I have a recipe to share. I am posting it because EVERY time I've made it, without fail, someone has asked me for the recipe. And that's how I acquired it originally!
Now, this recipe wouldn't make Martha Stewart proud. In fact, she'd probably take one look at it, shudder and back away. It's not made with "fine" ingredients, it's not really pretty-looking, and it's not what you'd call...well...healthy. :)
I was pregnant with Cam the first time I tried this breakfast casserole, and I could only describe it as all my pregnancy cravings rolled into one fabulous brunchtime dish. A dose of carbs, eggs, cheese, and more than a couple sources of SALT. Delish.
Take it as you will. It's good to feed a family (or Sunday School class - why I'm making it tonight), and should probably be served with a side of fruit to balance out it's savory decadence and to make everyone feel better about having seconds.
Sausage & Mushroom Egg Bake
6 oz seasoned croutons (about 1 bag)
2 packages Jimmy Dean-style roll sausage (1 hot, 1 original)
6 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small can mushrooms, drained
Pour croutons in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Combine both rolls of sausage and brown, drain grease. Spread sausage over croutons in pan, top sausage with cheese. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and two cups of milk. Pour this mixture over layers already in pan. In the same bowl (as few dishes as possible!) combine cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms, and 1/2 cup of milk. Spread this mixture on top of the casserole. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Before baking, let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 55 minutes until edges are bubbly.
I hope you try it at least once! If you like sausage and mushrooms, it's guaranteed to please!
[A little] Greasy. Cheesy. Yummy!
8.30.2008
8.28.2008
"Momma, Will You?"
I took Cameron to the library for the first time today. He was in H-E-A-V-E-N. We found a good assortment of board and easy-reader books, which he promptly came home to enjoy.
My absolute favorite find of this trip was "Momma, Will You?"
By Dori Chaconas (she's from Wisconsin!)
I am already thinking about buying it. I love the sing-song, yet gentle rhymes, and the beautiful, calming illustrations. Plus, it's about a Momma (what Cam calls me), a little boy and his baby sister, who he calls "baby." So much like our days together! It has babies, farm animals (I grew up on a farm), and actually ends with the Mom putting her babies to sleep (in the same room, something we need to achieve SOON). It's a perfect before-bed book!
Here is a just a little excerpt:
Momma, will you wash the pig?
Yes or no or maybe?
In the tub! He's not too big.
Wash him with our baby.
Yes, we'll wash the little pig,
But not in baby's tub!
First, we'll wash our baby's cheeks
And give your knees a scrub.
Momma, will you catch a wren?
Yes or no or maybe?
Put him in a cage, and then
He will sing for baby.
No, we will not catch a wren,
For wild things should fly free.
But I will sing a song for you,
And you sing one for me.
Momma, will you fetch the pup?
Yes or no or maybe?
Hold him close to cuddle up
With you and me and baby.
Maybe I will fetch the pup,
Which likes my children's kisses.
But I will watch and quickly take
Any that he misses.
Cameron adores this one. He said "Bye bye, book" when it was time for bed. He's my little reader and my little snuggler. You must read this book with your babies, too!
My lil' bookworm. He's so engrossed, he's drooling.
My absolute favorite find of this trip was "Momma, Will You?"
By Dori Chaconas (she's from Wisconsin!)I am already thinking about buying it. I love the sing-song, yet gentle rhymes, and the beautiful, calming illustrations. Plus, it's about a Momma (what Cam calls me), a little boy and his baby sister, who he calls "baby." So much like our days together! It has babies, farm animals (I grew up on a farm), and actually ends with the Mom putting her babies to sleep (in the same room, something we need to achieve SOON). It's a perfect before-bed book!
Here is a just a little excerpt:
Momma, will you wash the pig?
Yes or no or maybe?
In the tub! He's not too big.
Wash him with our baby.
Yes, we'll wash the little pig,
But not in baby's tub!
First, we'll wash our baby's cheeks
And give your knees a scrub.
Momma, will you catch a wren?
Yes or no or maybe?
Put him in a cage, and then
He will sing for baby.
No, we will not catch a wren,
For wild things should fly free.
But I will sing a song for you,
And you sing one for me.
Momma, will you fetch the pup?
Yes or no or maybe?
Hold him close to cuddle up
With you and me and baby.
Maybe I will fetch the pup,
Which likes my children's kisses.
But I will watch and quickly take
Any that he misses.
Cameron adores this one. He said "Bye bye, book" when it was time for bed. He's my little reader and my little snuggler. You must read this book with your babies, too!
My lil' bookworm. He's so engrossed, he's drooling.Banished Baby Names
I'm hoping some of you mamas and mamas-to-be-someday out there will join me on this one.
Before I married Caleb, I had a whole list of baby names that I thought would be just perfect for my little ones someday. This list of course changed and grew over time (no more Jessica Elizabeth like I wanted in the 80s).
He is just the man for me, and boy oh boy do we make cute kids...BUT, by virtue of our last name (Sieh, pronounced See), there are a few names I had to strike from my list. And the striking was quite painful. I could just see my little cherubs trotting around and me calling them back by their precious names.
Here is my list of banished names *tear*:
Girls:
Macy
My all-time fave. May-see-see just doesn't cut it. I even tried reasoning with Caleb that she would only have her current last name for the first third of her life.
Brooke
First and last name both being bodies of water...not so much.
Boys:
Maxwell (Max)
Max-see. Maxi. Sad for him in elementary school. I could never do it.
Reese
Was "Reesees" not what most of us called the candies from E.T.? Even though it was grammatically incorrect...
I am convinced I had more, but I asked the Lord to help me release them from my mind so I would no longer be saddened by them! :) And I must admit, I did end up with two very sweet names that I love, love, love.
So, mom friends, do/did you have baby names that you always wanted to use for your sweet ones, but by virtue of marriage to your wonderful husband and the acquisition of his last name, were unable to? Or even names that you were just SURE were perfect, but have faded over time?
Before I married Caleb, I had a whole list of baby names that I thought would be just perfect for my little ones someday. This list of course changed and grew over time (no more Jessica Elizabeth like I wanted in the 80s).
He is just the man for me, and boy oh boy do we make cute kids...BUT, by virtue of our last name (Sieh, pronounced See), there are a few names I had to strike from my list. And the striking was quite painful. I could just see my little cherubs trotting around and me calling them back by their precious names.
Here is my list of banished names *tear*:
Girls:
Macy
My all-time fave. May-see-see just doesn't cut it. I even tried reasoning with Caleb that she would only have her current last name for the first third of her life.
Brooke
First and last name both being bodies of water...not so much.
Boys:
Maxwell (Max)
Max-see. Maxi. Sad for him in elementary school. I could never do it.
Reese
Was "Reesees" not what most of us called the candies from E.T.? Even though it was grammatically incorrect...
I am convinced I had more, but I asked the Lord to help me release them from my mind so I would no longer be saddened by them! :) And I must admit, I did end up with two very sweet names that I love, love, love.
So, mom friends, do/did you have baby names that you always wanted to use for your sweet ones, but by virtue of marriage to your wonderful husband and the acquisition of his last name, were unable to? Or even names that you were just SURE were perfect, but have faded over time?
8.27.2008
Fruity Flies
These are my nemeses.
I went a majority of the summer without ANY fruit flies (or regular flies) in my home, and then, sometime during the week of July 4th, while we vacationed, they invaded. I left nothing on the counter, no food out, nada. Apparently there was some minuscule bit of food left in the drain or something. We got back from Iowa and a neat little family of ffs had made their happy home in and around my kitchen!
Since then, it's been an uphill battle to get rid of them. I've exterminated most, but they've found a life source somewhere that I'm not identifying. Gross, gross, gross. I also learned way more than I ever wanted to know about them on wikipedia.
But as disgusted as I am with my minor infestation, it doesn't hold a candle to what my blogger friend Jordan found in her laundry room. If you want a good case of the heebie jeebies, check it out.
Eeek! I'm off to make a vinegar funnel trap. I know you're all jealous of my exciting evening activities.
I went a majority of the summer without ANY fruit flies (or regular flies) in my home, and then, sometime during the week of July 4th, while we vacationed, they invaded. I left nothing on the counter, no food out, nada. Apparently there was some minuscule bit of food left in the drain or something. We got back from Iowa and a neat little family of ffs had made their happy home in and around my kitchen!
Since then, it's been an uphill battle to get rid of them. I've exterminated most, but they've found a life source somewhere that I'm not identifying. Gross, gross, gross. I also learned way more than I ever wanted to know about them on wikipedia.
But as disgusted as I am with my minor infestation, it doesn't hold a candle to what my blogger friend Jordan found in her laundry room. If you want a good case of the heebie jeebies, check it out.
Eeek! I'm off to make a vinegar funnel trap. I know you're all jealous of my exciting evening activities.
Babies' First Fair
Extra-cheesy family shot. Minus Dad.Cameron was in heaven, walking down the street surrounded by bright colored balloons, music from every corner, and lots of smiling kiddos. Thankfully, he's too young for the midway, so we didn't have to worry about greasy, disease-laden rides this year. We instead opted to visit merchants' tents and collect a variety of freebies (I got a FREE full-size Loreal mascara!!!), then proceeded to the livestock area where Cam got to see his first real-life horses, cattle, pigs and sheep. He LOVED.
I was not particularly adventurous in the fair food department, mostly because I'm pretty frugal and would rather spend money on something I know will be delicious than take a gamble on something-fried-on-a-stick. So we had a tasty sandwich and fries, as well as a chocolate shake from the dairy barn. We were on a hunt for Sweet Martha's cookies when Cam decided the day was done. It was time to head home.
This year's version of the fair was short, sweet, ideally sunny and, I believe, the start of a wonderful new family tradition! Perfect.
Completely and totally his father's doing. Mostly to aggravate Packer family members.8.23.2008
Colicious
My sweet little Elly Mariah is quite the princess. A.demanding.baby. Cameron was so painfully easy, I knew I was in for something special with my girl. I prayed for a content heart and a calm spirit. Only the Lord knows why, and I know she'll do great things for Him, but this girl is already on a MISSION.
I hesitate to call Elly colicky - she doesn't cry all the time. She cries only when she's not being held. Or she has gas. Or she's hungry. Or she's just a smidge uncomfortable. She doesn't just whimper or whine - it's the full force, belt it out, sweat on the upper lip wail that will wake any napping toddler and get the neighbor's dog barking.
SO, I call it "colicious." A cross between colic and delicious - because once she has precisely what she wants, she stops crying and turns on the toothache-inducing sweetness. Smiling, cooing, imitating whomever she pleases and promptly melting their heart. Exhausting, yet strangely gratifying.
I keep wishing, hoping, praying that this is a stage she'll pass through soon. So far, no luck. My little diva...
I hesitate to call Elly colicky - she doesn't cry all the time. She cries only when she's not being held. Or she has gas. Or she's hungry. Or she's just a smidge uncomfortable. She doesn't just whimper or whine - it's the full force, belt it out, sweat on the upper lip wail that will wake any napping toddler and get the neighbor's dog barking.
SO, I call it "colicious." A cross between colic and delicious - because once she has precisely what she wants, she stops crying and turns on the toothache-inducing sweetness. Smiling, cooing, imitating whomever she pleases and promptly melting their heart. Exhausting, yet strangely gratifying.
I keep wishing, hoping, praying that this is a stage she'll pass through soon. So far, no luck. My little diva...
First Try
After much consideration, I've decided to start blogging! I am, after all, a frustrated-journalist-yet-happy-mommy needing an outlet. After reading my friends' blogs for so long, this just seemed like the right step.
I'll try to be faithful. Let the blogging begin!
I'll try to be faithful. Let the blogging begin!
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