My Ben

This evening, Ben and I went with the kids to Costco. I thought it would be nice to look around and have Ben with me to help. Unfortunately, everyone and their mother was at Costco at the same time. Ben, being the patient person he is, manuevered the cart through the people (who were stopped at every sample table, blocking the isles). His frustration grew as I went through my shopping list. As I was checking out, he went to use the restroom. While he was there, a 3 year old (with his father) was also there. The 3 year old looked at Ben and then said to his father, "He looks Angry!" Too funny. What a very perceptive 3 year old. We had a good laugh.

Orange Marmalade Muffin

My sister-in-law, Chrissie, gave me the Pioneer Woman Cooks Cookbook. I have loved what I have tried so far. These muffins were very yummy! I think I would also like them without the glaze and with cranberries in them. The kids loved them and the batter tasted like cake batter! Yum.

Ingredients
■2 sticks Salted Butter, Softened
■1 cup White Sugar
■2 cups Flour
■2 whole Eggs
■1 cup Buttermilk
■1 teaspoon Baking Soda
■2 whole Oranges, Juiced And Zested
■1 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)
Preparation Instructions
Cream together butter and white sugar in a mixing bowl. Add eggs, beat well, and mix in flour. Dissolve baking soda into buttermilk, then add to the rest of the batter along with the zest from both oranges. Mix well.

Grease and flour mini muffin pans (or spray with nonstick spray with flour). Fill cups 2/3 full. (This recipe yields 36 mini-muffins, or 3 tins.)

Bake at 375ºF for 12 to 17 minutes (or 20 to 25 minutes for regular-sized muffins), or until lightly browned.

In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar and juice from the freshly zested oranges. You should have about ½ cup. Mix well. Drizzle this glaze over the warm muffins. Remove muffins from the pan while still warm.

Note: If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to just under 1 cup of milk.

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

I was craving oatmeal cookies today and decided to do some research online. I wanted ones that were soft and chewy and not flat and crunchy. I wanted ones that I did not need raisins in them (not a raisin fan). You can add chocolate chips in these or raisins but they were so good without them. They turned out really good!

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups quick cooking oats
Directions
1.In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
2.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with a large fork dipped in sugar.
3.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Logan's Star Wars Party

Logan had his "Star Wars" party and picked out what his frieds would get. They each got a Darth Vader mask and a lightsabor cup cake topping. It was really easy and fun. Happy Birthday Logan!!!

Cream of Zucchini Soup

This was another healthy soup I was trying. I LOVED it. Very healthy and very easy. This one really suprised me. I am not a huge zucchini fan but thought I would branch out a little and am glad that I did. Yum!!!

Cream of Zucchini Soup
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 1 pt • Points+: 2 pt
Calories: 65.3 • Fat: 1.0g • Protein: 3.5 g • Carb: 11 g • Fiber: 2.8 g


• 1/2 small onion, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 small zucchini skin on cut in large chunks
• 32 oz fat free chicken stock
• 2 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
• salt
• pepper

Combine chicken broth, onion, garlic and zucchini in a medium pot and cook on medium heat.

Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Purée: Add the sour cream. Using an immersion blender, purée till smooth.

Stir in remaining ingredients, and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot.

Logan is 4 Years Old!!!

I cannot believe that my baby is 4 years old! Logan has been such a blessing to our family. Happy Birthday Logan! We love you very much.

Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup

I tried another yummy soup tonight! Loved it!

Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1-1/4 cups • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 281.6 • Fat: 8.0 g • Carb: 33.0 g • Fiber: 5.0 g • Protein: 20.4 g



1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 cup fat free milk
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced small
salt and fresh pepper
4 cups (about 2 heads) broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
1-1/2 cups 2% shredded sharp cheddar
2 slices 2% American cheese
1 tbsp parmesan cheese

Chop onion, carrot, celery, garlic in a chopper or mini food processor.

In a large soup pot, melt butter. Add chopped vegetables and sauté on low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add flour, salt and pepper to the pot and stir until smooth.

Add chicken broth, milk and potatoes and set heat to high until it comes to a boil, then cover and cook on low until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Add broccoli florets, parmesan cheese, and stir well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cook uncovered until broccoli is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add cheddar and American cheese, stir well and remove from heat.

Using an immersion blender, quickly blend part of the soup for a quick second or two. If you don't have an immersion blender, remove about 1-2 cups of potatoes and broccoli, place it in your chopper, then add it back to the soup. This helps thicken it a bit.