School starts in two weeks from today. Jacob is so ready to go back to school and is it bad if I say that I am really ready for him to go back to school? Kelly will be in school all day (last year it was just half day Kindergarten) and I’m really not ready for her to be gone all day. She is a better mom than I am and is a huge help with the girls around the house. She has a patience level with Ella that I just don’t seem to have all the time.

We had a big long list of things we wanted to do this summer, and unfortunately, that big long list still has a lot of things not marked off. I feel like I need to soak up these next two weeks and cram as much summer fun as I can into it.

I am feeling the same way about the fresh berries of summer. Summer is almost over, so I feel like I need to hoard and buy up all the berries I can and make all those recipes I haven’t had the chance to get to yet this summer. The May/June 2010 issue of Cooking with Paula Deen has some great berry recipes in it. (Incidentally,  this is the first issue of this magazine I have ever read and it has some great recipes. Is it always this good, or is this just a particularly good issue?)

If you are trying to cram the last of the summer berries into your escaping summer, this Raspberry Parfait recipe is a great one to try. Refreshing, rich and delicious, not to mention beautiful, you can eat it and savor the final days of summer just a little bit longer.

Raspberry Parfaits (from the May/June 2010 Issue of Cooking with Paula Deen Magazine)

3 pints fresh raspberries, divided

½ cup sugar, divided

1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fresh raspberries for garnish, optional

In a medium saucepan, combine 2 pints raspberries and ¼ cup sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently for 8 minutes or until raspberries have softened. Press mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding solids. Cover raspberry sauce, and chill thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and remaining ¼ cup sugar at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Add cream, and beat until soft peaks form. Fold in sour cream and vanilla.

Layer cream mixture, raspberry sauce, and remaining 1 pint fresh strawberries in four parfait glasses. Garnish with fresh raspberries. Makes four servings.

(The folks of at The Times News used strawberries in this recipe with great success too!)

When you are a mom, especially with a curious and very busy toddler on your hands, turning your back for just a few minutes can lead to lots of extra work for you. This is a picture of Leah after she decided to eat a Red Crayola Marker (thankfully non-toxic) for dinner while I was on the phone with my friend, Amy from She Wears Many Hats. Doesn’t she look so pleased with her little self? Mmmmm….markers. Little stinker.

As much as I love to cook, making dinner with this little one constantly under my feet or into something has become a bit of a challenge. I have to either make the decision to 1) let her get into anything and everything, which will make her quiet and happy but triple my cleanup work or 2) hold her and entertain her while I also stir, sautee, slice, boil, steam, etc. Since she is the fourth kid, I’ll admit that I probably let her get into things just to keep her quiet more often than the alternative (and now that I have the joy of older kids, they get to come and clean up after her! Parenthood is paying off!)

Instead of spending a lot of time in the kitchen lately, I’ve been going for those dinners that are quick and easy to put on the table, simply so I don’t have to do the dinner disco with Leah under my feet. The crockpot has been taken out of the cupboards and dusted off for use more often. “Fast Foods” (like shrimp, polish turkey sausage, pasta) are making a regular appearance on our weekly menus. Anything I can do to get dinner on the table without a lot of time devoted by me is pretty much what is happening anymore.

This recipe from the May / June 2010 issue of Cooking with Paula Deen magazine caught my eye for just that reason. It is quick, easy, hearty and since I was going to be cleaning red marker off of Leah’s face, I might as well let her get all down and dirty with the red sauce from this dish.

What are your tips for keeping the kiddos out from under your feet while you cook dinner?

Skillet Ravioli (adapted from the May / June 2010 issue of Cooking with Paula Deen)

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat for 8 to10 minutes or until browned and crumbly; drain. Return beef to pan, and add tomato sauce, paste, parsley, basil, and garlic salt; cook 6 minutes or until heated through.
Add cooked ravioli to tomato sauce. Sprinkle with cheese, and serve immediately.