Take A Bite Of My Life!

I Just Won 8 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

2010-06-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

I Just Won 8 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

Poor Little Griffin

2010-06-02T07:11:00.001-07:00

My poor little buddy has some sort of eye problem going on. We don't think it's pink eye because it is swollen, and he has a fever. The Dr. said it is either Orbital Cellulitis or a spider bite. He is taking an antibiotic, and we have to fight him to get drops in his eye. I sure hope it clears up fast, he looks so pitiful, and is acting sick and not like himself at all!

2010-05-06T17:41:00.001-07:00

Paisley at 2 months old

- Eating 4ozs about every 2-3 hours
- Wearing size 1 diapers
- Starting to pull and grab at things
- Sleeping a little better, usually on her tummy in the bassinet about 4 hours tops at a time
- She smiles at silly things, and it is SO adorable! I love that little toothless gummy grin!
- She likes her baths. But only after she whines the first couple of mins, I think the water scares her at first
- She has a little bit of acid reflux, I had to fight the Dr. to give her meds for it. We have been taking it a few days. We will see how it goes!
- She weighs 11lbs-12oz and has the CUTEST little chubby rolly-polly thighs! I just want to eat em!
- Slayde is still in love. Griffin has warmed up pretty quickly and likes to give her love now too!

Getting Better

2010-05-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I promise to start being a better blogger!

We have had a crazy few weeks! Paisley was born and a couple weeks later we took off for 2 weeks to go visit my parents, and my sister. The day after we got home from Savannah, we were on the road again to go to New York. Dans Grandmother was very ill with cancer. We were there for almost 2 weeks. She passed away. We are glad she is in a better place. It was so very hard to see her in pain.

We brought Anna (Dan's 12 year old daughter) home with us because she was on spring break that week. We stopped off in Washington DC for 3 days to visit the sites! It was fun. DC is such a beautiful city with so much history! We went to a couple of the Smithsonian museums. We actually ran into my sister there too! (she lives in GA- so it was weird!)<>

Paisley at one week old

Paisley at 2 weeks old

Paisley at one month old

(we were out of town, so no crib/bear picture)

And totally for my records...

at one month old, Paisley is:

*Sleeping in bed with mommy and daddy, on occasion she will sleep for an hour or so in the bassinet beside the bed before she realizes she is alone.

*Wearing a Newborn size diaper

*Nursing every 2 hours or so. Or will take a bottle of about 2-3oz in the same time frame

*Made a 5 hour trip to Savannah with mommy and big brothers alone, and did a good job traveling that far!

*Has visited the Easter Bunny for the first time

*Wears a premie or newborn clothes, and all socks are VERY Large

*Big brother Slayde LOVES Paisley so much! He always wants to hold and kiss her. Griffin isn't quite sure what to think!

Our New Addition

2010-03-22T08:10:00.001-07:00

I have been out of the blogging loop for a few months now. I guess between being pregnant and living in a house with a small kitchen, I didn't have much motivation to try out new things. We moved at the beginning of February and have gotten settled in well. On March 11th, we welcomed our sweet baby girl to the world! Paisley was born via c-section, so I am trying to take it as easy as I can and just enjoy the baby and the boys!

Here are a few pictures that were taken when Paisley was 4 days old.

I hope to be back in full swing soon!

White Chicken Enchiladas

2009-11-12T15:43:00.000-08:00

Via the Pioneer Woman...

These were SUPER YUMMY!

It looks like a lot of steps, but they were not hard to make! I used boneless chicken breasts. I also added a dab of cream to my cheese sauce mixture. I used canned diced green chilis. They were NOT hot or spicy... My 4 year old ate every bite of his without complaint! (which is very rare!!)

Enjoy!

Here is a link to her recipe that I followed. She explains WAY better than I ever could!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/11/white-chicken-enchiladas/

An update

2009-09-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

I will be 12 weeks pregnant tomorrow! Hopefully, that means an end to the sickness!! I got to get another look at the little one today. They did a "NT scan". Everything looked great! The baby was so cute. Waving its arms and hands all over the place. It was jumping around... I loved watching it on the screen! I can't wait to find out the gender!!! It's killing me!

I have only bought a FEW girly things... Lord help my bank account if we find out it IS a girl! haha!!

Here is a picture of a picture the US tech gave me today! Cute little bugger...

Pre-K

2009-08-14T06:42:00.000-07:00

My sweet boy Slayde started pre-k this week. School actually started on Monday, but he didn't have a spot. I got a call on Tuesday that he got in! So Wednesday morning I took him in. There were several kids freaking out... one child in particular who was in the bathroom slamming the toilet lid over and over- and screaming very loudly... I thought that would make Slayde freak out. He looked a little nervous, but he was fine. Of course I worried about him all day long! He was happy to see me when I picked him up, but he said he wanted to go back the next day!

He told me this morning that he loves school! He is a little irritated with me that he can't go on Saturday or Sunday. He doesn't understand why his school isn't open. I am so glad that he has the chance to go, and hang out with other kiddos! He really loves playing and socializing.

Now if I could just get rid of the morning sickness... and find a way to get Griffin to stop messing up everything in the house- I MIGHT get something accomplished!

New Addition

2009-07-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

No.. No... No.... NOT the group from the 80's New Edition! A new ADDITION... to our family!

The word is out! We had our first ultrasound today and saw a nice strong heartbeat on our little "blobby". We are due in March with our third (and probably final) baby! We are super excited, and I think everybody we know hopes it is a girl. I totally need a shopping buddy! The pictures from today are very blurry... I have to go back to the Dr. in 2 weeks for another US because I have a mystery black spot hanging out. The Dr. thinks it was probably a twin that didn't start to develop properly, so he wants to take another look. I am very thankful for one healthy little bean!

Really?

2009-07-14T18:13:00.001-07:00

Wow... Really? Does Kelly from the Real Housewives of NY (the chick on the left) REALLY think her boobs look good??? OMG... you could fit 2 or 3 MORE in the space between the two off-sized ones she has here. One is big and round... the other is off in left field somewhere... And she has a shirt on that PURPOSELY shows them off... excuse me while I hurl!

New Layout!

2009-07-13T18:11:00.000-07:00

oh... how I love little birdies! so dang cute! Now if I could figure out how to actually do a header...

Pictures

2009-06-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

Just sharing a couple of cute pictures of Griffin. He turns ONE next month! This time has gone by way too fast! He is walking everywhere, getting into everything! Sure makes life interesting! I wish I could freeze him and Slayde both in time. They grow up too fast!! It makes me sad...

With big brother Slayde at the playplace in the mall

Hanging out in the pool... while it was filling up

Doing his Swimsuit Model Crawl!

BEFORE Spagheti-o's
And... AFTER

Help a family.... win a MAC!

2009-06-18T21:41:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this familys blog through another blog. They are in the process of adopting a baby from Korea. To help them generate funds to pay for expenses related to the adoption, they have started a raffle for a brand new MAC laptop! I know I would love a new MAC Book! Wouldn't you?? Go on over and visit their blog, donate to their cause and YOU may just be a winner!! And if you or I don't win... well, we have helped a loving family bring their child home!

Click the button on the left or below to follow their journey-
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Mexican Chicken

2009-06-15T06:13:00.001-07:00

I got this recipe from Kelly http://kellyskornerrecipes.blogspot.com/2009/05/mexican-chicken-aka-king-ranch-chicken.html

Sticking to being myself... I tweaked her original recipe a little bit.

I browned my chicken in a little olive oil on the stove, and then used my crockpot to add all the liquid ingredients (rotel, COM and COC soups, and enchilada sauce).
I added a can of enchilada sauce to her original ingredients just to give it more of a mexican kick. I just let the chicken in the sauce cook for a few hours until it fell apart when I stirred it. It took about 4 hours on high, although the chicken was cooked through before that. If you dont like to fiddle with the crockpot, still make this using her easy way... it is well worth it! So simple, and so good! AND I used flour tortillias instead of corn- I am not a big fan of corn tortillias- unless they are fried into chips! :-)

Her original recipe is as follows

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 chicken breasts, boiled and cut into bite size pieces
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can rotel
1-2 cups cheddar cheese
Package of corn tortillas (small) OR FLOUR as I used
1 can enchilada sauce (optional- but it made mine good!!)

Tear the tortillas into small pieces and line the bottom of a pan. Mix together the soups, rotel and chicken and pour on top. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Seriously - it's that easy!

Cutie Pie

2009-06-08T15:54:00.000-07:00

OH! Look, a post NOT about food.... I have a post about a yummie dinner I made the other night... but I am pressed for time, I will post it in the next couple of days.

Dan was holding Griffin the other day and as usual, Griffin had to take Dans glasses off. So we let Griffin try them on. I don't think I have ever seen a cuter kid in glasses!

Greek Chicken Gyros and Oven Roasted Potatoes

2009-06-08T12:32:00.000-07:00

I borrowed this recipe from http://theungourmet.blogspot.com/2009/05/chicken-gyros-with-oikos-greek-yogurt.html
She has lots of yummy looking recipes!

I think part of the trick for the sauce is to get GREEK yogurt. Of course I couldn't find any at the commissary the other day, so I got regular plain yogurt. My sauce was a tad runny... but it still tasted good.
And the potatoes were FAB!!

The Ungourmet marinated her chicken all day in the following ingredients and placed it on the grill to cook.
I of course don't grill well, so I did my version by browning my chicken in a little olive oil, then placing all the ingredients in the crock-pot to let it cook all afternoon. It was super tender and just naturally shredded itself. So I just stirred it up in all the juices! The chicken had a great taste.

For Chicken:
juice from 1 lemon
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
cracked pepper

Cucumber Sauce:
1 cup of Oikos Greek Yogurt
1/2 cucumber, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp oregano
pinch of dill
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
(To this I also added 1tsp of seasoned salt)

Squeeze all the water you can get out of your cucumber. Combine all ingredients and allow to sit in the fridge for at least an hour for them to combine well.

For the potatoes- I follwed her directions exactly-
Wash and slice in about 1/4" slices. Brush with olive oil and sprinkled with a mixture of kosher salt, paprika, oregano, onion powder, and cracked pepper. I placed them in a 425 degree oven to cook (20 mins or so... just keep an eye on them, and test them with a fork to make sure they are tender) and then finished them under the broiler to brown them just a touch more, which also made them crispy!

Place chicken on warmed flatbread, add grated cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, (we also added Feta and Greek olives) and don't forget the sauce!!

Chicken Burittos! Muy Delicioso!

2009-05-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

Chicken burittos are one of my favorite meals! When I worked, the girls used to ask me to make these for lunch pretty often! I tried something new when I made these using the crock-pot for the chicken, and I will never make them the old way again! The chicken was DELISH and SUPER easy! If you don't have a crock-pot, I assume you could cook the chicken on low in a pot on the stove until the chicken becomes tender.

(Makes 9-10 large burritos)

Ingredients:

3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (Cut into 2-3 smaller pieces for faster cooking)

3 small (or 1 large and 1 small) can of Enchilada Sauce

1 Can Refried Beans (optional if you don't like beans.. skip em)

1 Packett Fajita Seasoning

1 Package Burrito Size Flour Tortillias

1 Package Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend

Seasoned Salt

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

As usual, I always brown my chicken in a skillet before putting it in the crockpot.

Using a couple teaspoons of oil in a skillet- brown chicken on both sides. Season with Seasoned Salt, Garlic and Onion Powders.

In Crockpot add 1 small can of enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup of water and packett of fajita seasoning

Mix with a fork to break up the seasoning. Add your browned chicken.

Cook on low 4-5 hours until chicken is tender, and you can easily shred it with a fork.

(I did this with the chicken still in the crockpot- It just fell apart when I stirred it)

Stir chicken to mix with sauce. Continue cooking until you are ready to assemble the burritos. I don't think this can be overcooked.

To

Assemble Burritos

Lay out one flour tortillia

Spread 1 tablespoon of canned refried beans in the middle

Add a couple tablespoons of chicken mixture to the middle (just eyeball the amounts)

Roll the tortillia- make sure to fold the ends in so your filling doesnt fall out

Lay your burritos in a baking dish

Cover with the remaining 2 cans of enchilada sauce

Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top- However much suits your taste

Bake at 375 for 20-25 mins until cheese is bubbly

Fun Times!

2009-05-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a while. I really don't feel like there is enough time in the day. I can't get on the computer during the day as long as Griffin is awake, because he is a total techno-geek apparently, and tries to get my laptop every time he sees it. This also is true for remote controls, his daddy's Mac computer, cell phones, remote controls.... anything that is an electronic device- he wants!!

When I have been online in the last few weeks, it has been for me to be busy researching housing! We very recently got word that we would be transferring to another base. The one good thing about the situation is that it is still close by. We will be about 2 hours away from my family. This will be a good stepping stone for our next move! It will give me a little taste of a military move, and being a little further away from family. Who knows where we will go next!

We did finally find a house to rent. Unfortunately, Dan still has not gotten his official papers saying WHEN he really has to be there. He was told the 20th- but seeing as how that is this coming week... and he doesn't have his orders yet, I guess it will be at least a few days later. His school starts at the beginning of June, so I guess we could be moving anytime between now and June 1st or so. This whole situation has been stressing me out! I hate to move! Especially since we have only been in this house for 6 months... grrr

I have made several tasty dishes in the last few weeks... I have taken pictures of some, and not kept a "clear" recipe (I kinda eyeball stuff when I make my own recipes up- makes it hard to keep track of). A few I forgot to take pictures of.... I guess I have just had a bunch on my mind. I am going to get better! Really! As soon as we get our living situation settled... I am getting back on track!

By the way... is there anybody even out there reading this?? haha... leave me a comment- let me know that I need to actually post- and that I am not just wasting my breath... err.. um... keystrokes!

And because I shouldn't post without sharing a couple of pictures....

Here are Dan, Slayde and I with Mickey and Minnie! We had such a GREAT time at Disney! I wish I could go there everyday!

Here is my buddy Griffin... He didn't get to go see Mickey... He stayed with his meme while we were gone. I think meme snuck him some Pepsi... and Reeses...

I took this picture while at Epcot. We were hanging out in Norway.. eating Schoolbread (which was YUMMIE!!) and the sky was beautiful! This picture is straight out of camera... NOT one bit of photoshopping!

And my cute boys... just because they are cute!!

I made some KILLER chicken burittos today! OMG they taste DELISH! I WILL be posting a picture and recipe in the next few days! Stay Tuned!! And prepare to WOW yourself!!

Leaving on a Jet Plane....

2009-04-13T02:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, not really. We are driving!
But I will be away from Blogger land for a week. We are taking a much needed vacation to see Mickey Mouse in Orlando. We haven't told Slayde yet. He is going to be so excited when we show up there! We are leaving Griffin with my mom. She volunteered, so I thought it would be so much easier not to have to deal with only one of us being able to ride with Slayde at a time. There aren't many rides that a 9 month old can get on. And apparently the crowds are at a crazy high right now! So much for a recession!!
Of course we were supposed to have left at 5am today... somebody put a monkey wrench in my plans! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR but we wont talk about that, because I am actually still pretty pissed about it...
Anyway... I am sure I will have plenty of pictures to share when we get back!

Easter Cookies with a Story!

2009-04-06T20:49:00.000-07:00

Resurrection cookies are a fun project for parents and kids to do together, and they help children understand what happened on that First Easter Morning. The cookies must be made exactly as written, and the Bible readings must be done at the same time for this dessert to be at it’s best. I have included links to the various scriptures so that you can print them out to read as you do the recipe and the Bible doesn’t get all floury!

These must be started the night before Easter.

Resurrection Cookies
1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch salt
1 cup sugar
a ziplock bag
1 wooden spoon
scotch tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300F.

Before you do anything else put the whole pecans in zip-loc and let your children beat them with a meat mallet, or hammers, to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested. He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read: John 19:1-3

Allow each child to smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon vinegar into mixing bowl.Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegarto drink. Read: John 19:28-30

Add the egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His lifeto give us life. Read: John 10:10-11

Put a little of the salt into your child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers,and the bitterness of our own sin. Read:Luke 23:27

So far the ingredients would not make a very good dessert! Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us toknow and belong to Him. Read: Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sinshave been cleansed by Jesus. Read: Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper covered cookie sheet.Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid.Read: Matthew 27:57-60

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read: Matthew 27:65-66

Now, go to bed.

Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight.Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read: John 16:20,22

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the crackedsurface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow!

On the first Easter Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read:Matthew 28:1-9

Monday Madness!

2009-03-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a few pictures...

Slayde had his very first T-Ball practice last week. He was so funny. He followed the coach around like a little puppy dog.

The coach said "Take a Knee". I don't know ANY 4 year olds that know what that means... but apparently they all knew... except Slayde! HaHa... of course he is the only one still standing!

When the others would hit the ball towards him, he would run, get the ball- and WALK it to the boy at 1st base... he never threw it. It was so funny!

Hand delivery...

My cute boy in his batting helmet- he was excited!

He did pretty well hitting the ball

Now, if we could just get him to pay attention to whats going on... instead of breakdancing in the field!!

In other news... My sweet Griffin is making a new face! It is so funny looking. He used to smile so sweetly... his new smile is a scrunchy face- he wrinkles his nose now. He also has started making that face and making a noise breathing in and out loudly. I call it the stinky face!

And this... this is my life... I have become a PlayStation 3 widow... boohoo...

Dan has Slayde very interested in playing video games. (OK... he really didn't need any help- he already loves his leapster, and his nintendo DS). Guitar Hero Metallica came out yesterday. Of course Dan had his on pre-order. Slayde rocked out with him... so funny. I love the faces he makes, and how he shakes his head getting into it.

Finally Pictures of FOOD!

2009-03-26T17:01:00.001-07:00

okay... it is ONE picture- who's counting??

I have been blog-hopping and have come across so many interesting blogs! I LOVE people who blog about recipes!!

My dinner last night consisted of two different bloggers recipes! The pot roast, and the roll were compliments of 2 great bloggers! The rice on the plate... that was compliments of a rice cooker.

And don't be fooled... OF COURSE I added sauce on top of my rice... I just thought this looked better haha.

I found this entry http://crazy-eight.blogspot.com/2009/02/lets-make-it-easy.html

The recipe looked interesting because of the tomato based sauce that gives the same ol' same ol' pot roast a twist!

Pot Roast
1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, cut in 1 inch pieces, juices reserved
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (1 ounce)envelope of dried onion soup mix
1 (3 1/2 pound)boneless beef chuck roast (or really whatever size you have)

To her original ingredients above, I accidentally added a can of tomato sauce also- because I wasn't looking at the recipe... duh... but it worked out great!!

I always brown meat before putting it in the crock-pot... I don't know why- I just do!

So I brown the roast in a dab of oil on the stove top. While browning, I sprinkle the roast with garlic powder, salt and pepper on both sides.

While the roast is browning on the stove top, I turned on the crock pot and added all of the other ingredients, and used a fork to mix it up well.

Once Brown, the meat goes in- the lid goes on- cook for about 8 hours on low... or if you can cook on high for about 4-5 hours. Your meat should be so tender that it just falls apart!

I also found this entry http://joyinmykitchen.blogspot.com/2009/03/italian-herb-rolls.html

Her recipe was for Italian Herb Rolls!

She made hers a little longer- more like hoagie rolls- I made mine like dinner rolls. They were a big hit! I served them hot out the oven with butter.

I am going to copy and paste here- because she does a better job than I would explaining!

Italian Herb Rolls
2 1/4 tsp. yeast (or 1 pkg)

1 C warm water + 1 T (if using wheat flour)

1 T sugar

1/8 C olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 T dried basil

1/2 T dried oregano

1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or fresh minced garlic)

1/2 tsp. onion powder (or onion flakes)

1/4 C grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

3 C. bread flour

Combine ingredients in the bread machine, in the order listed by your machine. Mine call for all the wet ingredients first, and the salt next. Then all the dry ingredients, topped off with the yeast. Set to dough cycle, and let it do the kneading for you!

Alternatively, you can...Mix the yeast, water and sugar in a bowl and set aside until yeast is activated (you'll see it because it's foamy).In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients but the flour and stir to combine. Next, add 1.5 C of flour and mix well. Add dry ingredients to the yeasty mix and stir well to combine. Continue adding the remaining 1.5 C of flour until dough stiffens. When stiff, place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, or until smooth and silky.Lightly mist a bowl with oil/cooking spray, and place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat the dough with the oil. Cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise until dough has doubled in size. This takes between 60-90 minutes, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

Here's where you pick up the recipe if you've made the dough with the bread machine.

Punch down the dough and form into rolls. Place rolls on a lightly greased pan and cover to let rise again for about 30 mins or until they have doubled.

Depending on the size of your roll- cooking times will vary. I cooked mine at 350 for 20 mins and they were perfect!!

Or NOT!

2009-03-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

Apparently somebody.... somewhere hates me today.
I have 2 sick boys, I am grumpy, Dan is Grumpy... I have a sore throat and a headache... AND my lovely camera or computer- OR combo of the two...will NOT upload any pics to my computer right now.
I was tempted to throw it against the wall, but you know... then I would just have to freakin clean it up. So I put it to the side. I will try again later to actually post pictures and recipes of yesterdays delish dinner.

Tomorrow... Maybe

2009-03-25T19:30:00.001-07:00

I made a totally yummie dinner tonight! Even fresh baked rolls! My sweet little Griffin has not been feeling well today. I am going to take him to the Doctor tomorrow.... OH how I hate taking him to the Doctor. I LOVE the Dr. herself... but the office SUCKS! A good portion of the staff is rude... it is always hot in there... it is about a 45 min. drive from my house... and every time we go, we are there for at least 2 hours!!! They should NOT make people wait that freakin long! Especially with kids... and sometimes SICK kids!! grrr
But his Doctor is so nice, and very thorough. I don't ever feel like she is in a hurry. She is such a good doctor, that Slayde was having some issues walking a few months back, she examined him- sent us for x-rays- blah-blah-blah.... and SHE called me about 3 times that day which was a Friday, and called me several times over the course of the weekend to check on him- she even gave me her personal cell phone number to call her if I needed her... I don't think most Doctors do that anymore.

Anyway... if all goes okay tomorrow, I will post pics and recipes of tonights dinner! Yummie! and EASY!

Ultimate Blog Party 2009

2009-03-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

Anybody want to party?? Join me in the Ultimate Blog Party 2009! One week starting today! This is your chance to meet other bloggers! If you don't have a blog, but LOVE to read others check it out! And if you have a blog, check it out and add your blog to the party so we can all see YOUR blog too! What a fun way to get new readers! Oh, and there ARE PRIZES too!

So, to introduce myself to all of you Partygoers!

My name is Leah- this is me! I am an Army Wife, and a stay-home mom to Slayde and Griffin. I dabble in photography, and I love to cook! My blog consists of updates on my life, and my sweet boys... as well as LOTS of good and EASY recipes!! I just got started.. but stay with me!!

This is Slayde, he is four.... Think Jim Carey as a child...

This is sweet little Griffin, he is 8 months old and is WELL on his way to walking! Oh... the fun times begin!

Here we are as a family! Dan was in Iraq when Griffin was born... He finally got to meet him when he got home. Griffin was 5 months old. This is our little family that great day!

Thanks for stopping by! Come back anytime!

These are some of the things I would like to win!
This one is especially cute since I have a new BIRD OBSESSION!
USC 53 — Blue Feathered Nest http://www.robinsbluenest.typepad.com/

19. $50 Gift Certificate At Target
58. Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer
#12 Gift Cert to the Gift Closet
#19 Target gift cert
#21 Target Gift Cert
#22 Target Gift Cert
#26 Target Gift Cert
#88 Carrabbas gift cert
#89 HomeGoods gift cert
#91 Target gift cert
#103 Surprise box
#118 Old Navy gift cert
#119 Journals

Corned Beef Hash

2009-03-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

So, you made corned beef and cabbage for dinner on St. Patricks Day? You Didn't?? What's wrong with you? Corned Beef is Yummie! Anyway if you DID and you want to know what to do with the leftover corned beef- THIS is the thing! Corned Beef Hash! You know the stuff you get in the can that is all mushed up and looks a little like dog food?? Well, this isn't that~it is OH SO much better!! Real Homemade corned beef hash is one of my favorite things to eat- ever!! So go out and buy a corned beef brisket... make corned beef and cabbage for dinner, and make THIS for breakfast this weekend! You wont be sorry!! And it's easy... There is no real measurements here... you can't do it wrong!

Ingredients:
Fully Cooked Corned Beef Cut Into Cubes About One Cup or more if you like more meat

Simply Potatoes- Diced with Onions- You find this in a green bag in the refrigerated section at your grocery store- usually near the eggs, or rolls and cookies...(I usually use 1/2 the bag-unless I am feeding a crowd)

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Oil

Salt and Pepper

Pour oil in a frying pan- just enough to slightly cover the bottom

Heat on Med-High

While your pan is heating, cut up your corned beef into cubes

Once your pan is good and hot, throw your potatoes and your meat into the oil- let them brown and get a little crispy before you turn them over...

Add a little garlic powder, onion powder salt and pepper and cook til' your potatoes are light brown and crispy!

I usually dip mine in mustard and or ketchup! Yummie!

Tears

2009-03-10T09:17:00.001-07:00

I have spent the better part of my morning doing laundry, cleaning, playing with Slayde and Griffin. In between all of that, I have been trying to catch up reading all the blogs that I follow.

I was totally moved by a post from fab photog Scarlet Lilian . http://www.blogger.com/www.scarletlilian.net
She just recently lost her father in his battle with cancer. Her family paid tribute to his life with a celebration. Scarlet made a slideshow documenting his life. I don't know her... or her father... but I sat watching her video with tears streaming down my face. She had a beautiful relationship with her father. It made me a little sad that I don't have that with my own father. My parents are still married- have been for almost 40 years. I live 12 miles from them... see them several times a week... but my father has never been involved in whats going on with his children, seems he has always been busy working, or messing with whatever muscle car project he has going on. Don't get me wrong. He has always provided well for his family. He is a very hard worker, still goes to work everyday doing a job that is very labor intensive. He has had the same job for about 38 years. He has always been there for me when I needed money... a car... dinner... help moving (too many times!). We have never had that close- dad-daughter relationship. I guess we just aren't those kind of people... in touch with our feelings and emotions and such... Thats fine... but I WILL be making the effort to talk to him more- Instead of calling their house and saying "hey, where is mom".

The other blog that has me in tears this morning is http://www.bevinsfamily.blogspot.com/
Kim and her family have suffered the loss of a child at 35 weeks a few years ago- then again last year loosing a baby girl at 28 weeks. They were all set up to adopt a baby girl from a young girl and her boyfriend... spending time with her and her family weekly... the baby was born a few days ago. Kim was in the delivery room, cut the cord. She and her husband had a room in the hospital to stay with the baby. They took the baby home, and within a few hours the birth mother was at their door because she changed her mind. My heart breaks for this family. I can't imagine the pain they have experienced. They have a 5 year old daughter that has also had to suffer the loss of THREE babies in her life. How do you cope? How do you help your young daughter understand? I hope they find some sort of peace. They are in my thoughts.

Boring...

2009-03-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much to say these days apparently! My hubby has decided he needs to be on a diet... Apparently he doesn't understand that I NEED to cook for my blog (haha)! It makes no sense for me to cook some totally delish meal just for myself. Slayde isn't ever interested in eating what I cook unless it is a hamburger or mac and cheese! I have cooked lemon pepper chicken several times because it is really easy and not too bad calorie wise.
I am going to work on this though... I love good food dang it!

On a side note, I got a new PINK laptop... It is so cute! I was going to get a "mini" but Dan talked me out of it. So I let him pick out the specs told him to get whatever he thought I needed- as long as it was pink! heehee

We also bought a new mattress! My back has been killing me lately for some reason. We bought new bedroom furniture when we moved in November- but didn't get new a new mattress... That was a mistake for us... my hubby moves around ALOT while he is sleeping... the old box-spring we had made crazy noise every time he moved- which kept me awake half the night- thinking about my back hurting! I love our new mattress!

We also ordered Slayde a new bed! He is getting bunk beds! His bed now is his crib- converted to a full-size bed. He just needs a little more room in there I think. Plus when we get stationed somewhere else- we will probably be living in post-housing- which means the boys will probably have to share a room (boo-hiss). This was there will be room for both of them! I got him some cute Pirate sheets... I am on the look-out for accessories for his room now!

Spunky Shepherds Pie

2009-02-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

I have never been a big fan of Shepherds pie... truth be known- I don't think I ever had it before.... It never seemed very appealing. Dan made it once or twice before he went to Iraq. I was sitting around trying to think of something different for dinner. I thought I would be a good little wifey and make my honey something I know he likes! I knew the general ingredients in shepherds pie... but I thought it needed a little boost in taste! I think my mission was accomplished! This was yummie!

SHEPHERDS PIE

2lbs Ground Beef

1 Can Mixed Veggies

1/2 Cup Worcestershire Sauce

Hot sauce

1 Medium Onion- diced

8-10 Medium Potatoes- peeled and cubed

garlic powder or salt

1 Cup Sour Cream

2 Cups Mild Shredded Cheese

Peel and cube potatoes. Boil until soft. In the meantime, brown your ground beef. Once thoroughly cooked, drain it. With the little bit of oil left in the bottom of your pan, brown your onion. Once onion is brown and tender return the ground beef to the same pan. Add 1/2 cup worcestershire sauce and several shakes (don't be scared.... I added about 15 shakes to mine- I like it spicy!) hot sauce to the ground beef/onion mixture. Simmer on low.

Once your potatoes are tender- drain them and use your mixer to mash-em! Add 1 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup shredded cheese and garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, and continue to mix until well blended.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Use a non-stick 9x14 pan or grease a glass pan. Put down layer of ground beef mixture, then can of mixed veggies (they don't have to be cooked first). On the top goes your cheesy mashed potatoes. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheddar over the top. Bake for 25-35 mins until cheese is melted and potatoes start to brown!

Cream Cheese Sausage Pinwheels!

2009-02-08T17:38:00.000-08:00

These are super yummie! I am not real sure where the recipe came from, but they are pretty easy to prepare and great to take with you to work to share with co-workers... they will thank you! These are also a big hit at baby showers... or just for your husband on a Saturday morning- because you love him (my husband ate about 3/4 of these... and I let him... because I love him!)

Cream Cheese Sausage Pinwheels

1 Roll Breakfast Sausage

1 Tube Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

1 Pkg Softened Cream Cheese

Brown sausage and drain.

In a large bowl, combine cooked sausage with softened cream cheese.

Remove crescent roll dough from packaging do not separate sections, and roll out into a rectangle, sealing the perforated areas with your fingers- so the cream cheese doesn't oooze out of the cracks!

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the dough in a thin even layer. Roll the dough lengthwise (if you roll from the short side- the pinwheels will be fatter- but you wont get as many!)

Once rolled up- refrigerate for at least 20 mins- or if you are in a hurry like I usually am, put it in the freezer til' firm... this will help the dough keep shape while cutting

Cut in about 1/4" sections and lay on baking sheet. Bake for about 15 mins or until crescent roll is cooked.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-02-06T17:54:00.000-08:00

11 1/2 ounce(s) 60% Cacao Bitter-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup(s) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup(s) sugar
3/4 cup(s) brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla
2 1/4 cup(s) unsifted flour
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

DirectionsHeat oven to 375ºF.
Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at meduim speed until creamy and lightened in color. Add eggs and vanilla, one at a time. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.
Note: The 11 1/2 ouces of 60% Cacao Bitter-Sweet Chocolate Chips can be substituted with any variety of chip flavor (i.e.- Milk Chocolate Chips, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, etc.)

The Pioneer Womans Lasagna

2009-02-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

This recipe came from my Idol Ree- http://www.thepioneerwomancooks.com/ She totally rocks my world! I sooo want to be her when I grow up.

I forgot to take pics of the process (because I was also making chocolate chip cookies while cooking the lasagna!)but wanted to share the recipe anyway!

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 roll breakfast sausage
2 cloves minced garlic
two 14.5-oz cans whole tomatoes
two 6-oz cans tomato paste
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons dried basil
salt
one 10-oz pkg lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups lowfat cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup Kraft Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 lb sliced mozzarella cheese

In a skillet, combine ground beef, sausage and 2 cloves minced garlic. Cook until brown, draining off half the fat. Pour in cans of tomatoes and tomato paste, dried parsley flakes and dried basil and 1tsp salt. Mix together thoroughly and simmer, uncovered about 45 mins, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, boil the lasagna noodles. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp of olive oil to water. Cook the noodles "al dente". When noodles are finished, drain and rinse with cool water, and lay the noodles flat until ready to use.

While meat and noodles are cooking, mix lowfat cottage cheese in a bowl with 2 beaten eggs. Add 1/2 cup Kraft Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes, 1 tsp salt.

Set up your assembly line-
Overlay edges of cooked noodles in the bottom of your pan- covering the bottom. Spread half the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Lay mozzarella cheese over that then spoon tomato sauce mixture over that and repeat the process.

Then top generously with Parmesan cheese.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 mins until hot and bubbly.

I let him win...

2009-02-03T14:35:00.000-08:00

We had my parents over for dinner last night, We had Lasagna and chocolate chip cookies for dessert. We played a friendly game of Trivial Pursuit... My parents had to leave before the game was over but Dan and I finished it out. I let him win... yeah that's it.. I LET him...

Still to come what I cooked yesterday...

Breakfast- Sausage cream cheese pinwheels
Dinner- Lasagna
Dessert- Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lemon Pepper Chicken

2009-01-31T14:44:00.001-08:00

I got this recipe from KellysKorner.blogspot.com.

Kelly is a new mom of a beautiful baby girl Harper who is 2 weeks old. Harper was born with a few medical issues, but is showing major improvements everyday.... I'm not sure how I stumbled across Kelly's blog, but I am glad I did! Kelly seems to be such a strong Christian woman. She is truly an inspiration. She mentioned once that she had over 30,000 hits on her blog in one day!! That's crazy! Harper and Kellys family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Lemon Pepper Chicken
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Lemon Pepper Seasoning
3/4 lb green beans (I use fresh green beans- Kelly prefers canned)
8 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450. Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange lemon slices from 1 lemon in a single layer on the bottom of the dish.

In large bowl combine remaining olive oil, lemon juice of 2nd lemon, garlic, salt and pepper and lemon pepper seasoning if desired. I keep my lemon that has been juiced aside- and scrub my hands with it when done with the whole process. It helps get rid of that strong garlic smell. They will also help your garbage disposal smell better too!

Add green beans and toss to coat. Using tongs, remove green beans and arrange them on top of lemon slices

Add potatoes to same olive oil mixture and coat. Arrange on inside edge of dish on top of the beans.Place chicken in olive oil mixture and coat. Place chicken in dish. Add additional Lemon Pepper seasoning to top of dish (I also just pour all the remaining mixture over everything in the dish- can't hurt!!)

Roast for 40-50 minutes. Remove chicken and continue roasting potatoes/beans if necessary. (yes... I roasted the pan a little too... I baked it in a metal pan the first time I made it and I think it turned out better then.)

Impromptu Photoshoot

2009-01-31T14:32:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this fun site today... I thought I would enter this cute picture of my little man into their weekly contest!
Check out their site!
http://www.iheartfaces.com

Today, my good friend Sunni and her children came by to check out our new house, see how big Griffin has gotten, and to bring Slayde a birthday present. Sunni has recently gotten into photography, so she travels with a few cute little baby props. I wanted to buy a hat like this but I just get sidetracked easily I guess and have never gotten around to it. So when I saw this hat, I HAD to do a little impromptu photo shoot! My house has the worst lighting for "natural light" photography. I set him up on my bed, and because he learned to crawl yesterday, he was HARD to keep down!! The only way I could get him to look at me was to hold my iPhone up playing a video from youtube of him... That was a bit tricky trying to hold a camera and a phone at the same time- PLUS keep Mr. Crawly in place!

This was my favorite shot of out 10 min session! (It is super cute in color too- but the colors in the hat are a little on the girly side...)

Thanks Sunni for spending the day with us and for letting me borrow your hat!!
Landon even got Slayde so tired- he actually took a nap!!
oh... and PS- Thanks to Sunni for also making me a cute little blog header!

Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade Sauce!

2009-01-30T09:29:00.001-08:00

Of course, I am a southern gal... Fried green tomatoes are a truly Southern thang ya'll! I have seen my mom make them before, and have had them at a couple restaurants, most recently in West Virginia on our way home from New York. I found some green tomatoes at the grocery store the other day, and couldn't wait to make some myself for the first time!

One of the times I had Fried Green Tomatoes was at Huey's on River Street. They serve theirs with a "Remoulade" sauce... I had to make a recipe up for some so I could dip em! I love dips and sauces!

I didn't get pictures of any steps along the way- mostly because I couldn't wait to get them cooked and in my belly!!

Fried Green Tomatoes
This Recipe came from the Whistlestop Cafe site... I know you have seen the movie!

3-4 green tomatoes
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 tsp salt & pepper
milk
vegetable oil
Mix together flour, cornmeal, salt & pepper. Add enough milk to create a thick batter. Heat 2 inches of oil in a large skillet. Batter each tomato slice, and wipe off excess. Carefully place in hot oil, browning on both sides. (may or may not need turning, depending on the amount of oil) To cool, drain in a colander or on a papertowel on a place to keep tomatoes from becoming soggy. Salt to taste.

Serve with Remoulade Sauce below or alone- So Good!

Remoulade Sauce

1/2 cup mayonaise
2 tablespoons horseradish (unless you are skeered)
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1/8 cup lemon juice
1 heaping tablespoon sugar
couple sprinkles paprika for color IN the sauce as well on top of finished product

Tomorrow... Lemon Pepper Chicken with Fresh Green Beans and Potatoes

Mmmm French Onion Soup!

2009-01-29T12:24:00.001-08:00

French Onion Soup!

My first blog post...

I had never even tried french onion soup before. I have seen it on the menu at many restaurants, but because of the messy-stringy cheese factor, I have never ordered it. Plus... I don't like to spend money on things I might not like. Boy have I been missing out!

I also thought that because the main ingredient is onions, it shouldn't be that high in calories so to add it to the menu for a first course for dinner would be great to keep us from overindulging on the fattening main course!

This soup is SOOO good! I actually made it 2 nights in a row by request of Dan (who had also never had french onion soup- unless you count what Lipton makes he said!)

I came across a recipe online and thought it might be fun to try. I DID tweak the recipe quite a bit... mabye even to the point that it is not the same at all anymore! But, Hey! I am NOT a by the books kinda gal!

An important element is the proper caramelization of the onions. Caramelizing onions take at least thirty minutes of slow cooking the onions over medium high heat. The browning, or caramelizing, of the onions brings out the sweetness in them.

INGREDIENTS:

4 large red or yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced.
Olive oil
1 tablespoon of sugar
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans of beef stock
1/2 can (plus 3tbsp for caramalizing the onions) water
1/4 cup worcestershire
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon of dry thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices of toasted bread- french- sandwich.. whatever you have on hand!
6-8 slices of Swiss or Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, saute the onions in a small amount (3tbsp) of olive oil and 3tbsp of water on medium high heat until well browned, but not burned, about 30-40 minutes. Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the process to help with the carmelization.

Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the stock, worcestershire bay leaf, and thyme. Cover and simmer until the flavors are well blended, at least 30 minutes or longer it wont hurt for it to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.

To serve you can either use individual oven-proof soup bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish (don't just dump it... it will splash and burn you!!). Cover with the toast and lay cheese to cover top. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned. Serve immediately.

I now need to scour the internet to look for cute little bowls that can withstand 500 degree heat in the oven for individual servings!