Halloween 2012

Last night, I made "bloody band-aids" with my friend Catherine's kids Caroline age 7 and Adam age 4. here is what you do...

take a graham cracker and break it into fourths and then put white frosting just in the middle and then squirt some red frosting on it.. and there you go .. you got a bloody band-aid...because Halloween only comes once a year right? :)

The best part about this was when Catherine called up the stairs to her sons Andrew age 11 and Ethan age 9 " Hey do you guys want to make bloody band-aids??"

Peppermint Bark

I went to FHE in my ward the other night and we had Peppermint Bark for a treat.. I am not a HUGE peppermint fan but I tried it.. and LOVED IT!!!!  So I asked for the recipe and here it is : ( it is copy and pasted from some website)

Peppermint Bark Recipe like William Sonoma

Peppermint Bark Recipe

Rita’s clone of white chocolate Peppermint Bark recipe is like Williams Sonoma's. William Sonoma is a gourmet food and cookware store found in many malls. Their peppermint bark is admitedly delicious - but this one may be even better.
Reader Janet Lockwood, who reads my syndicated column in the Northwest Press reader, asked for a recipe for Peppermint Bark.
“The peppermint bark recipe in Williams Sonoma catalog costs $22.00 a pound. Is there any way I can make this at home?” she asked.
I might add, that's the cost of the peppermint bark before shipping. I love that peppermint bark, too, and am a bit too stingy to shell out that kind of money for something I can make myself. Use the best chocolate you can buy, and you’ll give Williams Sonoma some stiff competition! For testing, I used Kroger’s chips.

Just be sure and use the best quality white and semi-sweet, Belgian or bittersweet chocolate for this recipe.
New! Tips for the perfect peppermint bark below!

Peppermint Bark

12 oz chocolate chips
1 pound white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup peppermint candy, crushed
Preheat oven to 250. Line a 9x13 pan with foil, letting it hang over the sides. Spray foil. Pour the chocolate chips in an even layer on the foil. Place in oven for 5 minutes or until almost melted. Remove from oven, smooth with an offset spatula or knife. Place in refrigerator until cold and firm, about 20 minutes.
Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a metal bowl over simmering water (don’t let bottom of bowl touch water), until chocolate is almost melted. You can use your microwave for this if you’re brave! Remove bowl from water and stir until completely melted, stirring in extract. Let cool a little bit so it doesn’t melt the chocolate layer when you pour it on top. Pour this over chocolate layer, and, working quickly, spread to cover. Sprinkle with crushed candy.
Chill until both layers are firm. Lift foil out of pan and shake off excess candy. Trim edges. Cut into 2” wide strips. Peel bark from foil and cut each strip as desired. Chill in covered container. Makes about 2 pounds.
Tips from Rita's Kitchen for Perfect Bark:
1. Don't make the layers too thin as this can cause the layers to separate.
2. Take the bottom layer out of the frig a few minutes prior to spreading the top layer. Sometimes if the bottom is too cold, the top will set but may not bond completely with the bottom.
3. If there's condensation on the bottom when you remove it from the frig, sometimes this prevents the top from sticking to it, as well.
4. I use white chocolate chips that contain cocoa butter, which are good quality chips. Read the label as the kind of white chocolate you use may affect the bonding. I also use a good quality (Kroger brand) semisweet chocolate chips - again, read labels - the label should say they are real chocolate, not "chocolate flavored". I have used the white and chocolate flavored "barks" that are sold in blocks with success when I make a one layer bark. For multiple layer barks, I like to use real chocolate.
5. Let the bark sit out a few minutes before you try to cut or break it apart.
Note from John, amatuer chef and webmaster, "OK, I admit, I was a bit skeptical. I'm a big fan of William Sonoma peppermint bark. But when I was building the web page for peppermint bark, I had to try it. The Bark recipe is PERFECT. It took me visiting about 4 stores looking for peppermint extract, but it was worth it. I made the bark tonight in no time flat and it is awesome. Making this peppermint bark is delicious and easy. Much easier than a drive to the store for peppermint bark!


or you can buy it at Costco or Trader Joes.. but wouldn't you rather make it.. :)

Thanksgiving 2012

My ward had a workshop for all the ladies that wanted some tips on how to make a Thanksgiving dinner the other night..
...it was at Susan's house... Susan lives in a mansion.. it is furnished fancier than some museums I have been in.. here are the tips that she gave us about " how to do Thanksgiving"

* PLAN AHEAD!!!! make your list and go shopping for the things that you do not need fresh a week or two ahead of time..

* on the day of before you start to cook.. make sure you are clean and showered, that your hands are clean.. that your outfit is clean..that your counter is clean.. that your sink is cleaned out and there is nothing dirty around.. isn't it sad she had to say that.. ? but you know that she did..

* when people get there make sure you have a few appetizers sitting out. one good idea for an appetizer is brie..

* here is a simple brie recipe she gave us
-buy a wheel of brie..which is about $10 she said ..cut the top of it off if you don't like that flavor and pour some brown sugar on it and top it with craisens..cook it at 375 for 15 or 20 minutes..buy a variety pack of crackers and there you go .. done

* if you are having kids ( or may I add picky adults) MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SOME KID FRIENDLY APPETIZERS!

* if you buy a frozen turkey.. here are some tips..
-make sure it is completely thawed for two or three days in the refrigerator.. make sure that you put it in some sort of pan..because it will drip.. and you do NOT want it dripping all over your refrigerator or worse .. other stuff you plan on serving...
-another tip from Shelly in my ward is that if you forget you can just put in the sink and run COLD water over it till it thaws..
-after it is thawed, empty the turkey and rinse it out. Dry with paper towels. Fill the turkey with stuffing, onion and or lemon or orange quarters. Season with herbs, salt and pepper and chicken broth. Bake according to directions on the package. Add water to cover the bottom of the pan.

* if you buy a fresh turkey here are some tips
- ORDER IT LIKE RIGHT NOW!!! because places are already taking orders....she said that it was hard to find one right now but she managed to at Wegmans..
-these turkeys are a little more moist and tender.Empty the turkey and rinse out. Dry with paper towels. Fill turkey with stuffing and onion. Season with herbs, salt and pepper and chicken broth. Bake according to directions on the package. Add water to cover the bottom of the pan.

* KELI'S NOTES- IF I was going to buy a turkey.. I am sure that I would probably buy one that was raised on a farm.. AT the farm.. BUT after seeing that demonstration the other night I don't see myself EVER fixing a turkey like um ever in the history of EVER.. I don't want to be  reaching in it taking out the neck or all that other stuff.. I don't want to do ANY of that stuff.. I don't want to reach up under the skin and put seasonings in I don't want to hold it under my faucet to MAKE sure I got all the stuff out.. .. no no no no no no... NO in fact I was SO GROSSED out by the whole thing I looked up tofurkeys on the internent WHILE I WAS SITTING THERE..I am not even kidding you...
and FYI .. in case you were wondering the apparently have them at Harris Teeter, Whole Foods and Trader Joes..
BUT I will say that the turkey breast that she had made that was there for us to sample was probably the best turkey I have ever had.. it was very moist..and her husband took the bones out .. always a plus..

*gravy tips
-here is a recipe for gravy- 1 cup flour, with 1 cup water mix with a wire whisk before adding turkey juices. Season with chicken bullion ...not the kind that is cubed but the kind that you can scoop out like a spice.add water for thickness whole turkeys need a little water...
-take meat out of the roasting pan. Skim the fat. skin pieces etc. from the drippings. Put the roasting pan on top of the stove on medium heat and add water and flour mixture. Stir constantly with a wire whisk until mixed together. Do not let it burn on the bottom. As the gravy thickens add chicken bouillon and additional water for taste and texture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook and stir until bubbly and thickened. Taste for additional seasonings.

* Keli's notes
-THIS IS RUTH FAUST'S authentic gravy recipe!!! which is kinda exciting because she was married to James E. Faust and well if you are LDS this is well kinda cool...
-this gravy was delicious..but it is safe to say I will also never eat this because well it involves turkey juices and I might get grossed out making it.

* stuffing tips
here is a recipe for stuffing.
- 1 16 oz package of dry bread crumbs ( Susan uses Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasonal stuffing mix)
1 stick of butter
1 cup of chopped celery
1 onion chopped
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 16 oz can of chicken broth
1 1/2-2 cups of water
melt butter and saute onion and celery ( can add mushrooms water chestnuts or cranberries if desired when the vegetables are soft.) Put bread crumbs in a large bowl and add salt,pepper and poultry seasoning. Add chicken broth and water. Mix until wet, soft consistency.
she did not write this but I am sure she meant to but if you don't put it in the turkey ..back in oven in a 9x13 for 30 minutes

*KELI'S NOTES
- I hate onions and refused to cut them..and made Karen do it..BUT I decided to try this.. and it was SO GOOD I could have eaten the WHOLE PAN I am not even kidding you..

* roll tips
- here is her recipe for rolls
basic roll dough
2 packages of yeast or 2 T
1/2 cup warm water needs to be like 115 degrees
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup scalded milk
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 t salt
3 eggs beaten
4 and a half to five cups of flour
soften the yeast in warm water in a small bowl. Put milk in pan and heat to scalding or boiling on edges of pan. Take off heat. Add butter to milk to melt. Let cool.

In a large bowl mix sugar, salt and eggs. Add the softened yeast mixture. Add flour and slowly add the milk and butter mixture ( after it is cooled). Mix in a mixer until even consistency. Cover bowl and let rise for two hours. Susan said do not let it rise on a granite counter top to let it rise somewhere else like your table because well granite is cold. When doubled in bulk, turn dough out on a lightly flowered flat surface. Divide into two balls. Roll out each ball of dough separately. you can make parker house, crescent, cinnamon or orange or whatever with these. When dough is cut into desired roll, let rise for two more hours .Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

- recipe for Orange Rolls
1 stick of butter
2 grated orange peels
1 cup of sugar
-mix together and spread over rectangle of roll dough. Use both balls of dough.Roll up dough jelly roll style and cut into one inch slices. Put into a greased muffin tin and let rise for two hours or until full over the tip of the tin bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

-recipe for glaze
juice of two oranges..Susan buys seedless oranges and then uses something that she got at Williams and Sonoma that she juices it with .. 1 1/2 -2 cups of powdered sugar
mix well until it is like a thick soup.
Pour over slightly cooled rolls.

*Keli's notes..
-orange rolls remind me of Easter so I personally would not do them for Thanksgiving ..but I did not mind eating a couple the other night THEY WERE GOOD!!!

* Susan also says to have the table set and decorated, I said that is if you have more than one table.. she said that if you don't then just tell people anything else that they want to eat they can do it picnic style.

* Susan says she does her pies the day before and she makes about four pies.
-she does a pumpkin
-she does a lemon creme because her husband likes that
-she does a banana creme because her sons like that.
- she does one other.
-she also makes sure she has a kid friendly dessert for the kids like rice krispies that have Thanksgiving like sprinkles or something on the top.

* Fresh Cranberry Sauce tips
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
mix water and sugar together and bring to a boil. Add cranberries and cook for five minutes. Cool and serve.
OR
the same as above with
1/4 cup OJ
1 cinnamon stick
3 quarters of a cup of water
orange zest
-we had both and they were good!

so that is all that is all the tips from the other night! I hope this helped someone! :)

and speaking of help.. I had FOUR helpings of this stuff the other night.. hahahah









 

random Keli

A couple of days ago at Guess, this lady ran in and said that she needed me to help her find a professionial, beautiful shirt that she could wear to work because she had to be to work in Ashburn RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
....................on a side note we are in SIGHT distance from
Ann Taylor Loft
Brooks Brothers
and
Banana Republic
but she picked us for a "professional,beautiful shirt"...................................

She also said she needed my help finding " short pants" that were NOT JEANS!!!!!!

because you know it is not like we are KNOWN for jeans or anything......

so I said that are capri's are in clearance right now.. because well it is OCTOBER....but I somehow found her a pair of capri's in a size 29.. I don't THINK she is a 29.. but oh well.. I was like well this is what we have.. she was like oh they have no pockets...??? I said no.. but these are the ONLY ones we have left that are not denim...so she said "she guessed they could work" ......

so then I looked all over the store to find her a short-sleeved shirt that was beautiful...that she could wear to work...
I showed her one.. and she was like
no I WANT IT TO BE A BEAUTIFUL COLOR!!!!
I showed her another
she said that
it did not have a beautiful back..and she needed the back to be beautiful too........................
I showed her another and she said that
the fabric was not "flexible" enough...like the shirt she was wearing.. which was skin tight..
I asked my boss Do we have any beautiful shirts in beautiful colors with beautiful backs that are professional and short sleeve?? my boss was like , Keli if we don't have it then tell her to go to another store!
so finally I found this shirt in clearance that was apparently beautiful, with a beautiful back, and beautiful color, and was flexible enough.. cause you know she had to be at work RIGHT NOW and she needed a shirt and she could not wear what she was wearing because
she wore that yesterday...................
so she came up to the register with those capri's and I was like OK.. because she was VERY petite and they were a size 29.. so maybe she had a belt...
and that shirt and the shirt had adjustable straps and one of the straps was twisted and the thing on them was gold but she did not know how to convey that to me so she was like pointing at that thing.. and was like "gold.... gold... gold"...and then pointed at how it was twisted.. like um yes this is gold and it is twisted..
I said well just untwist it......no she wanted me to untwist it.. so I did..
so then she said that there were a couple of tiny pieces of string hanging from the straps so what should she do.. I said just cut those with some scissors.. she was like oh... OK
then she was upset that the straps did not lay straight.. I said well iron them...
she was like I don't have an iron at home then she asked if I did.. I said yes I have an iron.. she then asked me IF I COULD TAKE THAT SHIRT INTO THE BACK AND IRON IT..................................................................................like um I thought you had to be to work in Ashburn.. RIGHT NOW....??
I said no I did not bring my iron to work.. today I mean I totally should have but I just did not...
I said that to her... and my boss heard me hahahahahhahahahhahaHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAhahahha
but my boss was so over her..
the the customer was like
oh you didn't bring it ????? so you can't iron this shirt for me???
I said no but I DOUBT that anyone will notice..
she said that she guessed that was fine..
but ............could she have a discount because of all the problems she had had............
I said um no they are on CLEARANCE and already 50% off..BUT I could ask my manager.. she said who is your manager..  I said the girl that just walked away...
she said " oh her... oh um no.. " ................hahahahhahah
I think she KNEW my manager was not going to do that...
like yeah that is what I THOUGHT..
so she said that she guessed she could just buy them.. because she had to be to work in Ashburn right now..
when she left my boss said did she finally leave?? I said yes..she said good...
and you know the scariest part of this story she was wearing a shirt we CURRENTLY have on the floor.. that we have got in the last month...which means she could be a frequent shopper which means she COULD be back soon..
.....................................

Keli eats

I have a tradition!!! well OK I have a few.. but one of them now is to cook dinner IN a pumpkin every fall!!! This is my third year doing it in Virginia.
This year I had my dinner Sunday night at my friend Erin and Rob's house in Sterling, VA and several people came.
Christina came with her four kids, Jayden, Jocelyn, Jonas and Jacob and she brought cider.
Monica came with her two kids Alexis and Nathan and brought a yummy salad with blue cheese and craisens in it.
Tonya came and brought an apple pie.. she had CANNED the filling last year!!!
plus me,Erin, Rob, Emily and Elliot.
here is the recipe I used
http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/dinner-in-a-pumpkin/

I used cream of chicken and also put in a drained can of corn and some kielbasa.. I omitted the onions..

it came out DELICIOUS!!!! people then have the choice to scoop the pumpkin and have some of that.. or to not.. it is up to you.

great company.. great food.. what could be better!!!

field trip

PUMPKIN PATCH MANIA!!!!!!

Here in Northern VA the and I mean THE pumpkin patch to go to is.. Coxes Farm.. it is a huge fall extravaganza... it is out on a " country road" in Centreville, VA and there is even TRAFFIC to get to it.. and you have to sometimes walk for like five minutes to get into it..and when you do you pay a CRAZY price to walk around with LOTS of people and stand in line and wait to go down slides and other stuff.. yes.. they have fun slides.. yes they have an awesome hay ride..yes they have other cool stuff and at night they even have a corn maze for the older people..

But I am kinda over it...


so for the past two years I have been doing the " other pumpkin patches of Northern VA.. last year I went to one in Leesburg, VA where Julian and I rode a camel!!! If I was more tech savvy I would put the link to my review up .. but I am not.. so just believe me I reviewed it on THIS blog!!!

this year I have been to TWO pumpkin patches so far..and it is ONLY October 9th.. who knows I might even go to MORE..

1. Krops Crops in Great Falls, VA- Julian and I went to this one last week. It is on Georgetown Pike past Reston so I am not sure how it is in Great Falls but oh well.. I will just go with it.. We pulled up and they have a shack type thing that looks like the style of " old farmhouse" like they have old things laying around and such.. they sell a variety of fall produce and stuff in there and they also have delicious cider and a lot of local produced jams and jellies and honeys and stuff..
  outside they have a large selection of pumpkins you can pick through.. and I got one for my " dinner in a pumpkin" there..
they also have a hayride that I can't review because that was not going  while I was there.. but it costs $5.00 I think ..
they have a bunny and some LOUD donkeys and a couple of goats..the donkeys kind of scared Julian..
They also had this thing called the corn crib where there is a big shed type area filled with corn kernels that you can sit in and play in.. Julian did not and I mean DID not like that.. AT ALL...
I thought that place was OK.. they have a Frisbee golf course there too if you are into that.. and they have some local stuff. ... it is more like one of those roadside ones that have decided hey I can make a few extra bucks at fall by adding a few extra things..
Here is their link if you are interested http://www.kropscrops.com/index.html
2. Ticonderoga farms in Chantilly,VA which is more like South Riding ..but again just go with it.. I went to this one on Columbus Day with Oliver age 6, Fletcher who is almost 4 and Desi who is 2. So if you know where Coxes is.. you just keep on going down the road and very soon you will see signs for Ticonderoga Farms. It cost $60 for all of us to get in.. it is about 15 dollars a person and they charge from age two and over.
they had a farm stand with fall produce and some local things..
I bought some local jelly that they made from figs produced there.. it was fig with orange zest ... SO GOOD!!!!!

after we went in we had a lot of activities to choose from here are some of the things that we did..
- slides they had slides built up on a hill that we could go on .. there were about 8 slides on this one hill some had tunnels some not..some had a bit of a lift.. and there were not THAT many people there so Oliver was able to run ahead of us and wait for us at the top.. He liked that :) We had NO LINE to get on the slides and we went down every single one.. the boys ALL really liked this.. Oliver and Fletcher went down by themselves and Desi said " can I sit on your lap Keli?" and he sat on my lap and went down.. it was really fun!!!
- they had some around five fire pits going in different locations that you are welcome to roast stuff in.. we did not bring anything, but you can buy smores making things if you want.. we did not but you COULD or you can bring your own.
-they had a Noah's Ark that the kids could play on, the boys were convinced that it was a pirate ship..and really liked it..
- there were several wooden forts for them to climb into and up and around some had ladders with a top floor.. the boys really enjoyed this.. even DESI climbed up the ladder if I was right behind him!!!
- they had this HUGE bounce pillow that kids could take off their shoes and socks and bounce on.. and if you are under 150 lbs you can bounce too! .. so I did..
-they had a couple of playgrounds and see-saws that the kids had fun playing on ..
-there were peacocks and chickens and goats and some free range chickens the kids had fun feeding the goat bamboo..
-there was a swinging bridge that went over a pond. the kids liked crossing that.
-instead of a corn maze they had a BAMBOO maze!!!!!!! how cool is that.. Oliver was all like.. I hope we don't run into a PANDA in here.. hahahahha yeah I hope not.. they had doors of all different kinds that you could open and go through to get you different places in the maze. THE KIDS REALLY ENJOYED THIS..
-they had tether ball and big pipes the kids could crawl through in another area.. Oliver was like look at that tunnel. and I was like ' what if it is a TIME TUNNEL.. Oliver went through it and said.. no it is not.. it is just a regular tunnel.. I said ' oh you did not end up in the Mesozoic era or anything.. he said no.. it is just a regular tunnel hahahahhahahahahahHAHAHHAHAHAHAH
-they had a cow train.. where you take a little ride in cows.. this was included in the cost which was awesome because things like that are never included in the cost..but beware.. Oliver and I both got a little queasy it was very bumpy.. Oliver said he was a little "ride sick"
-they had adult slides that only people a certain height and older can go on .. Oliver was BARELY that height with his hair sticking up and shoes on.. but he was so he went up there and slid down a couple slides and had fun.. and Fletcher cryed the whole time that he was not big enough...
-they also had BIG tepees that the kids could crawl in and sit on stumps, Oliver said "did Indian's really live in these?" and Desi said 'Keli is this someones house ??'
-they had a spooky barn that we went in and passed a lot of scary stuff and strobe lights, Oliver and Fletcher liked it.. Desi started crying and said " lets get out of here Keli"
-they also had antique tractors, an old truck and a fire engine you could crawl on..
and they had a hayride.. we got on the trailer and sat on hay and rode out through lots of fields and passed different cut out characters and lots of other things old antiques, skeletons all sorts of things until we ended up at a pumpkin patch.. Then we were allowed to get out and pick our own pumpkins up to FIVE lbs..but who wants more.. so the kids got out and roamed around the fields.. Oliver found his own and I think that Fletcher did too.. and I helped Desi find one..
then we got back in the tractor and he took us THROUGH a creek and we ended up back at the start.
By then we had been there for THREE hours..yes THREE.. and Fletcher and Desi REALLY needed a nap.. so we left..
the boys ALL really enjoyed themselves and I would have to say three hours.. and all that fun.. YES it was worth the money... and I am glad we went.
Here is the website for more info http://www.ticonderoga.com/