Some might say I'm a sell out...
My reply is I just created a new brand. No harm, no foul.
Don't worry, cause I'm right here. Yes, right here. Right here at home.
Disclaimer: This post was not "triggered" by any one person's words or such. It was just randomly thought out while doing some (once again, dangerous) thinking. Possibly by playing a wee bit too much Rock Band. But who's to say what is too much? Hmm?
First of all.... What exactly do you do when you suddenly have a craving for Taco Bell, but yet the meat for lasagna is thawing? Such tough decisions! Whatever will I DO?!
Second:
So, I'm sitting here eating some good ol' cheez-its and thinking of how wonderful of a salty snack they really are. I mean really. Think about it. What is better than cheez-its? Not a whole lot!
Cheez-its have probably been my favorite snack cracker my entire life. I loved them as a kid, as I did just about anything cheese related.
One night, my brother Jared and I were enjoying a box of tasty treats when the horrid realization that we were down to crumbs had come to our attention. Knowing it wasn't likely to happen, we asked the adults in our home to take us to the store to get some more. My Mom was tired from working all day, and our Grandparent's looked at us like we were pretty much insane. I asked if I could make a grilled cheese sandwich then. They granted permission and off to the kitchen I went...
Well, somewhere in the hall way the brilliant idea occurred to me that I could MAKE cheez-its. I mean, how hard could it be, right?
I got out the velveeta, cut it into tiny squares, and placed them on the griddle. Then I loaded on the salt. I was CERTAIN this was going to be fantastic. I had visions of my recipe being listed in the church potluck cook book. I mean, this was going to be the perfect snack, even better than the name brand, right?
Well, Jared was a little skeptical. He felt the need to feed a few pieces to our gold fish Jaws. (Jaws never ate fish food. He ate our left overs. I'm not lying. That fish lived over a year merely on our left overs! He was a carnival prize and lived on green beans, cheese, bread, etc.)
Jaws ate them up. We tried a few, were enjoying our delicacies, and in heaven. I'll never forget what happened next. Jared went to drop another piece in Jaws cereal canister (Like I said, carnival prize. He was one of 100's. My Grandma refused to invest money in a fish that could pass any day...) and it splashed. SPLASHED! Fish water ALL OVER the griddle and plate. I cried.
Naturally the grown ups thought I burned myself cooking, came running, and were horrified. I wasn't allowed to cook again for awhile. Apparently fried cheese is a greasy mess, and is FAR from a healthy cracker snack.
Just felt the need to share that story. Poor Jaws. Probably died of a heart attack due to clogged arteries after all the junk we fed him.
RIP Jaws, RIP.
Quite a few people have asked me for the recipe for Broccoli and Cheese casserole over the years. There's nothing "special" about it. I guess I just worry that if I give it out I won't have anything to make for potlucks and such. Selfish am I, I know... I was going to make it a special treat on The Carnahan Family website (which I plan to launch this week or next) but realized that some who have asked aren't even close friends or family of my Grandparent's and such, and they would be left out. So, here it is for all of you.
Grandma's Broccoli & Cheese Casserole
(She got the recipe from her sister Darlene...)
Ingredients:
Mix all ingredients together. Place in casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
I usually double this recipe, which requires closer to 40-45 minutes.
ENJOY!
Is that a question you often hear in your home?
I'm extremely cautious of not eating foods after they expire. I took a nutrition class about 5 years ago, maybe a little longer, and as a result have become aware of the dangers of food poisoning. I do NOT take chances.
My Mom, who is the same way, knows how much this concerns me and sent me this link:
http://www.stilltasty.com/
I highly suggest you all checking it out! I haven't looked at it into too much depth, but I certainly plan to!
Thanks, Mom! :)
So, this is my younger brother Jared. (Yes, I stole this pic off myspace, get off my back. It's his most recent upload so I found it fitting...)
Jared and I grew up together, of course, being full blooded siblings and all. In other words: We lived in the same house and experienced the same things. Being different genders we both walked away with different takes on life from our upraising, even though we are only 19 months apart. This is noticeable in the most obvious ways, and not so obvious ways as I found out last week...
Jared has recently begun relocating to Northern California with his girlfriend Ashly. (I don't know her very well, but she seems like a nice girl and she makes Jared ridiculously happy. Maybe someday they will give me a dark haired niece or nephew that I can spoil insanely and send home at the end of the day... no pressure! ) Being that Jared is ridiculously happy, he wanted to surprise his girlfriend with a nice dinner though he had few items in the house and no time to run to the store. Who does he call for advice? Me. I received this as an extreme compliment, as he flat out told me he was calling me because I'm a good cook. (I know, I was surprised too...)
So, I asked what he had on hand. Frozen chicken. Then he asked if I ever used frozen chicken and had any ideas what to do with it. Really? Seriously?! I choked on laughter, and if you've been reading this blog for very long you know why. I tried not to get to excited and exclaim the magic and glory of all that is available to you at a low cost and convenience with frozen chicken on hand... I'm not going to say that was easy, but I did it.
Seriously, how is this not the most ironic thing of my week? My little brother, who grew up in the same home I did where Grandma baked frozen chicken AT LEAST once a week, if not twice has never heard of what to do with frozen chicken or even if it's any good? REALLY? And then calls ME, of all people, to ask what to do with it? Made my day... OK, yeah, my week. Love it. Had to share, whether you people care at all or not.
Just goes to show, you can come from the exact same place. Same upbringing. Same blood. Same parents. Etc, etc, etc... and have a completely different outlook than the person next to you. How many times in life do we need to remember that we are all different from one person to the next and that we may not all have the same take? Really makes you think... Or at least it made me think... obviously.... Be concious of other people!!!
My point: Don't you love how God will grab your attention with the most everyday thing like your little brother asking you for a recipe? Amazes me!
P.S. He told me later that the dinner came out excellent and his girlfriend loved it. The art of knowing how to handle frozen chicken must run in our blood...
So here I am, writing a quick blog as Tommy sits next to me on his horsey. He loves this toy! He's also been carrying on "conversations" with me as he sits here. I was working on my "to do" list for the next week and when I would ask him if I was forgetting anything he would exclaim "YEAH!" I'd then ask, "Okay, what is it?" He would then go on with what appeared to be a tangent or an excitable need using hand gestures and all. Bobby and I were laughing so hard, trying to guess by his hand gestures what he could be saying. Break dancing? Learn Karate? Do the robot? He needs Ritalin already? There is no telling, but this kid is so much fun. He brings back so many memories of Jeff and Becca at this age, but yet all three are so different.
Also, just as my children are all different, so are my pregnancies. So many people, my Dr included, refer to me as an "expert" or such in this area. Yes, I do have quite a bit of experience from all of my pregnancies, miscarriages, childbirths, and newborn care. But expert? Just last night I was thinking "I have no idea what to do!" No, it wasn't an emergency. I just seem to be carrying very differently than I have with any of my other pregnancies. None of my pants fit right! I had to go out and buy a new pair that have a different belly panel than any other pair I've had so that I didn't feel confined. I'm much more tired than I remember being with any of the others, and the pregnancy dreams are different also. Every child is a gift from God, I just can't help but wonder what God has in store for this child and our family. So exciting!
I can never blog enough about how blessed I am to have the man I married. He's been in so much agony this week with health & dental issues but still makes an effort to pitch in and be a supporting husband & father. In today's world, this is such a blessing. So many men only care about themselves. I hope I never take him for granted, though I doubt I will because each day he does something that reminds me how lucky I am... and I doubt he even realizes it.
I can't believe in 2 weeks both of my little boys will be a year older. Their birthdays are just 2 days apart. Tommy will be 1, but Jeff, my first baby, will be 8. I still remember 8 years ago right now, being 1 day from my due date and crying, begging, pleading with him to JUST BE BORN! At the time I just couldn't wait to hold him and kiss him and love him forever. Now I'd do anything to hug him everyday. He knows Mommy loves him though.
Tommy's birthday party planning is just about done. I've purchased all the decorations and favors. The day before the party we'll buy the food, etc. Sometime today or tomorrow Bobby and I plan to go down and order the cake. It's gonna be such a fun day!
One little tidbit I need to throw in... I have found that all I need to make me smile, whether I'm happy, sad, or somewhere in between (which could be all of those in 5 minutes thanks to stupid pregnancy hormones, lol), is Tommy touching his belly button and saying "beddybuddon!" He doesn't seem to realize it is two words, and he's so serious when he says it that I can't help but giggle. Now I'm working on teaching him to say "one" and hold up his index finger when someone asks how old he is. He could care. LOL.
Well, time for me to log off of here! Have lots to do and need to start preparing things for dinner. I promised Bobby oven fried potatoes and eggs. (The recipe can be found here.) They are rather scrumptious and have quickly become a favorite in our home!
HAHA! Take that!!! I WILL beat you! Taste my chicken nuggets of fury and dwell in my sprite forever! I will crush you with my sea bands and punch you with preggie pops!
Um... sorry... hormones got away from me again...
All the more reason to eat at Carl's Jr!
Uncle Butch and Aunt Ruth support the Carl's Jr Chili Cheese Burger and Fries... and you know I'm all about supporting Uncle Butch and Aunt Ruth! Guess what I'm having for dinner?
Some say sell out... I say a work of genius!
I didn't want you anyways! :( 
Jeff and Becca - Christmas 2007
Jeff and Becca - Christmas 2003 Baked lemon chicken...
White rice...
Broccoli with cheese sauce...
With that, I'm calling it a dang day. Dinner will be ready in about 10 minutes.
No, I'm not at all bitter that I didn't get breakfast for dinner. Nope! Not me... really...
UPDATE: I ended up making them into "rice bowls" and they were actually REALLY good. Bobby wins... I did get breakfast for breakfast today, so that was good...
As mentioned before, I said I'd be blogging about Cheesy Chicken & Noodles... well here it is!
Last Wednesday Crystal and Kaitlyn came over and spent the afternoon with Tommy and I. They ended up staying for dinner with Bobby, Tommy, and I. As before planned, I served the above mentioned meal. Crystal seemed to really enjoy it and took some home to Kevin who she claims really liked it. Whether they were lying or not, I'm unsure... either way, here is the recipe. (Note that for the veggies I use Broccoli.)
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chicken/cheesy-chicken-and-noodles/
Tonight we may end up with a grilled or baked chicken salad. Use your imagination for that recipe, OK? ;) (I'm a jerk... if you didn't know this by now then hurry up and get over it...)
Last night we had Monterey Chicken. This is basically Bobby's version of the Chili's favorite... minus the tomatoes. For some reason, he is not fond of that part...
First he makes the bacon, then sautes the onions in the bacon grease. (Naturally, draining some of the grease after each...) After completing both of those tasks he browns/cooks the chicken in the bacon grease. Once done, top with BBQ sauce, bacon, onions, and of course... CHEESE!!!! Mmmm.... So delicious. I made garlic mashed potatoes to accommodate the main course. Usually we also have a green vegetable or artichoke dip and bread/chips, but we weren't THAT hungry last night.
Another recipe Bobby makes often is Parmesan Chicken. It is as follows... (This is the email he sent me when Crystal asked for the recipe last week...)
On Fri, Oct 24, 2008 at 1:21 PM, Bob Schott wrote:
I don't have any measurements. It's all a process thing.
Thaw chicken
Beat your meat
Dip chicken in egg wash (Beat a couple of eggs with a splash of milk - some salt and pepper)
Coat chicken in bread crumbs (Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs, Parmesan Cheese)
Dip chicken in egg wash again
Coat chicken in bread crumbs again
Brown in pan of olive oil on med-high heat
Bake in oven @ 400 for 20-25 minutes (until chicken is done)
spoon spaghetti sauce on chicken and top with a slice of mozzarella cheese
bake for another 2 to 5 minutes
Tonight, we're on to another use of chicken. Chicken Tacos!!! I actually learned this recipe from one of the many various Disney message boards I used to participate in a few years ago. See! They were good for something other than chaos, geekdom, and unnecessary drama! ;)
Now pay attention... this gets complicated...
Chicken will break apart easily... and be so tender and flavorful... Mmm.... Seriously, one of the best meals ever and yet one of the simplest. Gotta love it!
Now, to share with you all the song that is stuck in my head...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ9M7bsx10I
Next time I'll likely be writing about Cheesy Chicken Noodles... Mmm...
Ok, so yeah, I know... I said I was going to blog about our honeymoon...
Well, here is where our favorite place to eat was. Unfortunately, we only found it the day before we came home so we only ate there once. We have full intentions to return once a month (except when chains are required) to eat the delicious fare.
Where is this place, you ask? Desi's In The Village is the name! I've never had chicken like that, and I swear everyday for the last week my tastebuds are torturing me with the memory of how spectacular they were. Bobby swears that his burger was the best one he's ever had. Do you know how big of a deal it is for Bobby to say something was "the best"? Don't even let me start talking about the fries though, because this blog will never end...
We actually had the pleasure of having the owner for our waiter (who also seems to be some snow board guy... forgive me for not knowing who he is, I don't follow much with sports these days...) who told us all the things he's done with his newly opened restaurant and what he plans to do. When he didn't recognize right away that I needed a drink refill he actually told me to yell at him or throw an ice cube at him the next time, cracked me up. He also stated that the restaurant had been featured on MTV3 as a back drop/set.
Um, did I mention they have deep fried desserts? Oreos, peanut butter cups, ice cream, etc... yeah. I didn't try any, as I didn't have enough room after scarfing down my lunch... but some time I'm going to go up just to try the dessert menu out.
Anyways, that is all I have to say about this little endorsement. Just felt I should write a blog to explain why I keep craving this wonderful food in the future...
Desi's In The Village
40766 Village Dr
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
(909) 866-3374
Wow. Don't get me wrong, I'm still sick... but my goodness. I feel SO much better!
Now it's on to those last minute things to get done before we head out on Sunday. Naturally, I'm running behind. I've started on my shopping list, but have yet to actually write/type out what we need to pack for both us and for the baby while he's at my Mom's while were gone. I plan to do some of the shopping tomorrow, and begin packing on Saturday. Such excitement!
Looks like tonight we'll be having spaghetti. It just seems silly to run out and do grocery shopping when we're going to be out of town, so I'm just going to have to make something here. I usually really enjoy spaghetti, but tonight one of our neighbors is barbecuing. It smells SO good... I can almost taste it! Maybe when we get back we'll fire ours up.
Tommy has actually taken a few half decent naps today. The one he's taking right now is included in that. It's been a rough week of very little napping for him. I'm not too sure if it's teething, adjusting to the new home, defiance, or all 3. Regardless, I'm glad he's getting some rest. I've been on the search for a new pediatrician. Not only is he due for shots, but his reflux seems to be worse when he's supposed to be outgrowing it. Poor guy...
Guess I should go start dinner...
With CHICKEN!
I'm not the biggest fan of poultry... another way in which I've grown up. As a teen I preferred it over red meat any day. Once I matured, however, I realized that the tastes of my childhood were much more intellectual than that of my adolescents.
What draws me to chicken then? Why do I cook/bake with it so often? Well, let's go over this, shall we?
And now, for my series on chicken.... here is my first entry:
Teriyaki Chicken
Last night for dinner I wow'd Bobby. Trust me, this takes A LOT to do. He's rarely that impressed. Not to that degree, at least. I didn't really do anything special, just the following.
I pounded out 2 once frozen but thawed chicken breasts and then did my usual... set them on the baking sheet and opened my spice cabinet. This is the fun part! Well, since we just moved "ground ginger" had made her place up to the front of the cabinet instead of her usual lonely place in the back. After adding kosher salt, pepper, & garlic salt (rarely is something in this home made without garlic, garlic powder, or garlic salt) I thought the ginger would be a nice addition. I placed the chicken in the oven for the usual time, basting with teriyaki sauce 10 minutes before completion, and made the steamed broccoli and rice.
Seriously, it had to be one of the simplest things I've ever made. Yet it made that man fall even more in love with me. Life is grand.
Tonight, I'm making his favorite: Pork Chops!
