The Waggoners

Happily Ever After?!

aliwaggoner — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:20:33 +0000

So, it’s not even 4 months into our “happily ever after” and our family has been hit by the flu, big time! Specifically, Emily and David. I have, so far, been spared. It’s common for Emily to catch a bug, but it isn’t for David. Until now, I’ve been convinced his immune system consists of an iron shield, in which defends against any amount of germ infestation that I could possibly cough on him. The man is healthy. So, to see the both of them lying around, fevers high, coughs loud…I can’t help to feel so very sorry for them. I’ve been praying the flu away and following their every move with a can of Lysol in hand. I honestly think I need some kind of tool belt that will carry my Lysol can around in it. I’m an addict. I spray remotes, doorknobs, lightswitches and yes…I even sprayed our dog, Charlie. PETA don’t come after me!! I think I’m such a germaphobe (yes I googled that word) all of a sudden because if the flu got through David’s iron shield, it’s bound to get me! Anytime someone gets sick, I get it…but with about 5 more symptoms. Lysol, lysol, lysol and prayers…that sums up my week!

My sick little family...banned to the big couch.

On another note, this year is going to be a great one. I’m looking forward to what lies ahead in our family’s journey. This past year has changed me, my outlook on life, the friends I have, my relationship with God and what I want for my future. I’ve purposely closed doors and had new ones open. I couldn’t have dreamed of what my future would look like and God knows I’ve questioned many things…but when it comes down to it, I’m blessed beyond reason and I’m happy. Completely happy. Happily ever after is ours!

#15 Parmesan Potato Soup

aliwaggoner — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:17:26 +0000

Who doesn’t like a nice hot bowl of soup in the dead of winter? That is why I decided to make this recipe, comfort, plain and simple! My family is sick, both Emily and David are running fevers, so I thought maybe some homemade soup would hit the spot. I’ve never made a potato soup and I think I’ve only tried it when I worked at Schlotzsky’s Deli, at age 16. So, it’s been awhile to say the least. I’ve always said I didn’t care for potato soup, but honestly, I have no idea why I’ve convinced myself of that..I liked this one! The recipe consisted of chicken broth, chopped onions, milk, baked (cubed) potatoes, flour, bacon and a slew of spices. Even though my family really enjoyed the flavor, it was pretty thin for a potato soup, in our opinions. If I can figure out how to thicken it up without tasting too floury, I’d make it again! I’ve attached the recipe for you if you’d like to try it!

#14 Golden Peach Pie

aliwaggoner — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 15:50:36 +0000

I wanted to make something really special and new for our Christmas dinner with my family! So, I went with this peach pie. I’m honestly not a big fan of pie, but since my husband loves it, I couldn’t resist! This recipe was odd to say the least. It called for orange peel in it, which I’ve never heard of for a pie…have you? All the other ingredients seemed quite normal, except for that one, so I was definitely a little worried about the outcome. I finished the top of the pie with some fancy leaves made out of the extra dough. I’ve never made a pie so fancy, but since it was so easy, I’ll be doing it for every pie in my future. The pie ended up baking perfectly and my family liked it. I, not being the pie enthusiast like the others, did not enjoy it. It was that darn orange peel in there I think! My family said it wasn’t like a normal peach pie, but still very tasty. In the end, I’m glad they enjoyed it and I loved that it looked so pretty! Merry Christmas to all!

#13 Sheepherder’s Breakfast

aliwaggoner — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 16:30:13 +0000

Yes, the picture below may look odd, possibly unappetizing…but I assure you, it is delicious!!! David surprised me on Christmas Eve by cooking a new recipe for me. He got up before me, went to the store and started making this sheepherder’s breakfast. I love that he picks things out of the book that are out of the ordinary AND is willing to cook it! What a guy! It looked very different from anything I’ve had for breakfast, but it smelled delicious! Around the eggs is a combination of potatoes (or hash browns, if you prefer), onion, cheese and bacon. Mmmm. The recipe called to leave several holes in the potato mixture, so the eggs could be cracked into those spots. If I read the recipe myself, I wouldn’t have believed the eggs would have actually cooked, without being turned over…but as you can see, they did. This breakfast was delicious, easy, and a definite redo in the future!

Reception

David — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:50:45 +0000

When making our invite list for our wedding months ago, we decided our budget and spacial constraints left us confined to about about 100 people. We first added up all our family; parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course all of their spouses and children. The total – 96. We knew were were already faced with some difficult cuts. So we were thrilled when my parents offered to throw a reception in Iowa for those family and friends we weren’t able to see on our wedding. If you would like to join us for our reception, please see below:

#12 Nut Swirl Bread

aliwaggoner — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 15:33:23 +0000

I have to admit, I’ve never made bread from scratch…gasp! Now that I have made my #12 recipe, I can officially add that to my cooking talents. I don’t know if all bread recipes are this time consuming or not, but if they are…I’m content with buying it at the store! So, today I wasn’t feeling myself, a cold has invaded my body. As I was thumbing through my cookbook, I figured a bread recipe wouldn’t be that difficult.

Note to self: read through the entire recipe, before diving in.

This recipe did take me a total of almost 2.5 hours and it ended up being pretty delicious! I definitely like it with butter spread on it, but what isn’t better with butter? After the dough was prepared and doubled, the filling was super easy. It was just a combination of whipped eggs, pecans and butter. I think if I made it again, I’d add cinnamon to give it a little something extra. Then I just rolled it up, sealed the edges and baked it for 20 minutes. I’m so glad I cut this recipe in half, because even with doing so…it made 4 loaves…I can’t imagine having 8! I will be taking 2 of the loaves for my friends at work to enjoy. There are many other bread recipes in the cookbook and I’m excited to try them, but only if I’m feeling 100% and have 3 hours to devote to the project

#11 Maple Toast and Egg “bowls”

aliwaggoner — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 02:57:49 +0000

This recipe was by far the most simple and fancy looking thing I’ve cooked in a long time. I looked at the picture in my cookbook, then at the ingredients, then back to the picture. I just couldn’t believe these few, typical house ingredients is all it took to make such a fancy little bowl of breakfast goodies. I had a slight hesitation when I read that I’d have to brush maple syrup on the bread. Don’t get me wrong, I completely smother french toast and pancakes with syrup…but putting it on bread and then baking an egg and bacon over it, made me wonder about the outcome. To my surprise, as always with this cookbook, the dish was delicious. I used bacon, as the recipe called for, but I also think it would be just as good with any other kind of meat like sausage or ham. I would definitely reccomend this dish for a quick breakfast or to prepare for friends and family, especially if you want to impress them. It was impressive enough for me to take a picture before I even had a bite! Don’t pass this one up and let me know if you need a closer view of the recipe!

#10 (and 635 to go) Two-Tone Baked Potatoes

aliwaggoner — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 02:00:32 +0000

Tonight I decided to make my family recipe of chicken/broccoli casserole and these fancy smanchy looking potatoes. Word to the wise, these were time-consuming and required a lot of patience…two things I usually pray for on a daily basis. I think David has made me try sweet potatoes once. I don’t remember liking them too much, but when I noticed I would be putting sour cream and milk in this recipe, I figured it would make it taste better. First, I cooked 3 sweet potatoes and 3 russet potatoes and scooped out the pulp in each. The pulp was put into separate bowls where I combined milk, sour cream, cheese and chives…now only if this recipe called for bacon, my husband would be drooling right about now. After mashing up the taters and ingredients, I stuffed the leftover “shells” with each concoction and popped them in the oven for 10 minutes. Me and Emily loved the russet side of the potatoes, but still didn’t care for the sweet side…I think it’s because we have enough sweetness already, hah. David really liked the entire thing and if I ever have the energy to do these again, I definitely will!

#9 Chicken in Basil Cream

aliwaggoner — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 01:33:52 +0000

Tonight I felt like cooking some chicken, so this recipe looked pretty and sounded refreshingly different. I think I’ve had one recipe that called for pimentos, until now. I really don’t even know what they are to tell you the truth. I could google it, but I kind of like the mystery. Any recipe that calls for bread crumbs is usually delicious…well, in this southern girls opinion at least. This recipe was no exception. The basil cream sauce was quite easy and consisted of chicken broth, whipping cream, pimentos, basil and parmesan cheese. I boiled all those ingredients together, cooked the bread crumb covered chicken and served it with pasta and peas. We really loved the sauce on the chicken, but it didn’t go too well over the pasta. Besides the sauce not being “sticky” or thick enough to stick to the pasta, I had a very difficult time cooking the chicken thoroughly without burning the bread crumbs. Note to fellow cooks: when this happens, turn down the heat and channel your inner goddess of patience All in all, this recipe was quick, delicious and a definite crowd pleaser!

#8 Waffle Birthday Surprise

aliwaggoner — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:28:49 +0000

Today is my birthday and it was amazing. It is my last day off before going back to work and I enjoyed every minute of it! I give most of this credit to my wonderful husband. He ended up having to go back to work on my birthday, so what’s ahead makes this day even more special. It was his first morning to get ready for work in his new home, with his new family and new routines. He began with waking up at 6am and heading to the store (while I slept and had no idea), then he opened my cookbook and started making Belgian waffles. Not only did he make me waffles, fried eggs and toast…the man also got Emily up and ready for school…On. His. Own. Applause please?! So, I woke up to Emily and David walking into the bedroom with a tray full of food and singing happy birthday to me. I love my little family. The Belgian waffles he made were so delicious. I’ve never had them from scratch before…unless bisquick counts, which I doubt. Usually me and David try all the recipes together, but he didn’t even have time to make any for himself…so, even though I technically didn’t make this recipe, it still deserved to make it to the blog along with some props to my amazing husband!