Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies (did you ever think I'd post it?)

So sorry for the wait...I know at least two people out there are desperate for this recipe, which really is a great alternative to anything chocolate and which my children actually do eat. In fact, we sometimes call these breakfast cookies because of the oatmeal. Hey, whatever works!

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 2/3 cups cinnamon chips (10oz bag)
3/4 cup raisins

Heat oven to 375 F. Beat butter and sugars until grainy, add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Combine flour and baking soda; add to the butter mixture and beat well. Stir in oats, cinnamon chips, and raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 F. Let cool on cookie sheet one minute, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before storing in airtight container at room temperature. Makes about 4 dozen, unless you eat alot of dough! This recipe is from Hershey's Kitchens.

Like a Good Neighbor

State Farm has really been incredible throughout this ordeal. We now have a project manager and a whole team of people who are fixing this mess in our backyard. Today we met with the pool company in Pleasanton who is going to redo the pool, fire pit, seatwall, and stairs. The adjuster came from LA and made a formal estimate of the damages. This was compared to the general contractors list and submitted to State Farm. A few days later I received a giant check in the mail! In the beginning I thought they had no where to go but down because Ken Bullock's response was so great. But their level of service has continued to be incredible! If you are looking for a great insurance company that actually likes to show you how they can be a good neighbor, look no further than State Farm!

Halloween 2009

This year, I was "that mom". The one who failed to plan and get everything ready ahead of time. The one who didn't take the kids to the pumpkin patch. The one who didn't even buy or carve pumpkins! The one who missed the elementary parade while making Monkey Bread and the last of 6 batches of cookies (because two kids had day of the dead celebrations in Spanish, Ryan's class needed cookies for their party, and the Save Darfur Club was having a bake sale). Yes, I was that mom who left the kids to fend for themselves after one afternoon of costume shopping with too many friends crammed in the van. And, guess what? My kids aren't scarred for life. They actually had the best (and easiest) costumes this year and they made them by themselves. After much drama, Alaina and 4 friends were teenage mutant ninja turtles. They cut their own turtle shells out of cardboard, painted them and strapped them on their backs with yarn. They wore plain green t-shirts (2 for $5 at Michael's) with karate belts and eye masks.

Ryan let his buddy be the quarterback and drew his own picture of a person running on the back of his shirt to be a running back (after we spent two hours ironing on the football lettering).

Becca cut out an 'm' that I drew for her and we hot glued it on a red shirt to make an m&m.

Andy made his own pacman costume. He'd been talking about it for weeks and I kind of thought it would go away. I was that mom. Thinking he'd change his mind and go as something that would actually fit in the van. He spent a few hours cutting and taping a dishwasher box and transformed it into an arcade game shape. He covered it with black construction paper and modge podge, then he cut out blinky, inky, pinky, and bashful, and a big pacman. He punched out circles to gobble up and glued everything together. Then he found a foam ball and colored it red to make the joystick and glued on the controls.

I wore my old cruella costume that I made 8 years ago and found in the Halloween box in the garage. I must say it was much cuter when Ryan, Becca, and Alaina were my dalmation puppies. This year I just looked like an old lady in a cape.

And Dave...well Dave deviated from the traditional hat costume and wore my brothers old hockey jersey. At least he's always a good sport.

Blogger's Dinner Club: Dayna's Famous Lemon Chicken

A few years ago I came up with one thing that makes all of my kids happy and is good enough to make for friends. (Can you see the empty plate in the picture?!) I don't measure anything in it, so it's a "to taste" recipe. If you want more info, let me know and I'll give some estimates.

Ingredients:

cut up chicken breasts (bite-sized pieces), flour, garlic salt, vegetable oil, lemon juice, chicken broth (or base and water), butter, cut up in small pieces.

Directions:

Mix flour and garlic salt in plastic bag. Toss in cut up chicken, about 10 pieces at a time. Heat a little oil in non-stick skillet and cook chicken in a single layer, turning occasionally, until cooked through. Place chicken in paper towel lined bowl to drain off excess oil while you cook the rest. After all chicken is cooked, in same skillet heat chicken broth and lemon juice. Stir to loosen browned bits from pan. Whisk in butter, a little at a time, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Serve chicken over rice and pour sauce over all. (You have to put everything in separate bowls, of course, and let the kids determine how much sauce goes on how much chicken, which goes on how much rice. Otherwise, it just doesn't taste good!)

Gem Faire Bonanza

On Wednesday I went to the Pleasanton Gem Faire with some friends. I had debated for a split second if I wanted to go, only because I am not so creative with beads and gems (better at just buying them already made) but it is a fun thing to do with my daughters. So, I decided to take Kim up on her offer to be our guide...she is the jewelry master! I picked them both up and we spent a few wonderful hours, just browsing through these sparkly beauties. There was a huge hall full of every kind of high- and low-end bead, gem, and finding (even rubies and opals, but alas, no sapphires). I would definitely recommend catching this Faire...it comes to Pleasanton twice a year and rotates all year long. Unless you are most men. Then I would totally pass.

Jenny, Kim, and me

Blogger's Dinner Club: Mexican Chicken Lasagna

I am going to stop excusing my food photographty and styling. You'll just have to try it!

This is what we had for dinner last night. You can see which one the kids preferred! I forgot about this recipe and hadn't made it for several years, but we all loved it. For the kids' version, I put plain cooked chicken in a plain cooked lasagna noodle and rolled it up like the others. I baked a pan of these alongside the real lasagna rollups. I know, I must have the pickiest eaters on the planet.

Mexican Chicken Lasagna

16 oz lasagne noodles (not no-boil kind)
1 lb chicken breasts, cut up into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 each red, green, yellow peppers, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cups shredded cheese (Mexican blend), divided
1 egg 16 oz jar salsa

Cook lasagna; drain and lay flat on waxed paper to prevent sticking. Lightly brown chicken in hot oil. Add peppers and onion, cook until tender. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup cheese, olives, and egg. Spoon 1/3 cup mixture onto each piece of lasagna; roll up like a jelly roll. Place rolls ups, seam side down in single layer in greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Pour salsa over the top and cover. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts. Serves 8.

Dave n Buster's

Ryan wanted to go to Dave n Buster's for his 9th birthday party. But it's in Milpitas (a little over an hour away without traffic) so I told him he could have his entire class plus soccer team come for a party at our house, but if he really wanted it at the place he could only bring 4 friends because that is all I can fit in the van to drive there. You can see what he chose.
The kids all had a blast. A lady gave Blair and Cameron handfuls of tickets she had won. They were so excited. Ryan was obsessed with the quarter game.

Blair and Gavin both have amazing hand-eye coordination and each won the spin the wheel game by stopping the light at the 1,000 mark. The machine spewed out 1,000 tickets for each of them. We had dinner in the food court and I told the kids they could get whatever they wanted at any of the restaurants but 4 of the 5 went for the pizza.

I drove back to our house and the kids played pass the parcel, and had cake and ice cream. Ryan had asked for a scotcheroo cake, so I got off easy this year... This is the last celebration for the Bain Family Birthday Season and my baby is 9.