A Snapshot Of Our Week: July 21, 2013

Posted on July 21, 2013 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

Another week has flown by in our household. We have enjoyed some nice warm summer temps here in Minnesota. I will have to get down to White Bear Lake and take some pictures to share with you. White Bear is beautiful in the summer!

I am loving updating everyone on our happenings each week as it is getting me to take more pictures and reflect more on how wonderful our day to day moments are . There is so much beauty and love in the everyday moments.

The Color Run…..

Josh and Tommy ran in The Color Run on July 14th at the MN State Fair Grounds. I love that Josh takes the time to do things with his little brother. These will be wonderful memories for them both.

The Before Picture:

The After Picture:

Playdate with Ryan….

Cousins……enjoying hanging out!

Ryan is on the move….good thing we still have our baby gate! I don’t think our dogs appreciate how fast Ryan is able to to crawl.

Gotta love that smile…..trying so hard to open Auntie’s cupboards!

Celebrations: Birthdays, Anniversaries and New Jobs!

Cute Boy turns………………………..49!! Enjoy that last bit of your 40’s honey…the 50 train is coming down the track!

Happy Anniversary! Our son, Josh and his wife, Amy are celebrating their 1st Wedding Anniversary today! Wishing them a lifetime of happiness!

We also celebrated this week that Amy was hired by Nystrom and Associates!

Random Pictures from Tommy….

I have always loved finding pictures on my camera taken by my children. They are always a wonderful look into their thoughts! These are some of the pictures I found this week from our budding photographer, Tommy!

In the Garden:

We have some surprise dill plants that made a return visit this year. This makes Grandpa very happy. I made Salmon with a dill sauce the other day!! I will need to share that recipe as it was definitely a keeper.

We planted a lot of extra Basil this year to keep up with the demand for our Pesto. The first large vat of pesto has been made, eaten, gifted and frozen for this winter! Hubby had the great idea to make Pesto for Josh and Amy’s Anniversary gift!

Many blooms on the one lonely cucumber plant in the garden! Blooms starting on our summer squash as well. I hope we will be able to freeze some squash this year.

My hubby’s pride and joy!!! His beans…..he is a bean farmer, ya know! (…and I, The Bean Farmer’s Wife) Smile

Even with our late planting, I think we will have plenty of beans to freeze for the winter. Nothing better than garden beans in the middle of a harsh Minnesota winter!

In Our Kitchen:

New recipes tried: Broccoli Soup and Chocolate Chip Cheese Cake Bars (These bars are very rich….so cut them into small pieces!! About 1 1/2” by 1 1/2” works well.) We also made Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce, which was really good! Of course, I forgot to take a picture of this meal 🙁

Old Recipes Revisited: Chicken Fried Rice and Homemade Pesto.

Hope your week is filled with wonderful everyday moments with family and friends!

Blessings,

Grilled BBQ Chicken Recipe

Posted on July 18, 2013 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

We love the taste of grilled BBQ chicken, but with bone in chicken it is always a bit more difficult to ensure it is cooked all the way through without over cooking the outside.

Hubby is the official grill master in our home. He is very good at grilling the chicken to perfection. We love to make our own BBQ sauce, which has become a family favorite!

Grilled BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

4 Lb chicken parts (we used thighs)
BBQ sauce recipe

Instructions

Put a rub like Emril’s Essence on the chicken before baking. Place chicken in container and pour BBQ sauce over your chicken, reserving some of the BBQ sauce for basting. Turn chicken over to coat well. Let marinade at least 30 minutes.
Bake chicken in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. I struggle with getting chicken fully cooked on the grill so we bake it a bit first.
Preheat outdoor grill for medium-low heat. Spray rack lightly with oil spray to prevent sticking. Place chicken on grill rack and grill about 5 minutes, basting with remaining BBQ sauce as you desire. Turn chicken over and cook on other side about 5 minutes more or until juices run clear.

Happy Grilling!

Menu Plan Monday: Pantry Challenge Week #2

Posted on July 15, 2013 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

Menu Plan: July 15th – 21st

15th – Monday – Homemade Cheesy Tuna Helper with Peas

16th – (Tommy Dr) – FRIED RICE WITH CHICKEN & Egg Rolls

9 bacon strips, diced
1-1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
3 medium carrot, chopped
3 celery rib, chopped
6 eggs, beaten
4-1/2 cups cooked rice
6 Tablespoons soy sauce

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels. In the drippings, sauté the chicken, carrot and celery until chicken juices run clear; remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, scramble eggs over medium heat, breaking into small pieces. Stir in the chicken mixture, rice, soy sauce and bacon. Yield: 6 servings

March/April 2005 Quick Cooking

17th – Best Broccoli Soup (Best Loved Recipes -pg 882) and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

18th – (Sorting) – Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce (Best Loved Recipes -pg 799) & Broccoli

19th – (Grandpa Dr) – – Meatball Sandwiches / Fries

20th – (State Tournament) Grilled Pork Chops / Pasta Salad / Carrots

21st – Easy Skillet Lasagna & Salad

Dessert: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
Bread Pudding

For more Menu Planning inspiration stop by and visit Laura at Organizing Junkie and participate in Menu Plan Monday. More menu planning fun can be found at The Organised Housewife.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!!!

Happy Cooking!!

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I’m an Organizing Junkie.

July Review: Field Trips, 4th of July Celebration and SOCCER!!

Posted on July 13, 2013 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

Summer is always so bittersweet for me. I wish I was able to be home with our son over the summer, but both my hubby and I work full time outside of the home. Our youngest son, Tommy is 11 and we try to keep him pretty busy over the summer. Otherwise he would be home and playing video games all summer, which is not what we want for him.

The first week of July, Tommy attended Day Camp through his school. He had a great time and was happy to see his classmates. He went on field trips to MN Zoo, Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Sculpture Gardens.

Water Fun at the Minnesota Zoo

Appreciating Art @ Minneapolis Institute of Art

The second week of July, Tommy was with the family of his best friend for a couple of days of the week. They are a great family and we are so grateful they include him in their summer fun. They went to the Minnesota Zoo, Snail Lake and to play on the Giant Slip n Slide in Shoreview. We are blessed with such good friends.

We had a wonderful 4th of July with family. It is great to have the day off and even better to spend it with family!

The Food…….

The Fun……

The People We Love……

SOCCER…..and More Soccer!!

It has been a fun soccer season, though very rainy. Tommy has improved greatly as a player this season. He continues to love the game and his Dad is his biggest fan! White Bear Lake ended the season with 4 wins, 6 losses and 2 ties. Today, they are in Hudson, Wisconsin at the MYSA State Tournament Qualifiers and again it is a very soggy day on the field.

We hope your July has been filled with good food, good friends and endless summer fun!

Blessings,

Our Favorite BBQ Sauce Recipe

Posted on July 10, 2013 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

We love to BBQ in our house! This Kansas City Style BBQ sauce is a family favorite. We love to use it when grilling ribs, burgers and chickens.

Our Favorite BBQ Sauce Recipe: (great on burgers & ribs)

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

This Kansas City Style BBQ sauce is our family’s favorite BBQ sauce. It is great on ribs and chicken.

Ingredients

•1 cup ketchup
•1/2 cup packed brown sugar
•1/3 cup sugar
•1/4 cup honey
•1/4 cup molasses
•2 teaspoons prepared mustard
•1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1/4 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
•1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

In a small saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat

Happy Cooking,

Apricot Sauce Recipe: Great on Ribs

Posted on July 10, 2013 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

My hubby loves to make ribs!! He has been tweaking his recipe for a while now. While we love BBQ ribs, this Apricot Sauce makes for a nice change!

Apricot Sauce : Good on Ribs

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

It is nice to depart from the traditional BBQ sauce on ribs and chicken at times. This Apricot Sauce is great on grilled ribs and chicken

Ingredients

3/4 C Apricot preserves
3 T brown sugar,
3 cloves of garlic, chopped

Instructions

In a small saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat

Happy Cooking!

Paul’s Famous Grilled Rib Recipe

Posted on July 10, 2013 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

Nothing says 4th of July like BBQ ribs! Each time we make these ribs my hubby seems to tweak the recipe a bit. This year’s ribs were amazing! Giving credit where credit is due, this website provides excellent information on the fine art of grilling ribs.

We served the ribs with two different sauces this year, Apricot Sauce and Kansas City BBQ. My favorite personally was the Kansas City BBQ.

We made 20 pounds of ribs and fed 8 people with plenty of leftovers for the next day. Very nice to not have to cook on the 5th of July!

Paul’s Famous Grilled Rib Recipe

Recipe Type: Grilling,

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 3 hours 50 mins

Total time: 4 hours 10 mins

Serves: 5

Amazing ribs that cook utilizing the Texas Crutch method. (Here’s how: http://www.amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/texas_crutch.html ) This method involves wrapping the ribs in tin foil to tenderize, moisturize and speed up cooking. We add apple juice to steam in flavor.

Ingredients

5-10 lbs Baby Back Ribs or St. Louis Cut Ribs (here’s how to tell what you’ve got: http://amazingribs.com/recipes/porknography/pork_cuts.html)
Seasoning rub of choice (We used Emeril’s Essence Original)
Apple Juice
2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic

Instructions

The night before, skin the ribs, (here’s how: http://www.amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/skin_n_trim.html), and rub them completely with Emeril’s Essence Original seasoning. (Don’t skimp on the rub. 🙂 Cover and refrigerate the ribs to marinate overnight.
Take a broiler pan and fill the bottom section of the broiler pan with 1/4 inch of Apple Juice. Spread around the minced garlic in the apple juice.
On the top section (the part with the slits) lay out your ribs, (taking care not to overlap them.) Cover the pan with foil and fold edges under to seal in the steam as they cook.
Place in a 275 degree oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours.
Remove foil carefully as steam will be hot. Now all the grease is down in the bottom of the pan with the apple juice, the ribs are completely cooked and tender.
Finish ribs on a 275 degree grill for an additional hour.
Sauce ribs and continue to grill for 10 minutes. Add sauce for a second time and continue to grill for another 10 minutes.

Hope your 4th of July was filled with good food and friends!

Happy Grilling !!

Simple Alfredo Sauce

Posted on July 8, 2013 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

One of our go to meals, when Mom forgot to take out meat, is Alfredo Pasta. One evening when discovering that we had no jar sauce, I searched the internet for a homemade sauce. Once I made the homemade sauce, there was no going back. We may change the overall recipe, but the sauce is always the same!

Simple Alfredo Sauce

Recipe Type: Pasta, Sauce

Serves: 8

This is our family go to Alfredo Recipe.

Ingredients

16 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic (we like it garlicky)
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Instructions

•Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until tender. Stir in heavy cream. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add cheese, garlic and pepper; cook and stir until heated through. Drain fettuccine; toss with sauce mixture. Sprinkle with parsley.

Happy Eating!

Menu Plan Monday: Pantry Challenge Week # 1

Posted on July 7, 2013 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

Menu Plan: July 7th – 21st

7th – Slow Cooked Pulled Pork Sandwiches/ Cole Slaw / Fried Potatoes

8th – Monday (5:00 -Soccer Game) – Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta & Pineapple (Emeals 472)

9th – (6:30 Soccer/ Book Group) – Pizza Sandwiches/ Soup

10th – (6:00 & 7:30 Soccer Game) – Chili Dogs

11th – Crunchy Chicken – Corn/Steamed Carrots (Emeals 487) * bakes 1 hour at 350

12th – (Soccer Party at Coach Mike’s) – Chicken Fajitas / Guacamole and Chips

13th – (Qualifying Tournament) – Fish Tenders and Waffle Fries with Dip

*Marinade Pork Roast Over Night

14th – Rosemary Pork Roast, (Taste of Home Best Loved pg 522), Strudel and Red Cabbage

For more Menu Planning inspiration stop by and visit Laura at Organizing Junkie. and participate in Menu Plan Monday. More menu planning fun can be found at The Organised Housewife.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!!!

Happy Cooking!!

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I’m an Organizing Junkie.

June in Review: School Field Trips, Gardening and Fun with Friends and Family

Posted on July 7, 2013 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

It feels like summer is speeding by! Living in Minnesota, our summers are loved but way too short! We have had a crazy amount of rain and a slow start to warm temperatures this year.

My hubby’s brother, Pete came to visit from Virginia. Pete stayed with us for a week. All our children were home to visit with him.

School ended for our youngest on June 6th. He completed 5th grade and will be moving onto Middle School next year. It is always hard for me when our baby passes another milestone.

Tommy’s End of Year Field Trips in June: Feed My Starving Children and Historic Fort Snelling

One of my favorite things about our little guy’s school is the amount of field trips and learning opportunities that are available outside of the classroom. I am sure this is due to the small classroom size, but it has been fabulous. I always recommend Magnuson Christian School to anyone with elementary age children. Great School!

Feed My Starving Children:

Praying over the food they package before it is shipped.

Magnuson Christian School 5th Grade Field Trip to Historic Fort Snelling:

Fun times with our favorite little people, Ryan and Fiona!

Our garden was finally planted after many delays due to rain!! We normally have our garden planted on Mother’s Day. Our growing season is pretty short in Minnesota so I hope we still have a harvest.