Frosty Day

Today was just gorgeous. It has been a little warmer. (Let's face it - anything over 10 degrees in the winter here is good!) There was a layer of frost on everything. I love it when the world is covered in icing! I wish I would have had more quality time with my camera!

I worked a long day after getting very little sleep so I found myself dragging a bit, but it was nothing a hot shower and cup of peach tea couldn't cure. I've been struggling lately to find enough fuel to get me through the evening. I am working on finding patience and a sense of fun after a long day for the my daughter's sake. Tonight we played with puzzles. Mission accomplished. I'm going to try to take some time each day to play and focus on my daughter.

Since I'm running on empty, I'll wrap this up. I just wanted to share a recipe for one of my favorite kid-tested vegetarian dishes. I put it together last night for us to eat today at lunch. Although we have to stop our child from eating only spoonfuls of ketchup and mustard, my daughter really does like this!

Veggie Corndog Hotdish (This is the midwest after all. We don't do casseroles!)

- 1 pkg vegetarian hotdogs

- 2 eggs, beaten

- 1 1/2 cups plain soy milk

- black pepper to taste

- 1 lb of cornbread mix (we like Marie Callender's brand)

- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

- 1 small can diced green chiles

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the hotdogs lengthwise into quarters, then cut into thirds. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine eggs, milk, pepper, and cornbread. Stir well, then mix in hotdogs, cheese, and chiles. (Don't worry... the chiles don't make it spicy. They just add a bit of flavor, color, and texture.) Spread into lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Smooth out the hotdog pieces so they are laying flat and spread evenly throughout the pan. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes - until it is just browning on the top.

We cut it into large cubes and dip in ketchup and mustard. Yummy!