Saturday Phone Dump

What are you doing on a lovely Saturday afternoon? I'm watching the Brewers with my own Brewer, listening to the ice cream trucks enticing tune, creating a new blog dedicated to new mama/baby life (to be shared later), and enjoying the random photos on my phone!

Thought I would share the randomness!

Brewer

Brewer + Lola = friends?

 

Weston

Mia

Uncle Andy and Mia

Niko

While the hubby is away....

I baked, cleaned, cooked, and decorated!! And I'm about to get rid of a 1 year old dog. He is definitely testing my patience this weekend by following me everywhere and getting into everything! But then he does something cute like lay by my feet and look up at me with his big puppy dog eyes and I can't get rid of him...I have to cuddle him!

Let me backtrack a little bit because I've been "really slacking" as I've been told by a fellow blogger (hi Tara!) She pushed and now I'm posting, that's what good friends do!

Last weekend was my first baby shower! It was hosted by my mom and my Aunt Sharon.

Here is my mom....and a chubby faced me, Andy, and my Uncle Rick in the background! Taken at my house last Saturday.

                                             And my Aunt Sharon and I at the shower.

It was fabulous! Fabulous food, fabulous gifts, and most of all fabulous people! I had so much fun and can't believe that I have that many friends!! Thanks and love to all of you who came!

                                                I had a pair of emergency flip flops in the car!

So with last weekend being busy busy busy, I haven't had much time to get anything prepared for the baby's pending arrival. Until yesterday. Andy was off having (one of) his last boys weekend before being a daddy and I was home to get stuff done. And I did!

Friday night I decided to bake. Now don't get too excited. I baked something I already posted about. Pipka Cake but I made blueberry instead of cranberry and I froze it for a future breakfast. It's yummy and easy and you should make it. If you come up with a creative ingredient, please share it with me. To freeze it: I let it sit overnight covered in Saranwrap. Then in the morning I double layered the tin foil and labeled it. Simple as that.

If you are looking for a delicious Red Velvet recipe I will have to contact my Aunt Janice for you because she made the most amazing Red Velvet Cake for my baby shower last weekend. Despite the 90 degree heat when traveling from Belleville to Middleton the cake survived! It was amazing and I ate the leftovers for dinner a few nights in a row!

Yesterday I started a mini-decorating project and made Sloppy Joe's to freeze at the same time. I found a quote online that I printed off and I knew I wanted it in the nursery. I knew I wanted a white frame but I didn't want the mat to also be white...just too much white. So, I used the leftover yellow paint from one of the stripes in the room and painted the mat. I know what a genius I am! The only money spent was $10 on the frame and if I wasn't as lazy as I am, I could have found a cheaper frame.

I painted the mat at the same time I was making Sloppy Joe's to freeze. I don't have a picture (Andy took the camera this weekend and the iphone just isn't the same). But here is the recipe that I follow:

Sloppy Joe's

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard (dried or prepared)
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Brown the ground beef and onion in a large skillet.
2. When the beef is brown, drain.
3. Stir in brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup, mustard, and sal.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Serve or freeze in my case.

Delicious and easy.

Now as a thank you for reading this entire post. I'll share the most updated picture of Baby Girl Bohacek!

Yes that's her hand over her right eye. And she definitely has my pouty lips! Happy Sunday!

Recipe help

We have officially hit 30 weeks of pregnancy! So far, it has been a blessing, an emotional roller coaster, painFUL, painLEss, but most of all the biggest delight of my life. I don't blog for Andy but I believe I can speak for him and say that he agrees (I'm sure he's waiting for the emotional part to be done!)

Although, I have (hopefully) 10 weeks to go I realized today that the end is near and felt a twinge of sadness. Don't get me wrong, I am excited beyond excited for her to get her, but I have LOVED being pregnant. I knock on wood when I speak like this because, after all, I do have 10 weeks left!

Here is where I need help. As you all know, I'm a planner. A serious planner. I don't like the phrase "on a whim" that's how much of an organized, control freak I am. However, the one thing I do not plan well is dinner. I start thinking about dinner at about 3:00 pm every day. And 98% of the time what I want is in the freezer and I'm not home until after 6 and am extremely hungry. Like 30 weeks pregnant hungry! I realize I need help in this department.

Here is my plea for help. I need recipes. Recipes that I can make now, freeze, and enjoy after we have this bambina. Here are the rules:
1. I can cook so I'm up for a challenge. Don't take it easy on me!
2. It must be yummy!
3. It must be able to be frozen.
4. That's it.

Either email me the recipe or better yet, post it in the comments below so we can all enjoy. My plan is to start cooking this weekend so I will be able to post the process along the way.

Also, if you are not a "follower" of my blog please join in on the fun! On the right hand side of this page there will be a "follow" button. Go ahead and click it and follow the directions. It's easy and, honestly, I want to see my numbers rise!

Thanks in advance! Here's a pic to satisfy all of you bump watchers! Please forgive my "mirror" pictures. I always remember to take them when Andy isn't home!

Oh yeah one final laugh. Here is a belly shot I took this weekend while I was fighting off a bug in Door County. I wasn't feeling pretty but I was definitely feeling pregnant so it's the last belly shot for today!

Life is a Highway

I always felt that by the time the 4th of July passed that summer was almost over! I don't know if I agree with that thought anymore but if that's the case I better get moving! This baby will be here before we know it and we have a ton of projects to accomplish.

Honestly, I've barely been in the kitchen this summer. We have eaten out quite a bit (shame) but it feels so good at the time! We have been traveling (FL, MN, and Door County) and getting small projects done around the house. 

Enjoy some pics from our tiny adventures from the summer of 2011.

Here is one of the first shots of Baby Girl Bohacek's nursery. I made curtains and the crib skirt.

DeGroot Wedding in Florida

New gallery wall in my office

Hall wedding in MN

Hogan wedding in Madison

Door County Weekend

Productivity!

Our minds have been racing a mile a minute since we found out that Baby Bo was Baby Girl Bo! Now that she is a she my To Do list has expanded. This was the first full weekend in a very long time that we had no plans and thank goodness because we kicked this weekends butt! Let me preface this post with a disclaimer....I did absolutely no baking. But I did cook...kind of.

Normally we save our big meal of the week for Sundays but this weekend Saturday held the main meal of the week. We started the day off by going to the Farmers Market early Saturday morning. Maybe not the warmest day ever but definitely a good time of year to go. Less crowds, BEAUTIFUL tulips, and huge onions! Of course we came away with a bag full of goodies: spicy hot cheese bread from Stella's Bakery, bushel of green onions, locally made Gouda cheese, one Sweet BBQ meat stick (which I ate while walking), one Cranberry Oatmeal scone (which I ate while walking), and Jalapeno popper bread.

There is a little German Sausage Haus on the way home that Andy has been dying to go into since the day we moved into our house....3 years ago. Every time he thinks about going they are closed. The poor guy had the worst luck, until yesterday. We finally made it in only to buy Red Beer Brats and Garlic Summer Sausage. I think Andy was so overwhelmed he had no idea what to get!

So our menu for dinner created itself:

German Red Beer Brats
Summer Sausage Bow Tie Pasta
Sauteed Zucchini

Summer Sausage Bow Tie Pasta


My measurements don't quite exist with this recipe but if you want/need them I can dig up the exact recipe for you. But just eye ball it and it will be delicious I promise!

Ingredients
1 Summer Sausage (I like garlic) cut up into chunks
1 pound of Bow Tie pasta
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Green Onions
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions
Cook the entire box of Bow Tie pasta. Meanwhile, cut up the summer sausage and green onions. When the pasta is done, drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a big bowl. Combine the summer sausage and the pasta. This is where the eye balling takes place. Pour the Extra Virgin Olive Oil in with the pasta, green onions, and summer sausage. Stir. Then add oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir again. Right before serving, mix in the Parmesan Cheese.  Put in the refrigerator and try to not eat the entire bowl!

Substitute ideas: instead of summer sausage you can use salami. I used green onions this time because we bought them at the farmer's market but I usually use yellow/white onions.

One more thing! I have to show off the new console table we purchased from Target. I have been searching for an end table for months now to go next to our couch. Every one I find is either too low or not wide enough. Until we found it at Super Target! Of course when I said I wanted it Andy said, "you don't need it." I knew he would cave and sure enough the next morning he volunteers to go get it for me as long as I put it together! I did and it's amazing! It's the right color, height, width, and gives me more storage!

Strawberry Jello Trifle

I have this fantastic trifle dish that I haven't used. I got it at my bridal shower and have used it more of a display item. I've been wanting to make something in it for years but never found anything that caught my eye. Anyway, I was in charge of bringing "something with jello" to Auntie Susie's for Easter. So, I scoured the internet for Jello recipes and finally came across something I thought looked yummy.....and easy. I found it on www.allrecipes.com and the only difference I made was that I added more fresh strawberries. And yes I bought the pound cake. We were limited for time this weekend!


Now I'm not a Jello or Cool Whip fan so this dessert was definitely not for me (I actually didn't have any). However, I did bring home an empty (but still pretty) dish! 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 pkg. (8 oz) JELL-O Brand Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1 package frozen pound cake, thawed, cubed
• 1 tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 
  
• Directions

1. Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water. Pour into 13x9-inch pan. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.
2. Cut gelatin into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in 3-1/2-quart serving bowl. Cover with layers of cake cubes, 1/2 of the whipped topping and strawberries. Top with remaining whipped topping.
3. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

Easter Chex Mix

There are a few things in life that I am 100% positive about and one of them is that my husband makes the best, absolute BEST, Chex Mix I have ever tasted. Why is he so good? I have no idea because he won't tell me the "recipe." He won't even start making it until I am out of the kitchen. His Chex Mix only makes an appearance a few times a year and it's usually about Thanksgiving and Christmas so when he started talking about making it for Easter at his Auntie Susie's I knew he had to make it. But he likes to tease me with it and then says "I'm retired from making it." This doesn't fly with a 18 week pregnant wife who now has a craving for his signature recipe. So, what would any wife do? I gave him an ultimatum. He had 2 choices. To make the Chex Mix or to write me an apology letter (handwritten) for even mentioning the idea. Because he is a wise husband he immediately went to the store and stocked up on what he needed. A few hours later (yes hours, he makes me wait while it settles before I can eat it) it was done and I could begin to stuff my face. 

Unfortunately, I have no recipe to share. I can't even share the ingredients because he always adds something new to it. This time he added sesame sticks (I'm not a fan but I would never dare complain about this to him.) All I have to share is a picture of the goodness that I am enjoying. And yes, Auntie Susie we are bringing some to your house. We are just keeping the bigger bowl at our house! 

And YES I would have made him write me a letter! I believe he has learned his lesson but he has especially proven that he is the BEST Chex Mix Maker in the world and the BEST Husband ever as well! 

Nutella Cookies

Yum yum! I love Nutella! In the beginning of my pregnancy the only thing I could eat for breakfast was a bagel with Nutella and crunchy peanut butter.  


Now that I have enough energy to bake again (yay!) I wanted to start with a comfort food and Nutella won out. I wanted a new recipe and found this one on www.allrecipes.com. 


I also have to point out that my hubby, Andy, enjoyed these cookies but requested powdered sugar on top! 

Ingredients
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Nutella

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Add the egg, vanilla, and Nutella and mix by hand until well blended. 

4. Form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until crispy on the outside, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to rest on cookie sheet a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool.

Baking v Pregnancy

I can't believe how long it's been since I baked anything! No seriously, I haven't baked ANYTHING! I have barely even cooked anything besides mac and cheese and grilled cheese let alone whip up a batch of cookies.

The first trimester really kicked my butt. Now, I am safely into my second trimester (18 weeks tomorrow) and anxious to get baking and cooking again. So, thank you for your patience. I have received a few emails from you-not-so-patient people but I'll be back on track soon!

In the meantime, here is a pic of the bump to tide you over!

Hot Mulling Cider

This recipe is perfect for cold winter nights. It's easy and delicious! 

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. dried ground orange peel
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well until well blended. Divide into 1/4 cup single serving portions for gift giving (perfect size for baby food jars) or in a larger jar for entire mix.

Directions
To make one serving, add 1/4 up hot mulling spice mix with 1 cup apple juice or wine and 1/4 cup water. Heat on stove and serve.

Whirlwind few weeks!

As many of you know, Andy and I were fortunate enough to have an unexpected trip to watch the Badgers play in The Rose Bowl. We drove down to Nashville, flew to San Diego, and then drove to Santa Monica. It was a crazy time, but overall, I have extremely grateful to John, Andy's very generous boss for taking us down there.

Because of this whirlwind I haven't had time to clean my house let alone bake something. I promise I will soon! In the meantime, here are a few pics from our trip to admire!

Christmas Gifts

I wanted to prove that there are other people who get to enjoy what I bake besides myself and my husband. To be honest, Andy knows that most of the food is off limits and doesn't get to eat as much as he would like. 

The refrigerator and freezer are now empty after I bagged the goodies as a gift for my teachers! 

Red Velvet Brownies

I have recently fallen in love with all things Red Velvet. I have to give PF Changs a shout out for their Red Velvet Cake....it's to die for and it's served in a tall shot glass. I have been searching for an interesting Red Velvet Cake recipe for awhile and finally found this one on www.bakedperfection.com. I just served these brownies to my teachers at school and they loved them! 

Red Velvet Layer:1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Layer:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch baking pan, and set aside.

Brownie layer: Add melted butter to a large bowl and add the sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, food coloring, and vinegar, in that order, mixing between additions. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and stir it into the cocoa mix. Fold in the flour until lightly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, saving 1/4 cup of the batter for the top.

Cream cheese layer: Blend together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Gently spread the cream cheese layer on top of the brownie batter in the pan. Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the cream cheese layer. Using a skewer or the tip of a knife, drag the tip through the cream cheese mixture to create a swirl pattern. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before cutting.

Chocolate Coffee Mix

I came across this recipe when I was browsing food blogs. I found this super cute website, www.singforyoursupperblog.com and this recipe quickly stuck out. Ask my husband or even my assistant director at school, that I am not approachable until I have my cup of coffee in the morning. And like most women, chocolate always puts me in a good mood! 

As soon as my driveway was plowed from being in a Blizzard Warning for two days, I drove to pick up the ingredients that I needed to make this. The plan is to give it away as gifts to help everyone start their day off right! 

Chocolate Coffee Mix
-slightly adapted from www.singforyoursupperblog.com

Ingredients

1/2 cup instant coffee (I actually used ground coffee)
1 1/2 cups powdered Coffeemate creamer
1/2 cup Nesquik (powder)
1/4 cup sugar
dash salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a blender. If you used the instant coffee then use 1-3 heaping teaspoons per cup of boiling water. If you used the ground coffee then I used 3 tablespoons to 4 cups of water and put through the coffee maker. I also used liquid Peppermint Mocha Creamer to add a punch of peppermint. 

Enjoy!

Andes Candy Cookies

I was given this recipe at a cookie exchange a few years ago and it has been on my list of items to make but I can never find mint M & M's so I substituted with Andes Candies. I happened to have a whole bag full (thanks Jen and Amanda)!

I also must clarify that this is my second post of the day and a possible 3rd is on the way due to being in a Blizzard Warning. So please take that into account when you start judging me for not having a social life on a Saturday night!

Andes Candy Cookies


Ingredients


3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 sticks of butter
1 teaspoon vanilla (or peppermint extract)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (I never add salt when baking)
crushed Andes Candies (eyeball it)

Directions


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend together the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Once those are blended together mix and add slowly the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add crushed candy, stir, drop on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.

White Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Cookies

These are by far my favorite cookies of all time! As soon as cranberry season begins I can't wait to make these cookies. The recipe asks for dried cranberries but like I have stated in earlier posts, I love cranberry, so I refuse to use the dried and go for the fresh. You could also substitute vanilla for the brandy but come on who doesn't like a little alcohol?!

White Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Cookies


Ingredients


1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon brandy
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease cookie sheets.

2. Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and brandy. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into sugar mixture. Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Take them out while they are still doughy. Allow to cool for 1 minute on the cookies sheets before transferring.

Peppermint Truffles

As every holiday season, I start to notice a trend in my baking. Two years ago it was cranberries, last year peppermint, this year it's goodies in the shape of a ball. It's quick and easy when I don't have a bunch of extra time (which is all the time). I love that I can roll the dough into a ball and then put it in the freezer until I have time to finish. And that is exactly what I did. I made the dough for the Peppermint Truffle several days ago and just finished them up tonight.

This recipe took a little experimenting. I found a basic recipe for "Easy Decadent Truffles" but I wasn't satisfied with the "easy" part and in normal Kaiti-fashion, I had to turn something easy into something more difficult. Nevertheless, the end result is delicious! I was also bored with vanilla extract so I knew I wanted to replace it with peppermint. And what better pair then peppermint and white chocolate?! Enjoy!!

Here is the "easy" recipe first:


Easy Decadent Truffles


Ingredients

8 oz of softened cream cheese
3 cups confectioner's sugar
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

In large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners sugar until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate chips and vanilla until no streaks remain. Refrigerate and shape into 1 inch balls. Coat in your favorite flavor!


Kaiti's Peppermint Truffles (still amazingly easy)




8 oz softened cream cheese
3 cups confectioners' sugar
3 cups white chocolate, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract

Directions


In large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners sugar until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate chips and vanilla until no streaks remain. Refrigerate and shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in red sprinkles or coat in melted white chocolate and then roll in sprinkles. 

Pipka Cake

A few years ago my mother-in-law introduced me to Door County and Pipka. Pipka (yes that is her name) has a shop in Sister Bay that sells her infamous Santas' and other cute items, especially cake!!! (http://www.pipkasofdoorcounty.com)


We were at Door County for our annual girls weekend when Sherrie introduced us to "Pipka Cake." Pipka sells the special pan at her store in Sister Bay and apparently she makes 6 cakes a week for her customers to enjoy.  


This cake is truly amazing because you can turn it into whatever you want! I happen to be a fan of chocolate chip or cranberry.  You don't need to have the pan  (you could use a meatloaf pan) but it's super cute and once you taste this cake you are going to want the pan!  The pan is called Rehrucken Baking Pan. Below is the basic recipe. I tend to like Vanilla extract better then Almond and I add fresh cranberries or chocolate chips. I will be trying to Turtle recipe soon! 

Pipka's Scandinavian Almond Cake
Beat well:
1 1/4 C sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
2/3 C milk

Then mix in:
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

And slowly add:
1 stick melted butter

Butter cake pan. Pour batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 38-45 minutes until golden brown. Cool in pan for 6 minutes (this is critical in order for the cake to come out of the pan. I use a timer.) Invert cake onto cooling rack. Sprinkle with confectionary sugar before serving. Variation; Before pouring batter, sprinkle sliced almonds in the pan bottom. Recipe can easily be doubled. Cake freezes well.

VARIATIONS
* Substitute lemon extract and add zest of lemon
* Substitute lemon extract and add poppy seeds
* Substitute orange extract and add zest of orange
* Substitute vanilla extract and add blueberries
* Substitute rum extract and top with shredded coconut
OR ADD TO ORIGINAL RECIPE

* Blueberries
* Door County chopped dried cherries plus some chocolate chips
* Top cake with sliced almonds
* Spread cake with Nutella and jam!

Pipka's Special Turtle Cake
Mix up original recipe, putting half the dough in the pan. Then drizzle caramel sauce across the dough, then sprinkle mini chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Spoon in the rest of the dough and bake as always. 

Nutella Cake Balls

Ever since I went to Italy in 2005 I have been OBSESSED with Nutella. It baffles my husband that I go through a jar of Nutella so quickly when he doesn't eat it. I also love cake and have tried many times to create a successful cake ball. I have failed and failed, until I discovered a Nutella cake ball recipe from, www.bakedperfection.com. 

Nutella Cake Balls

• Ingredients
• 
  

8 oz of Nutella

8 oz of melted milk chocolate (white chocolate would be good too)

• • 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 2/3 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13 x 9.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 
4. Immediately take half of the cake and put in a bowl combining it with the 8 oz of Nutella. 
5. Stir together until well blended. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on cookie dough sheet and let cool. 
6. Once the Nutella balls are cool, melt chocolate stirring every 15 seconds to avoid burning. Dip the cake ball into the melted chocolate, decorate if desired. 
7. Cool for a few hours.
8. EAT!!!!! 

If I were to do it over, I would probably use white chocolate instead of milk chocolate. Regardless, they are yummy!