Saturday, April 13, 2013

Diaper Cake

I heart baby showers!!  I got an awesome diaper cake for my shower - so now that I've seen them done, I love making them for others!!  How cute is this :)


Supplies:
Diapers
Ribbon
Cake pan

I just take a 8-inch cake pan and start lining the diapers around the edges.  I continue to do this until they start to join the others; and by then you have made a circle of diapers.  (sorry - should have taken a picture of this!)

Then just wrap a string (and tie) around the diapers in the cake pan - and then turn over and you have one layer!!  Repeat for how big you want the cake to be!

Then I just put fun stuff under the ribbon - or hanging off the cake.  And this time - I made little diaper babies out of washcloths and socks!  This whole cake was a "tub tub" theme, so it was perfect!!


Here is another example of one I made....just so cute!!!
 
This one I made for a FISHING theme baby shower
 
Supplies:
100 diapers
Ribbon
"fishing poles"
Rubber bands
 
I started by rolling all the diapers and holding together with a rubber band.  Then I outlined the shape of a boat. 
Bottom of boat:
1 (1 row)
2 (1 row)
3 (1 row)
4 (1 row)
5 (11 rows)
 
Top of boat:
2 (1 row)
3 (6 rows)
2 (1 row)
 
After that was all rolled and organized - I used bigger rubber bands to hold sections of this together.  Then I wrapped the ribbon (hiding the rubber bands) around it and it was held in place!  I used some swizzle straws for the "fishing poles" - and then decorated with tub tub toys, pacis, diaper bags!  So cute!!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Bruschetta Chicken Pesto Wraps

Trying to get back at making new recipes now that I'm back to work....but I need FAST and EASY!!  This was exactly that - and it was tasty!!  Our pitas had mold so we had to settled for bread, but it was still amazing!!!

Recipe OBB - serves 2 tortillas or 12 mini pitas

Ingredients:
1 tomato, diced  (seeds removed)
1 tablespoon minced onion
1-2 tablespoons fresh minced basil or 1 teaspoon dry basil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
kosher salt
black pepper
1 tablespoon light mayo
1 tablespoon light sour cream or plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoons pesto
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and a little zest
1 cup shredded or diced cooked chicken breast, about 4 ounces
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce or spinach leaves
2 torillas, flat breads, rolls, pitas, etc.

Combine diced tomato, onion, basil, and balsamic vinegar.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Combine mayo, sour cream, pesto, lemon juice and a few grates of the lemon zest.  Stir mixture and combine it with chicken and pine nuts, stirring until combined.  Layer lettuce on tortillas (or carb of choice), top with chicken mixture, and then bruschetta.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Bucca Di Beppo Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

HOT HOT HOT!!  This was soooo spicy.  It was really yummy, but for people that don't like spice - don't put a lot of red pepper flakes (or I should say, put the amount the recipe calls for...we added "more" than it called for).  This was yummy - and really did taste like Buca's!
6 Sisters Blog

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Alfredo sauce (I just used a jar of store bought sauce)
2 cups marinara sauce (I just used a jar of store bought sauce)
1/2 cup cooked peas
1 lb (16 oz) rigatoni noodles, cooked al dente
2 tablespoons butter
Sprinkle of fresh Parmesan cheese and a pinch of red pepper flake for garnish.
In a large skillet on medium-high heat, heat two tablespoons olive oil. Saute garlic, red pepper flakes, and coarse black pepper for 2-3 minutes. Add in thin strips of chicken breast, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until chicken is cooked through. This should only take a few minutes because the chicken is cut thin.

Add in marinara sauce and stir. Add in Alfredo sauce. Let the sauces simmer for about 10 minutes.  To the sauce/chicken, add two tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup peas. Stir until the butter melts.

Combine chicken/sauce mixture with cooked pasta. Garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese, and a pinch or two of red pepper flakes.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Cranberry & Cola-Glazed Babyback Ribs

Gotta love the crock pot meals :)  They are so handy with being back at work!!  I actually took day off, so B man and I made up this wicked meal for when daddy came home!  The house smelt like heaven all day!!  This tasted really good too; the meat just fell off the bone!!
OBB - 1 rack serves 2 adults

Ingredients:
3 cups Coca-Cola
2 cups cranberry juice (make sure it’s 100% juice, not juice cocktail)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Creole mustard
1/3-1/2 cup chipotle sauce (look for a small can of sauce that doesn’t have any chipotle chilies in it)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons freshly minced ginger
5-6 cloves garlic
Liquid smoke or smoked paprika
1-2 racks babyback pork ribs

Combine all the ingredients except for the liquid smoke and the ribs in the jar of your blender or, if you have an immersion blender, in a pitcher. Blend until the ingredients are combined. Reserve 1 cup of the liquid per rack of ribs (if making a lot, you may want to double the recipe–better to have too much than not enough).

OVEN METHOD:
Preheat oven to 300. Cut the ribs into portions that have 2-3 bones per portion. Place in a heavy lidded pot or Dutch oven (don’t use a baking dish covered with foil–it won’t retain enough heat and the ribs won’t be as tender). Pour the unreserved liquid over the ribs, cover, and cook for 2 1/2-3 hours or until the meat is very tender (you may want to turn the ribs halfway through the cooking time, especially if they’re not all completely covered by the liquid).

Place the reserved liquid in a small saucepan or skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes or until the liquid is starting to reduce and thicken slightly (if you’re starting with 1 cup, you want to reduce it by about 1/4 cup). Remove from heat and set aside.
When the ribs are done braising, remove the pot from the oven and carefully transfer the ribs to a foil-lined pan. Sprinkle with liquid smoke or smoked paprika. Either turn the broiler on your oven to high or heat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Brush one side of the ribs with half of the reduced glaze and cook on the heated grill or under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until the ribs are shiny and glazed. Flip the ribs and brush the opposite side with the remaining glaze and cook for another 3-5 minutes, being careful not to scorch the ribs. Serve immediately.

CROCK POT METHOD:
Cut the ribs into portions that have 2-3 bones per portion. Place in a slow cooker. Pour the unreserved liquid over the ribs, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat is very tender (you may want to turn the ribs halfway through the cooking time, especially if they’re not all completely covered by the liquid).

Place the reserved liquid in a small saucepan or skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes or until the liquid is starting to reduce and thicken slightly (if you’re starting with 1 cup, you want to reduce it by about 1/4 cup). Remove from heat and set aside.
When the ribs are done braising, remove the pot from the oven and carefully transfer the ribs to a foil-lined pan. Sprinkle the ribs with liquid smoke or smoked paprika. Either turn the broiler on your oven to high or heat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Brush one side of the ribs with half of the reduced glaze and cook on the heated grill or under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until the ribs are shiny and glazed. Flip the ribs and brush the opposite side with the remaining glaze and cook for another 3-5 minutes, being careful not to scorch the ribs. Serve immediately.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies

So I'm trying to boost my milk supply, because I don't want "going back to work" to be the reason that Brody can't get enough breastmilk...SO I made up some cookies!!  The cookies actually taste REALLY good...I'll have to keep you posted if it increases my milk supply!!  haha  Ross had some too - he was wondering if it increased his milk supply :)
Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips
2-4 tablespoons brewer's yeast
 
Preheat oven to 350°.
Mix the flaxseed meal and water and let sit for 3-5 minutes
Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar well.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add flaxseed mix and vanilla, beat well.
Sift together flour, brewers yeast, baking soda, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to butter mix.  Stir in oats and chips.
Scoop onto baking sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Let set for a couple minutes then remove from tray.

Monday, March 25, 2013

We are making homemade meals :)

So it's my "2nd week" back to work, and I've been asked if I'm actually eating good or making dinners....SO I decided to post what the Sodahls have been eating.  Some good meals off the blog - just haven't ventured off and made a new recipe lately!  Try them out!!

Cream cheese jalapeno burger
Pepperoncinis beef sandwiches
Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Lucky Charm Pancakes!

Even though Brody isn't old enough to "participate" in the eating of St. Patty's Day food - I had to do something fun!  These were YUMMY!!!  :)

Ingredients:
Bisquick (eggs, milk, oil)
Lucky Charms
Whipped Cream

Follow the instructions to make Bisquick mix....stir in green food coloring, then mix in 1/2 cup marshmallows from Lucky Charms.

Make up the whipped cream.

Cook the pancakes.

Top with whipped cream and Lucky Charms!  DONE!!