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Why does holidays have to be crazy? I guess it's not necessarily the holiday itself it's all the things that come with it (like school Christmas programs, recitals, church parties, etc.) and then all the things that happen that you aren't expecting. For example:  this cutie broke his wrist the morning we were trying to go out of town for Thanksgiving. He's trying to be brave here.  He really wanted to play outside with his cousins but his arm was bothering him.  He gave it a good effort though! When we have crazy days I pull out my crockpot and try to make my life a little bit easier.  I love pork roasts because they are so versatile and go with pretty much anything I can find.  We all loved this version and it was so easy the hubs threw it in for me and it turned out great. Parmesan Pork Roast [crockpot] ( click here for printable version ) 1 boneless whole pork loin roast, about 4 pounds 2/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 c. honey 3 Tbsp. soy sauce 2 Tbsp. drie...

Now that Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is coming up I have been thinking about what we are going to be giving to our neighbors. Cookies are one of our favorites things to give.  There are so many varieties and they look so cute all packaged up with a bow. These Rolo cookies have been on my to do list for a long time, especially since my sister sent me the recipe ages ago.  I kept putting it off, mostly because I never had any Rolos around and I always forgot when I went to the store. I finally remembered, yeah, so the kids and I made these beauties the other night.  The kids thought they were amazing and asked for them in their lunch everyday (I think they love the surprise in the middle).  These are a nice simple, delicious cookie and one that your neighbors (and your kids) would love. Just in case you were wondering, we are still counting.  It's 27 days. Rolo Cookies (click here for printable version) 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 ts...

Happy Thanksgiving...tomorrow! Are you ready? I'm not but I'll get there eventually. I am in charge this year of the regular potatoes, the sweet potatoes, a fruity-type salad, and a couple pies.  I plan my meal for at least a month in advance so I can make sure we have the most delicious items and well lets face it, I love an excuse to try out even more recipes. I definitely know what pies I am taking... Coconut Cream and Apple (the hubs requested this one) and and what sweet potato dish is going but we weren't quite set on which potatoes to bring.  So in our quest for the perfect potatoes for wowing the family we came across this beauty. I just have one word to say about it. Gruyere. Okay maybe two words. Amazing. Donna's Good Luck Potatoes ( click here for printable version ) 3 pounds russet potatoes 3 ounces grated Gruyere cheese  ¼ c. butter, melted  ½ c. milk ¾ c. whipping cream 3 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese, fresh is best 1.  Scrub the potatoes and po...

I think pies are the culmination of Thanksgiving and they are what I devote most of my time to. I love pies and will always pick them over cake.   Growing up, the only kind of cake I would ever have for my birthday was Strawberry Shortcake but I usually picked some kind of pie. I don't know what it is about pie but it speaks to me.  It speaks to my stomach, my mouth, and to my brain, saying "you are amazing".  I think it's because there are so many different kinds of pie.  There are yummy chocolate pies, there are fruit pies, their are nutty pies, there are vegetable pies (ie; pumpkin), and you can have them with all sorts of crusts--pretzel, regular, graham crackers, pastry, etc.   See what I mean--so many ways to eat this deliciousness and why limit yourself to 2 months of the year.  I make them all year round and I love it. This pie met all my expectations of pie-ness.  Decadent and filled with chocolate goodness.  This would be amazing on your...

Sometimes I'm a blond.  I try really hard not to be.  I was born as a blond but the older I get the darker my hair is and the more serious people think I am. I try to keep up that persona but sometimes it gets the better of me.  Like yesterday.  I was at the gym (yes I go to the gym, it's the only way I can eat stuff like this and not gain 20 lbs!) and the instructor said, "Hope you have a great Thanksgiving next week." Me, thinking I'm so smart, says, "Oh that's funny Thanksgiving is not next week." And the instructor kindly says, "Yes it is next week" with a very funny look on her face. S.E.R.I.O.U.S.L.Y. Where have I been? So in honor of Thanksgiving next week here is a pie that we loved.  The caramel is fantastic with the pumpkin.  It is perfect combination and my kids asked for thirds it was that good. Caramel Pumpkin Pie ( click here for printable version ) Crust: 1 package cinnamon graham crackers (about 9) 1/3 c. butter, melted Fill...

 In our house, the Thanksgiving vegetables are the tricky item.   The kids are kinda picky when it comes to their veggies.  They want "normal" ones, ie carrots or green beans--as long as it not of the casserole variety. The hubs thinks vegetables are overrated why should we spend our time on them when there is such deliciousness to be had like turkey and potatoes. I, on the other hand, believe there should be lots of vegetables on the table and not just ones covered in sauce.  I think you should have veggies that stand out and can hold their own.   One of my favorite things to do is have a, different than the normal, salad.  This is what we are having this year.  The salad says "fall" to me and the combinations of apple, almonds, and feta are amazing.  The salad isn't too filling but it can totally handle it's own.  And I love that you make your own dressing. mmm....so good! Harvest Apple and Spinach Salad ( click here for printable version )...

A random fact about me:  I am usually always cold. It's true, I can remember as a little kid being cold a lot (the dr. always thought I was anemic but nope that wasn't it, it was thyroid) and it just hasn't gone away.  Even as I sit here writing this I am wearing pants, socks, slippers, a long sleeve shirt, a short sleeve over the top of that, and a jacket--and my house is set at 72°.   I don't like to be cold and try to avoid it at all costs (but dang it sometimes you just have to leave your house!!).  Like I dislike greatly (we are trying to teach our kids not to use the word 'hate') going to the indoor swimming pool in the winter.  It is so stinking cold getting out from the pool and walking to the locker room--it gives me the shivers just thinking about it right now.  I also dislike greatly sledding or skiing or any winter sports.  Not because I don't like them but from the fact that I am outside getting cold and it seems like no matter how many so...

 11.11.11 Pretty sweet day! So many exciting things today.  Harry Potter Part 2 comes out and oh my the weddings taking place today--I don't know how they can compare to the Harry Potter but hey...! I just want to give a shout out to my hubby, not only did he arrange this photo shoot (bless his little heart--I had come in from the back room and he had gotten it out of the crockpot, arranged it in the dish, poured the sauce over it, and then set it out so I could take a picture!), he is being the dad, mom, chauffeur, cook, cleaner, and provider today. I am off to cabin with some lady friends for a "girls weekend".  We stay up ridiculously late watching 80's and 90's flicks, eat too much fun, and laugh like crazy.  Sounds perfect doesn't it! Anyways, he is holding down the fort and is amazing! This pork was also amazing.  I love the simplicity of throwing it in the crockpot and wallah!....deliciousness.  We all loved this pork, including the picky child, and ...

Most of us are potato lovers at our house, especially the hubs.  If I ever ask him what he wants with the main dish it's always potatoes.  I try to get him to branch out and sometimes he does but it's only as far as rice. I know, not very exciting. But because we have potatoes so often I am always looking for new ways to have them.  I can only handle so many baked, mashed, and roasted potatoes and then I have to find something different. Well I have stumbled upon two AMAZING new potatoes recipes that would be perfect for Thanksgiving and so delicious for any time of the year. The first one is this lovely lady (and the next one I will share next week).  These are now my go to recipe.  The whole family L.O.V.E.S. them.  It is good that it makes a small pan because you could seriously eat the whole thing...not speaking from experience or anything! It is also ideal for gatherings.  I have taken this deliciousness to two get togethers recently and everyone ...

 I am in love with everything pumpkin lately. I have made 17 pumpkin recipes in the past 2 weeks and I can't wait to share them.   I am sorry if you are not a pumpkin lover, but this house could eat it all the time! Seriously there is everything from pumpkin breakfasts to pumpkin snacks to pumpkin dinners to pumpkin desserts.  Seriously!  Have you searched pinterest lately? That is like the death of me.  I can't search anymore for pumpkin recipes because I just keep finding more and more that I want to make. It was so bad that I had a girl's party last weekend and every single thing was pumpkin related--even the drink. This dip is a lovely little creation I got from my friend Erika.  It is very mild for pumpkin but has a fantastic taste.  We love serving it with anything cinnamon (like cinnamon Wheat Thins, or cinnamon graham crackers, cinnamon teddy grahams, cinnamon cookies, etc.).  It also makes a large amount so feel free to cut it in half. ...

 Have you ever had a pear pie? Oh my...heavenly!! We like pears a lot at our house--they are the fruit that my kids eat first.  We love to eat them fresh and from the jar (home canned anyway).  A couple weeks ago my parents brought us the most fantastic, huge, perfectly ripe pears.  We ate them all day long with juice dripping down our chins. But my mom had told me of this pie that her friend says is amazing.  Well I have never had a pear pie (at least all by itself) before and it is pie season and I had these beautiful pears sitting in my house so I thought why not. It is at the top of my list now and will definitely be served at our Thanksgiving dinner.  It was amazing, a very mild but smooth taste.  The flavors were fantastic and the crust is a perfect complement.  I love that it is to be eaten cold, so you can make it ahead of time and let it chill until you are ready for dessert. “ Come join Love the Pie with  TidyMom   sponsored by...

Can you believe it's November!!??!!  I shared this post last year on a blog and thought you might enjoy it here too. We're getting ready for Thanksgiving, and as part of my ritual I have gone looking around for recipes, and couldn't help but notice that most recipes are very time-intensive—not very practical for some of us that are chasing kids or working long hours right up until the big day. I wanted to get back to the basics with Thanksgiving, especially for those of you that may be running the show for the first time. There are 4 necessities for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, potatoes, rolls and pies. The rest is just icing on the cake. The Turkey Naturally, the turkey is the most important part of the meal.  If you mess it up, no one will forget it (remember Aunt Bertha's Turkey Jerky from 1964?).  If the turkey's perfect, everyone will be sleeping peacefully within an hour or so--more pie for you!  There are 3 commandments when it comes to mak...