Tasty Tasty

I cook nearly everyday, and I dont save the awesome stuff for just Tuesdays, so I decided to just call these posts "Tasty Tasty". Why not?

Anyways, I have been perusing pinterest.com every single day...I'm obsessed. There are so many awesome ideas on there, it can keep my attention for hours.

I came across some awesome looking potatoes and thought I'd give it a try tonight since I had all the ingredients and they would go great with the pork roast that I was making.

The Ingredients:

4 potatoes (or however many)
Olive Oil (I use Extra Virgin)
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Minced Garlic (totally optional)


The Instructions:

This goes without saying but, clean your potatoes thoroughly. Then dry them and lay each one on its flattest side. Next, take your time and make slices all along the potato. Go as far down as you can manage without cutting all the way through, and try to keep each slice like 3 to 4mm apart.

Note: This is just the way I flavored them, you can probably do whatever you want to these according to your tastes.

Next put bits of butter into each slice of the potato (or every other piece), I decided to put the garlic on only one potato just in case it didn't taste too good and I just put a tiny bit into every third slice. Next drizzle the olive oil over each potato, shake salt and pepper over them after that.

Stick the potatoes on an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet and put them in the oven to cook at 425 for about an hour, or until they look crispy and brown.

The Final Product and Verdict:

I originally put them in the over for only 45 minutes as directed on the website I found but I think an hour would have been better. The insides weren't as tender to me as I would have liked them.

The Husband said: "Babe, you should really cook potatoes like this every single day."
Max said: "Mom, I dont really like the potatoes." (hes not a fan of any potato)
Bella said: "Mine? Yummy!"

Overall they were a hit and I will make them again. I should have taken pictures of the pork roast because THAT got rave reviews from all three of my test subjects!

Try it and let me know how it goes!
Talk  to you soon,
J

Tasty Tuesday

Chicken & Dumplings Edition

I love my Crock Pot. Seriously...I love it, if I wasn't so timid when it came to trying new recipes I would cook in it every day.


So when a friend of mine sent me a super easy recipe for chicken & dumplings I just had to try it.

The Ingredients:

4 halves of boneless skinless chicken breast so, two chicken breasts cut in half. (I cubed mine to make it into bite size pieces.)
2 cans of condensed cream of chicken soup
2 10 ounce cans of refrigerated biscuit dough (I could only fine 7 ounce cans so I just used three of those and didn't use one biscuit.)
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion finely chopped

Note: I added some fresh cracked black pepper like halfway through cooking.

The Directions:

1.Put all ingredients in the crock pot EXCEPT the biscuits. Add water to just covering all the ingredients.Turn the cooker on to high and cook for 5 1/2 hours.

Note: If it seems as if its too watery, have patience, the biscuits will make it thicker really fast!

2. Add the biscuit dough in pieces (I tore each biscuit into four pieces and rolled them into balls) and cook for another half an hour until the center of the biscuits are no longer raw in the center.

Note: Stir the dumplings about halfway into the final half hour and before serving.

The Final Product:

I know today is Wednesday but I didn't have time to write this post yesterday.

This meal was a major hit! The husband isn't a fan of dumplings but he trusted me when I said these are different. They aren't as doughy as real dumplings since they're made from biscuits. Even my kids gobbled it up, and they're the hardest to please!

I think this is an excellent recipe for colder weather and its super filling so a little goes a long way!

Talk to you soon,
J

Slacker...

I sucked at Halloween this year.

I have already confessed to being a major planner...I plan nearly everything that way I'm not being stunned by surprises every day. For some reason though this month was kinda outta whack for me. I had a plan in mind for our family Halloween costumes and was fully intent on making everything because I am totally capable...but then the time flew by. So Max ended up as Darth Vadar cause he loves Star Wars and really wanted a pretty legit light saber and Bella ended up as our Baby Bumble Bee...as in the song (hahaha). Now of course they looked as cute as ever but I was still slightly bummed that we didn't end up in coordinating costumes. (Last year we were all pirates and Baby Bella was our parrot) I already told myself though that we will end up dressed next year like I wanted us this year. Luckily I have a husband that is happy to make me happy and knows how special some things are to me, and Halloween is definitely one of those things.

I did learn a lesson though. Things will not always go the way you want them to go. I am constantly struggling (but always learning) with letting go of all the control. I don't know how I got this way but I think it is just one of the things that happened to me when I started having kids. Luckily I don't throw fits or get angry when things go different than what I had planned...I just take a few breaths and go with the flow. 

I'm very happy though that we were able to do every thing I wanted to do aside from the costumes. October is filled with so many fun things that I love to enjoy with me children and my husband. We went to school functions, we found an awesome Pumpkin Patch, we picked pumpkins, we baked Halloween cakes and cookies, we made fun Halloween magnets and did a few other crafts, and we went Trick or Treating at our local ghost town, my moms work and around a few of our friends streets and our own.

Even when things don't seem to turn out perfectly, I always look back and see how really, things were perfect.

Enjoy a few pictures!

Talk to you soon,
J

Thankful Thursdays - 35

This month has positively FLOWN by!
Even as fast as time goes by I still like to take the time to be thankful for what my life has been blessed with!

317. I'm thankful for Gabriella's vocabulary. I don't know if it's coincidence or not but ever since we got a handle on the thumb sucking she started talking so much more! She has her own little language but all that matters is that we understand her.

318. I'm thankful for the pride on Max's face when he knows he has accomplished something. It makes me that much more proud to see how proud he is of himself.

319. I'm thankful that all the praying I did for Gabriella really mattered. Aside from having a completely healthy baby and all that, I wanted so badly to have a little girl that would enjoy the girly things in life and she so does.

320. I'm thankful for all the time I've been able to spend at home. Being able to cook dinner for my family nearly every night and be able to give baths and read books before bed is a blessing. This time with my kids being little is short and I must soak up every second.

321. I am thankful for the few moments of silence I get. While Max is at school and Bella takes her nap I get about two hours of the most blissful quiet time. Sometimes I read, sometimes I watch TV, most times I clean, and a few times I've halfway slept....so I rested lol.

What are you thankful for this week?
Talk to you soon
J

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things...Part Two

It's been a while since I've just blogged about something fun. I've been barely fitting my TOAT's into my crazy days. So I thought I would do a Part Two to a fun blog I did a long time ago called These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things...Part One. 

I never ever thought I would like sushi. I was never even down to try it because the idea of eating it grossed me out. My husband on the other hand is a huge sushi fan. He pretty much loves any food so this isn't something that came as a shock to me. 

One day earlier this year my brother Hugo and his wife Sandy were here from Northern California and they told us about this sushi place that was so good. My sister in law, with the help of Ryan, totally talked me into trying it. So we headed out and went to Samurai Sushi. It's a cozy little place with a nice comfy atmosphere. I was naturally skeptical when I was looking at the menu, but with the guidance of Ryan, Hugo, and Sandy I made my choices. It turns out...I love sushi. Not I don't just love it, I'M OBSESSED. Ryan was just teasing me the other day because he said if anyone asks me what my favorite food is and I don't say sushi then I'm lying. I could seriously eat it every single day. Too bad we dont have a place here in Barstow where I could eat it more often. 

Netflix is another thing that that I absolutely LOVE. Although their prices have been raised and its slightly more expensive that it has been, for me its worth it.

I am not really a movie person because there is hardly ever a two hour time span that I can just sit down and watch a movie, so I never actually buy them. Having Netflix I've been able to watch movies on our Wii or XBox and the ones that I can't watch like that I get in the mail super quick. Another amazing thing that Netflix does is allow me to watch every single episode of any (I think) show I can think of. There have been a few different series that I have been able to watch all the way through because Netflix has it. Just recently (well it took me a few months) I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I just love having the access to all the things I want to see.

Something that I am loving right now for my kids is the Scholastic Book Program. I don't really know exactly what to call it, but I'm sure you all remember getting order forms sent home from school for your parents to order books for you. Max is now getting these order forms and I love it! 

The prices for most of the books are pretty fair, we recently ordered 12 books and paid between one and three dollars for each book. I even got a book, Days With Frog and Toad, that my mom bought for me when she was pregnant with me and has since been lost. Our house is full of budding and experienced readers. We read every single day to our kids and they really enjoy it. I am slowly building a library for them and hope to get them an awesome sling book shelf for all of them. Now that I think about it I can't wait for the next order form!! 

I'll talk to you soon,

J

Thankful for Growth

I talk ALL THE TIME about how fast my kids are growing. Most of the time the focus is on Max because he is at an age where milestones are slapping me in the face on a weekly basis. And this week was no exception.

As you already know, when it comes to some things...I have control issues. I'm not ashamed to admit it because I don't see anything wrong with it. Max barely started wiping his own booty about six months ago or so...I didn't want to let him wipe his own booty from the jump because then he would have left himself...dirty, for lack of a better word. Most of the time I still make him drink from a sippy cup if we aren't sitting at the table to eat, because I'd rather not have him spill his drink on the carpets, and I have this rule with all kids in my house, not just Max. Getting to my point though, I also still wash Max when he is in the bath. Some of my friends have been letting their kids wash themselves since like four years old...and I just couldn't bring myself to do that. I like the thought of my children REALLY being clean when they get out of the tub. So Ryan and I decided that since Max is halfway to being six we were going to start teaching him how to take SHOWERS...and last night was night one. At first I was fine, I showed him how all the knobs worked and which one was hot, cold, and shower. I showed him the proper way to wash his hair and his body. Ryan came in and showed him how to clean his private areas. I helped him out and he was drying himself off and in jammies in no time.

It was when I sat down on the couch and was telling Max that since he is getting older he is going to be learning how to do a lot more on his own, that I got the tears in my eyes. I started telling him things that he would be doing on his own like showering, putting away his laundry (more often), and when I got to "and when you turn six you dont have to sit in a booster seat anymore", the tears came. Now of course I wasn't crying hysterically cause then Max would have thought I went and lost my marbles, but they were coming steady hahaha. Then he had to go and ask if he could sit in the front next to me and I said "no buddy, the rules are no kids in the front seat under 12 years old" and I realized how fast 12 is going to come.

My kids growing is a blessing. I wouldn't ask for God to keep them small or anything like that because I love seeing progress. I love knowing that it is my (and everyone else that loves them) nurturing and care that causes the growth and change. I just ask that the memories of my children growing and changing stay with me for the rest of my life. I pray that the moments that I treasure right now will still be in my memory when I am old.

I'll talk to you soon,
J

Thankful Thursdays - 34

After a long (well long for me) vacation with my husband, I am back at home and back to our regularly scheduled programming. So I woke up this morning excited to do my TOAT and share with you guys how thankful I am for everything in my life.


311. I'm thankful that we got through our flights safely and easily. I absolutely hate to fly but I do see the benefits of getting to your destination in a pretty timely manner, compared to driving haha! I prayed the whole way...and yeah some of it was even out loud. Good thing Ryan was sitting next to me or I may have got some funny looks.

312. I'm thankful that we were able to do every single thing that I had planned for us and then some. We loved Graceland and the Civil Rights Museum. And Ryan got an extra little surprise when we got to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. I knew that would make him so happy!

313. I'm thankful that I was able to be there for Kattie and Brian's wedding. It was in a beautiful location (minus the bees and stuff since Ryan's allergic). I loved spending time with them and especially loved spending time with Jayden and Bentley.

314. I'm extra thankful for my mom and brothers who watched the kids the whole time we were gone. Even with all the things that come with baby sitting a 21 month old and a kindergartener they still did everything that I asked.

315. I am the most thankful though that I am back at home, where I belong, with my children. A vacation is always nice, especially since they're few a far between...oh wait that was our first, our next is probably not going to be for a very long time! I missed my kids like crazy after the second day and couldn't wait to be home with them again but I knew that I needed to soak up the alone time I was getting with my husband, so I did.

316. I'm also thankful for the time Ryan and I were able to spend just laughing together. I was reminded how funny my husband is. I never really forgot but there isn't always time everyday for him to just make me laugh so hard I cry...but with 5 days of just the two of us most of the time he managed to ruin my makeup a bunch of times.

So what are you thankful for this week?
Talk to you soon,
J