SHE'S BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER!!!!

WOW! It has been a LONG time since I've been on here!!! So many things have changed... where to start without this being super long winded?!

First, I've had 2 more babies a girl who is now 2 and another boy who is 1. They are 15 months apart and I'm not going to lie, that is HARD! They are just what we didn't know we needed though. They keep life busy and interesting that is for sure! If you lost count that makes a total of 4 kids, 9 and under, 1 potty training and 1 still fully in diapers.... we need a stiff drink most days (HAHAHA) but seriously, send white claws, yep that just happened. 

Second, I went back to work full time. It was a HUGE adjustment for the whole family and I did not adjust as quickly as I thought I would, but we are in a groove now. If a groove is a family of squirrels let loose in a nut factory but we are making it work.

Third, a few month before I started work I went in to septic shock and almost died. Then not long after I started work my Crohns flared up BAD to the point I had to have emergency surgery, bowel resection. I was out of work at my new month old job for almost 6 weeks... it was rough! Stress related, 100% in my opinion but was bound to happen anyway at some point they said. The recovery was the worse part as I got infection and abscess. Then I developed blood clots in my portal vein causing PVT. Its been a heck of a ride with my health but I am back on track now! I am much more aware of what I am eating and how I am living my life because of all of this also.

Fourth, I am back on track because of a company called Arbonne. My friend told me about it for MONTHS and I was scared try try something new as it may make my crohns worse. I finally tried their skin care and loved it then NOTHING was helping me still after surgery so I said what the heck and tried their nutrition line. Y'ALL in just a week I was feeling better and in just 2 weeks I was back to what I could remember before Crohns. I was BLOWN AWAY that this actually worked! I have now been using the nutrition daily for 2 months and feel like a normal person again and have such a better quality of life. Now do I still have to watch what I eat, yes but the 30 days program with Arbonne taught me how to do that!  Because of so much success (for my whole family) with their products, the QUALITY of the products and what they stand for I decided I others needed to know and I wanted to share it with them so I became an Independent Consultant with Arbonne. That is job number 2 for me... just a to add to my busy life. I love it though! Helping others live a healthier and better life is such a passion of mine and I feel my calling I have found out! It doesn't even feel like work to me. Link to a healthier life!

Lastly, this blog! I am back and changing it up. It is no longer Cooking with Mrs. Milly but Cooking up LIFE with Mrs. Milly. I will still be posting recipes, most healthier then the past but also all about life as a family of 6, my business, mom, wife and kid related posts and more! I am super excited to start sharing with you all again!

Mrs. Milly's Homemade Chicken N' Dumplings

It was always a battle in my house over chicken and dumplings. My mom made it a little thinner with Bisquick drop dumplings and chunky carrots, celery, onion and chicken breast.
My Papa made it with noodle type dumplings, thicker, more of a shredded dark meat chicken and small diced celery and onion so that's how my dad liked it.

Now I like it both ways, one is also lower fat but we are talking southern winter food here so lets not try to kid anyone. When I think of good ol' southern chicken n' dumplings it is how my Papa made it, sorry mom...  Now my Papa did cheat and use frozen dumplings and I know that's not how his mama taught him but we let it slide ;-) I wish I had my Grandmas recipe for dumplings because I hear she was a great cook, but I don't. So I was determined to make awesome homemade dumplings and I did it! It was 2 thumbs up and full tummies all around!
  

As you see I added some yellow carrots going with my moms theme but was not a fan, its all preference though.

Chicken and Broth:
5 Chicken Quaters
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tbsp Onion Powder
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Black Pepper Corns
2 Bay Leafs
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 Tbsp Salt

- Add all in a big pot, just barely cover with water and boil until chicken is cooked through. 
***Save Broth*** This is your base and you'll use some in the dumplings also.

- As chicken is cooling to pick, dice 2 Stalks of Celery and 1/2 an Onion 
- Strain out water you cooked the chicken in and keep the clean broth
- Put a little more then half the broth back in pot with celery and onion, salt and pepper to taste and bring back to a boil. I didn't measure, you can always add more in if it gets too thick
- Pick chicken and add to pot
- Last cook dumplings right in the pot 

Dumplings:
2 cups Flour
1 tsp Shorting
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt

- In your mixer add dry ingredients and shorting, mix
- Put on dough hook and add in wet ingredients and mix until it starts to pull from sides and form a dough ball
- Flour surface very well 
- Flour top of dumplings very well, cant have too much flour here. It will keep it from sticking and help thicken your broth.
- Roll out to 1/4-1/2 inch thick depending on how you like them, cut in strips with pizza cutter
- Bring broth back up to boil and drop in till they all float to the top. 


Enjoy!

~Mrs. Milly~




Mrs. Milly's 2cents: Making things homemade is so much better tasting and better for you than store bought items full of preservatives and unneeded ingredients. Anytime you can use organic products it makes it that much cleaner and healthy for you. Enjoy the satisfaction in doing it your self!
            This was also easy on my stomach but each person with IBD is different. Please use caution     and consult your doctor before trying anything new. 

 

Mrs. Milly's BBQ Shrimp

My husband has asked me to make this for a year now. We got a bunch of shrimp right off the dock and the first thing I thought after the Shrimp n' Grits I make was to finally make this for him. As soon as I found the recipe he gave me a year ago I thought, is this name right? and I'm changing this up for sure! I am glad I did because it was a HUGE hit and has been requested to be made again and again.

Why oh why is it called barbecue shrimp??? Beats the heck out of me because it has nothing to do with BBQ. I do know it was started by an Italian restaurant in New Orleans long ago and is now a staple in New Orleans. I am not a fan of the name and wanted to call it something different but, it is what it is... and it is DELICIOUS! There are many different versions of BBQ Shrimp out there. Mine is the best of course ;-). It is less spicy since my kids eat it and well, I'm a wimp. You can make it with more heat very easily though.


Mrs. Milly's BBQ Shrimp:

•  2lbs. 16 Count Shrimp, still in shell but headed

• 2 1/2 Sticks of Butter

• 2tbsp Coconut Oil

• 3 Cloves of Garlic, minced 

• 1/4-1/2 cup Sweet Onion, diced small

• About 6 shakes of Worcestershire Sauce

• 1/4 cup Chicken broth

• 1 Green Onion

• 2tbsp Louisiana Brand Seafood Boil (powder not liquid)

• 1/4tsp Thyme

• 2 Bay Leaves 

• 1 Lemon, juice and save peel to add in pot

• 1tsp Apple Cider Vinegar 

• 1/4tsp Ground Cayenne Red Pepper - *This is were you can add more heat. Use more and add some red pepper flakes if you want too.

How To:

1. Melt Butter and oil in a large skillet. 
2. Add sweet onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes. 
3. Mix in all other ingredients, but shrimp.
4. Once to a medium low heat add shrimp right in pot
5. Once shrimp is cooked thru serve up with some warm French or Italian bread for dipping.

Enjoy!

~Mrs. Milly~

See the Juice down in there?! That's the good stuff!

Easy Beef Stew

This is perfect for those cold nights! I have posted another stew recipe, Hunt Camp Stew that my husband told me about which is similar to this but I think this one is my favorite. My friend Chris told me the secret to this, if your a Bloody Mary drinker and never thought of this your going wonder why. It is so full of flavor and so simple!

-1+ lb of stew meat, I used 1.18lbs of top round steak and cut in to bite size pieces. Get what ever is on sale.
-1/2 an onion, diced
-1 clove of garlic, minced
-1tsp coconut oil
-1tsp butter
-1 bag of frozen vegetable soup mix
-2 cups beef broth
-1 1/2 cups zing zang (or your favorite brand) of bloody mary mix. Yep, that why didn't I think of that moment just hit. This is the secret that makes it so flavorful. Add more for a richer flavor and less broth. I don't like to much tomato in mine. 
-Salt and Pepper

1. In a dutch oven or heavy duty pot brown salt and peppered beef in the oil and butter. 
2. Keep fat but take meat out of pot.
3. Put onions and garlic in fat and cook for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the frozen veggies and meat in the pot. 
5. Cover almost all the way, the vegetables will make more liquid, with broth and bloody mary mix.
6. Salt and Pepper to taste.
7. Cook at a simmer for an hour or more. The longer it cooks the more tender gets but so do the vegetables so it all depends on how you like it. 
8. Serve over rice. 

ENJOY!
~Mrs. Milly~

Super Easy Angel Food Cake Pineapple Muffins

My boys were begging for dessert so I got to looking at what I had for a quick fix. I had a box of Angel Food Cake mix in the pantry and a bowl of fresh cut pineapple in the fridge. I thought I bet those go good together and they do!!!!

I used my mini muffin pan so the bake time was quick with two little ones pacing in the kitchen. I mixed the angle food cake as directed, add water, easy enough. Then a piece of pineapple in the bottom of each muffin spot. They cook fast this way so you have to keep an eye out, it took about 8 minutes.

For the topping I took the rest of the pineapple, about a cup worth and half of a container of whipped cream and blended them together then placed in the freezer to firm up some.

When I say these were good, that is an understatement. They were gone so fast! DELICIOUS!!!!

I'll be making these for our next get together too! 

*You could really use almost any fruit for these*

 (I turned a few upside down so you could see the pineapple)

Enjoy!

~Mrs. Milly~

THE BEST Buttermilk Pancakes

If you follow my blog you know pancakes are popular in our house. Why I never made buttermilk pancakes until recently is beyond me because these are my FAVORITE now!!! They are so fluffy and delicious! Make a big batch and freeze the leftovers for a quick week day breakfast is my suggestion.

Buttermilk Pancakes:

2 cups AP Flour
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 cups Buttermilk
1/4 cup Melted Butter -Cooled
1/4 cup Water
1 tbsp Vanilla

Mix all dry and all wet in 2 bowls, then mix together. Let sit while your pan heats up, make sure you do this part, its science ;-)
Heat pan to medium / medium low and flip when there are bubbles all over.

Enjoy!

~Mrs. Milly~

A Look in the Life of Mrs. Milly

HELLO READERS!

First, I want to say THANK YOU for reading my blog!!! If it's your first visit WELCOME and I hope you enjoy it. Second, I am not a writer so please excuse any grammar mistakes, rambling and don't expect too much ;-). Finally, I am so excited about my blog in 2016 and on!

I started this blog in 2013 as a way to keep track of and share my recipes with anyone who wanted to read them. Then I wanted to make it more but as much as I wanted to life kept getting in the way and I am sorry for that! My life now consist of taking care of my home, 2 young boys 5 & 2 years old and my amazing, hard working husband. I work out of my home watching other kids 3-4 days a week. I am involved in my church and help with their kids program when I can and my sons partake. My 5 year old plays t-ball so I am also a baseball mom 8 months out of the year. I also have Crohn's Disease (my story here) but at all cost I try not to let that affect my life, even though it wins at times and knocks me down, I always get back up! To say the least, I stay BUSY! Having kids around all the time doesn't make it easy to keep track of what you are cooking or sit down at the computer and tell others about it. I am not letting that slow me down this year though!!!! As a matter of fact I have a sink full of dishes and the TV is babysitting my boys right now ;-). I'll make it happen, it may only be once a week but you WILL be seeing more post this year and some videos (if I can figure it out).

Please comment on the blog with any questions, tips or thoughts. I need your help and want to hear from you. If you try a recipe or idea I post about PLEASE TELL ME, how it turned out and what you thought!

You can also follow me on my facebook at Cooking With Mrs. Milly or my Instagram at MrsMillyCooks

I am so excited to share with you and hear from you!

~Mrs. Milly~

 This is Me and The Men in my Life