...is more fun to eat with corn cob holders to grab onto!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Secret
Today Justin figured out the secret to losing tooth #7:
Hide behind the couch and wiggle the heck out of it!
Oh, he is so happy and I think he looks so cute with a missing tooth! I keep asking him to smile at me. I love it!
And we even got to celebrate with a rainbow!
Hide behind the couch and wiggle the heck out of it!
Oh, he is so happy and I think he looks so cute with a missing tooth! I keep asking him to smile at me. I love it!
And we even got to celebrate with a rainbow!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Slow Cooker Sunday - Asian Chicken Vegetable Rice Soup
Asian Chicken Vegetable Rice Soup
KIRKLAND SIGNATURE/GOURMET DINING
16 ounces chicken breast meat, cut in 3/4-inch cubes
2 14 1/2-ounce cans chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups Kirkland Signature Vegetable Stir-Fry (frozen)
1 cup instant rice
Place chicken in a 3 1/2-or 4-quart slow cooker. Combine chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic. Pour over the chicken.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8-10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4-5 hours. Add vegetables 30 minutes before finishing.
Stir in instant rice. Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the rice in tender. Makes 6 servings.
Tips: Reduced-sodium soy sauce can be used. For variety, substitute seafood for the chicken, or cooked brown rice for the white rice.
My notes: The ingredients can all be bought at Costco since this recipe came from the Costco "In The Kitchen" cookbook. It's the free book they hand out each year or so. Of course you can buy the ingredients elsewhere. I followed the recipe except for using Bragg's for the soy sauce and left out the sesame oil. I used ground ginger and brown rice. I thought the broth turned out great! Travis would have liked more flavor. But, I liked it mild so the kids would eat it. Mom and Dad, I think you'd enjoy this one.
KIRKLAND SIGNATURE/GOURMET DINING
16 ounces chicken breast meat, cut in 3/4-inch cubes
2 14 1/2-ounce cans chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups Kirkland Signature Vegetable Stir-Fry (frozen)
1 cup instant rice
Place chicken in a 3 1/2-or 4-quart slow cooker. Combine chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic. Pour over the chicken.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8-10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4-5 hours. Add vegetables 30 minutes before finishing.
Stir in instant rice. Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the rice in tender. Makes 6 servings.
Tips: Reduced-sodium soy sauce can be used. For variety, substitute seafood for the chicken, or cooked brown rice for the white rice.
My notes: The ingredients can all be bought at Costco since this recipe came from the Costco "In The Kitchen" cookbook. It's the free book they hand out each year or so. Of course you can buy the ingredients elsewhere. I followed the recipe except for using Bragg's for the soy sauce and left out the sesame oil. I used ground ginger and brown rice. I thought the broth turned out great! Travis would have liked more flavor. But, I liked it mild so the kids would eat it. Mom and Dad, I think you'd enjoy this one.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
A Real Author!
We have an official author is the family! Oh, I am so proud! We were invited to Justin's class last week for a "Publishing Party". What? You've never been to one of those? Neither had I! Well, here's a special "Publishing Party" 101 for all of you first-timers out there:
1. Justin and his classmates have been writing their own stories and have learned to follow all the steps that lead to a published book.
2. The parents entered the classroom as the students were out at recess. When recess was over, they came quietly into the classroom and immediately sat in their designated spots on the floor without a peep. Just a sideways glance and a shy smile.
3. One by one, each child sat in the big rocking chair and read aloud their own book. We all gave silent applause at the end of each story. (Waving with a twist of your wrists)
Justin did such a great job! He had such a cute smile on his face as he showed each page. His book was called "Five Cars Driving Down The Road". On each page, something would happen to another car and then he would read about "Four cars are driving down the road" and so on. He drew some fantastic illustrations and used good handwriting. Great job, Justin!
4. When all the kids were finished, they took their books back to their tables so parents could take a closer look and the kids could share their work with each other. I loved the part at the end of many of the books where the kids wrote a special "About The Author" section. So cute!
1. Justin and his classmates have been writing their own stories and have learned to follow all the steps that lead to a published book.
2. The parents entered the classroom as the students were out at recess. When recess was over, they came quietly into the classroom and immediately sat in their designated spots on the floor without a peep. Just a sideways glance and a shy smile.
3. One by one, each child sat in the big rocking chair and read aloud their own book. We all gave silent applause at the end of each story. (Waving with a twist of your wrists)
Justin did such a great job! He had such a cute smile on his face as he showed each page. His book was called "Five Cars Driving Down The Road". On each page, something would happen to another car and then he would read about "Four cars are driving down the road" and so on. He drew some fantastic illustrations and used good handwriting. Great job, Justin!
4. When all the kids were finished, they took their books back to their tables so parents could take a closer look and the kids could share their work with each other. I loved the part at the end of many of the books where the kids wrote a special "About The Author" section. So cute!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
A Day In The Life...
My day started out with a cozy Tyler climbing in bed with me. (o.k., that was really my 2nd wake up call for today since I hopped back in bed after getting Justin out the door to catch the school bus. Tyler was still asleep and I couldn't resist!) He loves to hang out in our bed throughout the day and brings toys and books for entertainment. Here's a look at what is waiting for me tonight when we go to bed. Travis often gets bonked in the head with an airplane or zoo animal when he lays down on his pillow at night. Surprise!
Tyler and I went to feed the ducks this morning at our favorite library. We met several other moms and kids from our ward and had a good visit. I am in charge of planning mid-week activities for Relief Society. This was one of them. I am trying to come up with some other activity ideas for stay-at-home moms. So, if your ward has had any mid-weeks you have enjoyed, please pass it on.
Today was a project day. I love a guy who can build something...
And a little guy who tries to help...(and the mom who gets TRY to clean up those styrofoam crumbs for the rest of the afternoon!)
And here's something I love to see:
A sleeping boy at 10 p.m. surrounded by his work-of-art train track. Justin and Tyler are planning to meet at the tracks first thing in the morning. That makes me happy!
Now I get to watch Rachael Ray and blog while I wait for Travis to get home from playing basketball.
Tyler and I went to feed the ducks this morning at our favorite library. We met several other moms and kids from our ward and had a good visit. I am in charge of planning mid-week activities for Relief Society. This was one of them. I am trying to come up with some other activity ideas for stay-at-home moms. So, if your ward has had any mid-weeks you have enjoyed, please pass it on.
Today was a project day. I love a guy who can build something...
And a little guy who tries to help...(and the mom who gets TRY to clean up those styrofoam crumbs for the rest of the afternoon!)
And here's something I love to see:
A sleeping boy at 10 p.m. surrounded by his work-of-art train track. Justin and Tyler are planning to meet at the tracks first thing in the morning. That makes me happy!
Now I get to watch Rachael Ray and blog while I wait for Travis to get home from playing basketball.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Slow Cooker Sunday - Western Omelet
Oh, this one is a keeper! I am so happy to have found it on www.allrecipes.com. (I like this site because people can rate and review each recipe. All the recipes I have tried with a high rating have been great.) We all loved this casual dinner and it was quick and easy to make. I did make some changes to the original recipe due to helpful reviews on the recipe page. (in italics below)
Mmmm, it is so good! It tastes very similar to the dutch-oven mountain man breakfast my Dad used to make when we went camping as kids. We always ate it with ketchup on top. It would also be good in a tortilla as a breakfast burrito. You could totally change up the ingredients for whatever your family likes. Justin wants me to try bacon next time.
Slow Cooker Western Omelet
Ingredients:
1 (2 pound) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes(I just grated two russet potatoes and rinsed them off with water and patted them dry with a paper towel)
1 pound diced cooked ham (I diced some good-quality sliced ham)
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used a shredded a soy cheddar/mozzarella mix)
12 eggs
1 cup milk (I used rice milk for a dairy-free version)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Lightly grease a 4 quart or larger slow cooker. Place 1/3 of the hash brown potatoes in a layer on the bottom. Layer 1/3 of the ham, onion, green pepper, and Cheddar cheese. Repeat layers two more times. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the contents of the slow cooker.
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 4 to 5 hours.
Mmmm, it is so good! It tastes very similar to the dutch-oven mountain man breakfast my Dad used to make when we went camping as kids. We always ate it with ketchup on top. It would also be good in a tortilla as a breakfast burrito. You could totally change up the ingredients for whatever your family likes. Justin wants me to try bacon next time.
Slow Cooker Western Omelet
Ingredients:
1 (2 pound) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes(I just grated two russet potatoes and rinsed them off with water and patted them dry with a paper towel)
1 pound diced cooked ham (I diced some good-quality sliced ham)
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used a shredded a soy cheddar/mozzarella mix)
12 eggs
1 cup milk (I used rice milk for a dairy-free version)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Lightly grease a 4 quart or larger slow cooker. Place 1/3 of the hash brown potatoes in a layer on the bottom. Layer 1/3 of the ham, onion, green pepper, and Cheddar cheese. Repeat layers two more times. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the contents of the slow cooker.
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 4 to 5 hours.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
My 25
1. I love popcorn. REALLY love popcorn. I have eaten it for dinner before and no movie is complete without it.
2. I have been scuba diving with sharks in Utah and sea lions off of the California Coast. But sailing with dolphins and snorkeling with sea turtles in Hawaii took the cake.
3. I served a mission for my church in Boston, Massachusetts. Dale Murphy was my mission president.
4. My kids will eat anything if I say it is from Rachael Ray! I like to try new recipes and Rachael Ray is my hero! I own many of her fabulous cookbooks and I record her talk show on the DVR every day.
5. My life is so much easier with the use of a timer. Just 5 more minutes kiddos!
6. Travis and I almost got arrested on our honeymoon.
7. I love a good rain storm. I get so excited. But I love a good thunderstorm even more. We used to race to open the big front window when I was a kid. It was a fun thing. Never scary.
8. I love my friends and girls' nights out. Blogging is fun, too!
9. A clean kitchen sink makes my day!
10. I had never flown in an airplane until I was 19 years old. My oldest son, Justin, has been on an airplane over 40 times and he's only 6 years old. My boys have got it down. They could be flight attendants.
11. I love back scratches. Now Justin can't go to sleep without a back scratch, either.
12. Travis and I have been married for 8 1/2 years. He served in the same mission as my older sister, Amber. (Spain-Canary Islands) But that's not how we met. It was in a BYU ward.
13. If I could sleep in every morning, I would. We go to bed very, very late!
14. I have a cell phone, but I hardly ever hear it ringing when I'm out shopping. (Travis loves this about me!) But I always call him back...later. When I'm out with someone else, he just calls them first. And I just laugh!
15. Travis and I don't go on regular dinner dates very often. We like to save it up so we can go to awesome concerts, sporting events or Broadway shows.
16. Both of my kids were born in the water. Not at home, but not at the hospital, either.
17. My husband and I played in a co-ed softball league this past fall and we won first place in our division. I played slow and fast pitch softball every summer through junior high, high school and some of college. Travis and I used to play on a team together before we had kids. It feels great to be out on the diamond again!
18. I don't like to open the door to strangers. Door-to-door salesman give me the creeps. Especially after I saw one yell at my neighbor and hop over her fence. Yikes!
19. I always have a midnight snack. Usually a bowl of cereal with banana slices. Yum.
20. I like to play my guitar. I have played for 16 years and used to teach as my job through college. I stopped teaching when I had Tyler because now I think I'm too busy. I hope to teach again one of these days.
21. I'm always up for a good game night!
22. I'm always cold. I wear 30 layers and think everyone else must be too cold as well. My boys have to beg to wear a short-sleeved shirt during the winter.
23. I love that Travis comes home for lunch almost every weekday.
24. Spiders give me the heebie-jeebies. I have trained my boys to squish them for me. It is lovely.
25. My birthday is on St. Patrick's Day and I have a special place in my heart for all things Irish and GREEN! Oh, and I would love to visit Ireland some day, too. Another nifty birthday fact is that Justin's birthday sometimes falls on Mother's Day and Tyler's birthday sometimes falls on Easter. I think that is so much fun!
2. I have been scuba diving with sharks in Utah and sea lions off of the California Coast. But sailing with dolphins and snorkeling with sea turtles in Hawaii took the cake.
3. I served a mission for my church in Boston, Massachusetts. Dale Murphy was my mission president.
4. My kids will eat anything if I say it is from Rachael Ray! I like to try new recipes and Rachael Ray is my hero! I own many of her fabulous cookbooks and I record her talk show on the DVR every day.
5. My life is so much easier with the use of a timer. Just 5 more minutes kiddos!
6. Travis and I almost got arrested on our honeymoon.
7. I love a good rain storm. I get so excited. But I love a good thunderstorm even more. We used to race to open the big front window when I was a kid. It was a fun thing. Never scary.
8. I love my friends and girls' nights out. Blogging is fun, too!
9. A clean kitchen sink makes my day!
10. I had never flown in an airplane until I was 19 years old. My oldest son, Justin, has been on an airplane over 40 times and he's only 6 years old. My boys have got it down. They could be flight attendants.
11. I love back scratches. Now Justin can't go to sleep without a back scratch, either.
12. Travis and I have been married for 8 1/2 years. He served in the same mission as my older sister, Amber. (Spain-Canary Islands) But that's not how we met. It was in a BYU ward.
13. If I could sleep in every morning, I would. We go to bed very, very late!
14. I have a cell phone, but I hardly ever hear it ringing when I'm out shopping. (Travis loves this about me!) But I always call him back...later. When I'm out with someone else, he just calls them first. And I just laugh!
15. Travis and I don't go on regular dinner dates very often. We like to save it up so we can go to awesome concerts, sporting events or Broadway shows.
16. Both of my kids were born in the water. Not at home, but not at the hospital, either.
17. My husband and I played in a co-ed softball league this past fall and we won first place in our division. I played slow and fast pitch softball every summer through junior high, high school and some of college. Travis and I used to play on a team together before we had kids. It feels great to be out on the diamond again!
18. I don't like to open the door to strangers. Door-to-door salesman give me the creeps. Especially after I saw one yell at my neighbor and hop over her fence. Yikes!
19. I always have a midnight snack. Usually a bowl of cereal with banana slices. Yum.
20. I like to play my guitar. I have played for 16 years and used to teach as my job through college. I stopped teaching when I had Tyler because now I think I'm too busy. I hope to teach again one of these days.
21. I'm always up for a good game night!
22. I'm always cold. I wear 30 layers and think everyone else must be too cold as well. My boys have to beg to wear a short-sleeved shirt during the winter.
23. I love that Travis comes home for lunch almost every weekday.
24. Spiders give me the heebie-jeebies. I have trained my boys to squish them for me. It is lovely.
25. My birthday is on St. Patrick's Day and I have a special place in my heart for all things Irish and GREEN! Oh, and I would love to visit Ireland some day, too. Another nifty birthday fact is that Justin's birthday sometimes falls on Mother's Day and Tyler's birthday sometimes falls on Easter. I think that is so much fun!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Slow Cooker Sunday - BBQ Pork/Chicken
I'm going to start posting a new special feature on our blog:
Slow Cooker Sunday
Each week I'll post the recipe we tried out for dinner. My big goal is to make one each Sunday so we'll actually eat something more than grilled cheeses or egg winks for dinner.
This is a recipe from my cute cousin, JaNae. We used chicken and added baby carrots to the mix. It turned out great! I'll be making this one again for sure!
BBQ PORK/CHICKEN
SLOW COOKER RECIPE
Put any type of chicken or pork in crock pot. (Our favorite is boneless pork ribs because they are so tender and you don’t have to deal with the bones). Pour 1-2 types of BBQ sauce over the meat. I like to sprinkle some chopped up onions in it. Stir. Set potatoes on top and cover. Cook 5-6 hours on low. (3-4 hours on high).
Slow Cooker Sunday
Each week I'll post the recipe we tried out for dinner. My big goal is to make one each Sunday so we'll actually eat something more than grilled cheeses or egg winks for dinner.
This is a recipe from my cute cousin, JaNae. We used chicken and added baby carrots to the mix. It turned out great! I'll be making this one again for sure!
BBQ PORK/CHICKEN
SLOW COOKER RECIPE
Put any type of chicken or pork in crock pot. (Our favorite is boneless pork ribs because they are so tender and you don’t have to deal with the bones). Pour 1-2 types of BBQ sauce over the meat. I like to sprinkle some chopped up onions in it. Stir. Set potatoes on top and cover. Cook 5-6 hours on low. (3-4 hours on high).
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Double-Duty Tips
I could hardly wait for the kids to go to bed so I could post about this ingenious double-duty tip:
If you have a cheap (or free) pants hanger, you now have a fabulous cookbook/recipe holder, too! We don't have a lot of counter space near the stove and I am always trying not to spill sauce on the open cookbook held open by whatever I'm cooking with. I'm so excited to use this when I cook our next meal! I think I'll just smile the whole time!
Here's another nifty one I found saw in a magazine:
Yes this is just a magazine rack. But now our NEWSPAPERS and magazines have a new home near our kitchen table. They no longer will teeter precariously on the bar stool. I am so happy!
If you have a cheap (or free) pants hanger, you now have a fabulous cookbook/recipe holder, too! We don't have a lot of counter space near the stove and I am always trying not to spill sauce on the open cookbook held open by whatever I'm cooking with. I'm so excited to use this when I cook our next meal! I think I'll just smile the whole time!
Here's another nifty one I found saw in a magazine:
Yes this is just a magazine rack. But now our NEWSPAPERS and magazines have a new home near our kitchen table. They no longer will teeter precariously on the bar stool. I am so happy!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Olympics Of My Life...
I just have to share the conversation I had with Justin this afternoon as he was eating a bowl of honey nut o's:
Justin: Mom, I'm in 3rd place in the Olympics of my life.
Me: Really? What is the Olympics of your life?
Justin: Well, YOU know what the gold medal is...
Me: No, what is it?
Justin: YOU KNOW...(pointing up)...
Me: The ceiling?
Justin: MOM! (laughing)
Me: Oh, you mean heaven?
Justin: Yep. The silver medal is dinosaurs and the bronze place goes to KidZui.
(long pause)
Justin: And when I'm 82 or so, I'll have a top 10. There will be an Olympics gold, silver, bronze, red, blue, orange, black, grey, etc.
Me: (I was trying so hard not to burst out laughing. He was so clever in his breakdown of his favorite things in life. KidZui is this "Internet for kids" site we found out about through Scholastic Books. It's actually pretty useful and I like to help him navigate as I'm watching over his shoulder. Justin really just wants to search for information and games about dinosaurs. His favorite thing on the planet. No wonder dinosaurs made his silver medal spot. But, I thought it was so wonderful that he chose Heaven as his top prize. Misty-eyed mommy moment...)
I say "Go for the gold, Justin, go for the gold!"
Sunday, February 1, 2009
My Roomba
I have had my eyes set on a nifty robotic vacuum for a while now. It is called a Roomba and they sound so great! You can program a start time and they roll off the docking station. After randomly zipping around the room until it is all clean, it docks itself to recharge for the next time. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well it's too expensive also...details, details...and our other vacuum works just fine.
Last week, I got out our regular vacuum and Tyler raced over to "help" me. I thought I was in a hurry and didn't have time for more help since he had just "helped" me to sweep the kitchen floor. I surprised myself and bit my lip as he squealed "I do it mine-self!" I let him go for it and I held the cord behind him as he started vacuuming our family room. He was zig-zagging, randomly zooming one end of the room to the next, and bouncing off of the furniture. I was about to cut in when I realized, "I have my very own Roomba! This is great!"
I smiled and stood back to watch in awe as he eventually sucked up all the popcorn and crumbs I was aiming for anyway. With just a little more nudging from me, he'll be a professional in no time! I'm so happy! I'm looking forward to the day when I can just set him loose and I'll never have to vacuum again! Now that sounds too good to be true!
Last week, I got out our regular vacuum and Tyler raced over to "help" me. I thought I was in a hurry and didn't have time for more help since he had just "helped" me to sweep the kitchen floor. I surprised myself and bit my lip as he squealed "I do it mine-self!" I let him go for it and I held the cord behind him as he started vacuuming our family room. He was zig-zagging, randomly zooming one end of the room to the next, and bouncing off of the furniture. I was about to cut in when I realized, "I have my very own Roomba! This is great!"
I smiled and stood back to watch in awe as he eventually sucked up all the popcorn and crumbs I was aiming for anyway. With just a little more nudging from me, he'll be a professional in no time! I'm so happy! I'm looking forward to the day when I can just set him loose and I'll never have to vacuum again! Now that sounds too good to be true!
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