Kasey's Cookies

We're still alive, I promise.  Just busy and exhausted.  Tonight I took the night off from unpacking, organizing, etc. and wrote in the girls' journals instead.  I thought about blogging, but I really wanted to write a couple of things in the journals that they have said or done that I didn't want to ever forget.  I hope they enjoy reading them when they get older. 

Next week I hope to start back with my blog.  I've been cooking, but have no time to get a picture taken and no time to sit and blog.  We have a storage pod coming on Saturday and once that is unloaded, we will be really close to being moved in.   But I've definitely missed it.  We are all doing well.  The girls are enjoying school.  Today Emilie actually reached out for the teacher when we got there and there was no crying.  It broke my heart, kind of!  :)  Aubrie is learning about Adam and Eve and the sneaky snake.  In bible study on Wednesdays she has been learning about baby Moses.  I'm so blessed she is learning about God and the bible at such a young age.  This morning she woke up and on the monitor I could hear her singing "This is the day that the Lord has made."  So sweet.  :)

Lucky for me, my sister-in-law, Kasey said she would share a recipe and I'm so thankful for her help to fill in.  I hope you enjoy her recipe, it sounds like a good one!!  Enjoy!

Love to all!!

My name is Kasey Walker and I'm a stay-at-home mommy to my 14 month old, Lindsey.  I was a teacher for 9 years and have been married to Robbie, Kellie's older brother, for nearly 7 years.  I enjoy baking and I'm crazy about couponing.  It's so fun to save money! 

Karen's Chocolate Chip Cookies
This chocolate chip cookie recipe is my mom's.  She has been known for these cookies as long as I can remember, and I'm sure she's burned up a few mixers making them so many times.  She would take these cookies to just about every church or family function we attended.  My little brother, Kirk, requests these cookies for every birthday, and my dad always swipes a few right after they come out of the oven.  He enjoys them with cold milk poured into a glass mug that he's kept in the freezer for special occasions like these fresh-baked, warm cookies.  I hope you enjoy! 

1 c. shortening               
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 1/2 c. light brown sugar (packed)
5 c. all purpose flour 
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1 c. margarine, softened
3 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. chopped nuts  (we usually use pecans)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix thoroughly shortening, margarine, sugars, eggs, and vanilla with electric mixer.  Add flour 1 cup at a time while mixing.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Form dough into balls about the size of a ping pong ball.  Place balls onto a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.  The trick is not to over bake them.  Cool slightly before removing from pan.  Makes about 5 dozen cookies.  You can easily freeze dough into logs wrapped tightly with wax paper.  Defrost, slice and bake. 

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Pumpkin Muffins

Hello all!  After the movers showed up five hours late, we are moved in and exhausted!  I can't wait to share pictures of progress made and especially pictures of my HUGE KITCHEN!!!  :)  I cried the first meal here because I was overwhelmed with happiness and blessings.  I love this house.  I'll share more later, though.

Aubrie likes her room.  She likes to run around and even brought her tricycle inside to ride it around.  She and Emilie yell AH! back and forth because it echoes.  Emilie didn't cry when I dropped her off at school on Thursday.  She just let me hand her over and she watched me walk off.  I could've cried if I thought about it. 

Now on to my guest blogger, Jenny Conkle Oliver.  Jenny played basketball at Belmont and married her sweetheart, Dan Oliver who played basketball at Belmont as well.  Jenny is a talented Elementary teacher who grew up in Indiana and I always think of her this time of year.  She loves the fall and she does some pretty cool stuff with pumpkins.  She is sharing her pumpkin muffin recipe with you all and I HIGHLY recommend it!

Dan and Jenny

Their sweet puppy Rio

Pumpkin Muffins

from Jenny Oliver

1 can pumpkin (small can)
1/4 cup of water
1 box spice cake mix (carrot cake works too.)

Cook for 15-18 min at 350
Muffins will be soft and yummy.  She sometimes adds dark chocolate chips to the batch and they are extra yummy as mini muffins. 

Yummy! 

Happy Fall ya'll!!!

Love to all!
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My dog ate my homework.

Aubrie will legitimately get to use that excuse at the age of 2.  We came home from dinner and he shredded her black and white collage and did some serious damage to her school folder.  Horrible dog.  Horrible. 

We went out to eat (of course) and then ran to Target for a couple of things.  We HAD to look at some of the Halloween stuff.  Aubrie loved it.  She found these hats and made me wear one.  Then she sat down and wanted her picture taken.

She looks like a miner.  She said the hat was just like Gram's.  Mom, do you have a sparkly cowgirl hat I don't know about?

We are packing still.  Controlled packing, not frantic.  Thursday is my REAL day off where both girls are at school and I don't have another commitment, so I'm hoping that after a couple of errands, I can really make a dent in the kitchen, laundry room, and our room. 

I thought I would share a few memories in this house about home improvement.  Kids, pay attention.  Make sure when you buy your first home, you don't buy a fixer upper if you have never fixed up anything and if you married an accountant.  My love can do some serious number crunching and taxes, but please don't have him do crown moulding.

Projects gone wrong:
(I'm laughing hysterically just thinking of some)

Adam tried to open the nursery window when I was pregnant with Aubrie a couple of months before she was due and he ended up big-boying it and bending the frame and broke the window.  We ended up replacing all our windows.

Removing wallpaper.  Sticky, time consuming, painful.

Installing the dishwasher.  It took Steve Drabyn, Nick Otis, and Adam (that's 3 bachelor degrees, 3 master degrees, and a law degree) about 4 hours to hook it up.  Way too long.

Installing the refrigerator that broke 2 days after I brought Aubrie home from the hospital.  Dad and Adam put a couple of nicks in the floor doing that one. 

Installing a dryer after ours broke and finding out it was venting to the crawlspace this whole time and causing moisture to build up 2 days after I brought Emilie home from the hospital.

Painting and hanging shutters.  Thanks Dad.

Hanging a new ceiling fan in dining room.  Thanks Andrew.

Bath tub drain leaking and putting a hole in the drywall above washer and dryer.  Thanks Andrew.

Re-seal the aggregate driveway.  THAT was some hard work.  And it was hot.  Never again.

Adam sawing a hole in the garage ceiling to put up an attic door and realizing he had it in the wrong place and then sawing another hole in the ceiling.

My mom was here visiting and half my outlets stopped working and we called the electrician to come out and all he did was push the reset button on an outlet on the other side of the room.  That was an expensive button push.

And THEN, there is my favorite.  We wanted to get rid of the box light in the kitchen and put up track lighting.  We had popcorn ceilings so Adam said he'd scrape and sand the ceiling.  I agreed.  I had class that evening and left him in charge of the job.  He said Andrew was coming over to help.  I got home and the entire house (ENTIRE HOUSE) was covered with white powder.  Not only did they sand the kitchen ceiling, they did the eat in kitchen ceiling too!  AND the clothes that they had taped to the doorways to keep dust from getting in the rest of the house didn't stay taped up, but they continued to work anyways.  I can honestly say that THAT was the one time I truly flipped out.  FLIPPED OUT!  I couldn't believe the mess they made and the dust that traveled into every single room.  I went upstairs and locked myself in the guest bedroom and after Andrew left, Adam and I discussed the happenings through the door.  I only locked myself in the room to cool off, not for his safety.  (yeah right.)

I can laugh about it now.

But then there are the projects that DID go well and made our house a home:

A flower bed in the backyard around our tree that Aubrie and I love.

A swing in the backyard.

And all the projects that we paid OTHER people to do.  :)

Adam and I are cracking up.  I am crying because it is so funny.  We can't name ANY projects that he and I did that went smoothly or didn't require us to call a professional after we spent an entire weekend trying to do it ourselves and making matters worse. 

Ohhhh, I love this house for the memories.  But that is about it.  We made it a home.  Now we have a new one.  New on several levels.  It's newer.  It's in WAY better shape, and it has all the bells and whistles that I have been wishing for several years.  We're so blessed and lucky to be moving.  Thank you to all our friends and family who helped us make this old house a home and we can't wait to make new memories in our new house. 

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Have you seen the....

Lately I can't find anything.  Either that, or I need something and it is packed and I'm doing without.  Adam and I have been packing and we have different methods.  He throws stuff in a box and labels it junk and I pack things up, throw things away, or make a goodwill pile and label things.  He's been telling me that when it is "Honey, just throw junk in a box, let's go!" time, he will shine.  So he's my transporter.  He's on standby to carry boxes down the stairs and into the garage.  It's weird seeing walls without pictures and rooms without furniture.  I'm very eager to make this new house a home.

There are some things I'll miss about this house.  Mostly memories.  A LOT has happened in the past 6 years here.  We were newly weds, Petey was a puppy, brought home two beautiful daughters, and did many character building projects.  I would like to say both girls learned how to walk in this house, but Emilie isn't showing any signs of taking off by Friday.  We'll just have to make that the first big memory in our new house.

Besides packing, sorting, and cleaning, nothing much is going on here.  Minimal cooking.  Nothing to share with you all.  Costco pizza is on the menu tonight.  Last night Kroger made us a rotisserie chicken.  We also have a frozen pasta meal in the freezer for later this week.  I'm anxious to get back to cooking.  My friend Jenny has agreed to do some guest blogging with some delicious pumpkin recipes.  You will love her dishes.  Hopefully I'll have a couple of guest recipes to share to fill in the gaps while I am busy moving.  I will leave you now with a couple of good Aubrie quotes.

"Hey dad, How's it goin?" as she climbed up in Adam's lap for bedtime stories

"Hey!  What's going on in there?" as she walked upstairs to get ready for a bath.

"Aubrie pretty,too."  "Aubrie do it, too."  "Aubrie eating, too. See?" To anything where we are complimenting Emilie and she's not getting attention.

"Hey babe, you ok?" to me as I came inside after picking up toys Petey drug outside with a disgusted look on my face.

"No Emmie, that's not you.  Here.  Play with this." to Emilie whenever she tries to take Aubrie's toys.

"It's ok mom, drink your juice." to me as I was laying flat on my back on the floor after going for a run.

"I am with you always.  Matthew 28:20." is her bible verse she memorized for bible study. 

She also likes me to lay down next to her when she is about to take a nap and I used to sing Jesus Loves Me (all 3 verses) to her, but now she rubs my shoulder or back and sings it to me.  :)

"No scratching, Bud." to Petey when he starts scratching himself. 

Kids are fun.  Love to all!

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Snickerdoodles

Watch out June Cleaver!!  That's right.  I'm taking over.  While the girls were at school today I managed to:
Get diapers at Costco
Vacuum
Clip Petey's nails
Do 4 loads of laundry
Clean the kitchen
Make snickerdoodles
Re-Clean the kitchen
Pack of most of Emilie's room

And finally (the best part)...
Pick them up from school with a warm snickerdoodle and sippy cups full of milk.

Ta-da!!

The problem lately is when I pick them up for school, they are thirsty and then when we get home they are hungry.  And THEN they want to nap.  So I decided to have drink and snack ready so that all we had to do when we got home was to set our things down, take a couple more swigs of milk, and then head upstairs for a nap.  They aren't napping at school so they nap when they get home.  :) 

photos courtesy of ADAM MARK!

Snickerdoodles

mom's recipe

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup crisco
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt

Separately: 2 Tbsp sugar mixed with 2 tsp cinnamon

Mix the soft margarine, crisco and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and then add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.  Batter will be moist.  Roll into balls and then roll the balls around in the cinnamon and sugar mix and then place on cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 for 8-9 minutes.  The tops will crackle. 

It was a cooler day today in Nashville.  Both girls have on fleece pajamas tonight.  It is actually Christmas tonight in our house because Emilie is wearing Santa pajamas.  They are hand-me-downs from Aubrie.  :)

I let the girls play outside a little, but not too much since they didn't have warm enough clothes on. 

Aubrie likes to lay down and look at the clouds

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First day of Bible Study

Today was our first day of bible study.  We were supposed to meet last week, but there was a mix up at the church and it was pushed back to this week.  This year I am co-teaching the Green Lamb class.  A group of 15 lovely 4 year olds.  How it works is that on Tuesday, while the girls are at MDO, I go to bible study and preparation for myself.  All the teachers get together and go over the lesson and prepare for the next day.  Then on Wednesdays, I help teach the green lambs and then we stay 30 minutes later and listen to the lecture/sermon while our children eat lunch and play. 

This year Aubrie gets to do the lessons and participate.  Today she learned about who God is and a little about Moses.  Her teachers are Miss Melody and Mrs. Janna.  She had a blast.  As a matter of fact, we ran into each other in the hallway and she yelled "MOMMY!" and ran to me to give me a hug.  I was a little worried that she would cling to me, but nope.  She said "BYE!" and galloped back to her class and went on about her business.  That girl loves being in a class and with friends.  I'm excited about her learning more about God and hopefully grasping a bigger understanding. 

Emilie was in the nursery.  It is right down the hall and I could hear her crying off and on all day.  It was a little loud and wild in there for her liking.  She ended up having an ok day.  I think she'll do better as the weeks go on.  She was happy to see me when I arrived to pick her up.  She pats me on my back.  :)

Both girls are just so loving.  Today I went outside to pick up a sweater and as I was coming in, I must have had a scowl on my face because Aubrie met me at the door and said, "what's wrong babe?  You ok?"  I scooped her up and said, "yes sweetie.  Thank you for checking on me."  She's so sweet.  I'm really enjoying my time with my girls. 

Packing has been non-existent the past couple of days.  Tomorrow while the girls are at school, I need to whoop up and get some work done.  Today I napped while they napped.  I couldn't help it.  I was so tired.  I'm glad to be teaching again.  Since I was so tired, my loving husband took us out to eat.  I'm so lucky.  He took us to Captain D's!! (I'm being sarcastic)  Let's just say you don't need any chap stick or hand lotion after you eat there due to the abundance of grease.  But Aubrie enjoyed her corn on the cob and Emilie actually enjoyed her fish.  Maybe I can pack fish sticks for her lunch!! 

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I was a busy worker tonight finishing two projects I have had planned/going for a long time.  One is for a friend who got married earlier this summer as a wedding present.  It was either, pack up all of this stuff and take it to the new house and hope you finish the project there, or roll up your sleeves and finish it now.  She should be in bed so hopefully she won't see these pictures, but if she does, I don't mind if it ruins her surprise.  I am going to try and go see her on Thursday while the girls are at school.  She is a big West Virginia fan and I made her a wreath.

The other wreath is for a neighbor who is having a baby.  We don't know them that well, just a first name basis.  But she told me the name she has planned for her upcoming little girl, Genevieve Rosemary.  It's so pretty.  She also told me their last name, but I wasn't positive I heard her right.  I needed her last name so I can put the initials on the wreath. So where do you go when you want to find out about somebody?  Facebook! 

I looked her up with the last name that I thought I heard, then a couple of other ones that sounded like it and I eventually found it.  I scanned her wall to find out what she did for a living (she is always dressed too cute and brings home art pieces and flowers all the time) and I found some things I didn't want to find.  She had posted things on her wall about "her neighbors".  Apparently she was upset about our brush pile we leave by the curb for pick up and left a nasty note on her "wall" about us.  She used words like jerks, horrid, trashy, horrible...

You know that saying sticks and stones make break my bones, but words will never hurt me?

It is a lie.  My heart just sank!  I had no idea.  For one, I didn't know our brush pile by the curb made her so angry.  For two, I had taken them baked goods and Christmas treats for several years.  She even brought by a present when I had Emilie!!  It was just a shock.  And it really hurt my heart.  It has been awhile since I've had this happen.  It felt like high school all over again.  When you find out a group of girls don't like you and are talking behind your back. 

I've been down about it all evening and my first thought was "forget it.  They're not getting their baby present!"  But then I got to thinking about what God would want me to do.  A couple of Sundays ago, our pastor said, "The One who commands us to love, empowers us to love."

I need to show my love.  She didn't know I would see those things.  It was probably displaced anger about something else that was bothering her and it was a way of venting.  Who knows.  But I do know that God loves her.  God loves me.  I've said hurtful things and I'm so happy that we have a God that is forgiving and loving...and most of all, EMPOWERS us to love. 

I'm so happy for her and her husband and I hope they enjoy parenthood as much as I do.  Hopefully she likes her gift.  And the best thing of it all!  We are moving.  :)

Love to all!

A diaper wreath for our new neighbor baby

It has diapers they can use, a pacifier, toys, and rattles

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Zoo trip

What a way to start a Monday.  A trip to the zoo?  Yes, please.  I'm so happy that Katie got ahold of me this morning and asked if we wanted to go to the zoo.  I was dressed for a workout at the Y, but a walk around the zoo with the girls sounds MUCH better.  Plus we had wonderful weather.  It was sunny, but not too hot and the zoo wasn't that busy.  AND it is always good to hang out with Katie and our little prince charming, Higgs.  :)

Oh no!  Look out Emmie!!

Aubrie showing Higgs how to get REALLY wet!

My sweet angels on the swing

I no longer take my double stroller because Aubrie likes to walk.  Apparently she works up an appetite when she walks around the zoo, because she ate all of her snack, most of Emilie's and then started dipping into Higgs' snacks.  We went into the petting zoo and Aubrie brushed the goats and we checked out some friends up close.  We also spent a lot of time in the playground area.  It was a wonderful way to start the week.

Leftovers for us tonight.  I'm really wanting to make pumpkin muffins, but I think it is only because I packed the tins already and I can't find which box I put them in.  Oh well.

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Maniladas

I was watching Cooking For Real on the Food Network the other day.  Host Sunny Anderson was making Maniladas which is a comibination of Manicotti and Enchiladas.  Boy did they look delicious!  So I ran the recipe by Adam and he approved so we got the ingredients at the grocery store and made them tonight.  And they were FANTASTIC!  I love tomatillos and I have never used Fontina cheese.  It was difficult to find and it was expensive.  I also love that inside the manicotti shells is chunks of tomato and cilantro.  The tastes were all wonderful and it came together nicely.  Please give this one a try if you love Mexican food.  It wasn't that difficult either. 


photo from Food Network

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/maniladas-with-white-cheese-and-roasted-tomatillo-sauces-recipe/index.html

We had a wonderful church service today.  After church we had lunch with Tia at McDougals (chicken) and we enjoyed sitting outside.  When we got home, Adam took our pictures.  We pulled out a tub of 12-18 month clothing and found some dresses and warmer clothes for Emilie. 

I can't believe how quickly they are growing.  Aubrie can talk to you just about anything.  She told her dad when she woke up after her nap that she dreamed about Belmont basketball.  She loves to sing and dance and we have been working on her with her letter sounds.  She's picking them up pretty quickly.  It's amazing how quickly she's learning.  Tonight she "read" the Five Little Monkey book.  She's got it memorized.  At the part where it says "one fell off and bumped its head", we all bump our head with our hands and tonight Emilie got that part down pretty good.  She kept hitting her head.  Emilie's standing up all the time now.  She crawls quickly somewhere and then stands up to bang on something or get into something she isn't supposed to be in.  Tonight she emptied out all the tea bags.  She's got quite a personality.  We are enjoying the girls so much!

I hope everyone had a good day and a Happy Grandparents Day!

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Happy Grandparent's Day!!

Sunday is Grandparent's day!  Don't forget to honor those wonderful people who spoil and love you unconditionally!  The girls made their grandparents a Christmas ornament using their sweet little hand prints.

I bought those plastic ones and they enjoyed stuffing them with cotton "snow" and colorful tiny ornaments.  They definitely enjoyed getting their hands messy!  They also made plates that could be used to hold candles and we made Christmas trees with their hand prints.  Emilie's hands are on top, her thumb is the star.  Aubrie's hands are on the bottom, her thumb is the stump.  It's a reach, but it turned out good.

We had a wonderful day today.  We played outside, worked out at the Y as a family, ordered pizza for dinner, got groceries as a team, and then Adam and I are ending the day watching our precious Notre Dame Irish play Michigan.  GO IRISH!!  For those of you that don't know, Adam grew up 20 minutes from South Bend and has always been a fan. 

I've enjoyed taking some pictures of the girls play outside.  Lately Aubrie's hair has been tough to handle.  It's long in the front, so you have to keep it out of her eyes, and then the back of her head is always woozly and it's always sticking out.  We've got to tame it down! But her hair sure isn't hurting her looks any.  Pretty girl!

 Adam has made up this song about dancing and kicking and Aubrie really gets into it and kicks her legs forward and out to the side.  She got carried away the other evening.  Both feet left the ground!

Emilie woke up before Aubrie the other afternoon and so I took her outside to swing.  I kept trying to get her to smile for me and this is all I got...

But then Dad came home and THIS happened!!

HI DAD!!!!!!!

She loves her dad.  And she can get so loud when she says hi!  :)

I don't think I mentioned, but Thursday I went on my first Meals on Wheels route.  I'm going to try to volunteer once a month on one of my Thursdays without the girls.  I filled in for someone this past week and they hope to get me a different route once they figure out how I can fit in to the schedule.  I'm excited to help and I'm so thankful for all the volunteers who do help.  I met one elderly lady who runs a route every day. 

We started packing up our closets today.  It's a slow go right now.  We'll start packing up more by next weekend.  It is hard because the weather is changing and I don't want to pack up my shorts and I don't want to pack up my sweaters!  So I'm having to pick a little of everything to leave out.  I hope everyone had a good and restful Saturday! 

Don't forget your grandparents!
Lots of love to

Gram & Poppy
Grandma & PoePoe

and our grandparents
Gigi
Grandpa Jack and Joyce
Gaga and Granny
Grandpa and Grandma Mark

Love to all!

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Mexicali Stew and Cornbread

Our evenings are full of chaos after the girls go down.  We are busy packing or doing paperwork for the new house.  To get a loan, we have to give them every piece of information plus our first born.  Not really, but that is what it feels like.  Adam's been working hard dealing with that and I'm thankful I don't have to do it. 

The girls had their second day of school today.  Emilie had a fantastic day.  She only cries for about 5 minutes after I drop her off, and then she is fine.  Today her class had music and her teachers said that she LOVED it.  She clapped her hands and danced.  I'm glad she is having fun.  I really like our mother's day out program.  The environment in Emilie's room is calm and loving.  Aubrie's as well...maybe not so calm with her and her friends running around, but the teachers are wonderful and loving.  I'm having a lunch problem.  I don't know what to pack and what I do pack, they don't eat.  This morning I had Aubrie stand on a chair next to the counter and assist with lunch packing.  She picked out carrots, red bell pepper, raw broccoli, a cheese stick, crackers, some bologna, and yogurt raisins.  She didn't eat the bologna or cheese.  Emilie didn't either.  I don't know what to send those two.  I'm going to look for Chicken salad recipes because they both like chicken and grapes.  Maybe they'll eat that??  Who knows.

I had bible study yesterday but it got canceled.  Nicole Kidman was shooting at the church and the parking lot couldn't hold all the cars and trucks so the girls and I enjoyed a slow day at home.  It was gloomy and chilly yesterday and it brought me down.  I can't stand days when the sun doesn't shine.  And I don't think I was ready for the cooler weather because my body just couldn't warm up.  So I decided to cook a classic, but easy cold weather meal for the fam.  Mexicali stew and homemade cornbread.  Where I come from, cornbread is sweet an I love it that way.  Just my preference.  No right or wrong.  :)

Mexicali Stew

this recipe is from a family that I used to nanny for

1 lb ground beef
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of black beans, rinsed
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed
1 can of Rotel tomatoes and chili
1 jar of Pace Picante salsa

Cook the meat in a skillet, drain the fat, and then add all ingredients together in a pot on the stove.  Simmer on the stove for about 30 minutes.  You can make this spicy by doing a hotter salsa or hotter Rotel.  I also do different beans, or if you need it to stretch for more people, you can do 3 cans of beans.  I did pinto and black in my pot yesterday.  I usually sprinkle cheese on top and eat it with a cheese quesadilla or tortilla chips, but yesterday I made mom's corn bread. 

Cornbread

1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1 cup of milk

Combine dry ingredients in bowl and mix well.  Combine oil, egg, and milk together.  Mix well.  Stir into dry ingredients until just blended.  Pour into well buttered 8 inch square pan.  Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until done.  Test with a toothpick until it comes out clean.  Recipe may be doubled, pour into a 13 x 9 and bake as above.

I was going to try and do cornbread muffins and send one in the girls' lunches, but we already boxed up the muffin pans.  I knew this would happen.  Oh well.  There is also the problem of the cooler weather catching me off guard.  Luckily Aubrie can still wear pants from last year and Emilie is in Aubrie's 12 months clothes.  Yay for hand-me-downs!  Emilie wore two outfits this week that Aubrie used to wear and she's just as cute in them.  She's also wearing Aubrie's old brown boots, my favorites.  Seeing Emilie in Aubrie's old clothes is sweet, but it makes me realize that time is flying.  Aubrie is just growing up so quickly.  She talks so much and helps me with everything.  And what is Emilie doing wearing Aubrie's 12 month clothes already?  I love those two girls!

Love to all!



Doing a puzzle together. 




Bottoms up!




Smiling behind that paci



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Salmon burgers and first day of school

We made it.  Adam and I just flopped on the couch and today was a success.  We got up early, rounded up the girls and got them to school.  It was perfect.  Pouring down rain, cooler than normal temperatures, I was carrying 5 bags and Adam had two large trash bags.  He had Emilie in hand and I was holding Aubrie's hand and the umbrella and we trekked our way across the parking lot to school. 

My crew.  Good luck getting everyone to look at the camera and smile at the same time.

This one...

She just walked right up to her class door, saw her teacher, and reached out and was ready to go.  I DID get a "bye mommy", but otherwise, I was chopped liver.  She was so excited.  She saw all her friends and she was in her element.  She ended up having a good day.  She didn't get a nap in, but she ate her lunch, made a painting of circles, and had a lot to talk about when she came home.

Now, THIS one...

She wasn't too sure about what was happening.  She stayed with us to drop off big sister because I knew it would be easy.  Then we headed back to her room and it was the first time we met the teachers.  I starting rambling about what I packed for her, where I packed it, and they just reached out and gently took her from my arms and said, "it will be ok."  Emilie of course started crying.  I kissed her and told her goodbye and then Adam and I went and watched them on the monitors.  Aubrie was jumping around her room, playing.  Emilie was still be held by the teacher and she was crying.  We left anyway because Adam had a meeting and it was my first day of bible study preparation.  So we left with one kid happy and other one crying.

After bible study prep and lunch, I went back to the church and watched the monitors but there was nothing exciting happening because lights were off in both rooms.  So I took the time to make phone calls and change our mailing address with companies.  One of the many perks of moving. 

Once it was time to pick up the girls, Aubrie was happy to see me.  I got a big hug and we told her teachers thank you and went looking for baby sister.  She was happy to see me, too.  She said "HI!" when we walked in.  Aubrie said, 'Look!  It's Emmie!"  I got both girls home and we headed straight upstairs to take naps.  Emilie only had a 30 minute nap.  So they both went down and took a nap. 

Overall it was a pretty successful day!

But did you see the legs on this kid??  How big is she getting??!!!

The other day I made Salmon Burgers from Better Homes and Gardens.  I didn't take a picture of my burgers because I had one of those bun bigger than the burger situations.  So here is the picture and link from the website.  It was pretty delicious!



http://www.bhg.com/recipe/seafood/easy-salmon-burgers/


Love to all!! Pin It Now!

Soft Ginger Drops

If you live in Nashville, today definitely felt like Fall.  It was cool and rainy.  I wanted to bust out my Fall decorations, but they are all packed and ready for the next house.  My friend Jenny Oliver is a Fall lover.  She has the best pumpkin recipes.  I'll have to get her to share some on here.  I think of her when I think of Fall.  :) 

Anyway, this is all leading to tonight's recipe for Soft Ginger Drop Cookies.  My mom was in town visiting and she bought molasses and I got on her because she only used a couple of teaspoons and I didn't want a full jar of molasses just sitting in my cupboards.  So she decided to make these cookies.  For some reason, her and I got a kick out of telling Adam that these were the Indiana State Cookie and then made fun of him because he didn't know his state's cookie.  He went to work the next day and looked it up.  Turns out that only a couple of states have an official cookie. 

She started making the cookies and the batter smelled AWFUL!  The molasses stunk!  I told her I would NOT be eating them but then when they came out of the oven, you could smell the sweetness of the molasses combined with the nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves..all scents that make me think of Fall.  They ended up being delicious and they make me think of this season, so that is why I made them today and I'd like to share them with you.  Plus molasses is high in iron and my girls and I all have low iron, so why not boost that iron count up with a bunch of cookies?!  They are so soft and delicious, I hope you give them a try!

Soft Ginger Drops

from mom

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 light molasses
4 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1 cup boiling water

Combine shortening, sugar, egg, and molasses.  Mix well.  Add sifted dry ingredients, then the boiling water, stirring until smooth.  Drop by tsp onto lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes.  Frost while still warm.

Frosting
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp soft butter
1 tsp lemon extract
3 Tbsp milk

Beat until smooth and spread on warm ginger snaps.
I didn't have lemon extract so I used vanilla and I had a whole lemon so I just zested it and added it to the frosting for the lemon taste. 

Adam and I have spent the last couple of afternoons in the garage, cleaning it out, packing things up.  Today I didn't feel good and I was down and needed extra encouragement to get up and get going.  Plus it is around 1 o'clock when we head out there (after the girls are down) and that is a sleepy time of day anyway.  So today Adam got me going by playing Christmas music and letting me use the nice tape dispenser.  He kept losing the tape dispensers and sharpies so now he has to wear them with a string tied around his neck like a necklace so they don't get lost.  He's the master of setting something down and shoving things in his pockets.  We'll be leaving for church and he'll be out in the car and I'll be looking for my phone all OVER the house and I finally I give up and when I get to the car I'll say, "have you seen my phone?" and then he'll pull it out of his pocket.  He also gets frantic when we are going on road trips and he'll start grabbing things and putting them in the diaper bag.  Extra spoons, bibs, the tv remote....just kidding.  But it wouldn't surprise me.  He's got so many strong points, but packing just isn't one of them.  :)

The girls have been wild today.  Probably because the weather is cooler and it was raining.  We went by our new house and pulled both cars in the garage and it will be a tight fit.  They left behind a lot of storage shelves in the garage and we'll have to mount them up on the wall so we can pull all the way in.  It was also laundry day today.  I've been ironing off and on all day and Adam's been my folder.  It has been nice having him around to help me out.  Too bad Labor Day can't be Labor Week.  :)

Pray for our little family tomorrow.  I've had this day circled, highlighted, and surrounded by smiley faces because the girls will be at Mother's Day Out and I'll have two days a week to MYSELF!  MUAAHAHAHAHA!!! (my evil laugh)  But now that the day has come and I've got them all packed up, I'm really sad.  I'm nervous about Emilie not liking it and I'm going to miss having someone in the backseat pointing out every octagon while I'm driving.  I'm sure it will be fine, but these girls really are growing up WAY too fast. 

Look who loves to climb the stairs!

Look who is going to show her HOW to climb the stairs!

I hope everyone had a good Labor Day weekend!   Love to all! Pin It Now!

Chili Rellanos

Tonight I asked my mom to write the directions for how to make chili rellanos and be my first "guest blogger."  I love chili rellanos and mom always makes them for me when I go home.  I think it is her sauce that makes them so special.  A chili rellano is a green chili, stuffed with cheese, battered and fried.  Then covered with a tomato sauce.  A lot of restaurants don't do the sauce and just cover it in cheese or they use enchilada sauce.  But once you have my mom's authentic chili rellanos, you'd love them.  You just have to pray you don't get a hot chili!

Take it away Shellie!

Mom cooking french toast with Aubrie

My first Christmas' in Phoenix were spent with Roy's Aunt Vick (Victoria Drucilla Walker Clonts) and Uncle Dude (Durward). She would have a large family gathering and serve Mexican food. Everyone brought something and my first year she told me I didn't have to bring anything. Well, I didn't think that was very polite of me not to contribute, so I looked around and saw that there was everything you could order at a Mexican food restaurant except rellenos. So, I took it upon myself to make them and bring them every Christmas. The Spanish sauce recipe was taken from a cook book my Mom let me have and in the back were recipes from a favorite restaurant of ours in Reno - Miguels. The batter came from trial and error and asking at restaurants. A true relleno isn't a scramble egg with a chili in the center of it!!



The finish products in the oven



Chile Rellenos12 whole peeled green chili peppers 4-5 Large Eggs
8 oz.Monterrey Jack cheese 2 tbsp. cornstarch
Oil Spanish Sauce (recipe to below)
1/2 Cup Flour

To peel fresh green chilies place on barbecue grill and char on all sides then put them in a plastic bag and let them steam for 20-30 minutes. Run a little water on them in the sink and the peel will come right off, also carefully remove the stem. Let them dry on paper towels. Meantime cut the jack cheese as thick and as long as your index finger. Make a small slit at the top of the chili and insert the cheese threading it down to the tip. Larger chilies can take a couple of sticks of cheese. Place the flour on a large plate and roll the stuffed chilies in the flour, coating them. Place on plate. Meantime start the Spanish sauce. 

The chili peppers, stuffed and ready to be floured

Spanish Sauce1/2 small onion diced 1/2 green bell pepper diced
1 garlic clove diced 2 tbsp. margarine
16 oz. can diced tomatoes 1/2 tsp. oregano
1-2 Tbsp. cornstarch to thicken
Melt the margarine in small saucepan and saute the onion, garlic and bell pepper until onion is translucent. Add tomatoes and oregano and simmer for 15 minutes on low. Take off stove and allow to cool. Add cornstarch when cool, returning to stove and cook on low for another 5 minutes until thickened. Season with salt, and may add a little sugar to take away acid flavor.

The sweet and tasty Spanish sauce.  If they made a candle that smelled like this, I would burn it.

Pepper getting floured and then you dip it in the batter...

And fry!

Separate the whites from the yolks and place the whites in a large glass bowl, the yolks in a small bowl. Add the cornstarch and some salt and pepper to the yolks and beat together with a fork. Meantime with a mixer, beat the whites until they form stiff peaks. In large cast iron skillet put about 1/2" of oil and heat on medium high. Take the yolks and fold into the whites. Put a wet dishrag next to the bowl to wipe your fingers on. Have a large spatula ready. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels and you are ready to begin frying the stuffed chilies. Take a chili and put into the egg mixture, dipping it in and getting both sides and the top coated then place gently into the hot skillet. Usually only two can fit in the pan at a time. Continue frying all the stuffed chilies and remove the paper towel from the cookie sheet. Place two tbsp. or so of Spanish sauce on each chili and any leftover sticks of jack cheese can be used to top the sauce if desired. I place in 170 degree oven to keep warm before serving.

 Thanks Mom for tonight's blog.  It really isn't that hard, there are just a lot of steps.  It's one of those special treats I look forward to when I go home. 

Adam and I have spent a lot of our time out in the garage.  Sorting, throwing away, packing, cleaning...moving.  I woke up with what felt like allergies and it seems to have gotten worse.  I am aching and cold.  Hopefully it will go away.  We have a busy week ahead! 

Love to all! Pin It Now!