Guess What Joshua Wants for Christmas...

We visited friends in East Tennessee over Labor Day and Joshua got to ride the "Warrior". He loved it of course and now wants one. What he really wants is a dirt bike - so he can do jumps and tricks!! Anyone know of a good, used dirt bike out there for sale?

It's Soup Season - Recipe (and a Friday Foto)

The Friday Foto First...My Babies

Now the recipe:

Here is a recipe for an awesome Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice soup - very much like the one at Panera's. I found a recipe on AllRecipes and then messed around with it until I got what I wanted. Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 cooked chicken breasts, cut up
½ onion, diced (about ¼ cup or so)
2 celery stalks, diced (about ¼ cup or so)
2 carrots, diced (about ¼ cup or so)
1 package (6 oz, I believe) Uncle Ben’s long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups ½ and ½ (or 1 cup ½ and ½ and 1 cup milk)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot sauté onion, celery, and carrots in a small amount of butter or oil for 5 mins.
2. Add broth, water and chicken to pot. Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat.
3. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux. Whisk in ½ and ½ , a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes.
4. Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. If soup becomes too thick then add milk until it is the desired consistency.

Bunco's in Season...

My Bunco group's "season" just started. We break for the summer and start back up in September each year. I'd forgotten how much fun we have until that first game night of the season!! The best things about my Bunco group are the fellowship and the food. The game really doesn't have much to do with it at all - except that it's really nice when you win a prize - yes, we play for prizes not cash - cash evidently would be against the law and the will of our pastor!! We all know that now because at this season's first game someone suggested not giving prizes, but cash instead. I thought a couple of the ladies were going to fall out on the floor!!! We did decide that gift cards would be okay, but no cash (we each bet, oops-I mean give, $5 to the month's hostess to buy the gifts and/or gift cards).

The first game night of the season is always a bit crazy and this year's fell right into step. For some reason the main topic of the night seemed to be "boobs" - this is not a usual topic of conversation, we are all very well mannered women - as attested to by our NOT playing bunco for cash. It just so happened that everytime "boobs" were mentioned one of the hostess' sons or her husband - a pastor at our church - happened to have snuck into the kitchen for food!! First of all, the hostess misinterpreted T's comment "I've had them sized once, so I can't do it again" as refering to her "boobs", when in reality T was refering to her rings. So, as "boobs" were being mentioned here and there we notice the hostess' youngest son standing in the kitchen taking it all in. Needless to say there were red faces all around!! Later in the evening the hostess' oldest son comes into the kitchen. Luckily he is spotted and we are careful not to let "boobs" out. However, he states that the younger brother came up stairs and ratted us out, letting it be known that "those ladies are talking about boobs downstairs!!!" Busted!! And, that wasn't the last of it. We were having a conversation about when our PJ bunco night is going to be when the hostess' husband comes down for food. The conversation is safe until T, who has her back to the kitchen and doesn't see Pastor Husband, announces "Well, I won't be wearing my lingerie (pronounced ling-er-ee) because I have no boobs!!" (NOTE: this is the second time T has been caught in the "boob" talk, T may need some therapy!!) Several people point to the kitchen. T turns slowly, sinks in her chair, and turns 15 shades of red. We all bust - no pun inteded - out in laughter. We are, of course, laughing with her, not at her. Yeah right, who am I kidding...we were laughing at her!!!

I love my "bunco buds" and look forward to getting together with them all each month!! It's always great fun, and sometimes quite "uplifting" - pun intended!!!

Four Layer Delight

When I was putting together a menu for a catering gig I came across this dessert recipe. My mom used to make it all the time and it is one of my absolute favorites - and it's easy to make.
Enjoy!!

It calls for chocolate pudding, but you can use vanilla or butterscotch or any flavor you like. You can also make it with blueberry pie filling instead of the pudding - it's absolutely YUMMY!!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup margarine
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/8 cups chopped pecans
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed (I use the next bigger size of Cool Whip)
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant chocolate pudding mix
3 cups milk

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a bowl, cream together margarine with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar. Mix in flour and 1 cup pecans. Press into bottom of prepared dish.

Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes, until very lightly browned. Cool completely.

In a bowl, cream together cream cheese with remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Fold in half the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust.

Stir together pudding mix and milk and allow to set up slightly. Spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining whipped topping and sprinkle with remaining nuts. Keep refrigerated.

Becky