Cicada Crazy!!

My bike got a flat tire today. I was riding it at the park with my mom and sisters and the back tire made a hissing noise. I thought it was my mom's bike and I freaked out because she just got it yesterday, but no, it was my bike. :( I'm really sad because I have no clue when we can get a new tire. But my little sister let me ride her bike for a little bit and I even got to ride my mom's bike. Then I went to play on the swings. It was still a fun day even though it was 100 degrees outside. My mom put sunscreen on us before we went to ride bikes. I'm glad because getting sunburn is no fun.

We took pictures of cicadas this evening. My sister Gracelynn screamed and ran away every time one came near her. My sister Sapphire caught them in her net. I just watched mom and helped her take pictures.

My mom holding a cicada. They kept flying and landing on her.

This is what the cicadas leave behind.

My moms new bike.

A picture I took.

And I am working on a new song to sign for you guys. I will give you a hint. It is patriotic. A lot of people have told my mom that I spelled the word sign wrong. I didn't. I am not singing I am signing. :) There will be a post coming soon about a big giveaway I am doing. Please read my blog then to find out about it.

Spaghetti Casserole Recipe

Spaghetti casserole is really easy to make. It's one of the first things I learned how to cook. Here is the recipe.

First you will need to get spaghetti noodles, sauce, shredded cheese, and parmesan cheese. You can also use mushrooms, tomatoes, or anything else you normally would put in the spaghetti.

Make the noodles like you normally would with spaghetti. We break ours in half because it's easier to eat that way. Preheat your oven to 400*F.

Testing to see if the noodles are done - I throw one on the cabinet and if it sticks, it is done. If it isn't done, it will bounce off. That is something my Mammie taught me.

Drain the noodles. Be careful, the steam is hot.

Stir in the spaghetti sauce.

Spray a casserole pan with non stick cooking spray. Pour 1/3 of the spaghetti mixture into the pan.

Add 1/3 of the cheese, then another 1/3 of the spaghetti, and alternate until you are out of spaghetti and the cheese is still on top.

I don't really like pictures being taken of ME when I cook.

Top with parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is nice and bubbly on top.

This is what it will look like when it is done.

Don't forget the garlic bread! We use english muffins with spray butter and garlic salt.

And I took these pictures:

Spaghetti casserole is really delicious, especially with garlic bread. What is your favorite pasta dish?

Our First Summer Trip

My mom Sadie, her friend Jessica from Kentucky, my mom Rachel, my sister Gracelynn and I went to Six Flags! Going there was fun we rode the Batman, a little boat that rocks back and forth, and Thunder River. My mom, Jess, and Rachel rode the Mr. Freeze. On the Thunder River we all got soaking wet and Jessica's daughter cried a lot, but all the rides I rode were awesome!  The best was Thunder River and the Batman. It was great!

We have season passes for the first time ever so we will be going a LOT this summer. I'm excited and can't wait to spend time with my family having fun!

Summer School

I am going to be in summer school. It starts a few days after school is over and lasts until June 30th. The classes I am going to be in are    hip-hop,creative writing, math ,and art class. I love all my classes especially creative hand writing and art . 


I love to draw in my notebook.I draw trees and lots of other stuff too. What I love drawing is weeping willows and trees that have lost their leaves.I love to write in my notebook too. I like just writing stuff down . I write all kinds of stuff down in my notebook like what I want for my birthday and what I want for Christmas too. 


The reason I wanted to do hip-hop is because I like to dance .I like to dance with my sister Gracelynn .We dance with each other all the time . She's a great dancer. I love math but I am bad at it. With adding subtracting and fractions I am good at but dividing and multiplying I am bad at . But I try my hardest at them all .


My mom Rachel and I love art. Sometimes I spray paint with her it.Spray painting is so much fun! That is why I like art. You can see her space painting on You Tube. Just click here.

5/17/11

I am re-doing my blog because I have not posted in a really long time.

I tried out for the talent show but did not make it. This is the song I chose to sign.

What do you think of it? What should my next song be?

Chicken Empanadas

Mom is going to type the blog for now until we get into the swing of things, but Nell will be dictating. :)

The first recipe we chose was Chicken Empanadas. I've never had empanadas, and had never even heard of them, but they looked delicious!

You will need:
1 box refrigerated pie crusts (two 11-inch rounds)
4 ounces cream cheese
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
2 T. salsa
1/2 t. ground cumin (we left this out)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken (make sure it's cooked before you start everything else)
1 egg, beaten
Additional salsa (we used ranch for dip instead of salsa)



First, cook the chicken.



Then take the pie crusts out of the box and let them thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Use a glass or a round cookie cutter to create the "bed" for the empanada filling.





Heat the cream cheese, salsa, cumin, salt, and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir it until it's smooth. Stir in the chicken, and then remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 425*F. Place about 2 teaspoons chicken mixture in the middle of each round. Brush the edges with water. Pull one side of the dough over the filling. It will form a half circle. Pinch the edges to seal.



Place empanadas on foil-lined baking sheet and brush with egg.



Bake 16-18 minutes or until lightly brown. Serve with salsa (or ranch!).



Empanadas can be made ahead of time and frozen! Just wrap the unbaked empanadas with plastic wrap and freeze, and then bake for 18-22 minutes. These are good party favors but made a great dinner for us.

This is why it's important to check if there is anything in the oven before preheating. Mom stores her crayon molds inside! Woops!



This recipe got 5 out of 5 stars because everyone in the family gave it a thumbs up, even Gracelynn - who NEVER eats chicken. We tricked her, which is nearly impossible to do. That's me, my sisters, and my friend Zoe.



As soon as we were finished eating dinner, the electric went out!!! I am so glad it waited until we were finished. The oven would not have worked without electric, and I would have been mad. So thank God my first recipe was a success!

Please leave comments and let me know if you have any questions. If you make this dish, I'd love to know if you like it or if you add anything to it! Thanks for reading.

Love,
Nell

New direction

I am turning my blog into a cooking blog. I want to be a chef when I grow up. So I will be sharing recipes and pictures. Please follow me and leave comments! It makes me happy!