Jenny's Journey

Who knew I would ever...ever like to run!  But I do!  If I would have known all it would have taken was an  Ipod, I would have bought one years ago!  I started doing this 5K training program but really don't find the time to be able to run every other day like I should according to the program.  The time is hard for me to find(cause I cant just leave my young children alone...well I could but that would be bad) but also lately its been the weather.  Until today.  I was driving home from picking up Jenna from daycare and drove by a girl running and thought, "dang, it would be a good day to go for a run when I get home" and it worked because James called me to tell me he was already home.  Sweet!  So I got all geared up to go,stepped outside and it was misting.  I went anyways.  I think it was meant to be...why?  Because turning the corner to head up the hill during my warm up appeared a beautiful rainbow!...

OMG!  You have to try these!  WOW!  I am not kidding you when I say these are SOOOO GOOD!  Perfect for this time of year, plus I think the base batter is so tastey it would be perfect to swap out the cranberries for chocolate chips and top with a chocolate frosting.  The possiblities are endless and yummy! 'Bestest' Cranberry Bars originally from the Milwaukee Journal JSonline.com   - I changed nothing! ½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature 1 ½ cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 ½ cups flour ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 cups whole fresh cranberries ½ cup chopped pecans Frosting (see recipe) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13-by-9-inch baking pan. In bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, salt, baking powder, cranberries and nuts. Pour batter into pan. Bake in preheated oven 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Spread with frosting and...

If you are anything like me you have a recipe that calls for some strange ingredient, so you buy it and are left with lots of that ingredient you don't normally use that often.  Well that happened to me recently when I decided to make a pancake recipe that called for whole wheat flour (I think it only called for 1/2 cup).  Now I have what looks like 10 cups of whole wheat flour to use up.  I had noticed a recipe on the back of the Gold Medal Flour bag that I thought I might try.  Well I did not forget about it and on Wednesday I had some extra energy to blow so I baked!  To my surprise these dang cookies are very good.  I didn't tell people what the secret ingredient was until they ate one and they all thought it was oatmeal.  These cookies do taste different, but in a good way.  I figure these cookies even have fiber in them! Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup butter or margar...

For the 1st Packers game of the 2012-13 season my husband and I  decided we needed some good eats to help cheer on our team. If we splurge and get an appetizer when eating out, one of our favorites is Chili's Skillet Queso.  It is so very good.  Well I found a recipe for a copycat version and we both agree that it tastes EXACTLY like Chili's. Try it next time the Packers play (this would be this coming Thursday!) or any time you want a very tasty appetizer! (you could eat it for a meal too...why not?!?)   I am sure you will not be disappointed! Chili's Skillet Queso 16-ounce box Velveeta Cheese 1 C. milk 2 teaspoons paprika ½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper 15-ounce can Hormel Chili (No Beans) 4 tsp. chili powder 1 tablespoon lime juice ½ tsp. ground cumin GO PACK GO!

I recently came across a blog : Green Plate Rule To put it simply its a site about eating better, healthier, cleaner. I have always wanted to be one of "those"people.  Making yummy healthy treats for their kids (kids that very rarely get sweets) Really...I want to be like that, mostly because I want to like  - no love veggies and stuff like these people do. I want to eat healthier and I want my family to too!  The writer of the blog knows alot about different kinds of proteins, quinoa(I cooked it once long ago and we didn't like it, but I am gonna give it another chance- its great for you I guess), things called chia seeds, gluten free stuff and smoothies.  There is so much out there that I know so little about, but am always interested in it.  In an attempt to eat better I liked her idea of "Sunday Night Prep to eat Clean all week" concept.  Something I know and have done before but tend to get lazy about.  Basically shop and...

I have made this recipe before, but tonight when I went to make it the usual thing happened to me AGAIN!  I think I have an ingredient and I don't!  I swear planning a meal for me lately has become quite the adventure - by either finding a substitute or going without.   After I attempted (and I don't know why) to see if the little market in Ixonia had Hoisin sauce, I thought I would find a substitute if there was one.  I was thrilled when I found a Hoisin sauce substitute or actually a recipe to make your own, and believe it or not I had everything the recipe called for!  And it tasted and smelled like I remembered it should! Sweet!  Dinner wasn't a disaster after all. Homemade Hoisin Sauce 4 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons  peanut butter 1 tablespoon honey 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 2 teaspoons sesame oil 10 drops hot sauce 1/8 teaspoon black pepper Wisk all ingredients together. * I only made...

I don't know about you, but I have always wanted to make cinnamon rolls.  Haven't you too???  No? Well the other day my Mom sent me an email with a recipe that was supposed to be as good as a certain cinnamon roll maker we all have seen in at the mall, and most of us, I am guessing have tried at least once before.  I mentioned to her that I had always wanted to try making cinnamon rolls, but it seemed like a daunting task.  One I was not sure I was up to tackling.  (at least by myself...my kids don't count...they usually make anything I want to do in the kitchen a little bit harder...but still I like to include them anytime I bake - Jadyn is an egg-cellant egg cracker!)  I collected all of the ingredients I needed for the recipe and the 4 of us made cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting!  Let me tell you - they were delish and pretty darn easy - for cinnamon rolls.  How could that be, you ask?  Well the dough is made using a bread make...