This Is Us

  Since Star Wars Day was on a Sunday this year we invited Nick’s parents over for dinner. We also invited Jeff, Abbie, and their boys. Brichette and Flint came too. It was so fun! We had Star Wars plates, napkins, and tablecloth exactly like the ones we had last year -  2024 Star Wars Day ! For food we had: Bantha Kabobs (Chicken, bacon, and pineapple) Thermal Detonators (meatballs) Stormtrooper Cheese (sting cheese) Sarlacc Cheeseball Star Wars Wheat Thins (no fun shapes) Naboo Fruit Mandalorian Goldfish Crackers Wookie Cookies (no bake cookies) Ewok Brownies For the Sarlacc cheeseball I made a regular cheeseball, but instead of covering it in sliced almonds, I covered it in breadcrumbs to create the sand. I wrapped it in plastic wrap and shaped it into a ball and then pushed a hole in the center. Then I placed it in the fridge for a few hours to harden. I pulled it out and placed two sliced almonds in the hole to create the Sarlacc monster. I used string cheese for the “ten...

  This year for the Super Bowl we watched it from home. For as long as I can remember we have gone to Nick’s parents, but this year we weren’t able to. On Saturday I wrote down a list of food, Nick and I went and got everything, and then I got everything made. We had lit’l smokies, chips, muddy buddies, fruits & dip, veggies & dip, cheese dip, summer sausage, cheeseball, crackers, donuts, and ham and cheese sliders. For the fruit and veggie dips I made them. Here is the recipe for the  Fruit Dip . The veggie dip was just a 16oz. container of sour cream and the Hidden Valley dip mix. The donuts we got from Krispie Kreme (the dozen only came with six footballs and then six regular). I made the cheese ball. It’s cream cheese, bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, green onions, and almonds. I shaped it like a football and then put Swiss cheese on top for the laces. Lydia and I tried to make the fruit look like a football, but it ended up looking more like a football stadium 🏟️! I ...

  This year for Star Wars day we had Han Burgers Corellian Potatoes  Star Wars sugar cookies Star Wars Gold Fish Then we went to Jeff and Abbie’s and had more dinner/snacks. Sugar cookies that Abbie decorated like Star Wars characters. Fruit kabobs Nachos and more We watched the Star Wars movies and Jeff and Alex showed us the new light sabers they have.

  Here is my recipe for homemade spaghetti meat sauce. With Nick being allergic to garlic we can’t buy store bought sauce. All of them contain garlic. So Colleen showed me how to make it, and I adjusted the recipe a little for our family. Most of the time I can use herbs either fresh from our garden or ones I have drying in our garage (also from our garden). Sometimes I don’t judge correctly how much we will need to dry, and end up having to buy from the store. I need to learn how to dry my own onions and make them into powder! It’s on my list of goals to do this year! I use this recipe for spaghetti, lasagna, and baked ziti. Here is the recipe: Spaghetti Meat Sauce: Ingredients  1 lb. Ground Beef 2 - 8 oz. cans Tomato Sauce Water 1 tsp Onion Powder 1/4 tsp Black Pepper 1 tsp Salt 1/2 tbsp Oregano  1/2 tbsp Basil  1/2 tbsp Thyme  2 tbsp Sugar 4 tbsp Butter 4 tbsp Flour Directions: Put the ground beef in a big sauce pan. While browning the meat add the salt, pepp...