Baby Cakes

Here is a recipe for Baby Pancakes. I got it from First Meals by Annabell Karmel, then tweaked it a bit to fit our needs. Plus, I found the original one to be too runny.

• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 2/3 cup vanilla (or your choice flavor) yogurt
• 2/3 cup milk
• 3/4 cup self rise flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together egg and yogurt, stir in rest of ingredients Cook up in a skillet oiled with canola oil. Connor likes his with peaches. I put the extras on wax paper and in a freezer bag, and it lasts us all week.

Artichoke Spinach Dip

I know everyone also has their own recipe for this, but I tried something new for our New Years Eve party, I kind of combined a standard artichoke spinach dip with hummus.

• 2 packs of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and water squeezed out)
• 2 cans of artichoke hearts
• 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
• 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3/4 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• drizzle of olive oil

In food processor, blend together garlic cloves, chickpeas and lemon juice. Drizzle olive oil as needed. Stir together with all of the other ingredients (except the mozzarella). Put mixture in well sprayed 9 x 13 pan, top with mozzarella cheese, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. I serve mine with regular tortilla chips, but if I am getting really fancy, I buy a french baguette, cut it in 1/4 inch slices. Using a brush, apply a mix of olive oil and some herbs - rosemary, oregano, whatever you like. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Put that under a broiler for a few minutes.

Mr. Poops

For the dog owner that has everything...Mr. Poops.

Turkey Loaf

This is a good easy meal, and EXTREMELY cheap (like maybe $3). Turkey Loaf.

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 box of stuffing (I like the "cornbread" variety)
• 3 slices of bread (I like to use a rye or wheat)
• 1/3 cup of chicken stock
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Peppa

Combine the turkey, stuffing, bread (tear it up into quarter sized chunks), and chicken stock. Use your hands and really get in there, it takes some effort to get all the bread absorbed, add more stock if needed. On a well sprayed baking sheet form the turkey mixture into a "loaf" like shape, about 3 inches high and wide. Drizzle the olive oil over it, and sprinkle salt and pepper on top. This makes it all nice and crusty. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, I always like to use my meat thermometer to make sure it's at least 160 degrees internal temperature. I like bloody meat - but NOT bloody turkey. Use your bread knife to cut, top with a white gravy. (I make mine out of the same chicken stock.)

CheesePANcake

Today in an attempt to bake a cheesecake - I invented something new. I read a recipe in a magazine that I had been wanting to try, I swore it said 4 ounces of cream cheese, but it really said 4 packages of cream cheese. 4 packages of cream cheese equals 32 ounces. So I used only an eighth of what I really needed. It turned out very flat - so I call it cheesePANcake.

Wii Jackets

If you bought a Wii, you can now get FREE "Wiimote Jackets". Here is the web-site:
http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/jacket/jacketrequest.jsp
Mine came, they are awesome...took about 3 weeks.

Frosting

How yummie is this? Red Velvet cake with butter frosting. I know, I live way too north to be eating red velvet cake, but there is something about it I just love.

The secret is the frosting...make it with real butter. Not that low-carb, no sugar, no salt, reduced fat, Atkins friendly crap. But feel free to use the Wal-mart brand. 1 stick of butter to at least 3 cups of powder sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and a tablespoon of steaming hot water. Stir it till there is no chunks left. Your arm will get tired, but you need the exercise to burn off all the calories you are about to eat.