Back to school

The first day of the new school year is refreshing. The first couple of years in school fly by, and I remember thinking it would always be that way, but after a couple of years you've got the whole school thing down and you can sit back, relax, and enjoy watching your kids grow. Aren't mine beautiful?

New school year calls for a new recipe....


Vanilla Cone Oatmeal

2 cups old fashioned oats

4 cups water

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons vanilla syrup

1/2 cup milk

sugar to taste

rainbow sprinkles

1. Bring water and oats to a boil. When cooked add cinnamon, syrup, and milk.
2. Add sugar and serve adding the sprinkles to the top.

I tasted it and thought it was pretty sweet with the syrup but the kiddos said it needed more sugar, so it depends on your personal taste I guess. They still thought it was fun. What child wouldn't like rainbow sprinkles at breakfast?

Hawaii & the I's

What is "Hawaiian Steak"? Spam, of course. Braden and I made a Hawaiian pizza and Braden was responsible for making the pizza sauce. I gave him a can of tomato paste and told him to use his imagination and he made the most amazing sweet & spicy pizza sauce. I wrote the recipe down and Braden put it in a secret place, don't you just love kids excitement. What made the sauce so great really was the pineapple juice which went well with the spam and pineapple toppings. Putting spam on a pizza with pineapple and a great pizza sauce doesn't make spam taste like anything other than spam. Spam is something you either like or don't. I happen to like spam, don't judge.

Hawaiian Pizza

I didn't even have to look up Idaho to know what they are famous for...

Idaho Baked Potato Soup

Illinois was a little harder, so, I made a healthy version of the Chicago dog with turkey franks and whole wheat buns. And, yes mike still picked the spinach out of his mac & cheese.

Turkey Hot dogs & green mac & cheese

Apparently pork sandwiches are a big deal in Indiana there was even a documentary made about it.

Breaded Pork Sandwich

The largest cereal company in the world is Quaker Oats in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Everyone said these were the best oatmeal cookies they've ever had. I realized later that I used the ingredients but I didn't follow any of the directions so if you decide to try the recipe know that I didn't refrigerate the dough or flatten cookies with a fork dipped in sugar and they came out great!

Soft Oatmeal Cookies

Delaware, Georgia, & Florida

I made some Delaware crab puffs and they weren't really puffy but insanely delicious. And I made a peach cobbler for dessert and before you say isn't Georgia the peach state...Delaware is the peach blossom state. I admit I just couldn't wait until Georgia for peach cobbler.

Delaware Crab Puffs

Peach Cobbler

For Georgia I made shrimp and grits. This was the first time I had ever tried grits and they were so good with the bacon and melted cheese.

Shrimp & Grits

Florida was this garbanzo bean soup and key lime pie.

Garbanzo Bean Soup

Key Lime Pie

Hungry yet?

The C's...

I learned Fallbrook is known as the Avocado Capital of the World and hosts an annual Avocado Festival. Sounds like my kind of festival I loooove avocado. And Fresno proclaims itself the Raisin Capital of the World. So I made an avocado pasta salad and cinnamon rolls for dessert.


Colorado fun facts: Dove Creek, Colorado has been known as "the Pinto Bean Capitol of the World." Rocky Ford has been dubbed the "melon capital of the world." I made a pinto bean burger and a cucumber and tomato salad. I just learned that cucumber is a melon.


Did you know? Some food historians claim hamburgers were "invented" in a tiny restaurant called Louis Lunch in New Haven, CT. This is a terrible picture, sorry.

The A's

Finding dishes specific to one state was a little difficult. Some states are easy, like New York Cheesecake, but most needed a lot of research.

Sweet potato soup w/salad and pecan pie for dessert.

Blackened salmon club on sourdough & blueberry swirl pie for dessert. I think this is the best sandwich I've ever eaten.

Black bean salsa with homemade corn chips and tostadas w/ rice. We had a party and guests included: Hot Mama, Big Daddy, Senorita Emily, and Senor Braden.

Fried chicken of course for Arkansas w/ mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, & green beans. This is a not a very good picture.