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 Sometimes I get a major craving for chinese food.  Living where we do (small town Idaho) the chinese food is pretty good. It's nothing to write home about but it's not bad.  Every time we go on vacation we usually end up at PF Changs sometime in the midst of our trip because I love their food.  On a side note is PF Changs authentic chinese food?  I am of the opinion that it's americanized but since I live in America I'll claim it as chinese because frankly I don't really want to eat salted duck eggs. I  have two favorites at PF Changs, lettuce wraps and the broccoli beef.  I always think I am going to branch out but EVERY time I resort back to these favorites.   Because of that I am always looking for copycat recipes or even something better to make at home.  Well ladies and gentlemen, I think I have found THE one.  This broccoli beef was amazing!!!  The hubs and I thought we had almost died and gone to heaven.  This definitel...

 You know it's sad when you are looking through your recently taken, edited, and ready to go pictures and not one of them is a dessert. I truly can't believe it!! What happen to all the treats I have made...oh wait...I really haven't made all that many desserts lately. I seem to get on kicks.  For awhile there it was lots and lots of cookies, then I realized I had very little to post in the way of main dishes and side things, so I guess I took care of that and now need to go on a treat kick again. The problem is that my pants are loving this hardly any sweets thing, ahh...but's totally worth it.  I just picked up some butterfingers and twixes at the store today and I got some delicious things to make with them.  I can't wait!! In the mean time here is a delicious cookie that the hubs made with very little help from me.  He is awesome at cookies and I am getting much better, thanks in large part to him.  This cookie is a fabulous combination of my favorite c...

I really hate it when I make things for other people and they don't turn out. It really ticks me off! Now this recipe didn't have a problem with the taste it was a problem with the cooking.  I don't know about you all but sometimes I swear my oven doesn't cook at temperature because things take way longer than they should (I really should get a oven thermometer but I always forget when I am at the store).  I know that but yet I doubt myself sometimes. This beauty was for one of my husband's co-workers for his birthday.  I pulled it out of the oven during lunch, and the hubs who was home for a few minutes, thought it looked done.  I thought it should bake for a few minutes longer but he convinced me that it was done because who wants hard, crusty cinnamon rolls.  Not me, so against my instincts I pulled it out, put the glaze on and sent it to work with him for the birthday guy. THEN...when he got home he tells me it wasn't done in the middle.  Ugghhh!! ...

 Pomegranate's are such an interesting fruit to me and if they were easier to peel I might eat more of them, but that's a post for a different day. At our house, the hubs and I are the only ones who enjoy this fruit.  I love how the kernels burst in your mouth and are tangy but sweet. Not to mention any time I see a pomegranate or even smell one I am always reminded of my sister Jennifer.  I remember her begging my mom to buy her pomegranates when they were season and her sitting for hours at the table peeling then in  bowls of water.  And to this day she still loves them, right Jenny? This salad was a very light, fresh side dish.  Quinoa is definitely an acquired taste for me and really just a vehicle for everything else in the salad.  Also there are so many ways to make quinoa, so don't be afraid to try different versions since they will all taste quite different.  Plus quinoa is very healthy and a great alternative to your regular pasta dishes....

Happy Birthday to my baby today!! He's not really a baby after all, he is 5 but he's the youngest and I reserve the right to call him my baby for as long as I want to, after all I am the mom :). He is so cute, this baby of mine.  I have asked him for several weeks what he wants me to make for dinner, for his cake, and for his presents.  Since he is 5, he has quite the opinions now.   Finally after much coaxing, he made up his mind.  He loves food like his mom and had a hard time coming up with what he wanted.  But he made it and this is what he decided on: Breakfast (he loves this more than any other meal of the day): eggs--this boy could eat eggs every morning if I would let him. Dinner: chicken nuggets (and not the homemade kind--this was after he first asked for prime rib. silly boy!) Cake: brownies and ice cream (sweet for me--no work and we all love it) Presents: Legos (easy peasy!) So here's to me having a 5 year old and a soon to be kindergartener, which ...

 I have found a new love.  Seriously. Sometimes things come into my life and I swear it will change the rest of my existence.  Some things are important in the scheme of things (like the hubs and my kids) but somethings probably really don't matter but it sure makes life that much sweeter. This cookie is one of those latter things.  So not that important but nevertheless life changing.   These little bundles of goodness came with me to a ladies meeting and they were an absolute hit.  They are my new favorite cookie.  The best part is that they are so delicious on their own.  There is no frosting needed.  You can definitely add some but I'm just sayin' you could eat the whole batch with no frosting and then you have less calories.  Sweet!! Almond Butter Sugar Cookies ( click here for printable version ) 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. almond extract 1 tsp. butter flavoring 3 2/3 cups flour 2 tsp. baking...

 I hope all of you had a wonderful day yesterday!!  We did at our house.  We made the kids red velvet crepes for breakfast, which turned out amazing, and the hubs made me dinner.  Perfect! I don't know about you, but I love super fast, simple meals sometimes.  There are days that I don't mind being in the kitchen for several hours but on most days I don't have that much time to spend on dinner.   With 4 kids needing to get place and 3 sets of homework to make sure is done, sometimes I look at the clock and realize it's already 5pm and I don't even know what I am going to make for dinner. I love having several recipes on hand that I can whip out really quick and the kids love.  Stroganoff, spaghetti, alfredo, rice, tacos, salad are some of the favorites but now we have a new one to add to our repertoire.  This chicken was so super easy and absolutely delicious.  Pair it with rice and you have one quick, yummy dinner.  My favorite! Bourbon...

 Red velvet seems to be all the rage lately.  Seriously....I didn't know you could have so many different red velvet recipes. Growing up I had only ever heard of red velvet cake and really then we rarely had it. Now you can find red velvet cookies, brownies, cheesecake, popcorn, cupcakes, pancakes, crepes (that's what we are having for breakfast tomorrow--can't wait!!), truffles, fudge, and pie, just to name a few.  Do a quick search on pinterest and you will be amazed.  I surely was! I figured because everyone else was doing it I should jump on the badwagon too.  These cookies were absolutely delightful!  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  Totally not joking.  The kids thought they were fabulous too.  They were seriously so good that I had to get them out of the house as quick as possible (sorry Lori! :) or otherwise the entire batch would of been in my stomach.  They are amazing and you should make some for Valentines Day--or j...

Hey y'all! It's the mom and sister of the Farm Girl again! We're here to share a recipe with you, we're really excited about this one. [: Now with the Super Bowl over and Valentine's Day just around the corner you're probably looking for something to make your pants a little more...(for lack of a better word) "happy" with you, right? I know I'm in big need of one of those kinda recipes! Well folks, I'm real sorry but I can't do that for you. I just can't! It wouldn't be morally correct for me to hold out on this recipe. Plus with a batch of these your husband/boyfriend/kids/friends will love you forever! In my personal opinion: a Valentine's day shouldn't pass without a batch of these. Whether you're single or not! This year my man will be 490 miles away and I think I'll just whip up some of these and eat the whole pan with a carton of milk while watching Pride and Prejudice . Sounds lovely doesn't it? I say so. ...

Growing up I H.A.T.E.D any cooked vegetable except green beans and corn.  I seriously would gag and throw up if I was forced to eat more than one. That was always the rule.  You had to at least eat one.  Which as a parent now I am a firm believer in.  I always tells my kids, "how do you know if you hate it unless you try it."  We have found so many things they actually love to eat because they have tried at least one piece. Anyway...broccoli was at the top of my list of "absolutely hate vegetables".  The funny thing is that I would eat pretty much anything raw; carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, etc.  But if you so much as cooked one of them, I was done. As I got older I started trying new vegetables again, mostly because I didn't want my kids to be as picky as I was.  And I learned that I L.O.V.E. most of them (I still cannot eat cooked peas bo matter how many times I try them--bad experience as a kid).  Broccoli is now at the top of "veg...

 Does anybody else get excited about Valentine's Day? I surely do.  I love a good excuse to make all things pink and red and make up lovey/mushy things for the hubs and my kids (especially the boys because they think it's "gross!"). I also love all the red velvet (soon to come I promise) and hearts that I see around.  I have such a hard time resisting them especially mints.  I picked up these bad boys at the store and thought I totally have to use those and what better way than in a cookie. Now coconut is a sensitive subject.  At least at our house.  The kids won't touch it if it has coconut (and unbeknownst to them sometimes I add it to things just so they won't want any--I know, mean mom!). But the hubs and I love coconut so anytime I can make a dessert with coconut I jump at the chance.  I made these for an adult party we went to (one of those tame adult parties not the "other" ones--just in case you were wondering!) They were a hit and were gone ...

I don't know about you, but I use a lot of frosting which usually means I use a lot of disposable decorating bags.  I seriously don't want to clean out re-usable ones, they are such a mess by the time I am done. Well no more ladies and gentlemen! This is one of the best things I have found on Pinterest in a long time.  It has revolutionized the way I decorate and my life has gotten so much better (sad but true). Sometimes I think, this (insert any number of things) has got to be a lot easier than it is.  And then I leave it at that.  Heaven forbid I actually sit down and try to think of a way to make it easier.  But today folks...who ever thought of this is on my new favorite person list.  They are amazing!!  And this concept is brilliant. All it involves is your decorating usuals and SARAN WRAP so lets get started. 1.  Assemble all your paraphernalia.  I have used this with any number of frostings and they all work great so just make your f...

As you know, I have 4 kids.  They are all wonderful, most of the time, and I love being a mom.  Some days we have quite the struggles and it's lately been centering about my 11 soon to be 12 year old. My husband says it's a boy thing and not to worry about it but REALLY! Why are boys so silly and weird, especially at this stage?  Why do they think they don't ever have to study for tests?  Why do they think that everything is really not a big deal and can be found two hours later with still no homework done? I just don't understand-- probably mostly because I'm a girl. Now don't get me wrong, my son is over all is a very good kid, but he is such a boy!  There is really no other way to describe it. He starts junior high next year so we have been diligently working with him so that junior high is not such a kick your butt, horrible experience for him.  He is just so chillax about everything, which is good for life, but terrible for school. I go in everyday aft...