Girlfriend Fun

Yesterday I went out to dinner with two good friends, A and E.  We were celebrating A's birthday, and we had a great time eating, talking, laughing, and encouraging each other.  Thanks girls!  I love you both! 

Tagged!

My friend AMG tagged me to list 7 songs that are shaping my summer. I am hard-pressed to think of 7, but here goes...

• "Holy God" by Brian Doerksen
  
• "Great Big God" from a Vineyard Music worship cd for kids
• ---these two are played over and over, by request from SIG - he says "big God" or "holy", and how can we resist?
  
• Rascall Flatts - whichever song of theirs is playing on the radio
  
• Steven Curtis Chapman - I love his song Cinderella, and am clueless about what other current stuff he has out, but I've been a long time fan and he never disappoints!
• Fernando Ortega - everything he sings is golden
• "I Saw God Today" by George Strait
• "Love is a Beautiful Thing" by Phil Vassar

Yes, without apologies, I am a country music fan!

I tag Monique. :)

Sausage Quiche

Another yummy recipe! (Thanks to my friend AMG who inspired me to take pictures of my food as I am cooking along...!)

I made this yummy sausage quiche a few weeks ago for a mom's group I've been going to at church. The recipe says it makes two 9" round pans, but I got one 8" square dish and another that was nearly twice that size, but oval shaped. It was perfect - I made the big one to take to my group, and the small one for my hubby to have at home. Everyone loved it! My husband couldn't stop raving about it, and the ladies all wanted the recipe. So, I made it again this past week. But this time I made the small square pan and a large 13x9 pan as well. Here it is all mixed together the night before:
(notice my handy Pampered Chef Mix 'N Scraper...love it!)

And here is the final product just out of the oven:
This is a good recipe to prep the night before, because you have to brown the sausage and grate a bunch of cheese. I used pork sausage, but I bet chicken or turkey sausage would be great, too, and cut out a little bit of the fat. Here's the recipe - it's so delicious!


Sausage Quiche
Beat together in a large mixing bowl:
12 eggs
2 cups (16 oz) small curd cottage cheese
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup flour
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon baking powder


Add:
1 pound bulk mild pork sausage, browned
¼ pound bulk hot pork sausage, browned

Other tasty add-ins: Onion, tomato, mushroom, green chilies, green/red sweet peppers, leftover baked potatoes, etc.

Pour mixture into 2 greased 9-inch round baking dishes and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (if desired). Bake at 375 for 33-38 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Homemade Brownies

Want to come over for a glass of milk and a brownie?

Several months ago, I tried a Martha Stewart recipe for homemade brownies...it was supposed to be quick, easy, and come out tasting oh-so-yummy. After one bite, my hubby said, "what's wrong with these?"... and I knew I wouldn't be making those again! I didn't really like them either. We gave up on trying homemade recipes and decided to only make the boxed kind of brownie mixes.

Recently, my friend Meredith posted a recipe for her homemade brownies. They looked easy, and I decided to try them last night. Here's the picture:

These brownies are so delicious! They are fudgy and moist, just the way they should be. And, they are at least an inch thick. This recipe was easy and quick, and the brownies are delicious. My hubby loves them, too! Try them when you get a chance - here's the recipe:

Brownies
2/3 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
1/4 c water
2 c milk chocolate chips
2 c semisweet chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

• In a heavy saucepan bring butter, sugar and water to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
• Stir in the milk chocolate chips until melted, cool slightly. [Note: The richer and smoother the chocolate, the fudgier the brownies are. I made this with some leftover premium fondue chocolate and they were the fudgiest brownies ever!]
• Beat in vanilla.
• In a mixing bowl beat eggs. Gradually add chocolate mixture.
• Add dry ingredients. Stir in semisweet chocolate chips.
• Spread into a greased 13x9x2" baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Cool on wire rack.
• Cut into bars. (Hint: For straight cuts, use a plastic knife.)

My note: I used all semi-sweet chips, and they were great. I want to try them with dark chocolate, too.

Some New Kitchen Tools!

Last month, I hosted a Pampered Chef catalog show.  Here's the story...

My sister-in-law recently joined Pampered Chef as a consultant, and I wanted to help her business as she started out.  Since she lives in OR, and I am a thousand miles away in CA, I couldn't do the regular kitchen show.  So, I opted for a catalog show.  It was super easy on my end...all I had to do was input email addresses to her PC site, then it automatically sent a fancy invitation via email.  And, to make it even easier, all the guests could order online.  After a little bit of follow-up, I had collected enough orders for the show to qualify, and I was set.  I received all the items this week. So, for hosting the show,  I paid under $20 and I got over $60 worth of products. Yeah! One of my new tools is the ever-popular Food Chopper (I always wanted this, but never wanted to pay full price). I already used it once, and it's great!! 

Truth be told, I love Pampered Chef items.  I've gone to probably a dozen shows, and hosted 3 myself.  All the items I've ever gotten have been high quality, and they've lasted as long as I've had them.  The biggest complaint I've heard about PC is the price...and I agree, the stuff is more expensive then what you'd pay at WalMart or Target for the same item.  But, I've found the products to be worth the money. 

So, if you live near Portland, click here to book a kitchen show with my sis.  If you live far from Portland, you can host a catalog show and still have a great time!  

33!

I turned 33 this month, and my hubby (what a hunk!) treated me and my girlfriends to a night out at The Melting Pot for a sweet chocolate fondue dessert.

Here's a picture of us
Thanks, girls, for a fun and relaxing night! I love you all :)