A Wedding Blog

I have SO much wedding planning to do over the next two months and I don't want to clog up this blog with WEDDING-WEDDING-WEDDING so I started a wedding blog.  Check out The American Homemaker Wedding for wedding updates, pictures, ideas and craziness!

Italian Soup and more!

The other day I was talking about canning tomatoes and I started to crave the tomatoes I had in lovely jars from last year.  I whipped together a delightful soup using Italian-seasoned turkey burger, Italian tomatoes, tomato soup, water, chicken bouillon, whole wheat pasta and green beans.  We topped it with mozzarella cheese and served it with flat garlic bread and sparkling apple cider!

As I was cooking, Eric and Caleb worked on getting Caleb's pinewood derby tank painted!

It came out so great!  I have to brag about the dowel/gun... Eric whittled it from a stick he found in the yard!  He has some old school talent!

While I'm bragging, look how beautiful Nina looked for her 9th grade formal dinner at a fancy restaurant!  She got to eat at La Caille and loved every minute of it!

Macaroni & Cheese Casserole

The place was Eric's house, the day was busy with meetings, my tummy was hungry, his fridge was empty... I whipped up this yummy casserole for lunch with items from the cupboard!

Macaroni & Cheese Casserole  


1 box mac & cheese (off brands work great!) & butter to make
1 can diced tomatoes (not drained)
1 can tuna fish, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Make the mac & cheese as directed on the package leaving out the milk (the tomatoes have enough liquid).  Add remaining ingredients and heat until hot.  Serve.

 After shoveling in the food it was back to business!  We have several businesses in the works and it's GO GO GO all the time.

I'm excited, but so tired and overwhelmed.  My website will be ready to launch soon... finally.  How many times have I said that in the last 4+ years?  I'm sure at least three...  This time is for real.

Ice Cream Sandwich Sundaes

I love easy summer desserts!  No one wants to turn on the oven or stand over a hot stove in the heat!  Ice cream sandwich sundaes are easy and delightful!   Simply place an ice cream sandwich on a plate, top with whatever you like (sliced strawberries, ice cream toppings, blueberries, etc), add whipped cream and sprinkles and you're done!  Yummy!!!

I also wanted to share the cake my sister made me for my birthday:

Isn't it pretty?  I loved it!  So totally vintage and feminine!

Swiss chard Pascualina pie

A classic Argentinian dish, in her most famous version is with spinach, but it can be made with what it is at hand. My favorite is the version with artichokes, other popular ones are with broccoli.


Swiss chard Pascualina tart
8 people
Ingredients:

• 2 bunches of swiss chard
• 1 onion
• 50 grams of butter
• 100 grams of all purpose flour 
• 2 cups of milk, I used skim
• salt and pepper
• 4 hard boiled eggs
• 2 pie crust dough thawed at room temperature 

Preparation:

1. Wash and drain the swiss chard, cut and discard the tips of the stems. Cut the stems and leaves into thin strips. Chop the onion into small squares.
2. In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and let brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the swiss chard and cook covered over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the greens are tender. Remove to a bowl. Clean the pan with a paper towel and add the butter, let melt over medium heat. Add the flour and stir with a fork, let it cook about 2 minutes. Add warm milk in a thin thread and incorporate slowly. Let it boil and thicken, stirring always. Boil gently for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chard and stir, it should be the consistency of paste. Adjust the seasoning.
3. Preheat oven to 180C or 350F.
4. Butter a mold that can go in the oven. Place one of the pie crust and compressed against the bottom and sides. Placing the filling in a layer of 1 cm (half an inch),more or less. Cut eggs into 4 and evenly distributed like a flower. Place the remaining filling and cover with the other pie crust and compress the edges to seal.
5. Cut a small circle in the middle and with aluminum foil make a chimney for the steam to escape.
6. Bake on a baking sheet, for 45-60 minutes until crust is golden brown.
7. Let stand 20-30 minutes so the filling does not leak when cut, cut and serve.
8. Keep refrigerated. Can be reheated in a microwave, if desired.

Somebody's Getting Married...

I said yes!

It's me! It's me!  My weekend was pretty eventful!  I had a hot birthday date (Cafe Rio & shopping at Rue 21), a birthday party with lots of family (Happy 33rd Birthday to Me!) AND I got engaged to the most incredible man I've ever met!

2012 has been filled with some pretty crazy ups and downs, but all in all it's been amazing!  The rest of the year is going to be harder and better at the same time!  I can't wait!

birthday date!

 All seven kids are excited for the upcoming wedding!  I found out Nina and her best friend had already been planning out the reception!  My kids' friends love Eric as much as we do...  I've had comments coming in from all over the place that I should marry Eric from the first day we met.  It's happening!

We've set the date for Saturday, June 30th in Provo, Utah.  It's coming up quickly!  My kids leave for the month of July and August always gets crazy with back to school stuff, so June it is!

We really want this to be a big old fashioned event for everyone to enjoy, so please let me know if you'd like to be invited!  We'd love to have you be a part of it!

being silly at the party!

I have so much planning to do!  Dress, cake, decorations, music, food, getting my house ready for five more people to move in, etc, etc... YIKES! 

I'm going to have to get REALLY organized!  Menus, budgets, calendars and filing systems are all going to become a part of my life very quickly!  But right now I get to happy dance!  ERIC & I ARE GETTING MARRIED!  Did I mention that we're in love? *wink*

Eric, a cookie and me :)

Vintage Mexican Recipes

These recipes came from a stash that were my grandma's.  They would have been from the '60s or early '70s most likely since that's when they lived in Mexico.  I thought it would be fun to share them for Cinco de Mayo! 

Click on the picture to enlarge it!

click to enlarge