Friday, May 30, 2008

Flashback Friday

Since Austin graduated Kindergarten this last week, I thought of my own Kindergarten graduation. So, here are some pics of my Kindergarten days and Chris' too...

Kindergarten Picture 1985

Kindergarten graduation with Mrs. Wicklin

Chris in 1981...wasn't he so cute...awwwhhh!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

The Month in Pictures!

Here are some pictures that I have taken of the kids in the last month or so. We have been so busy with the house, end of school, work, church, etc. that I haven't posted any of just them for awhile. So here are some we have taken this last month. Oh, and Austin won 1st place in the Regional Science Fair Competition. I was actually pretty shocked. Since he only won 2nd at the school Science Fair, I assumed he probably would not even place in the Regional but I guess the new judges liked it more then the previous ones. He was so excited because he won $15! Woohoo!

Class of 2020! My sweet baby boy graduated from Kindergarten this last week!

We were trying to figure out what we going to do one Friday night and the kids and Chris were sitting on the couch all looking at me....it was picture perfect!

My parents bought the grandkids a 4-wheeler...so far Austin is the only one who can ride it...and he is grateful for that so he doesn't have to share...yet!

Allie going for a ride with Aunt Katey in the doon-buggy...

"What? Pants don't go on my head and the shirt doesn't go on my legs?"

Austin and Allie...always playing together!

Painting with the cousins

My little Allie loves to paint!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

More Awesome recipes! and a Kitchen Tip...

Kitchen Tip #1
Buy a couple of rotisserie chickens at the store. Come home, pull all the chicken from the bone and freeze it in appropriate portions for your family. Then you have chicken already cooked and seasoned for a future meal like the soup recipe below. And if you don't have time to cook a whole meal, you can serve it in tacos or just add BBQ sauce for a quick pulled chicken sandwich.

This first recipe was given to me by my sister-in-law, Anna. (Our husbands are brothers and have very similar tastes.) It has a lot of bacon in it and is extremely unhealthy but oh-so-good. So if you aren't counting calories then you have to try this...

Spaghetti Carbonara ... (and I don't have a picture...I am definitely not a Mandi M. when it comes to plating...too bad you didn't live closer Mandi...we work so well together!!)
1 lb. dry spaghetti
1 lb. cooked bacon, crumbled
1 cup frozen petite peas (broccoli works as well)
2 1/2 C heavy cream
1 C fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
1 T. fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
Fresh ground black pepper
yields six servings

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook al dente, about 8-9 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside. In large frying pan over medium-high heat, heat bacon pieces until they begin to sizzle. (if you like your bacon on the more crispy side, like me, then cook it until done)Don't drain grease. Add peas & cream. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat slightly and boil gently for about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously until blended and sauce is slightly thickened.
Mix pasta & sauce together in large serving bowl. Garnish w/ chopped parsley and black pepper to taste.
**I served this with garlic bread and green salad.


This is a great recipe to make on Sunday's...very low maintenance and so good. I like it because by the time you are done, you have a gravy too so no need to dirty up another pan to make gravy.

Awesome Slow-Cooker Pot Roast
(courtesy of allrecipes.com)

2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup (I used one can COM and one can COC)
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1 1/4 cups water (I used beef broth)
5 1/2 pounds pot roast

In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water (or broth). Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.
Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.

**I seared my pot roast before putting it into the crock pot. I also added carrots, potatoes and onions. I added carrots and onions about 2 hours before eating, and potatoes 1 1/2 hours before eating. Because it is a gravy base it takes a little longer for the veggies to cook. I also added a little more broth when adding the veggies. Then about 20 min before eating...I thickened the gravy a little more by adding flour, gravy mix or cornstarch...or a little of all of them.

Three-Alarm Italian Style Chili Mac
Courtesy of Rachel Ray

1 pound penne pasta or cavatappi (hollow pasta spirals)
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
2 tablespoons chili powder, 2 palmfuls
Black pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 cubanelle pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup beef stock
1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted crushed tomatoes (I couldn't find fire-roasted so I just added a couple dashes cayenne to the regular...or if you don't like it spicy, just leave it out all together)
Handful basil leaves, torn
2 cups shredded smoked Cheddar or scamorza ( smoked aged mozzarella)

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Preheat broiler to high.
Meanwhile, heat a deep skillet over medium high heat with extra-virgin olive oil. When oil ripples or smokes, crumble beef and brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Season the meat with chili powder, salt and pepper. When meat has browned, add onions, peppers and garlic. Cook vegetables until soft, 6 to 7 minutes. Add stock and scrape up pan drippings. Stir in crushed tomatoes, simmer sauce 10 minutes and fold in basil. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Toss to combine and transfer to a casserole dish. Cover with cheese and brown under broiler 3 to 4 minutes.
**Served this with roasted garlic asparagus.


Mexican Chicken Soup
Courtesy of Barefoot Contessa
Don't be fooled by this picture...it tastes much better than it looks.

4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on (or your pulled chicken)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas
For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese and Cheddar Bread (recipe below).

Jalopeno Cheddar Bread
Courtesy Barefoot Contessa

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Did You Know...

Did you know that if you wash a black crayon in your dishwasher it turns all your dishes and the dishwasher gray? hmmm...who da thought

Monday, May 12, 2008

Week 1: Breaking Ground

This week we broke ground on our house. It was definitely exciting to watch Chris do what he really loves...playing in the mud! He dug our basement which was a very big job. Due to those dang engineers (lol) the hole had to be be much bigger and deeper then our actual house and our soil apparently doesn't compact well. So to prevent settling of our house we have to get lots of soil/compaction tests over the next week...who knew that building a house was this complicated!

Here are some pictures! The kids loved playing in the mud along side dad and especially loved their turns riding in the back-hoe and track-hoe.

This is Allie's ride...

Here is Austin's ride...

Here is Chris's grandpa who is almost 80 years old and still working...

Layout of the house...

Breaking ground...

Compacting the bottom...

Austin and Allie playing in the dirt...on one of their cleaner days!

Out of the mouths of babes: Part 2

The following post is PG-13...for anyone who might be a little offended that I would write these words I just want you to know you were fore-warned. (I am sure for most of you your interest has been peeked!)

So, the other day I was bending over and Allie saw a little of my cleavage...

A: Mom, what is that hole down there? (Finger pointing down my shirt)
M: Nothing (trying to ignore it)
A: But mom, what is that hole down there? (Trying harder to point her finger down my shirt to let me know what she was talking about)
M: Nothing, honey...
A: How can I get one of those holes? Can I have one when I am a mommy?

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Happy Birthday Chris


Today is Chris' birthday. He is 32! I couldn't help but think of all the things I so dearly love about him and how much I appreciate him. Here are the top 32 reasons why he is so amazing...(this will be cake since for Valentines Day the kids and I gave him a "Heart Attack" with 100 hearts each with something we love about him).

1. He compliments me everyday...sometimes it is about how I look, sometimes it is about me being a good wife or mother...
2. He shovels snow from the four houses on our streets driveways even though he has a bad back...(I am really thinking of investing in a snow blower just so he doesn't throw out his back again.)
3. He lives worthy of the priesthood.
4. He always magnifies his callings...even when it is a calling which some people would call "not a big deal."
5. He is the hardest worker I know.
6. I never have to clean up after him.
7. He helps me around the house without me having to ask.
8. He makes up little songs for me and the kids...and now I love to hear my kids singing the same little songs even if a lot of them do end in "poo."
9. He is still a romantic even after 10 years of marriage.
10. He has never raised his voice with me though I have probably deserved it on serveral occasions.
11. He is so resourceful...he can rebuild an engine, build a house, help kids with school.
12. He will work 50-60 hours in a week but will never let it infringe on family time. He goes in early and comes home ontime! I sooo appreciate that!!!
13. He remembers everything so I don't have to!
14. He makes me laugh!
15. He is my bestest friend!
16. He is the most selfless person I know.
17. He is just NICE...we don't meet many sincerely nice people these days!
18. He is never condescending.
19. I know he loves me! That is a great feeling!
20. He writes me love letters everyday...well at least Mon-Fri.
21. He still courts me...meaning he sets up the dates, gets the babysitting, etc. It is just a little more romantic then "just going out." He has even come home from work with flowers and knocked on the door like we were still dating...he is so cute!
22. He puts up with me cooking him weird foods all the time without complaining...
23. He is tall, dark and handsome!
24. He is honest!
25. He is funny!
26. I could stay up for hours just talking with him...and we have!
27. He plays games with me at night after the kids go to bed even though he doesn't really like playing games...although I think I am slowly changing his mind!
28. We like being together...probably too much!
29. He has the same goals, ambitions and dreams that I do.
30. He is a stress-case but tries really hard not to be for mine and the kids sake...although, because he stresses so much about everything I usually don't have to and he usually stresses so much before something happens that he prevents a lot of problems too!
31. The annoying fact that he is right 90+% of the time!
32. He is perfect for me!

More Freebies!

Here are a couple I forgot about last time...

Scrap Orchard is holding a Design contest right now and all the people who design are makeing mini kits for freebies. You can download the ones that you think are cute and there are quite a few!

Peppermint Creative is another store that offers a free kit every month (well, they say every month but I think it is more like every month and half).

Digital Scrapbook Pages is offering a cute kit right now from 5-19 of May...a few pieces everyday!

HAPPY DOWNLOADING!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Evolution of a house plan...

Chris being the engineer he is, has always wanted an efficient and economical home. Me, being the girly-girl I am, said as long as it is pretty, efficient and economical will be fine.

When we first started thinking about building our own home (about 6 months ago), Chris's brother, Robert, had property that he was going to build a duplex on. We decided to buy one from him since we would get a some say in the building of it. We got house plans engineered and then we fell into some problems with city restrictions and had to figure out another route for building.
Here is the first plan...


We started to wonder if building was really an option for us with prices so high, and a market so unstable. Robert came up with another floor plan, this time as a single-family dwelling. We helped him tweak the plan a little and were happy with it.

There were some others that were considered before this but this one won...


Once again, things evolved...Robert wanted to try out a designer he knew and took her our house plans to "improve." We were pleased with her revisions. Here is "hopefully", our final draft. We will see during the building process if things change again. Isn't it interesting how you can take the same plan and still have so many options?

The final house plan...I think!

Friday, May 2, 2008

Flashback Friday

The infamous spaghetti picture...don't we all have a picture of us when we were babies eating spaghetti and getting more on our face then in our mouths? When I took this one of Abigail this last week I couldn't help but go back through pictures and find mine. I tried to find the one of Chris but I guess it never got scanned. I also found one for Austin. Allison didn't have one with spaghetti but she did have one with butterscotch pudding that was too cute to not include.

So this one is me...


Abigail...

Allison...

Austin...