.

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Letterboxing - Adventure for the whole family

People keep asking me, what is letterboxing? Here is a brief explanation from Wikihow.

"Letterboxing is a type of treasure hunt/hiking activity involving hidden boxes, journals, and rubber stamps. Each person needs his or her own personal rubber stamp (called a signature stamp) to leave his mark on the letterbox's journal. In return you take an image of the box's stamp for your own journal. It's like treasure that is art and proof of your find."  

The locations are endless.  All you need are a few hours of your time, a journal and a stamp kit. Don't forget your sense of adventure though, it is highly recommended. 

First choose where you are going at Letterboxing.org. We planned a trip to Kingman Az for memorial weekend.  There are four letterbox locations in Kingman listed on the website.   This is what the clues look like:

1. Looking for Gold

2. Stone Corral

3. Another DamLetterbox

4. Joshua Forest Parkway Letterbox

The second clue included a disclaimer: Beware of rattlesnakes.  We made sure to bring long sticks and cautious ears.  We hiked for 20 minutes to an old corral. At the end of a rusty pipe, under the boulders was a ziplock bag with a plastic jar inside. Inside the jar - a stamp and a journal.  Phew! I was praying there would be something there after the hot hike. 

The girls stamped their journals, then stamped the letterbox journal along with their signature, date, and state of residence. It was fun to look through the notebook and see where everyone was from.

Our next stop - the Mohave County Museum. Unfortunately, it was closed for the holiday.  This is when planning ahead is beneficial.  Luckily, I like the spontaneity and hope involved.  So we ended up at the third location which was inside the Dambar Steakhouse.

Next time we will pick a location in the Hualapai Mountains and hide one ourselves for people to find.   All that is required is a membership. 

This is a great activity for kids as early as 6 to adults.  Be considerate and put the package back exactly as you found it.  If something is damaged, leave a note on the website.

For people with a keen sense of direction and a GPS, try geocaching.  It is more involved and prizes are involved.

Letterboxing kits are available to give as a gift but I find they are fun to make as a craft with the kids as well.  Here are some stamp ideas to add to your own letterbox kit.

Have you tried letterboxing?  Share your story below.

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Veggie Squares

Don't let these veggies deceive you into thinking this is a healthy appetizer. The veggies sit atop a thick spread of blue cheese dressing which blankets a Pillsbury© Crescent Roll. They are irresistible finger foods and super easy to make!

INGREDIENTS

1 container of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

3 Tablespoons of Bob's Big Boy Blue Cheese Dressing

1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar (shredded)

1/4 cup of finely diced red and yellow bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, and green onions.

HOW TO MAKE

Lay out the Crescent Rolls flat on a cookie sheet forming a large rectangle. Bake as directed. Let cool and press firmly making sure it is a solid base. Spread the blue cheese mixture covering the entire area. Mix all the veggies and cheese together then cover the entire surface area of the dough. Press it firmly again by placing a piece of wax paper or foil on top so the veggies get stuck firmly in the dressing and the dough.

Slice into bite-sized squares. Makes 50.

Want to bring other Bite-Sized Goodies to the party, try these!

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Pinwheels

Try and eat just one of these bite-sized goodies. There are many variations but the following recipe is my favorite.

INGREDIENTS

Large Flour Tortillas

1 cup of softened Cream Cheese OR refried beans

1/4 sour cream

1 tsp. Garlic Salt

1/2 cup of green onions

1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of chopped black olives OR black beans OR real bacon bits

1. Mix ingredients well.

2. Slightly warm your tortilla so it is rollable and won't break.

3. Spread the mixture thinly across the entire tortilla.

4. Holding one side of the tortilla, Roll it into the shape of a log.

5. Press it firmly together while maintainging a circular shape.

6. Slice it as you would a sushi roll

7. Serve with your favorite salsa.

See other Bite-Sized Goodies to share at your next event.

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Crab Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Mushroom caps stuffed with crab, jack cheese and a little white wine. These bite-sized goodies are usually the first to go.

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 24 fresh mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons minced green onions
• 1 garlic clove or 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup diced cooked crabmeat
• 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with 3 tablespoons butter.
2. Remove stems from mushrooms. Set aside caps and finely chop the stems.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the chopped stems, chopped garlic and green onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in lemon juice, crabmeat, soft bread crumbs, egg, dill weed and 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese. Thoroughly blend the mixture.
4. Place mushroom caps in the buttered pan, and stir until caps are coated with the butter. Arrange caps cavity side up, and stuff cavities generously with the green onion and crabmeat mixture. Top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Pour wine and soy into the pan around the mushrooms.
5. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve warm. Baste 1 - 2 times throughout with the sauce from the bottom of the pan.

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In Memory of...Rocks

We started this tradition in our home when our cousin Steve was tragically killed in an accident. It was inspired by my mom and aunt who paint their grandchildren's names on rocks and place them throughout their yard.

Since we don't attend grave sites of our loved ones very often, I thought painting a memory rock would allow us to reflect on the people we love and miss everyday.

It is also a helpful way for children to remember their lost pets. We lost our cat Sebastian last year. In honor of him, we painted a cat rock. Now every time we walk outside we reminisce about his silly ways. A beautiful story was also written in honor of Sebastian. (Read it here on the story time experiment blog, CAT COME BACK)

This is not a tradition I look forward to doing, but I love walking around my yard and remembering the impact each loved one had on my life.

See other traditions and crafts for kids.

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Plant a Rock Garden

Over the weekend we bought seed packets to make our favorite salad - radishes, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, some herbs - thyme (for this Next Food Network Star winning chicken recipe) and cilantro. We also planted something sweet and spicy - strawberries and jalapeños. We found a small area with lots of sun, prepped the dirt and planted the seeds.

Then we went rock hunting throughout our yard and found various shapes and sizes. We painted each (with an acrylic paint set from Aaron Brothers) to replicate what would grow where - Cucumber, tomato, strawberry, carrot. Now our garden is colorful from day one and it was a fun craft to share with the kids.

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Turkey, Bacon, Avocado on Squaw Sandwich

My daughter asked me - mommy, if you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life what would it be? My answer is the turkey, bacon and avocado sandwich from Butch's Grinders in Riverside. Their secret ingredient is the squaw bread from Galasso's Bakery in Mira Loma.

I attempted to recreate it after purchasing a loaf of squaw. Here's what you'll need:

INGREDIENTS

Squaw Bread

Mayonnaise

Garlic Oil

Iceberg Lettuce Finely Shredded

Onion - finely sliced

Tomato

Pickle

Provolone - 1 slice

Turkey

Avocado

Bacon

Every ingredient must be fresh and chilled. Mix the lettuce and onions together and lightly season with salt and pepper. Spread the garlic oil on one bread slice and light mayo on the other. Layer your sandwich accordingly, bacon, tomato, avocado slices, pickles, lettuce onion mixture, cheese, turkey, top with mayonnaise side down.

Enjoy!

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Pastrami Pizza

I do not like pastrami or mustard, except when it is placed atop a pizza. I first tried a pastrami pizza from the Downey Pizza Company. Now it is a monthly meal in our home. It is so easy and everyone loves it. I'm thinking I will bring it to a super bowl party next year.

INGREDIENTS

Pizza Crust (I used a BOBOLI)

Yellow Mustard

Pastrami

Pepperocinis

Jack cheese

Red Pepper

Garlic Salt

Spread the mustard on the pizza dough as you would sauce. Cover the pizza with the remaining ingredients as you like. Season with Red Pepper and Garlic Salt. Bake at 450 degrees for 14 minutes.

While you are eating the pizza, bake a brownie pizza for dessert! (recipe coming soon)

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Looking for Love? - Here it is!

This recipe makes my heart melt: Dark Chocolate covered Strawberries served with a Marshmellow Cream Dip.

INGREDIENTS

Long Stem Strawberries

1 package of Ghirardelli© Dark Chocolate Chips

1 Jar of Marshmellow Cream

1 package of Neufchâtel Cheese

HOW TO MAKE

Melt chocolate chips in a glass bowl atop boiling water. Add 1 tsp oil then stir until smooth. Dip Strawberries and lay on wax paper. Place in Fridge to harden.

For the dip, blend the entire jar of marshmellow cream with 1 package of Neufchâtel Cheese. Optional: sprinkle with brown sugar.

I decorated the bowl with the remaining chocolate. The strawberry shaped like a heart is the first picture in the album on facebook titled, Looking for Love. Make sure to look for love wherever you are. Take a picture and share the love with everyone.

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