Apple Cake

On Friday j’s class went on a field trip to Apple Hill Orchard in Morganton, NC. It is a great place and the kids love it! Part of the fun is that you get to bring home a bag of apples. I adapted a recipe that I found in Pull Up a Chair  from the Lenoir Service League. You can make this cake in a Bundt pan (my fav way) or in a muffin tin. You also can frost these or not. They are wonderful both ways. Obviously more like a cupcake if they have frosting and a muffin without.

How cute is the General Store? They have TO DIE FOR Apple Muffins that remind me a lot of this recipe. They sprinkle the top with brown sugar!! YUM and they also make Fantab Apple Cider Delish!

Fresh Apple Cake

1c vegetable oil

2 c sugar

2 t vanilla

juice from 1 lemon

3 c flour

11/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

3 c chopped apples

cream oil, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice with mixer. Add eggs, combine well after each egg.  Mix dry ingredients and slowly add to egg mixture. Stir in apples and pour into a greased bundt pan or into cupcake liners. Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours.

Carmel Frosting

1/2 stick butter

1/2 c brown sugar

1/8 c evaporated milk

1 c powdered sugar

Melt butter, add sugarand bring to a slow boil over low heat for 2 mins, stir constantly. Add milk, stir, bring back to boil. Remove from heat. Cool. Stir in powdered sugar. Drizzle over cake. ENJOY!

xoxo, Mama Bird

Apple Orchard (field trip)

Tori Darlin’s Chicken Salad

This hot chicken salad brings back so many memories of college. Tori was one my college roommate and she is a fantab cook.  This is one of the favs! I can’t believe how long it has been since I have made it!  My App State girls were my family! I love them and this dish really makes me think of them!!

 

Hot Chicken Salad

1 pack of boneless/skinless chicken breast poached and diced

2 stalks celery, sliced thin

1/2 c each red & green pepper, diced

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 to 1 c mayo (Tori ONLY uses Dukes)

juice from1lemon

salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

1 tomato, sliced, optional

2 c shredded sharp cheddar

1/2 to 1 c crushed rippled potato chips(must use rippled or wavy for the texture!)

boil chicken 30-45 mins, drain, cool,  dice, mix in spices. Sauté celery, peppers & onion; add to chicken, mix in mayo and lemon juice. Pour in casserole dish, top with tomato slices and bake at 350 for 20 mins covered then mix cheese & chips and place on top and bake uncovered additional 15 mins. 

She always served it with Wild Rice the classic Uncle Ben’s in the orange box with half white wine and half water and of course you must use 1T of butter for an amazing taste and the perfect accompaniment to Hot Chicken Salad. 

Thanks Tori for a classic and yummy dish that I am now sharing with my family!! Love to you, Jen, Jenn, Ana & Red.

xoxo, Mama Bird

Doozy Cards GIVEAWAY!!!

Today I am sharing a fun new giveaway from DoozyCards! They are offering TWO readers of Mama Bird’s Nest a 1 year PREMIUM membership to DoozyCards!! That’s a value of $19.95!!

DoozyCards.com is a family owned and run company that designs and produces all their cards in-house.  Each card is full of original music, cute characters and warm sentiments and is a great way to let a
friend or family member know you are thinking about them throughout the year. Featuring Mariachi Pugs, Anniversary Swans, piano playing lizards, and dancing cakes, Doozy is sure you'll find just the right
card for the right moment.  Please visit their site at this link –

http://www.doozycards.com?source=MB

The Premiere membership you can win includes:

    •       Unlimited Access to ALL of their 1,600+ cards

    •       A Birthday and Holiday Reminder System

    •       An Online Address Book

    •       Original Artwork and Music

    •       Brand New Cards Created Throughout The Year

Doozy also recently launched a totally free ecard option with over 400+ Free E-cards that you can start using right away.

How To Enter!

To enter this giveaway please visit

http://www.doozycards.com?source=MB

and choose two of your favorite cards, then come back and leave a comment on this post telling me

which cards you like best.

Extra Entries!

"Like” Doozy Cards on Facebook and leave a comment that you came from
our site (3 extra entries)

“LIKE” Mama Bird’s Nest on Facebook and leave a comment that you did so.

Follow @doozycards on Twitter and tweet "Just entered the @doozycards
free year membership giveaway" (3 extra entries)

Follow @ncmamabird on Twitter and leave a comment that you did that too!

Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter…Make sure you leave the URL to your Tweet in your comments! 

(2 tweets per day = 2 extra entries per day)

REMEMBER !!!

to leave a separate comment for each entry

WOW!! How easy and fun is this? I for one am in love with the idea that I can get reminders of all my friends and families birthdays, anniversary's  etc… Can’t wait to see your picks!!

Happy Happy!! Mama Bird

Menu Monday

It’s that time again! How did we get here so fast? Last week was just insane and thankfully this week is not nearly as bad, at least not yet.  I have spent a little time today planning out what will be on the menu based on the meat I have in the freezer along with what’s in the pantry. I am attempting to buy the LEAST groceries possible!

Sunday- Chicken (inspired by Marbella)

Monday- (soccer) Mexi Casserole

Tuesday- Tori Darlin’s Hot Chicken Salad

Wednesday- Baked Ziti (freezer cooking)

Thursday-

Friday- DAD’s 65TH BIRTHDAY

Saturday- Brad’s 40th Birthday (Dinner at Twigs in Blowing Rock, review to follow)

What’s on the menu at your house this week?

xoxo, Mama Bird

 

Planning… menus, schedules, LIFE

This Mom appears calm compared to the way I have been feeling. Overwhelmed. Whirlwind. Wild. You name it I am feeling it. I take on way more than I should. I do it to myself. I have no one but me to blame. Every now and again, one just needs to throw themselves there very own pity party. Ta Da- it’s time. 

Ok, I am done. Now onto this weeks wild and crazy adventures!!

Sunday- Teach Sunday School attend church, {this always makes me feel better and like I am getting a great start to the week} dinner in the crockpot, laundry and clean the upstairs. Pray to sneak in a 1 hr nap. Will never happen, but a girl can dream. Right?

Monday- Soccer practice for j – another crockpot or quick & easy dinner

Tuesday- Surprise Party I am baking the cupcakes! Hope to have leftovers from previous night for boys!

Wednesday- Working late. Freezer meal.

Thursday- fitting in Charlotte for j’s 1st modeling gig! Dinner in Cha-town. Something yummy!!

Friday- j’s well visit, boys hunting, mommy crashing

Saturday- Surprise Party (I’m baking) Night out with friends. Will be MUCH needed!!

WOW-weee. A tish tired just from reading it all. Now, you might wonder what am I going to feed my people.

Sunday- Pop’s Stew Beef

Monday- Spaghetti

Tuesday- leftovers

Wednesday- Chicken pie (from freezer!! made 2)

Thursday- dinner out

Friday- who knows!!

Have a great week!! Mama Bird

Courageous

THE MOVIE. was a very emotional journey that Hubs and I were lucky enough to see last night. 2 weeks prior to the opening night! That was great. Do not think I have EVER seen a movie before everyone else. In fact, I am typically the last! HA.

Courageous should be seen by everyone. It made me think about everything I do and how I will do things different in the future. It made me question myself as a wife, as a mother, as a child of God. I think every father should take his son. Every family should see this. Every church should buy out a show time and share it with their congregation. I just can’t say enough about this movie. FANTAB!!!!!!!

It also makes me want to go to Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. 

Here is a synopsis directly from the brains behind the story:

Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller are confident and focused. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood.

While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they're quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark.

When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God ... and to their children?

Filled with action-packed police drama, COURAGEOUS is the fourth film from Sherwood Pictures, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. Riveted moviegoers will once again find themselves laughing, crying, and cheering as they are challenged and inspired by everyday heroes who long to be the kinds of dads that make a lifelong impact on their children.

Protecting the streets is second nature to these men. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That's courageous.

Please! SHARE this with your friends, your family, the people you pass in the mall. ANYONE/EVERYONE!! Also, if you have seen it please share your thoughts.

xoxo. Mama Bird

Menu Monday!

woo-wee, after a great amazing Labor Day weekend we are back to reality! And this weeks theme is all about comfort.

Monday~ {Labor Day} Ribs, Blue Cheese Cole Slaw & Mac & Cheese

Tuesday~ Meatloaf and roasted sweet potatoes

Wednesday~ Chicken Pie

Thursday~ Pasta Marinara

Friday~ Dinner Out!!

What’s on the menu at your house?

Mama Bird