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  • Putting the muddy back in buddy: Valentine’s Edition

    IMG_2738 Oh Muddy Buddies, you are a taste sensation in my mouth. Oui Oui! Chocolate + Peanut Butter = a match made in heaven. In about 15 minutes flat, this easy-to-make munchie could be yours! (It was ours today!)IMG_2705 Start with 9 Cups of Chex Cereal. I used rice, but you can use corn or chocolate.IMG_2706Next up, in a microwave safe bowl, add  1/4 C butter, 1/2 C Peanut Butter & 1  C Semi-sweet choco chips. Melt for 1 minute & then stir. Melt for an additional 30 seconds. Add 1/4  tsp. vanilla. IMG_2716 Pour onto the cereal and mix until chocolate is evenly distributed on cereal (I used my hands- that seemed to work like a gem.)  IMG_2721 Once it's all mixed, add it to a large ziploc bag & add the powdered sugar. Seal the bag & toss to coat. IMG_2727 Just like that:IMG_2728Place in a bowl and add peanut m&m's. IMG_2730 Mmmmm…delish! IMG_2749Chex Muddy Buddies

    9 c. Chex cereals (corn, rice and/or wheat)
    1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
    1/2 c. peanut butter
    1/4 c. butter
    1/4 tsp. vanilla
    1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

    Peanut M&M's.

    Directions:

    Pour cereal into large bowl and set aside. Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in 1 quart microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until smooth (stir after 1 minute). Stir in vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal and stir until all pieces are evenly coated.

    Pour cereal mixture into large container (with seal) with powdered sugar. Seal securely. Shake until all pieces are well coated. Spread on wax paper to cool. Add M&M's. Store in an airtight container. Makes 9 cups.

    You can thank me later.

    On a completely unrealated note- you may or may not be interested in knowing that I ran into Adam Sandler at my local Target a few Saturdays ago. He was there with his wife & girls. I was in the kids clothing department and so was he. Isn't that a hoot?

    I had another "celebrity"  (if you can call it that) sighting at the dollar store on Wed. night. That one is funny. I'll share soon. Have a great weekend!

  • Because mustaches are romantic

    IMG_2534 This years valentines were inspired by Paper Source. My Mom has one of those fancy Silhouette machines and so we put her to work cutting out hearts & mustaches (and other various shapes as seen above) while we were in Utah.  I'm reading that you can now cut fabric with the machine- which sounds very, very cool. Think of all the possibilities!IMG_2699 So we went to town, googley eyes & all. And if you think the mustaches stopped at the valentines, you are oh so wrong: IMG_2679 Fun for the whole family.

  • (mis)Fortune Cookies

    IMG_2659Chris had the brilliant idea of having (mis)fortune cookies so we started brainstorming for fortunes because nothing says "I Love You" like a (mis)fortune. Who wouldn't want to know of their impending doom? Trust me, they'll be thanking you!IMG_2652 Henry came up with that one. He's serious about it. Watch out, you do NOT want to get that one!  IMG_2646 I have only tried Martha's recipe but it seems to work. These cookies can be a little tricky so try it a few times until you get it right. 

    Fortune Cookies 

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1 cup superfine sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream*
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • Nonstick cooking spray

    • Directions:

    1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet liberally with cooking spray. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat; set aside.
    2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites and sugar, and beat on medium speed, about 30 seconds. Add flour and salt, and beat until combined. Add butter, heavy cream, and almond extract, and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
    3. Pour 1 tablespoon of batter onto half of the baking sheet, and spread with the back of a spoon into a thin 5-inch circle; repeat on the other half of the sheet. Bake until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown, about 8 minutes.
    4. Transfer baking sheet to a heat-resistant surface. Working as quickly as possible, slide a spatula (an offset spatula, available at specialty kitchen shops, works best) under one of the cookies. Lift it up, and place it on a clean kitchen towel. Using your fingers, fold the cookie in half, pinching the top together to form a loose semicircle. Hold the cookie with your index fingers inserted at each open end, and slide your thumbs together along the bottom line. Press into the center of the cookie while bending the two open ends together and down to form the shape of a fortune cookie. This whole process should take about 10 seconds. Once the cookie hardens, which begins to happen almost immediately, you cannot fold it. Place the fortune cookie on the kitchen towel to cool, and shape the second cookie. Repeat until all the batter is used up. To speed up the process, bake four cookies at a time, staggering two cookie sheets by 4 minutes to give you time to shape. To avoid wasting batter, practice folding with a circle of paper first.
    5. Write your message on a long strip of sturdy art paper, such as Japanese moriki. Thread the fortune through the cookie when it has cooled. 

    **We didn't have any heavy cream so I substituted with whole milk. When I last made this recipe a few years ago I can't remember if I used heavy cream or not and if it made a difference in the end product. '

     A few things worth noting:

    I decided to use my Silpat instead of spraying the cookie sheet directly with the cooking spray. It didn't work out so great. I had to really pry the cookies off so in the end I just sprayed the pan directly and they came right off but….they kind of burned. When I did the next batch, I took a minute off the cooking time and:  IMG_2655 they were so soft that it didn't hold it's shape. Try to make sure it's not undercooked, but also if you overcook it you won't be able to form it at all. Have I scared you away from this recipe yet? I'm sure it will work like a charm for you! And maybe the cream had something to do with it- I didn't use it so maybe that was the magic ingredient. It might be wise to have someone help you because by the time you get to the 3rd cookie (you can only fit that many on the pan at once) it started to cool and harden and got a bit tough to mold. Or you can just roll the circlesIMG_2664 into little pirouettes- that worked, too!  IMG_2661Here's to impending doom!

  • Back

    IMG_2540 Home sweet home. We are back from a quick trip to Utah where it was freezing. We are talking single digits. I don't even have a coat. Brrr!!  IMG_2559 Ah, that's more like it! A Sunday afternoon drive was just what we needed today. We always seem to end up at the beach. There is a little spot just off the PCH in Malibu near the Getty Villa that we love.  IMG_2551 The little sandy toes love it, too. Speaking of little toes- these little toes hit a major milestone last week:  IMG_2577 That's right, folks Charlie is walking! It's a Moore tradition to start walking around 15 months so he is right on track. We all got haircuts, too. Kate got about 3 inches whacked  off and now has a sweet little bob: IMG_2618 I've got lots of laundry & house cleaning to do (bleech)  but we have some fun Valentines things planned for this week. Be back soon!

  • A Baby Shower

    IMG_2493 for my sister who came out all the way from Wisconsin. They have waited for this baby for a very long time and are so happy to welcome her in the next few months. IMG_2494My sister Megan is a brilliant party planner and planned the most gorgeous shower for her. Because she was flying home and it would be difficult to travel with gifts, Megan made a 'giving tree' where people could give money instead of gifts so Vanessa could get those last few items that they really need. People put their donations in the envelope and tied them on the tree. IMG_2501I had the job of making a "Vermont Maple Blueberry Salad" which had bleu cheese, cinnamon almonds, apples & blueberries. It was delicious- I'll have to share the recipe soon.   IMG_2505
    We love you Vanessa and can't wait to meet that sweet babe of yours!

  • We love cheese

    IMG_2471Going to church makes me hungry. I don't know what it is. I come home and I'm starving.  And then we start munching and snacking because I have a confession: I almost never make a big Sunday dinner. This past Sunday I had some chips & salsa.  Chris got out the cheese & baguette and then I remembered we had some flatbread, so we spread some camembert on the flatbread and topped it off with mixed greens. It was good.  Good cheese and a baguette rank pretty high on my favorite foods list (you are learning more than you probably want to about our favorite foods.) Anywho, we are big fans of double & triple creme brie, the triple creme is pretty major so we usually stick to the double. We always grab a small block of bleu cheese- which is one of my favorites. Definitely one of my top 3 cheeses. Once I was buying some bleu at Costco and as I was checking out, the checker asked me if I wanted to get a different one because the one I had was moldy. Moldy. Boursin is amazing- really good mixed with a bit of brie or bleu. The camembert (above) wasn't bad. Of course, I love the new york extra sharp but when we  are baguetting it, we stick to the softer cheeses. And now you know, we love cheese. I don't think I could ever move away from a Trader Joe's. Jason Randall Harris: we are waiting for your master cheese list. Please send STAT!IMG_2473 1 pair of pajama bottoms completed. 2 more just need waistbands & to be hemmed. I have a lot to say about pajamas for Henry but I'll save that for another day. I will say that he loves them so much he wore them over to Jack's house today to play (I hear they did just great on the trampoline!) Phew!

  • For the boys

    IMG_2467 I am hoping to carve out a little time this weekend for some sewing. My machine has been calling and it's been far too long since I have sewn anything! I had big plans of sewing this fabric up for Christmas gifts for the boys, but, well…you know how that goes/went. Hope you have a lovely weekend. We have absolutely no plans which is perfect. Have a good one! 

  • Broccoli Cheese Soup

    IMG_2457 Broccoli Cheese Soup ranks pretty high on Chris' 'favorite soups' list. I'm more of a brothy kinda gal (he's had more chicken noodle soup than he cares to admit!) I have probably tried half a dozen soup recipes and never could find one that we really loved. They were either too runny or tasted too much like flour from trying to thicken it.  IMG_2427A few weeks ago I finally found a really amazing Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe. I don't mean to toot my own horn (currently tooting) but this one is a keeper. Chris loved it and I think it's going to be a staple. It's wonderfully thick and creamy  and the nutmeg gives it just the right kick. 

    Start out by sauteing the onion in 1 TBSP of butter (I buy unsalted because it gives me better control over how much salt goes into the overall dish). Set the onions aside. IMG_2429 Next, you'll make the rue. Cook melted butter and flour using a wisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, wisking constantly. Stir in the half & half (we used lowfat milk.) Add the chicken stock & simmer for 20 minutes. Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes. IMG_2435 Next, add salt & pepper and, in small batches, puree in a blender.  IMG_2439 Before & after: IMG_2441Next up, the cheese. We used an extra sharp cheddar (all you east coasters- the New York Extra Sharp is our all time favorite- I have such a hard time finding it here!)  IMG_2443Over low heat, add the cheese to the soup & sprinkle with the nutmeg. IMG_2444 Stir until melted and prepare to have your mind blown (serious.) 

    Broccoli Cheese Soup

    1 Tbsp melted butter

    1/2 medium chopped onion

    1/4 C melted butter

    1/4 C Flour

    2 Cups half-and-half (we used lowfat milk)

    2 Cups chicken stock

    1/2 lb fresh broccoli

    1 C Carrot, juliennend or diced

    1/4 tsp nutmeg

    8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese

    salt & pepper

    Directions:

    Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Melt butter in pan & add flour. Wisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, wisking constantly. Slowly add the half-and-half and then the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes. Add salt & pepper. In small batches, puree in a blender. Make sure you don't fill to the top because the heat from the soup will make it explode! Return to pot & over low heat, add the cheese and nutmeg.

    Enjoy!

    *I found this recipe by google searching. Legend has it that it's a copy cat recipe from Panera Bread Co. I've never actually eaten there so I cannot confirm nor deny.    

    **when I was taking a picture of the soup, Henry asked me if I was taking it for my etsy shop-LOL. Anyone wanna buy some soup?? I'm thinking of opening it back up in the next week or so. Stay tuned!

  • Queensland Flood Appeal Auctions

    Photobucket
    I wanted to bring your attention to a really great auction that Toni is hosting on her blog. In Toni's words:

    "I'm writing from Australia – we are in the middle of a national disaster which is horrifying and unprecedented. Much of the north of Australia has been flooded. People have died being washed away in flash flooding, it looks like a war zone in many towns and cities. We have half a million people without electricity. 11,900 homes are completely flooded with a further 14,700 partially flooded, many of which will never be habitable again. Brisbane, which is the third largest city in Australia is shut down. Businesses are closed, infrastructure destroyed, schools washed away.  So many families lives have been destroyed."

    Toni was very generous in helping (and donating!) when I hosted the Nie Nie Benefit Sale here a few years ago and I'm thrilled to be able to support this great cause. She's set up a great site full of amazing goods which can been seen here. 100 % of the proceeds will be donated to the Queensland Flood Appeal. Please pop over and take a look-there is a lot of really gorgeous things!

  • Hookey

    IMG_0421Henry didn't want to go to school today- I let him sleep in because he'd woken up in the middle of the night. I contemplated keeping him home and by 10 a.m. I decided it was too late to take him anyway. So I took them all to Disneyland (a girls gotta take full advantage!)  Sometimes, you just need to play a little hookey and get away from it all.