Grady and Josiah!

Last week we enjoyed a perfectly sunny day with our perfectly wonderful friends Carla and Josiah! We started out with lunch at our house and then decided to head over to their awesome yard to soak up some Vitamin D! The boys play so well together...they are the best of friends...how convenient for the Mommas!! Thanks for letting us play and for sharing the pics...you guys are one in a million!

....and this is what we do on a night out!!!

Saturday night we went out for one of our friends' birthday! It was a 40th birthday party, so we were all supposed to wear these goofy items...some had noses, some had mustaches, goofy glasses, crazy teeth..on and on! Well anyway, they boys informed me I should put these pics on because I am always showing everyone the goofy things they do....so here ya go...enjoy!

Julie and I sportin' some very beautiful looks!

I love my honey's teeth...and my 'stache isn't so bad either!

Night Skiing at Steven's Pass!

Last Friday night, we headed up to Steven's Pass to do some night skiing!! We had an awesome time....and we all slept really well that night! We arrived just a little after 3:00 and didn't leave until almost 9:30! Needless to say we lost a couple of little fellas before getting home!! Both of the boys skiied great...this was Grady's third official time out, and he did fantastic! He mainly held Shawn's hand, but every once in a while he would let go and away he would go! He never wanted to stop...I think he would have kept going if Shawn could have kept up!! Gabe and I spent most of the time together....or at least we would start out at the top together, but at some point Gabe would speed off without me!! He was always waiting on me at the lift and he was always sure to tell me exactly how much faster than me he was!! I'm thinking this is probably only the beginning of me being left behind!!! Shawn and Gabe did hit a few blues while Grady and I kept a couple of chairs warm in the lodge....Gabe is improving every time we go...it is amazing how fast he has caught on! It is hard to believe we learned at the same time---he is about 100 times better than me.....I think having no fear helps a ton! The plan is to hit the slopes again in a couple of weeks for my birthday!!! Can't wait!
Gabe and I on the lift!

Grady and Shawn ready for a run!

Mom and Gabe....this is always how we start...together...but before long, I will be eating Gabe's dust!!!

Taking a break...mmmm hot chocolate!

Getting Crafty!

Last Tuesday...otherwise known as Grady's and my Lazy Day....he was feeling sorta crafty, so I got out some magnet kits I had and we got Crafty!! He pretty much did everything himself, except for the teeny tiny dots on the penguin and the bear! He had such a good time...he couldn't wait for them to dry and get them in use!!

For Erin!

So, my beautiful sister-in-law Erin (check her out on my blog list) has asked me and several others for simple and yummy recipes...we are to share them on our blog and then she will share with others! By going to her blog you will be able to link off to several other yummy recipes...so bear with me...there are going to be several recipes on here...but you never know you may just find one you like!



Chunky Tomato Pasta Bake



6 oz. uncooked rigatoni pasta

1 lb. ground beef

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with green pepper and onion (DelMonte Brand)

1 (10 oz) can of Cream of Mushroom soup

1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese



Cook pasta according to the directions, drain. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a large skillet, and drain. Combine meat, pasta, tomatoes, and soup in a 11x7 baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and top with cheese. Bake an additional 3 minutes or until cheese has melted.



Beefy Hash Brown Bake



4 cups shredded hash browns

3 T. vegetable oil

1/8 t. black pepper

1# ground beef

1 cup water

1 envelope brown gravy mix

1/2 t. garlic salt

2 cups frozen mixed veggies

1 small can french fried onions, divided

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided



In a bowl, combine the hash browns, oil and pepper. Press into a greased 8" square baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet brown the hamburger and drain. Stir in water, gravy mix and garlic salt. Bring to a boil ; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add veggies, cook and stir for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 of the cheese and 1/2 of the onions, and pour over the hash browns. Bake for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and onions and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.



Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes



2# Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and quartered

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Salt and Pepper, to taste



Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and mash. Mix in the milk using a potato masher or mixer until fluffy. Stir in the sour cream and chives and season with salt and pepper.



Lemon and Garlic Chicken



1 roasting chicken (whole)

Kosher Salt

Ground black pepper

1 bunch of fresh thyme

1 lemon

4 cloves of garlic

2 T. butter, melted

5 slices of bacon



Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Place the chicken in a roasting pan or baking dish. Salt and pepper the outside and inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, 1 lemon and the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the melted butter. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine to keep the thyme, lemon and garlic inside the chicken. Lay the bacon slices over the top of the chicken. Roast the chicken for 1 hour. Remove the bacon slices from the top of the chicken and discard. Continue roasting the chicken for 30 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Let rest 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

5 cups water
2 (10oz.) cans condensed creamy chicken mushroom soup
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (9-10 oz) bag of frozen mixed veggies
1 t. seasoned pepper (I use steak seasoning for the grill!)
1 1/2 cups dried egg noodles

In a crock pot gradually stir the water into the soup. Stir or whisk until smooth. Stir in cooked chicken, frozen vegetables, and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. After cooking for 6-8 hours, turn the crock pot to high and add the noodles. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes, until the noodles are tender.

Slow Cooked Country-Style Pork Ribs

2-3 lbs. boneless pork country-style ribs
1 cup ketchup
8 ounces coke
Salt and Pepper

Combine ketchup and coke. Season ribs with salt and pepper and place ribs in crock pot. Pour coke mixture over ribs. Cover and cook for 2 hours on HIGH, then cook for 3-4 hours on LOW. Baste occasionally if desired.

Parmesan Chicken

4-6 thin chicken cutlets (or buy regular breasts and pound them to 1/4" thick)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
2 eggs
1 T. water
1 1/4 seasoned bread crumbs (or if using plain, add some italian seasonings.)
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese
butter
olive oil

Combine flour, salt and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 T. water. On a third plate combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Coat the chicken on both sides with the flour, then dip in the egg and dredge through the bread crumbs, pressing lightly. Heat 1 T. butter and 1 T. olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 breasts on med-low heat for 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil, if necessary, and cook the rest of the chicken.

Tomatillo Chicken Chili

2-3 T. Vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs. ground chicken
1 small white onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 serrano chili
1 T. ground cumin
2 t. ground coriander
1 t. salt
1 lb. tomatillos
1 can white beans
1 can(4oz) mild green chilies
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat large soup pot with vegetable oil over med-high heat. Add ground chicken when hot. Meanwhile, dice onion and garlic. Finely mince serrano chili. After chicken has been cooking for about 5 minutes add onion and continue cooking breaking up chicken every couple of minutes. Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse to remove sticky coating. When chicken has been cooking with the onions for about 3 minutes, add garlic, serrano, cumin, coriander and salt. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Roughly chop tomatillos. Add tomatillos to meat. Place lid on the pot and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse white beans. Drain chilies and finely chop. Chop cilantro. After tomatillos have been cooking for 10 minutes, add beans and green chilies along with chicken broth. Cover with lid and bring to boil. Remove lid and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 8 minutes until chili has thickened and liquid has reduced slightly. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Top with sour cream and cheese if desired.

Whole Oven Barbecued Chicken

2 small lemons
1/2 barbecue sauce
1 t. italian seasoning
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 whole chicken

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grate 1/2 t. lemon zest, set aside. Cut lemons in half; squeeze juice into a small bowl. Set aside lemon halves for a later use. Add barbecue sauce and seasoning to the lemon juice; mix well. Place chicken in baking pan. Place 2 of the lemon halves and the garlic cloves inside the cavity of chicken. Rub skin of chicken with remaining 2 lemons halves and discard. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Bake 1 hour and 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, brushing with the barbecue sauce mixture every 5 minutes during the last 20 minutes of baking time. Sprinkle with the reserved lemon zest the last 5 minutes.

Honey Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin (1 lb.)
1/4 cup catalina dressing
1 t. chili powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. dry mustard
1/2 t. paprika
1/4 t. dried thyme leaves
1 T. honey

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush meat with 2 T. of the dressing. Mix dry ingredients; rub onto the meat. Place in baking pan. Mix remaining 2 T. of dressing and the honey; set aside. Bake 15 minutes; brush with dressing mixture. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cooked through (160 degrees). Remove meat from oven; cover with foil. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Roasted Red Potatoes with Bacon and Cheese

1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped bacon
2 lbs. small red potatoes, quartered
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix dressing, cheese and bacon bits in a large bowl. Add potatoes; toss lightly. Spoon into lightly greased 13x9" baking dish, cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake an additional 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

Creamy Baked Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
6 slices american cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup milk
Instant stuffing mix (Stove Top, any flavor)

Put chicken in a greased 9x13" baking dish. Place cheese slice over each piece of chicken. Combine soup and milk in a blender and pour over chicken. Cook the stuffing according to package directions and sprinkle over the chicken. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Cover, then bake at 250 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.

Sausage French Bread Pizza

1 loaf french bread
Creamy Italian dressing
1 lb. italian sausage, cooked
1 small can olives, drained
1 red pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 small bunch of broccoli, chopped
canned mushrooms
jalepenos
diced canadian bacon
mozzarella cheese
** Basically anything you would like on a pizza...you would like on here!

Cut bread in half horizontally; place on a baking sheet. Spread cut sides with dressing. Sprinkle with toppings. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into serving size pieces.

Hello Ellensburg!

Saturday we headed to some new territory! We have done quite a few adventures since we first moved here 2 and a half years ago....so, it is getting pretty tough to anything new close to home! So, our adventures usually require somewhat of a drive, but a drive through the snowy mountains was a pleasure! We drove past Snoqualmie Pass and all of us said at the same time, "We should have packed our ski gear!" But, unfortunately, we have all been suffering with colds and runny noses...hopefully we are better by next Friday---we are planning on going night skiing!! Okay, back to Ellensburg...so, we started off at this HUGE antique store and fruit market. I found all kinds of things I loved....I even managed to get away with an early birthday present....thank goodness we have the Armada....you'll see why in a later pic!

After shopping our way through the antiques, we made our way downtown to a little cafe! The whole town gave us the small town feel Shawn and I both grew up with....Ellenburg is a great little town, nestled in the Cascades....lots of small town shops and eats....you could walk the whole downtown in less than 10 minutes....now that's my kind of town!

And did I mention the buildings?? They were awesome...the cafe we ate in had the old time tin ceilings and decorative mouldings! Here the boys and I are in the "Historic Downtown"

In the center of the square was this huge bull....what visit to Ellensburg wouldn't be complete without a picture of this! On the way out of town, we hit a coffee shop and I'm sure irritated a couple of locals when the "City Folk" went through the wrong way! Oh well, I love to leave my mark on each place I visit!

So, this was my big find....It was a steal! And what a deal....my guys let me have part of my birthday early! I was so indecisive...I spotted it when I first walked up the steps to the second level and just sort of hint/mentioned how great that would look in the house! Well, I went back and forth about a hundred times before Shawn finally said, "Alright, so we are buying it" and marched off to find the gal! I love that he can make decisions....and I think the 3 of them were also getting a little hungry and started wondering how long I could ponder such a decision! Anywho, It fit in the back of the Army and home it came! Unfortunately, my first spot, the one it was "perfect" for, it did not fit....I guess when looking for our new house I'll have to look for the house that fits my new favorite thing!! HA!

Seahawks!!!

For Christmas we gave the boys tickets to the final Seahawks game of the season......they could hardly wait for yesterday to come!! We arrived pretty early to the game...which actually worked out to our advantage....parking was cinch, traffic was no problem and we even got to watch the "SeaGals" perform a couple of dance routines! We all had an incredible time....I don't think the boys will forget this! Shawn and I really enjoyed the game, but I think we had more fun watching the boys take it all in! When we first got inside the stadium, Gabe was on a total high....he was pointing everywhere saying, "Did you see that!" or "Oh cool! Check that out!" He was on cloud nine! And Grady he just took it all in....we were in a very vocal section.....thankfully he carefully chose what to repeat!! He would cup his hands around his mouth and yell "Defense" or "Offense" all at the appropriate times! Their favorite part was when the Seahawks players would raise their arms...wanting the crowd to make more noise....the boys went wild!!!
It was fan appreciation day as well....everyone got a free hot dog and water! Can't beat that!! So we bought some hot links and soda to go along with.....yes, a very healthy and pyramid friendly lunch!! HA!

Lovin' us some hot links!!

Grady kept asking the whole way to the game about getting a foam finger...thank goodness we found one....I think it would have been a deal-ender had we not!

Getting ready for some FOOTBALL!!!

Here they come!!!!

THE SEAHAWKS!!!

And as luck would have it we were sitting in some winning seats!!! They announced that everyone in row T in 319 was receiving a free XBOX game...whoo hoo! So, we don't have an XBOX, but it's still a blast to win!! If ya got an XBOX and would like a game...let us know!

We're Home!

We had a wonderfully, snowy, family-filled Kansas Christmas! We arrived back in Washington around midnight on Tuesday night...Wednesday morning, and since then we have been VERY lazy! Pretty much the only really constructive thing we have gotten accomplished was we took down the Christmas decorations today! Other than that we went and watched Alvin and The Chipmunks and played Wii Big Game Hunter!! I'm not kidding we have pretty much hunted the last 2 days away....each one of us is hooked! Grady has even taken a try or two! Gpa Glen bought the game for the boys, but the whole family has really enjoyed it! Thankfully we have almost conquered what is possible...so life will be able to return to normal!

We had an awesome trip....we saw all of our family and enjoyed laughing and catching up with everyone! We got to enjoy....once we were safely in Fredonia, a very white Christmas! Had the chance to catch up with some friends, look at some houses in the Towanda area, and even had the time to squeeze in some Playa Azul! Oh, how we miss that restaurant!! It was a fantastic visit....it was really hard to leave this time and head "home"! Happy New Year!!!