Slow and steady update...

Talk about slacking... It's been over a month since I posted anything! Sorry to anyone that actualy reads this (Grandma). So I think I will start out where I left off, kinda.  I'm thinking May 1st. We hit the road at about 11:00 am - had to get one last batch of laundry done - loaded up like the Clampetts. Please take note of my impressive photo skills....not! Those damn state signs are tricky to catch. So first was Ohio, but they didn't have a sign. Then came Indiana

and then Illinois - it was dark so I missed this one.  Next was Wisconsin

if you squint just right, you can see it - stupid state put the sign on the wrong side...

Stayed the night in Janesville WI and hit the road about 8am the next day. We detoured a bit by hitting Cave of the Mounds, but it was worth it. We ended up on a tour with a bunch of 3rd graders but it was still fun.





Hard to get great pictures with it being so dark down there but these were my favorites.

Next we hit the Grumpy Troll for lunch

Cute signs

and last but not least we found the Jolly Green Giant

I squish your face

Okay, this is long enough - the trip will continue on the next post.

Got my granola on!

Finally got the courage to try making granola and I am happy to say that it turned out amazing! The only drawback to my recipe is that it was a bit on the crumbly side. Turns out it is perfect for cereal.

Another great thing is that it is all natural without any preservatives and it is very hardy (filled me up for like 5 hours - this is rare for my :).

Strawberry scones with coconut whipped cream

http://confessionsoftart.blogspot.com/2009/03/strawberry-scones.html
Made the coconut whipped cream super easily. Start off by buying a can of coconut milk and tossing it in the fridge overnight. By the next day it will have separated. Scoop out the heavy cream from the top of the can and put it in a bowl and whip until desired consistency. Add one or two tablespoons of powdered sugar (to taste) and whip for a few more minutes. It keeps really well in the fridge for a while.

Easter dinner - a little late

Paul cooked up some amazing beef ribs.

Fun Easter eggs that you can enjoy after they're peeled.

Chicken dinner

So Paul and I have always been a bit gun shy when it comes to cooking chicken, but after much thought and flipping through cookbooks and the Internet we found a method we thought we could do. Smoked beer can chicken - turned out better than we could have imagined.

Before cooking

And after cooking in the smoker for 3 hours

We ate most of the breast meat the first night and then used the rest of the bird to make scrumptious chicken salad sandwiches

I couldn't help taking a bite of it to see if it was good :)

Pizza, popcorn and beer oh my!

So glad the week is finally over! Only 37 more days until we begin our trip to Hawaii. Put my notice in at work on wednesday and my last day will be the 11th of May.

We made a couple of great meals this weeks

Seriously the best pizza to date and a pretty awesome side salad to go with (watching my figure...get smaller!)

Nom nom nom! Homemade popcorn and Shock Top - it was so much fun to make popcorn on the stove. We then doctored it up with our own secret blend of spicy goodness and it turned out fantastic! Secret blend includes: lime juice, butter, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, jalapeño flakes and red pepper flakes and maybe something else that Paul can't remember at the moment. I think I feel the cooking itch - thinking about making some petite vanilla scones...

This is what happens when you run out of food....

Swiss meringue butter cream frosting! I only needed five ingredients - egg whites 5, 1 cup of sugar, pinch of salt, 2 sticks of butter and 1 tsp of vanilla. Thankfully I only hogged down 3 eggs for breakfast or I would have been screwed :)

Awesome candy apple red kitchen aid mixer!

Lots and lots of frosting - I will be making a cake to go with this when I get some more eggs...

Found this recipe @ http://www.krissys-creations.com/2012/02/swiss-meringue-buttercream-step-by-step.html

Big news update!

We got orders! Leaving Pennsylvania in May 2012 (two months away) to move to Hawaii! Paul and I have been working hard to get ready. So far, Goodwill has taken four 4runner loads and one truck load. One more load to take tomorrow and pretty much done with the stuff we can donate. Also donated about a hundred pounds of books and CDs to the library and threw away about two truck loads. We've sorted through everything except the workshop. Hard to sort when the workshop is covered in sawdust! Besides de-hoarding we have also started to sort - rush move, standard move, and storage move. There are still just a few things that we don't want to give up but definitely don't need to take to Hawaii (like the ice fishing gear). It's so nice to get rid of stuff that we don't need and just takes up space. I can't wait to move!

New bread recipe and dinner update

Basic white sandwich bread

Turned out great - nice and soft but not crumbly

Second attempt at making a Stromboli - folding instead of braiding

One pepperoni and one supreme

Pepperoni

Supreme

Attempting to catch up on two months of posts that needed to be done!

Fail! Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes - they looked amazing but flavor wise they weren't so good and ever time I flipped them they burned on the bottom

First attempt at making a Stromboli and it was great

Next time, instead of braiding it we will just fold it over and cut air vents

Another fail! So I love prunes but prune juice is just plain nasty!

Breakfast fajita with steak, onions, and peppers

We liked it so much we ended up eating it for breakfast and lunch

I've been wanting to make lamb chops for a while now and we scored a pack on the "reduced/must sell now" section and it was still outrageously priced!

Lemon and Oregano Lamb Loin Chops

Chops, salad, and mashed taters - one of my best meals ever!

Quick and easy beef stew with potatoes and carrots

Finally perfected the tortillas - doubled the recipe but still only made 8

Altered my regular bread recipe to include 3 cups of wheat flour - turned out well, but it didn'trise quite as much as I would have liked. Still, it tasted really good with jam.

Paul's 5 Bean 3 Meat Chili - a bowl full of spicy goodness

A bit of shredded cheese and some sour cream and it is perfected

Our first attempt at making a home style version of Kraft pasta salad. Cucumber, tomatoe, pasta, sour cream, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dried dill - need to tweak it a little bit because it turned out a little soupy but overall pretty good.

Second attempt at making cole slaw and it turned out just right. Half a head of shredded cabbage, one cup of diced onions, one cup of shredded carrots, half cup of mayonnaise, quarter cup of white vinegar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp black pepper, and 1 tsp dried dill. The best slaw I have ever had.

My new favorite cocktail: Tequila Sunrise

Tequila, orange juice, and grenadine - mix it all up and serve it with a slice of lemon.