Blog name is changing back to the original!!!

When I first started blogging, I had one baby boy and just titled this Life with the Mozas. After we had boy #2 and thought we were done, I changed the name. Well, we are expecting a girl in April, so the original name is coming back!

We are so thankful for a happy, healthy baby on the way!

Sawdust Pie and a Thanksgiving table

I made a couple recipes today to share with family tomorrow. I found both of these on pinterest. I'm hoping the Sawdust Pie is similar to a pie I've eaten at a tearoom here. I haven't been there in years and when I saw this recipe, I thought I had to try!

Sawdust Pie

and 

Orange Cranberry Sauce

After I zested the oranges (two small clementines), I added the segments to the sauce.

Here is our table. I may or may not use the red bowls. One guest isn't coming and she usually makes a salad that many eat separately. We are hosting 10...my parents, brother, uncle, and family friends. My boys reminded me that next year we will have to add another chair for the baby. My cup runneth over!

I used chargers from Walmart, Italian Countryside Dinner plates, mixed silverware, and more. 

  Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm linking up with these blogs

Cuisine Kathleen

Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday

RattleBridge Farm Foodie Friday

Herbed Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

Sorry for the hiatus, I'm 17 weeks pregnant and have been very, very sick. So smelling foods and cooking fun recipes has not been on the top of my priority list. Taking pictures was definitely not on my list!

I've been a lot better for the past 3 weeks, so I'm hoping the worst is over.

We are beyond thrilled to add a third little one to our family and can't wait to meet him or her in April. I'll find out next month. I'm too much of a planner and with nothing pink in my house, I need to be prepared if God gives us a girl!

As a cook, I don't look forward to the time in my pregnancy when I gag at food smells, food textures and food tastes that I normally love. 

In the fall, I love to use fall flavors and herbs. To this chicken salad, I added dried cranberries, pecans, sage, and thyme. It's not your average salad, but it was really, really good!

Herbed Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

1 cup of peas (I used frozen)

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped pecans

mayonnaise (about 1/2 cup)

1 healthy squeeze of spicy mustard

juice of half a lemon, plus zest

salt 

ground pepper

parsley

thyme

sage

chives

garlic powder

poultry seasoning

For the dressing, I combined the mayo, mustard and lemon. Add chopped fresh herbs if you have them. I used 4 sprigs of thyme, 5 sage leaves and a small bunch of chives. Chop them and add them to the dressing. I added at least 1 tablespoon of dry parsley, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder and poultry seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix dressing well and add chicken, peas, cranberries and pecans. Refrigerate til ready to eat. Serve with toast or crackers.

Enjoy!

I'll be joining these blog parties!

Full Plate Thursday

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm

First Day of School

 Today was the first day of school for my big boy, Adrian. My how time flies. I hope he has a really great day and makes new friends!

He has two toasted ham and muenster sandwiches, a couple extra cheese school buses, strawberries, marshmallows (in the box) and wheat thins. 

Happy First Day of School, Adrian!

Daddy has spaghetti with mushrooms and meat sauce and salad!

When it rains, it pours.

  We went on our summer vacation last week. We took a short trip down to the Texas Coast and visited Rockport / Fulton Harbor and Port Aransas. The boys had a great time seeing the beach and waves, making (and tearing down each other's) sandcastles, and hunting for shells.

Apparently 3 year olds don't do well post vacation. We played at the beach and the pool all.day.long. Who has time for grocery shopping with Mommy??? While shopping for the lunches below, we had a royal tantrum. The kind where people smile slightly and walk away quickly. It was lovely. Can't we just go back to the beach? School starts next week for my boys, but in the spirit of other schools starting here, I made some super simple back to school lunches. I found the material at Hobby Lobby and my sweet mom sewed them for me. 

 The boys had apples and strawberries with an ABC pick, salami and colby jack to top their wheat crackers, a couple slices of mesquite smoked ham rolled up and marshmallows tucked into the little dipper. 

 Mommy had strawberries and blueberries, trail mix,

 mesquite smoked ham and muenster cheese sandwich, and wheat crackers.

Happy Back to School week to you!

Farm Fresh...bento and breakfast

 Both boys got the same thing and Adrian quickly threw his pretzels to his brother!

We've been out to my uncle's farm twice in the last 10 days. I took a friend with her kids and then my dad went with us yesterday. It's a nice drive and a nice respite from the city noise. We picked figs, tomatoes, apples, peppers, peaches and more. I froze 4 one gallon size bags of figs for future preserves. I need to buy jars! I plan on making candied jalapenos or pepper jelly too. It was a huge hit at our church event last week.

  The dinosaurs are made with last years fig preserves. I love canning! And the apple was picked last week.

This mommy ate toast with goat cheese and fig preserves. It's beyond heavenly. And slices of tomato I picked yesterday just can't be topped. It's so hot out there (supposed to be 103, feels like 108!), but I managed to find one more cucumber this morning in my garden. I think my cucs and beans are done...They get hard and bitter. It's almost August, so they served me well! I've had cherry tomatoes all summer, but my big varieties did nothing. Thus the trip to my uncle's house. He loves my boys and they pick for free! It's a win win all around.

Hot Hot Hot! Dinner and Candied Jalapenos

Candied Jalapenos (and serranos & habaneros)

I found this recipe on Pinterest. Sweet and Spicy!

 With an abundance of jalapenos, serranos, and habaneros and a lack of tomatoes, I have not canned as much salsa as last year. I've been buying tomatoes and making fresh salsa when needed.

Last night, we had my cousin's husband over for dinner. He moved here at the end of May for a job and is waiting for my cousin and his children to sell their house in Pennsylvania and move down here to join him. We at pulled pork tacos, slaw, grilled corn salad and salsa. 

 My sweet baby is now 3 1/2 and thus I have not blogged as much as last year. He is a pistol, spitfire, free spirit...you name it, but I wouldn't change his crazy little personality for anything! He keeps me more than busy, so this is what the table looks like nowadays...picture taken quickly before I even got the forks and napkins laid out. Such is life as a mommy of a very busy 3 1/2 year old boy!

I simply used my pottery from Tested by Fire for the food, a pretty platter to host the chips and salsa, and Blue Willow. My mom made the runner a few years ago.
I'm joining

Cuisine Kathleen for Let's Dish

Miz Helen for Full Plate Thursday

Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday

Ahhh, summertime!

Squash Croquettes

2 cups yellow squash, finely chopped
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
vegetable oil
In a large bowl, combine squash, onion, egg, salt and pepper. Mix well. Stir in flour. In a skillet, heat ½-inch oil over medium-high heat. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into oil. Cook about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown, turning once. Drain croquettes on paper towels.
http://farmflavor.com/squash-croquettes/

I didn't chop my squash finely, but they were still so good. Since my squash is doing NOTHING, I bought some from the local farmer's market.

No grow squash...

 May was just way too busy. Both boys had program after program, parties, picnics, field trips and more. I barely sat down, let alone stopped to edit pictures. We've been frying squash and zucchini twice a week, eating fresh cucumber and tomato salads and enjoying sauteed green beans weekly. My uncle gave us two stalks of Brussels Sprouts to clean and eat....too much work, but the end result was delicious and I had plenty to share. I'm waiting for his buckets and buckets of tomatoes to make salsa. My jalapenos are plenty and HOT. I made poppers for our Father's Day dinner yesterday.

I have been busy watching my SPURS in the semi finals and finals and hosting RUF students, cousins and more. I hope life will slow down a bit, but I doubt it.

 In late May...

 This morning...June 16

Happy tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans!!! 

 This was our Memorial Day trifle...yellow cake, vanilla custard and whipped cream layered and topped with berries to make a flag. It would be perfect for July 4th!!

I hope this finds you well. I plan on blogging more often this summer!

Easter Brisket turns to Carne Guisada

 I will be the first to admit when I don't like my own cooking. Texas Barbeque masters do amazing things to a hunk of brisket by smoking it low and slow. I don't have that talent. I personally thought half of the brisket I made for Easter was too dry. There was a lot of moist meat, so I left the driest part away from the buffet and wondered what to do with a big hunk of meat. 

Carne Guisada. Perfect. 

In a dutch oven, with a bit of EVOO, I sweated an onion and a handful (read 5-6) small sweet peppers, sliced. I added 3 cloves of chopped garlic, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce and about half a box of Organic low sodium chicken stock. I added my own salt, pepper, and parsley. Bring it to a boil and then stick in in your oven at 275-300 degrees until it falls apart. My dry brisket became a moist and tender, beautiful meal, perfect for tacos.

 The boys loved it! I topped theirs with sour cream and cheese. I added avocado to mine. YUM! 

Thank God for second chances!

Easter Bynto & Cupcakes

Simple Easter Basket cupcakes for a sweet kindergarten party...

Top with buttercream, jelly beans or other candies and a Bunny Peep. 

Happy Easter Bynto for both boys