Delicious Non-Rock Oatmeal Cookies

A couple of years ago, I tried my first gluten free recipe and whipped up a batch of biscuits. Unfortunately, they looked and tasted like rocks. Fortunately, I never made them again. Since then, I've found plenty of great gluten free recipes, but I haven't found a gluten free cookie that I love. Until now! Trader Joe's has a great recipe on their bag of gluten free oats.

These cookies are delicious and my whole family loves them! You can even make them healthier by cutting the sugar and using high quality dark chocolate with low sugar instead of chocolate chips. Or just go for it! And if you aren't concerned about being gluten free, then use any oats your heart desires.

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup peanut butter

3 cups GF oats

6 oz (or less) chocolate chips

1/2 cup sunflower seeds (try them!) or chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350. Combine sugars and butter and beat until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla and baking soda and mix well. Add peanut butter and mix. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and nuts. Use a small cookie scoop and place scoops of dough on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned around edges.

The recipe says it makes approximately 48 cookies, but I've never gotten that many. Maybe you can get 48 if you don't eat any of the dough first, but we always do!

Lavender's Ice Cream

Lavender had eczema when she was younger and we decided to cut out dairy. She responded beautifully so we've stayed dairy-free for her and Marianne. It doesn't usually present a problem except when it comes to ice cream. Banana ice cream has been the perfect solution. It is also sugar free, so it's a fairly healthy dessert. Basically you blend any frozen fruit in the food processor with some liquid until it is creamy. I don't measure when I make it, but here is my best approximation of our favorite version:

Lavender's Banana Ice Cream

3 or 4 frozen bananas in pieces
2 T dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T PB2 (peanut butter powder)
1/4 cup almond milk

Put all ingredients in food processor. Only put in a few tablespoons of almond milk at first. Blend for a bit. Then stop and scrape down sides and add more almond milk. Repeat until smooth and creamy. Eat immediately! We love to top ours with unsweetened shredded coconut and sliced almonds.

Mexican Pumpkin Soup & Jack-O-Lanterns

On Sunday I was in the mood for pumpkin, so I made a simple pumpkin soup for dinner for the four of us who were home.  Lavender refused to eat it and John and Evan didn't finish their bowls.  Fortunately I made a small batch and I was able to eat the leftovers for lunch a couple of days this week.

Tonight I decided to try again. I got the recipe from Gluten Free Goddess and changed it a little bit.  I doubled the recipe and it made a nice big batch. It was a little too spicy for Lavender, Brianne and Leighton, but the rest of us really enjoyed it.

Mexican Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoons coconut oil
1 small red onion, diced
1 7oz can diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 15-oz. can pumpkin (or 2 cups fresh cooked)
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed, drained
5 medium red potatoes, peeled, diced


Add at the end:
Salt and pepper, to taste 
Approx 1/3 cup almond or coconut milk
1 drizzle of honey
Juice of a small lime

Instructions:

Heat the coconut oil in a large soup pot and saute the onions.  Then add the chiles, spices  and garlic. Cook gently for a couple of minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a high simmer; cover, and lower the heat; simmer for 25 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

Taste test for seasoning adjustments. Add salt & pepper, milk, honey and lime juice.

Warm up some corn tortillas and cut in half for dipping.

Serves 4.


I don't have a photo of the soup, but here are the jack-o-lanterns the kids carved.

HAPPY! birthday

My birthday was at the beginning of August and my family took good care of me.

Evan got the day started right by making crepes for breakfast. Actually, he made two kinds of crepes!  He made a small batch of gluten-free ones for me and a large batch of regular ones for the rest of the family. They were delicious with fresh fruit!

Molly made my whole week special by asking members of our extended family to write me a birthday wish. Every day she emailed me letters from a few of my loved ones!

My sister Jenny said she would take me to see a Shakespeare play and she more than kept her promise. We saw a really fun musical version of A Midsummer Night's Dream and a few days later she took me out to lunch and to see a film version of Much Ado About Nothing.

John took some time off from work and we went out to lunch, walked along the beach and played frisbee in the sand and then went out to dinner.

When we got home, we found that Marianne had made yummy German chocolate cupcakes from scratch. My favorite flavor and gluten-free to boot!  I know they were a lot of work and it was even harder because Lavender really wanted to eat them all.  Marianne kept telling her that they were for my birthday and tried to teach her to say "Happy Birthday." Lavender got half of it right.  She did wish me "happy" when we got home.  Then she ran to the kitchen, frantically begging for cupcakes and shouting "happy, happy, happy." She seemed to think the cupcakes were called "happy."  Now, almost a month later, any time she wants a treat she still asks for "happy."  John brought home a big box of donuts yesterday and she was thrilled to have "happy" for dessert last night..  Guess what she wanted for breakfast this morning?

Do you like the way she is attacking that donut in the top picture?  She may not be smiling, but she is definitely HAPPY!

Fudgy Peanut Butter Blender Brownies

I am still eating gluten free and feeling good!  I know that eating sugar-free would be even better for me, but I can't tackle that one right now.  Marianne is very thoughtful and usually looks for gluten free recipes when she cooks.  Here is a brownie recipe that is made in the blender.  They are yummy!

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar (I use slightly less)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

Put all ingredients except peanut butter into a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Stop blender and scrape sides as needed.  Pour batter into 8x8 pan sprayed with PAM.  Microwave peanut butter for 30 seconds.  Drop melted peanut butter by spoonfuls onto the batter. Draw a butter knife through batter to create a marbled look. Do not overmix.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan.  Cool completely (put in the freezer if you're impatient like me) before cutting.

Serendipitous Cinco de Mayo

On Sunday we had twenty family members at our house for dinner!  More on that in the next post.  As I was planning dinner, I decided on a Mexican theme with crock pot recipes that could cook while we were at church.  On Saturday night I realized that I was missing an important ingredient.  I headed to the store about 10 PM and found myself in line behind a man with 15 kinds of Ben & Jerry ice cream and two barely 21 year olds buying liquor.  I felt a little out of place with my extra large bag of pinto beans.  As I pondered "which one of these doesn't belong," I heard one of the guys mention Cinco de Mayo.  I realized that I had accidentally planned the perfect Cinco de Mayo dinner!  To make things even more festive, Marianne donated a package of brightly colored, striped napkins and Jenny brought an ice cream sundae bar for dessert!

The next time you plan a fiesta of your own, you might want to try three of my favorite recipes.  Two of them are from our niece Holly and one is from our friend Jody whose family, sadly, has moved to Los Altos.  All three are easy, fairly healthy recipes that you can prepare in advance.

Homemade Refried Beans (not really refried, but delicious!)

4 cups raw pinto beans, rinsed
1 large onion chopped
2 t salt
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t cumin
(can use taco seasoning in place of spices)
1-2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Place beans and onion in crock pot and fill with water.  Cook all day (6-8 hours on high).  When water has cooked out (beans come to top with a little water) add spices.  Blend hot beans in small batches until as smooth as you like.  Put beans back into crock pot and sprinkle cheese on top.  Turn crock pot on low.  Serve as a bean dip with chips or as a side dish or with tacos.

Holly Tacos (renamed by my kids)

4 large chicken breasts
(1 pkg taco seasoning or)
2 t minced onion
1 t salt
1 t chili powder
1/2 t cornstarch
1/2 t minced garlic
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t cumin
2 cups salsa

Put chicken, spices and salsa in crock pot all day.  1 hour before serving, scoop out extra liquid so that tacos won't be drippy.  Shred meat with fork and add 1 cup sour cream.

Serve with warm flour tortillas, lettuce, olives and cheese.  You can also use the meat to make a great (gluten-free)  taco salad.

Jody's Black Bean Dip (a favorite of my Mom's)

3 tomatoes, chopped
3 avocados, chopped
1 can corn, drained (or use frozen)
1 can black beans, drained
1 can black eyed peas, drained
1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped
salt and pepper to taste
approx 1/2 bottle Italian dressing

Mix together.  Refrigerate and let it set for several hours.  Serve with tortilla chips.  You can double this for a crowd.

¡Viva México!

Surprises, Big and Small

In the past few years, I have learned to appreciate the unexpected!   Here are three recent surprises in my life:

#1

I was called as the Ward Music Chairman at church.  I was very surprised, but also relieved by the calling because I knew our Young Women's Presidency was being reorganized and the thought of those responsibilities overwhelmed me.  I was surprised because each of the Ward Music Chairmen I've known has been a great musician.  You know, the kind of person who can step in at a moment's notice to sing or play the piano or conduct a quartet. Ummm. That is certainly not me!  However, I am the kind of person who can plan, organize and invite (that sounds so much nicer than nag, doesn't it?) people to share their musical talents in Sacrament meetings each Sunday.  Beautiful music really does bring the spirit and I am grateful for the opportunity to help our ward members feel closer to our Heavenly Father.  And if you'd like to volunteer (or volunteer in behalf of a friend or family member) please let me know!  If necessary, I promise your anonymity will be protected.

#2

I have been wheat-free for six weeks now.  I have been surprised how easy it has been to stay off of wheat.  I took a couple of bites of a bun once without thinking and I cheated on two occasions.  But overall, I've done really well.  I have always eaten 100% whole wheat bread and I would have told you that I eat mainly whole grains.  When I cut out wheat, I realized that I wasn't eating things like hamburger buns, waffles, brownies, birthday cake or flour tortillas.  None of which are whole grain, of course!  Within a few days, I noticed that I had more energy and less desire for sugar.  The big surprise was that I have no joint paint.  I have had minor aches and pains in my hips for for quite a few years.  Since I gave birth to Lavender, I have had swelling and pain in my fingers and shoulder.  After I had been off wheat for a month, I suddenly realized that I hadn't had any joint pain in weeks!  Sadly, giving up wheat has not led to much weight loss for me.  I am back on Weight Watchers Online, but wheat-free this time.  I have to mention that the WW app makes it really easy to track your food, exercise etc.

#3 - The Grand Finale!

My dad and Carolyn went skydiving!  I never would have expected my dad to do something like that, but he did!  I am impressed with their courage and sense of adventure.  They did tandem dives while strapped to an instructor who was in charge of the essentials:  pulling the chute, landing and filming the jump.  They both had a great experience, with the photos and video to prove it.  My dad highly recommends it (once the kids are grown) and even found it full of spiritual symbolism.  For me, watching the video has cemented my decision to never, ever jump out of an airplane.  You can watch the video HERE and decide for yourself.

This and that

Elder Aaron and his companion found an apartment, so he doesn't have to sleep on the couch anymore! They had to move in with other elders at the last minute to make room for all the new sisters serving in Toronto.

I had a date with my sweetie to the symphony.  It was one of the best performances ever.  We enjoyed Bach, Schumann and a Concerto for two pianos by a modern composer, Poulenc.

Brianne started ballet lessons. She is the cutest little ballerina ever.

I went wheat-free this week after reading this book recommended by a dear friend. I had been praying about my health and wondering what to do.  Just a few hours later we were finishing a conversation when she said, "Wait, I have to tell you about this book."  The results have amazed me.  I have much more energy and none of the cravings for snacks and sweets.  We shall see how the weight loss goes.

Lavender took her very first steps just a month ago and now she is running around everywhere.

Marianne and Evan dissected a sheep brain with their cousins as part of their biology class. Their Uncle Brian is a great lab instructor.

I got to go the temple this week!

You Never Know

When you might need to make a giant cupcake.

A few weeks ago I never would have considered making an oversized cupcake.  But today I am the proud baker and decorator of not one, but two giant cupcakes!

As an experienced giant cupcake baker I feel obligated to share what I've learned.  Besides, by the time I make my next giant cupcake, I will most likely have forgotten all the important details. Since the pan came without instructions I had to glean my knowledge from youtube videos, online forums, cake mix boxes and limited personal experience.  So here we go:

Mix together:

2 cake mixes (same flavor)

2 small boxes instant pudding (similar to cake mix flavor)

8 eggs

2 cups water

2/3 cup oil

This makes a heavier, pound cake type of cake that is sturdy enough to become a giant cupcake.

Spray large side (cupcake base) of pan with PAM.  Pour in 3 1/2 cups of batter.  Bake at 325 for 10 minutes.  Pull pan out of oven and spray small side (cupcake top) of pan with PAM.  Pour in 2 1/2 cups of batter. Continue baking for 50+ minutes.   Turn pan around halfway through baking time. Bake until center of both sides tests done.  (If the tops get a little over-browned don't worry because you will cut them off.)  Make regular or mini cupcakes with leftover batter.

Let cake cool 15 minutes in pan, then remove to cooling rack.  Let cake cool completely and then cut off the tops so that they are flat.  (Top of base and underside of cupcake top need to be flat so they fit together.) Feed cut off cake pieces to your starving children.

To decorate:

Spread frosting on underside of cupcake top. Bring frosting up around the edges about an inch. Gently set the cupcake top on the cupcake base, being sure to center it.  Frost top of cupcake. I used a large open star tip .  I started piping near the bottom of the cupcake top and spiraled around until I got to the center. Since you already frosted the edges you don't have to worry about covering them with piped frosting. Decorate with sprinkles of your choice.

There is no need to frost the base of the cupcake.  Instead, make a decorative "cupcake liner" with a 12x12 sheet of scrapbook paper.  Cut strips about 3 inches high and then pleat them with small accordian style folds.  Tape or glue the edges together so that it will reach all the way around the cupcake. (I admit that Evan did this part for me. Next time I will get Marianne to pipe the frosting and then it will look much better!) Serves 8-10.

Pink Polka Dot Cupcakes

For some reason I have had a hard time blogging about Lavender's birthday celebration.  I think it is hard for me to admit that my baby is really a year old!  We had a fun party for her.  It was just what I wanted:  special birthday outfit for her, a theme to pull it all together, cute decorations, time with family, fun for her, memorable for all of us.

Evan filled up the balloons with helium 

and led Carolyn and I in making the tissue papers flowers

I made a giant cupcake and Evan made the paper wrapper

Marianne frosted the regular size cupcakes

Grandpa and Carolyn gave Lavender this cute monkey that makes a kissing noise.

Lavender loved looking up at the decorations and kept saying, "Ohhhh!"

She looked adorable in her birthday cupcake outfit, but refused to keep the hat on for more than a second.

This was the first time she really got into opening presents.

I used play silks instead of tissue paper in the gift bags.

She was excited about the ladybug maracas

and she loved the birthday cards,

but her favorite gift was the toothpaste and toothbrush.

In fact, all the little girls wanted the toothbrush.

Leighton had a fun time partying

and Brianne got in on the action too.

Finally it was time for cake and ice cream!

Lavender loved her cake,

but she hated the polka dot sprinkles 

once we picked them off her side of the cake she was ready for a taste.

\

She thoroughly enjoyed her cake and ice cream!

Birthday girl with her Daddy!

Happy Birthday Lavender Jane!

Three Things Today

#1  I tried adding organic dandelion greens to my morning smoothie.  The flavor was too strong for me, even when I kept reminding myself how healthy it was.  I gave the leftovers to Lavender and she loved it!

#2  Marianne and Evan were able to spend time in the temple this morning.  I am grateful they were able to go and serve in such a beautiful and peaceful place.  

Photo from 2010 on Ryan and Molly's special day at the temple!

  While Marianne and Evan were gone, I asked Cammi to come and play with Lavender so I could get some laundry and cleaning done.  Lavender was thrilled to have a playmate and Cammi was a great little babysitter.

#3 We received both an email and a letter in the mail from Elder Aaron! Yeah!! Inside the envelope was a very thick pass along card.  Actually it was a few cards taped together.

I had to get out my scissors to cut them apart.  This is what I found inside:

It was his clever way of packaging his memory cards to send to us.  We will upload the photos to our computer and then send them back to him.  I am not so clever and will use a small padded envelope when I return them!  Here is my favorite photo from the memory cards:

Three happy things today!  I sure love my kiddos.  Even when they're all grown up!

Recipe Gone Wrong

I guess I'm just lucky, but none of my kids are picky eaters. I often test new recipes and my family is willing to give them a try.  They don't love everything I make, but I can't remember the last time anyone complained or refused to eat dinner.

Recently, I decided to buy some quinoa at Costco.  I've heard so much about it lately and I wanted to try cooking with it.  Then we got some beets in our CSA box and I wasn't sure how to prepare them.  I thought they might go well with the quinoa.  Thanks to google, I found several recipes for Roasted Beet Quinoa.  The one that looked the best also included goat cheese.

I was excited to try a recipe with three ingredients we don't usually eat.  John picked up the cheese on the way home from work and I got to work.  I roasted those beets and cooked that quinoa and then put it all together.  It looked nothing like the photos online.  I followed the recipe carefully, but the beets turned everything red.  It almost looked like raspberry sherbet.

I put it in front of my family, assuring them that it tasted better than it looked.  After the first few bites, I saw the looks on their faces.  No one complained, but Lavender promptly spit it out and Evan drank half a glass of water.  I told them it was an acquired taste and they just needed to try a few more bites to get used to it.  I reminded them that Grandma loved beets.

Then I took Lavender up to bed and left the rest of the family to finish dinner.  The table was clean by the time I came back downstairs, but Marianne was eating a bagel with cream cheese. Apparently no one finished their dinner. Reportedly Evan sat staring at his food and asked, "I wonder if this is how Cammi [his very picky cousin] feels at dinner?"  Marianne was more direct with me, "What were you thinking, Mom?"  I asked John about it and he tactfully explained, "Well, I don't really like beets."

So I made a deal with everyone:  They promise to try the quinoa again, if I find a different recipe.  Anyone have any good recipes to recommend?  Please let me know and be sure to think of me at lunchtime.  I'm eating Roasted Beet Quinoa every day this week.

How it was supposed to look

How it actually looked

Birthday Salad (and cake too!)

My birthday was last week.  I had a nice day including phone calls, texts, gifts, flowers, lunch with my sister, dinner and As You Like It with my husband.  We often celebrate birthdays with a family dinner.  So the Sunday after my birthday I decided I was going to invite the family over and make exactly what I wanted for dinner .  These are recipes I love, but almost never make.  And here they are:

The first one is Pioneer Woman's Asian Noodle Salad.   I've modified it just a bit.  There are a few things you should know.
1.  It makes a HUGE bowl of salad.  Actually, I have to put it in two huge bowls to mix it up. I recommend you make this salad for a crowd, or cut the recipe in half and you will still have plenty for a large hungry family.
2.  This is definitely a main dish salad, especially if you're happy with a vegetarian meal.
3.  Once you put the dressing on, you need to eat this salad right away.  You can't save the leftovers for lunch the next day.

1 package fettucine noodles, cooked and cooled
1/2 head napa cabbage, sliced
1/2 head purple cabbage, sliced
1/2 bag baby spinach
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 orange bell pepper sliced
1 small bag bean sprouts
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, sliced,
3 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups cashews, lightly toasted in non-stick skillet

Dressing:
(I think this makes too much dressing, so I never use quite all of it on the salad!)
1 lime, juiced
8 Tbs olive oil
8 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs sesame oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 Tbs fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
chopped cilantro

For my birthday cake I made Hymie's Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake that my mom always used to make.  It is yummy and needs no frosting.  Perfect for me since I'd rather have ice cream than frosting!

Mix together:
1 devil's food cake mix
1 large package instant chocolate pudding
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 cup water

Beat on high for 5 minutes.  Then stir in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips.  Pour batter into well greased bundt pan. Bake for 55 minutes at 350 degrees.

It was fun to have the family over for dinner and we ate on paper plates so I didn't have dishes to do!

Gardening - Virtuous and Tasty!

Thomas Jefferson said, "cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens.  They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country, and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bonds." 

This year with our homeschool commonwealth, Evan studied the principle of georgics as described by Jefferson above.  For a school project he made boxes, planned and planted a garden.  We have been enjoying delicious, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchinis.  I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite zucchini recipes. 

The first one is a main course dish.  I got the recipe from my friend Maren and it is yummy!  I doubled the original recipe (everything except the meat) because we always need that much.

Thai Chicken Pasta

2 cups Picante sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
4 Tbs honey
2 Tbs frozen orange juice concentrate (or 4 Tbs oj)
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp ginger
1/2 cup peanuts
2 large chicken breasts cut into pieces
12 oz fettuccine pasta
1 large or 2 small zucchini cut into pieces

Directions:

1.  Begin cooking fettuccine in boiling water.


2. Combine picante sauce, peanut butter, honey, orange juice, soy sauce and ginger in a sauce pan over low heat.  Stir until mixed well and keep warm.

3. Cook chicken and zucchini in frying pan with 3 Tbs oil until done.

Add fettuccine and sauce to frying pan.  Top with peanuts.  Serves 4-6.

Next up is my zucchini bread recipe.  The secret is to add LOTS of zucchini.  It makes the bread moist and delicious!

Zucchini Bread

1 cup oil
2 scant cups sugar
3 eggs
1 TBS vanilla
4 heaping cups shredded raw zucchini
3 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 TBS cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Combine oil, sugar and eggs in large mixer bowl.  Beat well.  Blend in vanilla and zucchini.  In separate bowl mix dry ingredients.  Add to oil mixture and blend well.  Add nuts.

Pour batter into 2 loaf pans sprayed well with PAM.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour until loaves are done.  Cool on rack.

Father's Day

Since my dad is on vacation, I didn't get to spend Father's Day with him this year.  I miss him, but I know he is having a wonderful trip!  Evan spoke in Sacrament Meeting about the 3 P's of fatherhood (preside, provide and protect).  He gave a wonderful talk and told about John's dad who worked 2 jobs for 17 years to provide for his family.  He worked at the post office all day and then cleaned the bank in the evenings.  Sometimes he took his children along and they thought it was a special treat to get to help their dad.

After church we celebrated at home with all the Happy Hartz except Elder Aaron.  We made John some of his favorite foods and Molly made Ryan's favorite CPK-style salad. 

Our main course was Beef Stroganoff. I think I've made this once or twice during the past 25 years.  I rarely cook with beef.  In fact, the kids were amazed to see the steak I bought.  Here is the recipe I used from the Lion House cookbook.  It really is yummy.

Beef Stroganoff

1 clove garlic cut into quarters (I used more)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs lean round or sirloin steak cut into thin bite sized pieces (1 inch x 1/4 inch thick)
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 lb fresh sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
3/4 tsp paprika
1 cup sour cream
hot cooked egg noodles

Heat garlic in oil for a few minutes, then remove and discard garlic.  Add meat to skillet; brown slightly.  Add onion, salt and pepper.  Cover and cook for 35-45 minutes until meat is tender, turning occasionally.  Add more water as needed. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

With slotted spoon remove meat and mushrooms.  Keep warm.  Blend flour into drippings in pan.  Slowly stir in milk.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens.  Add paprika and stir. Add meat and mushrooms and sour cream.  Mix and heat well, but do not cook.

Serve over egg noodles.  Serves 6.

For dessert we had rice krispie treats and homemade rocky road ice cream. Here is the easy recipe we used.

Rocky Road Ice Cream

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup light cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans
 1 cup mini marshmallows.

In medium saucepan over low heat, cook and stir condensed milk and cocoa until smooth and slightly thickened, approx 5 min.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.  Stir in heavy cream, light cream and vanilla. Refrigerate until cool.

Pour mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to directions.  Add nuts and marshmallows halfway through.  Yum!

Here we are after dinner.  He liked it!

 

John with all of our children and grandchildren (except Elder Aaron of course)

There are 10 of us now. We're getting to be quite a group!

 

We are happy to see Ryan being a good husband to Molly and father to his girls.

Now if we can just get him to stop these cheesy poses.

Lavender didn't get to taste any of the food on her first Father's Day, 

but she did find something else yummy--her thumb!

Hope you and yours had a wonderful Father's Day!