Happy February!

It seems like February is passing me by! I've wanted to post for lots of things but just haven't found the time to do it. Megan has been playing basketball for the Upward Basketball  league at the church and she loves it! (I will devote a post to that soon because I have some good pics.)

I think I got my decorations up a few days before Valentine's Day. It came and went before I could really enjoy them. The one decoration that we did enjoy was Danny's valentines box for school. His assignment was to create a box in the theme of his favorite book. He picked Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman, and he won first place in his class! He was so excited. I've posted pics of it, and one even shows his ribbon.

We also attended Megan's middle school curriculum fair (I can't believe she's going into middle school!), and she's very excited. This week, we started the birthday marathon with Mom Creamer's yesterday (Happy Birthday, Mom!), George's tomorrow, Dad Gilbert's on Monday (Happy Birthday, Dad!), and Megan's on Thursday. With all of this, basketball season, and normal life - I'm pooped!

Our favorite weeknight dessert...

Chocolate Croissants!!! These are so easy, and semi-homemade, so they are super fast. The basic recipe is this:

One tube of Pillsbury crescent rolls, unrolled and separated into triangles
One tsp. of Nutella per crescent roll
1 beaten egg

Place the Nutella in the center of each triangle. then fold into square packages, folding and crimping the edges so that the chocolate spread can't escape. Place them on the baking tray covered with parchment paper and brush all over the top (liberally) with beaten egg. Bake according to the roll package (375 for 11-13 minutes) or until they are golden brown.

Enjoy.  

A few little pumpkin seeds...

Danny's class planted pumpkin seeds just after Halloween, and we put his up in the kitchen window so he could see how it would grow. The plan was to plant it in a pot once the extended freeze ended. I must say that I am surprised at how well it is doing. This morning, one of the blooms opened on it, and I couldn't resist sharing. And George says I have a black thumb...bah!

Veal Milanese - it's what's for dinner!

Veal Milanese is one of our favorite dinners, and it is so easy! It goes with just about any side, and it is breading and frying at its finest. The basic recipe that I make is as follows:




Ingredients
Very thin veal scallopini (one large or two small strips per person)
Flour for dredging
Eggs, beaten (1 per 3 strips)
Italian Bread crumbs


Heat 1/4" oil (olive, canola, or vegetable) in a pan on medium heat. Season the flour well (I use Emeril's Original Essence, 2 tablespoons per 1/2 cup of flour). Dip each veal strip into flour, then egg, then bread crumbs and stack on plate. When the oil is ready (bubbles appear when you put the end of a wooden spoon into the oil), place a few strips in the oil, not overcrowding the pan. Fry until the veal is dark golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip the strips and brown (about 2-3 minutes) on the other side.  Place strips on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up excess oil and repeat steps until all strips are done.

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue...

Daisies are the best, you know it's true! OK, not the best rhyme, but it gets the point across. I love daisies of any color, but especially yellow ones and white ones. They make me instantly happier, and the fact that they are on sale at Publix this week made me even happier! Hopefully, sharing this pic has made you happier, too!