My Mommy Kisses The Principal

The weather here is Texas has been amazing this week. Well two weeks actually. I love that the days are filled with sunshine and brightly colored flowers in bloom or still budding. It just seems like the whole yard is alive. ;) Then there are the wonderful nights and occasionally days filled with deep rumbling of thunder. Oh and loud. I have live a great many places but, I have to say that I like the thunderstorms in Texas the best.
Now that the weather is becoming so wonderful we have begun doing some much needed yard work. I have great plans for my yard this year. We are also making plans for this years garden. I need to get a start on it since planting starts very soon here. We are thinking Tomatoes of course, lettuce, garlic, scallions ( I am a total addict), some herbs, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, watermelon, eggplant, carrots, that is what is on the diagram for now we have a few more slots so not sure what we are gonna fill it there. Oooooh, oooooh, squash yummy. Then on the other side of the yard we have two peach trees which are wonderful producers, we have a fig tree oh soooooo yummy,we also have a small patch of black berries that we want to expand, and we want to add blueberry bushes and strawberries.

This week for Sunday dinner we had the most amazing pork roast I have ever made. Oh man I let it cook for 4 wonderful smelling hours and boy was it worth it. It was so soft and juicy :::drooling::: just remembering it. Oh and the best part I got it on sale!! .88 cents a pound. I cooked the whole thing, but I saved ½ for another week.
Sunday menu:
Roast pork
Parsley buttered new potatoes
fresh green beans
Rolls

I used some of the left overs from Sunday to make pork fried rice yesterday for a quick dinner along with some homemade miso soup.

School has been going a little differently this week. Next week is our spring break so the kids are a bit excited and preoccupied with plans of what they are going to be doing next week. We also had our Spanish tutor come twice this week and that added to the mix. Then Safety girl who is now wanted to be called coupon girl (I'll explain in a min) asked me if she could make me a deal. So the deal was that she wanted to completely finish unpacking her room and clean it and get it all done so that she would not have to work on it during her spring break. So she did and WOW!! I am just so proud of the job she did. She had no help at all and she made that room look amazing. Now she wants to paint it so that it looks like a research lab. LOL. Today (Thursday) Art girl (my oldest daughter) asked if she could do the same and she is working on her room as we speak. On the other days this week the kids have each picked a subject and did the entire weeks work in one day. It was a nice change up for them. So this week has been strange but wonderful.

Ok I did tell you I would explain coupon girls new nick name oh and we have coupon lad. Art girl says that she is just not interested in helping. ;) That is ok she about to turn 12 and loose her mind for the next couple of years so, it is all good. I started playing the Coupon Game three weeks ago and I am having a blast. I LOVE going into the store and having the register ring up 135.00 and then I scan my card and my coupon and the bell begins you know that sound right?? when you at the register and a transaction is made it makes that little sound. Well, last week (only my second time ever of using coupons) I was at Kroger and the register said 135.00 then I handed my coupons and savings card over to the cashier and watched it go down, down,down. My final out of pocket cost was... ready?? 72.00 Yes folks that is 63.00 dollars in savings!! Woohhhooooo. Oh man I was just beaming when I left the store. I felt like I had really spent my money wisely. I also so the coupons for CVS and then I get what ever else I can not find any where else or what is the cheapest at Walmart last. My cabinets are just filling up. If any of you gentle readers are coupon guru's please let me know I would love to pick your brain. BBBWWWWAAAHHHHHAAAAA!!
I hope all of you are having wonderful weeks too.
Look for a new recipe VERY soon.

A great kid friendly recipe. Home made stuffed soft pretzels!!


This recipe is great. It is easy and kids love it and they love to help make this. The best part is you can use what ever you like to stuff them with. The first time I made this I used pizza fixings. I have also made taco flavor and ham and cheese. The possibilities are endless.
For this recipe we will make the pizza flavor since kids like pizza.
You will need:
one or more helpers. ;0
2 Tubes of pizza dough (I have also used homemade)
½ cup of pasta sauce (left over from the last time you made pizza)
1 small package of pepperoni (most of this will be consumed by your helper/s or your self)
1 small package of mozzarella cheese.
That is all you need for food.
Equipment
two baking sheets or one that you will use twice.
A pizza cutter (don't have one use a knife or a pair of scissors dipped in flour)
a cutting board
a knife (if your helpers will be doing the cutting then have a pair of scissors for them)

See this is already shaping up to be super easy. ;) The first thing you do is let your helps “POP” the tubes of pizza dough open, while you turn the oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough out into a rectangle. Cut lengthwise in half with the pizza cutter then cut each half in half again make a total of 4 long strips. You will do this with each tube.


Now, you will have your helpers cut the pepperoni into small pieces. Now you are ready for assembly.
Onto each strip of dough spread some of the pizza sauce. I try to spread this pretty much down the middle leaving the sides clear so that they can be folded together later.


Once the sauce is on sprinkle with cheese. You will be surprised at just how much little it takes to make these. That is why using you left overs is awesome. Once you cheese is on sprinkle with pepperoni.


Now, come the only tricky part of the whole operation. Fold each strip over lengthwise to make long tubes. Now the fun part take the two ends and fold in towards the center and cross over to form a pretzel shape.


Don't worry about any tears or minor imperfections. If you don't have any great. If you do just blame your helpers!! ;) GIGGLE Do these steps for all 8 of your strips. Bake in the oven for about 15 mins.
You know I never really follow how long a recipe tells me to cook something. Every oven is different. Take mine for instance (please badump bump) I have to spin what 0ever I cook about halfway thru if it is a short cooking time and several times if it is a long cooking time. I have a hot spot the right back corner of my oven. My old oven cooked with efficiency. If a recipe said 12 mins mine was done in 8-10 and almost burning by 12. So use your nose and your knowledge of your oven. What you are looking for is a nice golden brown. I also lift the over lapping where the pretzel ends meet to make sure it is cooked.
When I serve this I add a salad or maybe some raw veggies with dip. It has been a hit each time I make it. I hope you all enjoy making it and eating it as much as we do.