S'more Bars

Family Fun had a recipe for s'more bars back in the September 2010 magazine that I finally made. When it's too cold to roast marshmallows outside (or when you don't have a fireplace or gas stove), this is a perfect baked alternative. The recipe calls for three Hershey bars and a jar of marshmallow creme between a graham cracker/flour base and topping. It's delicious and addictive. It might be a new New Year's Eve tradition.

Here's the link to the recipe.

One Year of Bitterroot Mama

Today is my one year blogiversary!

Just a year ago, I had my first follower (my mom) and wrote about how happy I was to start this blog. Lots has changed, but I'm still blogging and writing more than ever.

For the occasion, I wrote a thank-you rap song and performed it on video. Unfortunately, my husband doesn't think the world is ready for my rap career. I mean, come on, doesn't everyone want to see a white girl from Montana who can't dance rapping about her blogiversary?

Maybe next year. Anyway, thank you to all who have followed along, laughed along, or were drug along out of pity for me this past year. I plan to continue the blog, so get ready for more recipes, more bizarre Montana things, more book reviews, and more fun. But no more rapping.
As a present to myself, I'll be taking a break from Bitterroot Mama until the new year. So, Merry Christmas to you and your families.

Love,
Bitterroot Mama

Cheddar Cheeseball

I'm a big cheese fan. One time when I was eating lunch with my sister, we ate grilled cheese sandwiches with cheese Sunchips and had cheesecake for dessert. The only thing better would be adding a cheeseball. Here's a recipe from Cook's Country Dec./Jan. 2007 so you can make your own!

Classic Cheddar Cheese Ball
(serves 15-20 people)
In a food processor, mix:

1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Put mixture in the middle of a large sheet of plastic wrap and loosely shape into a ball. Refrigerate for about 3 hours, or until firm. (You can keep it refrigerated for up to 2 days.) Remove from the fridge and finish shaping it into a ball. Unwrap it and roll it in 1/2 c. sliced almonds, toasted. (I chopped the almonds in a food processor before toasting them.) Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers. (I like the original Kashi TLC.)

Christmas Trivia

In the most recent issue of Family Fun magazine, a woman wrote in with one of her Christmas traditions. To extend the present-opening time, each person is required to answer a Christmas trivia question before they can open a present. If they get it wrong, they have to perform a stunt.

I thought this was a cute idea, so I came up with a few questions of my own and printed them out on green cardstock. They ended up kind of small, so you might want to enlarge yours. The questions come from general Christmas traditions, the Bible story, Christmas songs, Christmas movies, and of course, Christmas cuisine. You could modify them to things that your family knows. Maybe one of your Christmas memories will be watching Grandpa do a stunt where he pretends his tongue is stuck to a frozen flag pole. (I tried to post the MicrosoftWord document with my trivia questions, but I can't figure out how to do it. If you know how, leave a comment.)

Gingerbread Men (and Women) Ornaments

This is a gingerbread woman ornament. (You know it's bad if you have to explain what it is when you're finished.) If you are so inclined, I have the instructions for this fun project available here in five simple steps. Here's what you need:

• brown felt
• a gingerbread girl and/or boy template (I used cookie cutters.)
• embroidery thread in various colors (I used 2-ply in gold, blue, and red.)
• hanging ribbon
• poly-fil
• a needle

1. Trace the shape onto a piece of felt. You'll need two pieces for each ornament (front and back). Cut out the two pieces.
2. On the front piece, make eyes, a mouth, and the name by crossstitching or backstitching.
3. Attach the hanging ribbon to the back of the back piece with thread.
4. Put the two pieces together and begin making a blanket stitch through both layers. After you've gone around some of the ornament, fill it with a little poly-fill.
5. Finish making the edges and poke any extra thread inside the ornament.

If you have any questions, let me know. I have assumed that you've used a needle and thread before with these instructions. (You have used a needle and thread, right?) I enjoyed making these and sending a set to a family near and dear to mine. For more fun, visit Works for Me Wednesday.

Celebration of Discipline

Richard Foster is one of my new favorite authors. This year I read his Life with God, Freedom of Simplicity, and now Celebration of Discipline. None of his books contain the fluff that so often fill non-fiction. Reading his words are like sitting down to a feast of meat. There's so much there, I have to partake and digest slowly. At the end, I'm fat and happy.

Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth is Foster's classic work (1978) that begins with a call for deep people. In its course, it covers twelve spiritual disciplines, starting with the inward, moving to the outward, then finally the corporate disciplines. He includes disciplines such as meditation, fasting, solitude, the ever-scorned discipline of submission, worship, guidance, and finally celebration. The author has a passion for these areas, which shines through the work. He guides the reader where he's been and bids him to follow. Some of the disciplines spoke to me more than others, but they all are backed by scripture and help compose a holy life. If you want to be a deep person, start with this book. (G, highly recommended)

Homemade Cheese Pizza

I love making homemade pizza. It's a labor of love. After getting the pizza sauce recipe, I like to think that I now have perfected cheese pizza. The recipe yields two large pizzas.

Breadmaker Pizza Crust
(from Breadman's The Corner Bakery Bread & Dessert Maker Cookbook)
In a breadmaker, add:
1 2/3 c. water (at 80°)
2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. dry milk
1 tsp. salt
4 1/2 c. bread flour
2 tsp. active dry yeast (one little packet)

Use the dough setting on the bread machine.

Shannon's Pizza Sauce

6 oz. tomato paste
about 1/2 - 3/4 c. water
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1/2 Tbsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
Mix together tomato paste, water, and olive oil. Add seasonings, let stand several hours for flavors to blend. (This is also excellent with fresh herbs!)
 
To assemble the pizza: Pour a little olive oil in two large pizza pans. Push out the dough to fill the pans. (If desired, sprinkle a little garlic powder and parmesan around the crust.) Pour equal amounts of sauce on each pizza and spread. Add about 8 oz. Italian-blend cheese or mozzarella. Add any additional toppings you want. Bake at 425° for 12-20 minutes, or until the crust is cooked and golden brown. (You'll want to start preheating the oven a little before the dough cycle is over.)

Oh Where is Bitterroot Mama?

Here I am! Here I am!

Over the last couple of weeks, my husband accepted a new job within his company that's requiring him to commute to Missoula every day. It's a great job, something he really likes, but now he's losing that time he'd have to spend with us in the evening. Plus, it costs more to commute farther!

For a little while there, he talked like we would be moving to Missoula, but ditched that idea after I talked with two real estate agents (and thoroughly cleaned the house two different days).

Not only would I have lost my whole social network and my MOPS girls, I wouldn't have been Bitterroot Mama anymore!

Luckily, my husband decided to stay put for awhile, so I'm still here. Nothing's changed per se, but I feel exhausted from the emotional turmoil and anticipated stress.

The silver lining is that once I thought I was moving, I purged my house of lots of junk. And I haven't stopped yet either!

I'll be back tomorrow with a great recipe!

Love,
Bitterroot Mama

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

There are plenty of good hot chocolate mixes out there. But after many cups of them, I finally found the world's best homemade hot chocolate recipe. It's perfect for making on cold nights and for giving to others. I found it in the Feb/March 2007 edition of Cook's Country.

Best-Ever Hot Cocoa Mix
(makes 20 servings)
3 c. nonfat dry milk
2 c. confectioners' (powdered) sugar
1 1/2 c. Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. white chocolate chips
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Pulverize half of the recipe in a food processor or blender. (The goal is to finely grind the white chocolate chips, which is harder than you think.) Then, process the other half. Store in an airtight container for three months.

To make hot cocoa: Warm 1 c. milk. Add 1/3 c. hot cocoa mix. Stir well.

This post is being linked to Works for Me Wednesday at http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.

The First Annual Picky Person Gift-Giving Guide

Hopefully, you've started your Christmas shopping and taken advantage of some of the deals that were offered over the weekend. If not, I've racked my brain for the best gifts I can think of for the special (read: picky) people in your life. I have not listed any gift certificates, but I have included a few gifts you shouldn't give.

For the Lifelong Learner
An audio or DVD course from The Great Courses. Although the original prices are expensive, I've seen quite a few of the courses in the catalogs I get (almost daily) on sale for under $30. They're a great way to maximize the time someone spends commuting or doing housework. My husband's listening to one about critical decision making and I would be listening to one about writing great sentences if my car's CD player wasn't broken.

For the Pregnant Woman

Massages are actually
the perfect gifts for everyone.

Two words: pregnancy massage. Make sure that they specifically offer pregnancy massages. Some places might not have the special table. Pass on: Jumbo T-shirts that have phrases like "Bun in the Oven." Ghastly!

For the Bookworm

If you don't know what kinds of books they like, give some interesting bookends. I literally had no idea so many bookends existed. If you're handy, make them more bookshelves. (Because I assume we're not the only people with that problem.) Pass on: Gadgets for a Nook or similar reading device, unless they have expressed interest in such device. Personally, I'm a fan of paper.

For the Classy, Professional Man
You can't go wrong with a Cross pen. In fact, that's what my husband wants. (But a very specific Cross pen. You may want to ask first. We are talking about picky people here.)

For the Young Person Just Out on His/Her Own
Fill a food basket for the young guy/gal in your life. Include a cookbook, the ingredients to make a recipe from the cookbook, and a few kitchen utensils they might need.

For the Kid Who Has Everything
A magazine subscription! I enjoy Family Fun, but there's also the Cricket family of magazines for the more literary types and all kinds of other children's magazines out there. (I know because they've all rejected me recently.)

For the Person Always on the Go
This is a gift my dad gave my family two Christmases ago. He gave us each $25 with the stipulation that we had to spend it doing an activity together. My husband and I took him to lunch and then to a family fun center so we could play mini-golf, go go-kart racing, and hit some balls at the batting cages. It was a fun memory.

For the Mom Who Refuses to Spend Money on Herself
She says she'll feel guilty getting anything, but she would secretly love receiving a trendy purse or purse/diaper bag combo. Also, she'd love anything homemade from her kids or if her car's CD player was magically fixed. (hint, hint) Pass on: Actually listening to her and getting her nothing.

For Someone Who's Passed on (whom you want to honor)
Purchase something from the Samaritan's Purse or World Vision catalogs. They'll send you a card in memory of that person that you can share with people who still remember that person fondly.

Visit Works for Me Wednesday for more Christmas gift-giving ideas.

[Disclosure: I get absolutely nothing from recommending these specific products than the peace of mind that you've found the perfect gift for that picky person.]