Our New Little Monkey {Easy Canvas Prints}

On October 4, 2011 we welcomed a new baby girl into our bunch of monkeys.

Hailey Anne

Thank you to Easy Canvas Prints for making sure this little monkey is always reminded of how much she is loved.  Easy Canvas Prints will turn your photos to canvas with ease.  I am a HUGE fan of canvas prints & with a few clicks of the mouse I was able to order this beautiful piece of art to hang in her nursery.  The company is not only local (yay Austin!), but creates a fantastic product with great customer service & super fast shipping.  Check out their Facebook Page, for some great deals & "like" them to automatically receive 50% off of your next order (and free shipping...I LOVE free shipping)!


And a huge thank you to Brandie Lynn Photography for this awesome photo of our baby girl & her daddy who adores her.

We're Coming Back!!

It has been since late April that I posted a new recipe to this site.  A lot has happened since then...we moved, survived 4 long months of no internet & even had a baby :)  While it has been a crazy couple of months, we have began to settle in well.  We are making connections with friends & neighbors and we are anxiously awaiting a full nights sleep.  I will begin posting again soon, slowly but surely!

Sincerely,
Monkey Mama of 3!

Chicken Spaghetti

1-1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 microwave steamer bag broccoli
1 package thin spaghetti
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can Rotel tomatoes & green chilis
1/2 cup mexican blend shredded cheese
salt & pepper

Prepare spaghetti & broccoli per package directions.  While they cook,combine mushroom soup, Rotel & mexican cheese in a small sauce pan on low heat until heated through.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl & add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve family style with french or garlic bread.

This recipe is a bit too spicy for the little ones!

Spinach & Artichoke Dip (Hot or Cold)

*Photo note: I made this for Easter for just my husband & me, so I only filled the bowl with half of the dip created by this recipe.  The full recipe will fill the bread bowl appropriately.

Adapted from allrecipes.com

• 
  
• 1 8oz package cream cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (1 ounce) package ranch-style dip mix
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 2 (16 ounce) loaves King's Hawaiian® Sweet Bread
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 
  
• Blend mayo, sour cream and dip; mix together in a large bowl. Add artichoke hearts, spinach and water chestnuts; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
• 
  
• Before serving, Carefully hollow 1 loaf, leaving 1-inch on sides and bottoms. Cube removed bread and additional loaf.

To serve hot: Stir in 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese; microwave on high 4-5 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally.

Transfer dip to bread bowl and serve with bread cubes.

Potato Salad

• 
  
• Adapted from allrecipes.com
• 
  
• 8 potatoes
• 8 eggs
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 cup sweet relish
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup prepared mustard
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste
• 
  
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15-20 minutes; drain and chop.
• 
  
• Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water; peel and chop.
• 
  
• In a large bowl, gently mash the potatoes.  Then combine the eggs, celery, sweet relish, garlic, mustard, mayonnaise and salt and pepper. Gently mix together and serve.

Taco Salad

1 lb. ground turkey or beef, browned & drained
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1/2 large head lettuce, cut into pieces
1 can light or dark red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
2 tomatoes, cut into pieces
1 can sliced black olives, drained
1 package shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 - 1 - (8oz) bottle Creamy French or Catalina Salad Dressing
1/2 of bag Fritos corn chips or tortilla chips



Brown turkey or beef until cooked through.  Add taco seasoning and finish cooking as directed.  Allow meat to cool.


In a large bowl combine lettuce, beans, tomatoes, olives, cheese & meat.  Add 1/2 bottle of dressing & toss.  Add more dressing until desired amount is achieved based on personal preference.  Top with chips & enjoy!


For a fun variation, serve in a tortilla shell.  Spray both sides of a large flour tortilla with non-stick spray and place in a bowl suitable for the oven.  Bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes.

Baked BBQ or Hot Wings

adapted from foodnetwork.com

12+ whole chicken wings

desired sauce

Remove the tips of the wings and discard or save for making stock. Use kitchen shears or a knife to separate the wings at the joint. Place the wings in an electric steamer for 15 minutes (or place a 6-quart saucepan, with a steamer basket and 1 inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.  Add chicken and steam for 10 minutes). 

Remove the wings and carefully pat dry. Lay out the wings on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator to dry, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the paper towels on the pan and replace with non-stick foil or parchment paper. Roast on the middle rack of the oven, about 20 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook 20 to 30 more minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.

When the chicken is almost finished roasting, pour sauce into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken. Remove the wings from the oven, transfer to the bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve warm.

Light Chocolate Chip Cookies

 From allrecipes.com

 

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg white

3 tablespoons water

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 

	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
	In a medium bowl, cream the butter with the brown and white sugars. Stir in the vanilla, egg white, and water. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips.
	Drop dough by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

 

I made these with Hickory Farms Mint Melt Away Mini Chips (so I would stop snacking on them) & chocolate chips...yumm!!