tried and true.

This week instead of a main dish I made some artisan bread. 3 ingredients is all it takes. Super easy to make, you just have to plan and prepare ahead of time to have it. My grandma found the recipe and I can't wait to do some variations...think garlic and rosemary or white chocolate and pecans. Matt and I both give it a 5/5.

Crusty Bread

In a large bowl, mix 3 cups of white unbleached flour. To the flour, add 1 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of rapid rise or instant yeast. Mix together and add 1 1/2 cups of water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it set for 12-18 hours on the counter top. Do not refrigerate. Dough will rise and be super sticky.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. As soon as it has heated place your pot with the lid in the oven and pre-heat for 30 minutes. 

Right after you put the pot in the oven, dump the dough onto a heavily floured surface. Shape dough into a round ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.

Remove pot from oven and carefully pick up dough and drop it in the pot. Put the lid on and put it in the oven for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes.

Cool bread completely on a cooling rack.

*MY NOTES: I didn't have instant yeast so I had to activate my yeast beforehand. Just add the yeast to a 1/4 c. of warm water. Let sit and then add to flour/salt mixture. I set my oven to 425 because my fire alarm goes off every time and I am not tall enough to wave a towel high enough to cool it and Matt wasn't home so I didn't want to deal with it. Because of that the center was very slightly doughy so next time I will bake it at the right temp and when Matt is home. Also make sure you have a serrated knife to cut it. I don't so my slices weren't the best. Enjoy!

asay halloween party.

We had our 2nd Annual Asay Halloween Party this last weekend. It was fun to see the kids dressed up. Even gma and gpa Asay surprised us all with fun costumes of their own. Matt and Caleb gave everyone a good laugh volunteering themselves as moving targets for the kids to shoot the paintball gun at. Benson was a super cute little ghost guy. Holidays are so much more fun with your own kids!

Nearly impossible to ever get a good picture with the grandkids

Battle wounds

tried and true.

Last night's dinner was a total shot in the dark, but it turned out pretty good. Matt gave it a 4 again. Probably because tomatoes aren't his favorite, but they were easy to pick out. I thought it was good, easy to make, and had a nice kick to it.

Creamy Caprese Quinoa Bake

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 cup of your favorite pasta sauce

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese

grape tomatoes cut in halves

1 large bunch of basil, cut into ribbons

1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350*. Heat tomato sauce and tomato paste over low heat in a large saucepan. Once warm, stir in heavy cream, parmesan, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the quinoa. Fold in half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the tomatoes, then chop up some basil leaves and add them in too. Once combined, spray an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and pour the entire quinoa mixture into dish. Top with rest of mozzarella cheese and tomatoes. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes and then turn on the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil ribbons. Allow to sit for five minutes and then serve.

* MY NOTES: I wish I would have gotten some fresh motz to put on the top. Since we are not huge tomato fans, next time I may just put tomatoes on top and not inside. They were a bit mushy and I am not a fan of cooked tomatoes.

tried and true.

I am starting a new little series here called tried and true. I have decided to try one new recipe a week. I will then post about it with the recipe. On a scale of 1-5, Matt and I will rate them. If it looks good to you, then you are welcome for the new menu idea. Tonight was our first week of this and I would say it was a success.

Ham and Swiss Roll Sandwiches

1 12- pack of King's Hawaiian rolls

1 lb. ham

12 slices of Swiss cheese

3/4th stick of butter

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried onions

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Slice the rolls in half. Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with the bottom halves of the rolls. Spread the ham over the rolls, and then layer the swiss cheese on top. Place the other halves of the rolls on top. Set aside.

In a small sauce pan, combine the butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and dried onions. Over medium heat, stir until the butter has melted to create the sauce. Pour equal parts of the sauce over top of the rolls, and then sprinkle the tops with the poppy seeds. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and then refrigerate for at least three hours.

When you're ready to bake: Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the covered baking dish in the oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese has finished melting. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*My changes: I couldn't find the King's Hawaiian rolls so I just used regular rolls and they were just fine. No need to measure the poppy seeds, just sprinkle them all over the tops of the rolls.

Matt gave it a 4 due to the tiniest taste of the dijon that he didn't even know was in it until the end. Super easy to make, super fast, and quite tasty. Enjoy!

four months.

Weight: 16 lbs 11.5 ounces - 75%

Height: 26.5 inches - 90%

Head Cir.: 41.5 - 50%

This sure has been a fun month for us with Benson! We love how interactive he has become. He is discovering so many new things. We love being his parents. There is nothing better.

Fun and Not So Fun Facts:

- Nursing battle like no other. Those were some hard days, or should I say weeks. Benson refused to eat off one side and would scream, arch his back, and fight me. I could not figure out what the deal was. I finally think we are over it, but not totally back to normal. Maybe this is the new normal now?

- Continues to smile, coo, and laugh. My favorite may have to be when he mimics the sounds I make to him.

- Loves peek-a-boo, books, and his giraffe.

- Drools like I've never seen and always tries to get his hands in his mouth.

- Went on his first airplane ride and did great!

- Met more cousins, aunts, and uncles for the first time.

- Took a dip in the pool.

- Started sleeping in his crib at night. That first night he was in his room was weird; I kept thinking something was missing as I went to bed.

- Decided to act like a newborn and wake up every 2 hours through the night. I think our trip to AZ and sleeping in his crib threw him for a loop. The inconsolable screaming at 2AM and sleeping on my chest most of the time have been our nights lately. Although last night he slept through the whole night, so fingers crossed he gets it. Oh and his naps aren't so awesome. We are working on it.

- Saddest thing ever has to be seeing Mr. Benson with a cold. He came down with it on Saturday. Stuffy nose, congestion, and sore throat. Through it all he has stayed happy. I think we are on the uphill and will be back to normal soon.

Grandma sure did love her cuddles!

Happy 4 months Benson! Sure do love you!