pinwheels

Our lunch today was inspired by this pin on Pinterest.

I used crescent roll dough, rolled out smooth so there were no seams.

I used what we had on-hand...so instead of ham we had buffalo chicken deli slices.

And I am always looking for ways to sneak spinach into our diet so I added some baby spinach leaves too.

This was yummy!!!

The kids only ate one each, but if I cooked only to please our children we would live on ramen noodles and boxed mac & cheese.

There are so many combinations you could do with these! 

Ham & Swiss with arugula.

Roast Beef & Cheddar.

Bell peppers & provolone for the veg lovers.

YOU CHOOSE! :)

Pinwheels Your Way

(All of these ingredients are open to your own taste buds! Pick your favorites!)
1 can crescent rolls
6-8 slices deli meat
handful (or so) fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup (or so) shredded cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Roll out the crescent roll dough with a rolling pin so it's smooth and thin. Put the deli meat over the dough in a thin single layer. Spread the spinach leaves over the meat in a thin layer. Sprinkle on the cheese, salt, and pepper. Roll everything together until you have formed a log, be sure to seal the edge. Using a pizza cutter, cut the log into slices. Bake 15 minutes or so, until the dough is browned and done in the middles.

this is {becoming} a habit...

Ugh I am a FAILURE at blogging!!
I blame Instagram and Facebook.
At any rate...here is an update via pictures of what we've been doing the past month or so:

We have a beautiful River Greenway that goes all the way back into Ouabache State Park.

We love to walk or bike this path, and I love to snap photos of the beautiful creation!

See that Queen Anne's Lace? It will ALWAYS remind me of my dear Grandma Beulah.

I took the munchkins school shopping and of course we had to have lunch at our favorite...Biaggi's!

Have I ever mentioned what an awesome Daddy this guy is?!

Korie threw a SURPRISE party for Chris when he finished his Master's Degree.

It was a New Orleans theme...complete with a Cajun Food Truck!!

We had lots of fun celebrating with Chris.

Mack and Lincoln carried on the Broyles/Troyer tradition when they instantly became fast friends.

And look at those 4 adorable cousins!!

Piper did it! She read 1000 books before Kindergarten!

We're proud of our Peanut!

My beautiful, dear, sweet friend Mercy invited me to her Birthday Outing Day.

This was my very first ever PEDICURE! Yes, I am serious. And yes, it was awesome!

We celebrated our anniversary by attending a wedding! Haha!

That sounds silly but the wedding was in Indy so we had quite a lot of time alone AND

we got to be all dressed up! Joel & Erica (the happy couple) were on my India team

and Joel's parents are very near and dear to us.

Let the homework begin!

Mack and Piper are as different as night and day when it comes to this chore.

Piper is ready to jump right in and cheerfully gets the job done.

Mack avoids, begs, pleads, and bargains.

Both do their best and work hard...even when spelling is tough for the boy.

We had another monarch!

This is Maxzilla.

She was kind enough to emerge from her cocoon on Labor Day

while the kids were home from school on holiday.

Piper & Papoo give a whole new meaning to "Facetime".

Two of my favorites from my August Photo a Day challenge.

We have some new traditions!!

Several Sundays a month, we meet our good friends the Gerbers at Taco Bell

for supper, laughter, fellowship and shenanigans.

(MOM...see Ashley's tray?? That's JUST FOR YOU!!!!!)

Since the kids started school, Jason and I walk together whenever possible in the mornings.

Another "since the kids are in school" new tradition is Bummies Tuesdays!

Bummies is our local BK Rootbeer Stand.

For some reason, Tuesday lunch finds us under the canopy enjoying our favorite fares.

I PROMISE to do my very best to start updating much more frequently!!

waaaay over due...

I think perhaps the only readers I have left would be my Mama and my Grammy and my Grandpa Broyles!
This poor little abandoned blog.
But even if all that's left is Mom and Grammy and Grandpa...
they are worth EVERY post
because I love them dearly!
So...Mom, Grammy, & Grandpa...
here is your waaay overdue update.

Piper had a birthday!

I can't believe our baby is five.

We celebrated with CoCo China,

and when we got home she had precious parcels from Naples awaiting her!

With a new bike and countless blessings from Grandpa & Robin,

her birthday was all a sweet little five year old could wish for!

Turning five means Kindergarten.

Kindergarten means check-ups.

THREE of them!

Eyes, teeth, and body...

all in tip-top shape.

This little Peanut is ready for learnin'!

We invited the Gerber kids to spend a WHOLE DAY with us!

Fun was had by all...big and small.

Mom took the kids for a few days.

It was HEAVEN for all of us!

Well...maybe not for Mom & Dad...

but the Baker five were extremely blessed by Kamma Kamp!

In between all the major events,

we've been soaking up our summer.

Bike rides, kisses, playgrounds.

Splash pads, swimming pools, and water slides.

Campfires including the s'mores, silly faces.

Burnt french fries to remind us of Papoo.

Mack's Mother's Day gift - two tiny shoots in a styrofoam cup

that have now grown into a beautiful marigold plant.

We hope you are also enjoying an extremely blessed summer!!!

Spicy Smoked Sausage Mac

(The recipe I am sharing is an adaptation of this recipe.)

This is one of our FAVORITES.
We have it all the time.
We have shared it with other families and they always ask for the recipe.
I hope you love it as much as we do!

Now don't go crinkling up your nose at the turkey smoked sausage...TRUST ME...it is delicious!! The best thing about this recipe is that it TASTES like you're indulging in something naughty while really it's actually quite good for you!

Spicy Smoked Sausage Mac

1T olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1 med onion, chopped
garlic powder OR minced fresh garlic clove
1 lb dry elbows (I use a box that is a little less than one pound so watch to make sure you don't need more liquid)
2 cans Rotel (or other chopped chilis & tomatoes) - NOT drained
4c chicken broth
1c nonfat greek yogurt
1c shredded cheese
large handful of chopped fresh baby spinach
salt & pepper to taste

Cut the smoked sausage into bite-sized pieces and cook with the olive oil over medium high heat (I use a large pot). The more color you allow the sausage to get, the more flavor your mac will have. Add the chopped onion and continue cooking until the onion is translucent. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder or fresh minced garlic. Add the pasta and stir well, let it soak up all the oil and juices from the meat and onion. Add the Rotel and chicken broth. Cover and bring to a light boil. Allow to cook for 7-10 minutes, until the pasta is al dente. Remove from heat and stir in the yogurt. Add the cheese and stir until melty. Add the chopped spinach, stir to combine. Check to see if it needs more salt & pepper....SERVE and ENJOY!

(I use 1 can of mild Rotel and 1 can of original...2 cans of original makes it too spicy for me and Piper to enjoy! So use your own judgment and tastebuds to find the right amount of kick.)

yellow rice with greens & sausage {easy}

This recipe is so simple and so delicious. It's one of our "regulars" in the rotation here at the ol' Baker house.
Before I share the recipe, I want to say a few words about two of the ingredients...

This rice is what makes the recipe so darn easy. AND definitely contributes to the yum factor.
The rice is already seasoned with saffron and other deliciousness so this drastically reduces the amount of time you're going to spend seasoning and tasting and wondering "What's missing??".

Don't do it! Don't roll your eyes and think "Yeah, I've tried turkey sausage and it's CRAP" and then walk away thinking I'm a crazy person. Yes, MOM...I'm talking to YOU! And others like you! We have stopped buying pork sausage and switched over completely to this. Why? Because we're health nuts? If you know us, you know that ain't the case! BUT...we do love to eat and we really don't want to weigh 5343829 pounds so we try to make better choices. This sausage tastes NO different than pork sausage. Seriously. And it has half the calories. So for me...that's a no-brainer right there! Trust me...try it...if you hate it, I will sincerely apologize and never bring it up again. But you just might love it and thank me!

Ok, enough rambling. On to the recipe!

Yellow Rice with Greens & Sausage

1 16oz roll Honeysuckle White Turkey Breakfast Sausage (or your choice of protein)
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (or a handful of frozen chopped onions if you're lazy like yours truly)
1 16oz pkg Vigo Saffron Yellow Rice
4-5 cups water (or chicken stock)
1 cup (or more) frozen sweet peas
a nice big pile of fresh spinach leaves, chopped
a wad of fresh cilantro, chopped
(those last two ingredients really depend on your own personal taste)
salt & pepper to taste

In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat the olive oil and brown the sausage over medium-high heat. Season with salt & pepper while the sausage browns. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Pour in the entire contents of Vigo rice. Stir and allow to cook for a few minutes, soaking up any leftover oil and fat from the sausage. Add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer.

Allow to simmer for 20 minutes or so. Check your rice after 15 minutes and add more water if it is beginning to stick too much to the bottom of your skillet (a little sticking is yummy!). Once the rice is cooked and tender (but not mushy!), add the peas, spinach, and cilantro. Turn the heat down to low and stir just until combined and the peas are warmed through.

Enjoy!

atomic warheads (delicious??)