My husband and I have an ongoing disagreement about hand me downs. When our children outgrow their undies, I do not believe they should be passed on… to a younger sibling, to Goodwill, to cousins.. to anyone. Yes, I know they are washed and clean but I just have issues with that kind of undergarment being passed on. His argument? It is what they did when they were growing up, and so that’s that. Why should it be any different with his kids?

Am I the only one who thinks that this kind of hand me down is a bit icky? Help me see the light or give me a good argument to go back and set my husband straight. And for those of you thinking, “Geez, don’t they have better things to argue about than this?”, we do.  Like which direction our trash can should face, or how far up in the garage I should pull the van in and my favorite… why do I get a Netflix subscription and then let the movie sit on our TV for 2 months. Lots of important arguing going on in the Doyle household, but this issue has been gnawing at me for some time now, so I just need to bring some closure to it

I do believe that hand me downs are great, but not of the undie variety. Some of the best recipes in our repertoire are hand me downs from others. One of my favorite wedding shower themes is where people share their family recipes with the bride. What a great way to start off your marriage, with a collection of favorite recipes from those you love.

My mother-in-law recently passed on the recipe for her fruit turnovers. She makes these often for breakfast when we are home (didn’t I marry into a great family? Pie as a breakfast food… genius!). What I love best about hand me down recipes is the verbage in the recipe. I’m going to share this recipe with you, exactly how she gave it to me. If you decided to make these and need some clarification, feel free to contact me and I’ll pass on to you my interpretation.

These turnovers are great for breakfast, dessert, or as a hand held picnic treat, which is why I am including them in the Waiter There’s Something In My Picnic Basket event over at The Passionate Cook.

Fruit Turnovers

2 cups flour
3/4 cup butter
Pinch of salt
10 tbs ice water (might need more)
Canned Pie Filling

Use pastry blender to blend flour with 1/4 cup butter (get crumbly) in a stainless steel bowl.
Add 10 tbs of ice water to make a plyable dough, use fork to keep mixing in until a dough ball forms.Add more water, a bit at a time if the dough ball doesn’t form right away.
Cover with damp, clean dish cloth. Chill about 15 minutes.
Remaining 1/2 cup of butter leave out until plyable and easy to work with.

Roll out the dough on lightly floured surface and then place the butter over the top of the dough - spread butter around surface of dough until thick
Pull up one corner of the dough and bring it over so corners meet (so butter to butter). Keep folding until butter starts to seem through. Keep doing this (roll, fold, fold, fold, roll, fold, fold, fold) until the butter is well incorporated into the dough. (Essentially, this is the way you knead the dough). It will be slimey.
Chill overnight in covered bowl (Kristen here - I’m an instant gratification girl and skipped this step with great results)

Roll out on flowered board, cut it into squares. Place fruit in center, fold over and seal your edges. Canned pie filling works best because it is soft and won’t bust through the dough. For apple, use one apple per turnover and a little bit of the gel. For other fruits, one small tablespoon of filling/fruit works well. Jam - use one heaping teaspoon full.
Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Once cool, feel free to use a powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, milk drizzle or glaze.

A Little Bit of Housekeeping

• If you haven’t already, make sure to sign up for the Dine & Dish Adopt-A-Blogger #2 event! Space is limited, so sign up today!
• The family is heading back to school and life on the home front is a bit crazy lately. Check out what the Dine & Dish kids are up to these days. Visit Dishing it up Family Style.
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• Do you want to get the most recent Dine & Dish updates right in your email inbox? Click HERE.
• And finally, my favorite bit of news… my 75 year old mom has started a blog! I’m so excited for her to be capturing her memories from growing up and her perspective on life in the world today. Hope you will head over and visit her at On the Inside Looking Back.

When I was much younger, 6th or 7th grade,  I spent the night at my friend Ginny McReynolds house. It was a warm night and as we got into her bed I pulled the light blankets up over me, and then did as I often did and maneuvered myself so my feet stuck out at the end.

“You can’t do that!!!”, she screamed. “You need to keep your feet inside the covers. If some bad guy comes in to get us, you are making it too easy for him. He can just grab your feet and pull you out. If you at least have your feet tucked in, it will be harder for him to get you.”

Terrified, I pulled my feet in under the covers. I don’t think I slept at all that night… worrying about the “bad guy” who was going to come and untangle me out of the covers.

Would you believe that this many years later, every night when I get into bed, I think of Ginny McReynolds. Every single night, I go to put my feet out of the covers and every single night, I slip them back in… not wanting to give the “bad guy” an easier way to “get me”. Yes, I am nearing 35 years old and am still fearful of this random “bad guy”. Ginny’s advice from that many years ago has stuck with me.

What, do you say, does this have to do with those yummy muffins photographed above? Well, I’ll tie that in loosely right here. When I was pregnant with my first child, I had horrid morning sickness. Morning, noon and night sickness is more like it. One day, a co-worker of mine brought in some chunky apple breakfast bars. They were kind of like muffin texture, but in bar form. They were delicious. I ate and ate and ate those chunky apple breakfast bars. Then, within minutes of devouring the delicious bars, my child decided that he wanted to have nothing to do with those bars and decided to send them right back up. Sparing the details, that was the only day that I ended up going home from work my entire pregnancy. I was sooooo sick. Since then, that memory of the apple bars and my unruly tummy has been stuck in my brain. I could eat apple pie still, but any kind of other apple cake type thing turned my stomach upside down.

I have since decided that this is nonsense. Why should the memory of that one situation keep me away from something I loved so much? In order to show myself who is boss, I decided to start off slowly with some Apple Pie muffins. I didn’t want to go straight into the apple bars.. that would have been too crazy, but muffins I can handle, and did handle! These muffins with the small diced up apples, the lovely crispy topping, and the cinnamon flavor are amazing. My gag reflex didn’t even ignite once. Now, doesn’t that make you want one of these? Seriously, they are yummy!

Glad I took the chance on these. Now… if I can only just do something about that “bad guy” grabbing my feet in the middle of the night.

Apple Pie Muffins (adapted from Recipezaar)

45 min | 20 min prep

SERVES 18

Recently, I was asked what I was passionate about. What subject really got my engines revving? At the time, I mentioned that I had strong feelings about certain subjects, but could not think of any that I was extremely passionate about. Then, I knew just the thing… family meal time.

I am passionate about family meal time. I grew up in a house where mealtime was a priority, and we almost always had at least one meal together as a family each day. Sitting around the table as kids was where our most important conversations happened. We had the best laughs (mom and kathy… remember “speaking of peas?”), the best debates (aka fights when you and your sister had major sibling rivalry), and where we recapped the events of our day…both the good and the bad. I cannot even imagine all that my parents would have missed out on in our lives had it not have been a priority that we sit down to dinner each and every night as a family.

Any time I have the opportunity to support and acknowledge someone who shares those same important mealtime values, I jump at the chance. Enter the new cookbook by Carol McManus, Table Talk - food, family, love. Carol resides on Martha’s Vineyard, owns her own Cafe, and still encourages people to eat at home and enjoy dinner together as a family. She is as passionate about sharing quick to the table, delicious meals in her cookbook as she is about keeping family dinner time a staple in households everywhere.

When Table Talk arrived in my mailbox on Saturday, I was immediately sucked in the second I opened the cookbook and read Carol’s forward. Then I continued to flip through the book and you know what… I sat there and read through the entire thing, front to back. The recipes are very appealing, simple and special… the majority have ingredients I already have on hand. The photography is stunning. Most importantly, the core values of Carol and her family shines through in each little snippet, quote and story behind life on Martha’s Vineyard and the recipes to accompany such a life.

I do not get anything by encouraging you to purchase Table Talk… there is nothing in it for me. I would not recommend a cookbook to you if I absolutely did not love it. I can tell you that this is one cookbook that you will turn to time and time again. If not for the enticing recipes , for the reminder of the significant importance that sitting down together as a family, whether a family of 2 or 22, can have on your life.

Every day of my menu this week has recipes gathered from Table Talk. Stay tuned during the week for an even deeper peak into the pages of Table Talk. To purchase Table Talk, visit www.tabletalkcookbook.com or visit your local Barnes and Noble.

Presidential Muffins from the Table Talk cookbook

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour

¾ Cup Sugar

1 Tbsp. Baking Powder

½ Cup Butter, Melted

8 ounces Cream Cheese, Softened

1 Cup Milk

1 Tsp Vanilla

2 Eggs

¾ Cup Blueberries

½ cup Strawberries, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins or use paper baking cups.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a food processor, combine melted butter, cream cheese, milk, vanilla, and eggs. Process until smooth. Pour liquid into dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in fruit.
4. Scoop batter into muffin cups. Lightly sprinkle tops with sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until muffins spring back when lightly pressed.

I’m going to start this post off with a self-slap to my face, a shake, and a loud, “Kristen…get a hold of yourself!!!”. I need to pull it together, and I need to do so quickly. I have been an emotional wreck this week thinking about my middle daughter, Kelly, starting Kindergarten. I know this is normal for moms… heck, I went through it on a slightly less erratic level last year when Jacob started kindergarten. However, the kicker is… I have an entire year before Kelly starts kindergarten, and I am a wreck NOW.

This crazy irrational emotional business started last week when I was filling in the 2008-2009 school calendar for Jacob’s 1st grade year. I started in August, and before I knew it I was already writing “LAST DAY OF SCHOOL” in the month of May. It took me no time at all to zip through the year and get all of the school related functions written in. I feel like with the way time is flying, it is going to be exactly that speedy of a year, and then my darling girl will be setting free to start Kindergarten.

I was emotional when Jacob started Kindergarten. I had apprehension and sadness about my baby leaving the nest. The emotions I am feeling with Kelly are ten times more intense. I honestly believe it is because she is my middle one and because of that has been sandwiched in the middle of these two other kids for most of her life. In relation to that, she has been more independent than my other two and has needed me less. I feel like my time with her has especially zoomed by because honestly, she gets the least of it. She demands the least of it and therefore is the one who is always just content to take what she gets and appreciate it.

I swear, Kelly wakes up some mornings and I look at her and think, “Oh my goodness… when did she get so big? When did she become a little girl instead of my baby? Where did the time go to?”

For the next year, I’ve decided that what I must do is to avoid the issue. Anytime the word Kindergarten comes up, I am just going to have to pretend I didn’t hear it and not even think about it. Otherwise, if I let it build up for the entire year, I will be that mom on the front lawn of the grade school, who is in complete hysterics, being carted off to the mental hospital.

Sometimes, issue avoidance is the best way to go, don’t you think? Just like this lovely coffee cake I made this week. Take a look at the recipe and notice the amount of sugar and butter. Yep - a little overboard isn’t it? Add to that the cream cheese factor, and your arteries will probably begin to clog up just thinking about it.

That is why my motto is going to be… Just Don’t Think About It. If you think too long and hard about the amount of fat and calories in this coffee cake, you will talk yourself out of eating it. Missing a piece of this tasty coffee cake just would not be worth all the fuss over calories and fat.

Just Don’t Think About It… that is what I will be doing this year so I don’t miss out on life now with Kelly. I will not dwell on the future, but will appreciate and cherish the now. I hope you sit down with a piece of coffee cake and do the same.

Buttery Cream Cheese Coffee Cake, from Recipezaar

1¼ hours | 25 min prep

SERVES 12

CAKE

• 1 cup butter (no substitutes)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

FILLING

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

TOPPING

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup butter (semi-soft)

There was a time in my life when I used to buy all of my intimate apparel at Victoria’s Secret. I would not be caught dead without a matching bra and pantie ensemble on and that matching ensemble had to have the same colors in it as my outfit did. Even though people would not necessarily see my intimate apparel, I just felt better knowing that I matched underneath.

There was a time in my life when I used to shave my legs… every single day. It was part of my luxurious morning routine to lounge around in the shower, exfoliate, and shave.

There was a time in my life when I would not leave the house without makeup on. Even as I started having contractions at home in the middle of the night with my first child, I got up, took a shower and put on makeup. I did not want the pictures taken of me in the hospital to be without makeup.

There was a time in my life where I always had polished, well manicured hands. On the day my husband proposed to me, I had just taken my finger nail polish off and had gone out for a run. I was sweaty and gross. When he got down on one knee, took my hand, and presented the ring to place on my finger, I seriously gasped at my fingers…forgetting that I had removed the polish , ran into the bathroom, painted my nails and came back to him to say “yes” and place the ring on my hand. (Can you believe he went through with it after that “diva” moment?)

And, there was a time in my life that I ran. Enough said.

In relation to the above statement, there was a time in my life that I actually weighed what is listed on my drivers license.

There was a time in my life where I considered a can of Diet Coke to be a good breakfast. Little did I know what I had been missing…

I bid farewell to that time in my life. I cheer for this time in my life, where life is so happily full I don’t have time to worry about what color my underwear and bra are, where I shave my legs almost everyday (but not quite), and I have a few more curves (OK… the drivers license bureau folks would keel over laughing if they saw me and my drivers license in the same room), but those extra curves are the result of a few precious kiddos (aka my excuses) and the realization that breakfast beyond Diet Coke is something I could really get used to.

It is time to out with the old, and in with the new. Breakfast is hip, trendy, fashionable and sexy. Are you convinced yet? If not, check out this recipe from fellow food blogging buddy, Deborah at Taste and Tell. Try it once and you will be knocking shaving your legs and intimate apparel coordinating down on the list of morning priorities to make room for starting your day off with a great breakfast.

Brown Sugar Muffins from Deborah at Taste and Tell

Makes 16 muffins

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup nuts, chopped coarsely (I omitted)

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease or line 16 muffin cups.

Combine all ingredients until mixed. Fill prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes or until done.

Are you ready for some muffins? Try out these other recipes from food bloggers around the blogosphere:

• Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping, from Sunday Nite Dinner
• Pumpkin Muffins, from Muffin Top
• Chocolate Flecked Multigrain Muffins, from Baking and Books
• Cottage Cheese and Eggs Breakfast Muffins, from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Cinnamon Muffins, from Baking Sheet

I am a big, fat crybaby. I’ll just get that out in the open right now. I can be at a wedding of people I don’t even know well and the music will start, and I am bawling. Someone can tell me a story about something sad that happened, and without even hearing all of it, I’m bawling. Put a bunch of graduating high school seniors in front of me, and tears are streaming down my face simply because I picture my kids there in just a few years. I  apparently was given one of those over sensitive crying triggers.

One thing that brings me to tears without fail is someone singing The National Anthem. The flag is waving, the song is pouring out from someones soul, and I am instantly in tears. I get overwhelmed with emotion… a sense of thankfulness and compassion washes over me. I cannot help but think that the life of freedom we have today is in part due to all of the people who gave (and are still giving) the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect our country. Men and women leave the comfort of their homes and families behind to make my world a better place to be in. That is a dedication I will never understand but that I appreciate from the bottom of my gratitude filled heart.

If you live in the United States, please have a safe and happy Independence Day. If you see someone who is in the military, a Veteran who has served our country… or if you even see the family members of one of these brave soldiers… please stop and give them a rightful thank you. It is because of them that we can fly our flags high and be thankful that we live in the U.S.A.

Berry Stuffed French Toast with Vanilla Yogurt Sauce, from Recipezaar

15 min | 15 min prep

SERVES 4

• 2 cups fresh mixed berries, about 1/2 lb (blueberries, sliced strawberries, raspberries or blackberries)
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (6 ounce) container low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 10 ounces French bread (1 small loaf)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1/3 cup low-fat milk
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• nonstick cooking spray

I was reading an article on BlogHer the other day about how blogging has now become a mainstream activity for women. I certainly believe this. It seems like everytime I turn around I see a new blog pop up somewhere. Especially in the food blog world… there are so many talented women and men contributing to food blogs. I just wish I had the time to sit down and read through them all!

Reading through this study made me start thinking about a couple of thing…

Why do you blog? I know that I blog because it is a way for me to express myself, keep track of my food/recipes and to connect with others. Even though I work from home and have that connection with the outside world, I enjoy the interaction with others I get from my blog. Oh - and I have to add… I love photographing food, and through this medium I can do it without others thinking I am an odd duck

Why do you read blogs? Blogs have now become my number one source for food related information. If I am looking for a recipe, I look at the Food Blog Search first for things tried and true, then turn to other online sites like Recipezaar or My Recipes. I love the food photography on food blogs and the passion that goes into each photo. I love the stories that go along with the food. I love supporting other people who have similar lives as mine with their blogging efforts. On a regular basis, if I stumble through the blogosphere, I can always find a story that makes me laugh, cry and feel. I really enjoy the ideas and tips shared by others in the blogging world as well. There are some very smart people in the world, and they are finally being heard through this great medium!

Would you continue to blog if you did not receive feedback on your blog? Honestly, one of the great things about blogging is connecting with people, so I probably would lose the interest or motivation to blog if I was just writing for myself. Thank you all for your comments and interaction! It means a lot to me.

If you don’t blog, why is that? When people I know find out that I blog, I almost always hear, “I’ve thought about starting a blog, but I just don’t know what I would write about!” I would venture to guess that most of us who blog aren’t writing about what we originally planned on writing about. Blogs take on a life of their own once you get them started. You get inspired by various places and eventually you have a voice that is taking you to places you wouldn’t have imagined.

So, those are just some of my random blogging thoughts. I would love to hear your answers, simply because I am curious to find out what is it about blogging that intrigues us all so.

And, speaking of completely random… here is a simple recipe for a Fruit and Yogurt Breakfast Parfait. Nothing complicated about it or even related to this post about blogging. It is sharing an incredibly simple recipe idea with others through the blogosphere, which is one of my blogging goals. Enjoy!

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

5 minutes total | 5 minutes prep

SERVES 1

• 8 ounces low-fat vanilla yogurt, divided
• ½ cup mixture of fresh raspberries and fresh blueberries
• 1 cup granola cereal with raisins, divided

1. Place 1/3 cup of granola in a parfait glass.
2. Layer half of the fresh fruit mixture on top of the granola.
3. Layer half of the granola cereal with raisins on top of the fruit
4. Repeat layers, leaving some fresh fruit to place on top as garnish

So, you love a good parfait? Check out the different versions these food bloggers share with us:

• Mixed Berry Breakfast Parfaits, from The Modern Apron
• Blackberry Parfaits with White Chocolate Soy Milk Custard, from A Fridge Full of Food
• Honeyed Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits, from A Picky Palate
• Mango Parfait with Homemade Crunchy Granola, from My Diverse Kitchen
• Oatmeal Parfait, from Do Better

Do you ever hear of a business idea and think, “That is just genius… why didn’t I think of that?” I do that all the time. In fact, I often have these brilliant ideas and then do nothing with them only to have someone come along later and make millions off of the idea.

I have a new business idea that popped into my head this weekend, and I am going to run with it, finally. I wrote out a plan of sorts today and just need to figure out the next steps. However, figuring out what those nexts steps are is the hardest part. But, this time, I am going through with it. I know I can do this and I have confidence in the idea. I just need to feel the fear of failing and do it anyway. If any of you have any know how in this and know of any resources to use to get started, I would welcome the advice!

Speaking of “Why didn’t I think of that?”, how about this recipe for a ham and cheese rolled omelet? I think it is absolutely genius and it was so easy to make. Mix it up, pop it in the oven, and after a few finishing touches you have a yummy and impressive breakfast on the table. Genius, I tell you… absolutely genius!

Baked Ham and Cheese Omelet Roll, from Recipezaar

30 min | 10 min prep

SERVES 4 -6

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup cooked ham, chopped or
• 9 slices of any deli ham
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Ugh - in the last couple of days, my computer got hit by some kind of virus or trojan or something. I still don’t know what it was, but it caused serious havoc in my world. To make matters worse, I tried to fix it by downloading what I thought was a legitimate spyware program, which ended up being virus fueled as well. I have wasted so much time on computer problems this week. I was about to lose my mind when I stumbled upon a great computer repair help board called, Bleeping Computer (appropriate name, isn’t it?). Thanks to the helpful tips of some of the forum posters, my woes are gone.

This morning I was knee deep in annoying computer problems and didn’t even want to think about breakfast. But, guess what… the kids thought they needed to eat. Can you believe their nerve? When times like these strike, I go for pure simplicity. Something quick, healthy and full of vitamins. The best part is the kids have noooooo idea that I am cramming nutrition down their throats. They think they are having milkshakes for breakfast and because of that, I am the coolest mom in the world!

If you need a little simplicity to start your morning, give a breakfast smoothie a try. There are plenty of options out there, but this tasty Blueberry smoothie is one of our favorites!

Blueberry Breakfast Smoothie

5 minutes total | 5 minutes prep

SERVES 1

• 2/3 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 banana, sliced and frozen
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 cup ice cubes

1. Put ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until smoothie is at your desired consistency.
2. For a thicker smoothie, add additional ice cubes.

So, you love smoothies? Here are some other great smoothie recipes from food bloggers around the globe:

• Breakfast Smoothie, from Food for Thought
• Pomegranate Smoothie, from Eat Me, Delicious
• Creamsicle Power Smoothie, from Food Blogga
• Chocolate Strawberry Banana Smoothie, from GreenLiteBites

I am always warning my kids not to spill things… “Don’t spill that… chocolate stains”. So, many times I’ll get the question asked of me by my kiddos, “Mommy, does this stain?”. I’m not sure if they are asking because they want permission to spill something, or if they are going to gauge my response in advance before they tell me that they spilled something.

So, yesterday when I was making breakfast and had the blueberries out on the table for them to help themselves to, I heard my 4 year old say under her breath, “Uh ohhhhhh”. Then, I heard the words, “Ummmmm, mommy? Do blueberries stain?” It was at that point that I turned around to see my two year old (who you know has been a challenge lately) covered from head to toe in a blueberry stain of a mess. I am not exactly sure what she did with those blueberries… I’m assuming she used them as body paint… but she sure had fun doing it.

Luckily, I had enough remaining blueberries left from her experiment to make this tasty Blueberry Coffee Cake from the May 2008 issue of Cooking Light. This cake is moist and flavorful… and the turbinado sugar on the top really makes this recipe complete.

Worth any stains you might endure (and the extra baths and loads of laundry), this cake is a delightful breakfast treat.

Blueberry Coffee Cake is my entry in Cook Sister’s Event - Waiter, there’s something in my… berries, featuring fresh berries of the season.

Blueberry Coffee Cake, from the May 2008 issue of Cooking Light

1 hour | 10 min prep

SERVES 8

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk
• cooking spray
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar