Boots and Barefeet

From the mouth of a three-year old

2011-08-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

This child makes me laugh everyday with her funny little sayings, and as Bill Cosbys says..Kids say the darnest things..Well I have found this to be true with my three year old. I finally decided I needed to document these sayings so I would remember them one day and maybe to tease her about it! So for your enjoyment as well, Here is a glimpse into the mind of a three year old...

Upon talking about moving to our new house..
Campbell says.."We can't move the house! Can we just drive in our car????"

Upon cutting her hair off...
I ask Campbell, Why did you cut your hair???
"Because I wanted to have straight hair like Adeline and Bryson!"

After finding something that has been missing and forgotten about for months..
"Oh there's my _____!!" with such jubilation and like she had been looking for it all this time

After "crying" in her room for 5 minutes at bed time..Campbell walks into my room with a perfectly straight face (and no tears.) And says..
"Mommy, I was crying in there...."

After finding Daddy's boxers on the bathroom floor one morning..
"Oh no! Oh no! Daddy did NOT put his shorts in his basket...He left them on the floor! Oh no! Daddy is a bad boy!"

These are just a few I had on the top of my brain..Maybe a few more will come to mind...

Just Dance!

2011-02-25T13:30:00.000-08:00

Campbell started her very first dance/gymnastics class this month (Birthday gift thanks to Sissy.) Her class last about 45 minutes, which is just enough time for me to get through the grocery store which happens to be right next door. But I have found it way too entertaining watching Campbell learn her first dance moves. She is a hoot to watch. (To me anyway :)

Poor thing, she really has trouble with the whole rolling thing..dunno where she could've gotten those skills from ;)

After she finishes her roll, she is supposed to stand right up and continue rolling..but instead she just lays there like this...

Here are a few snap shots from Campbell' Valentine party. I did not get many because she would not look at me! Adeline got to join us as well.

And of course, anytime there is food involved, Adeline is sure to have a good time. She looks here as if she is ready to start school herself!

Adeline also thinks now that she is big stuff and tried to self-feed herself oatmeal.

What a mess she made!

And this was Campbell's reaction to seeing her messy sister...

Also, here are some pictures from bath time. Boy, they make bath time so much fun these days! Bath markers! (And I don't know if you can tell from this picture- but the bath tub wall is orange and blue- Campbell is definatelty an Auburn fan!)

So I know this ended up being a random blog, but I am trying to play catch up! Next up, Campbell's birthday celebration!

The Sun'll come out tomorrow!

2011-02-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

Seems like we have been singing this sing for several months now...
It has been a COLD winter! And for a stay at home mom with two little ones that love to be outside..it has been a tough couple of months..Not to mention all the sickness that has passed through our home over these months- from the flu to fever viruses to the plain ole crud...We've had it all and passed it around a couple times too!

So this past weekends weather was a nice change, and we enjoyed being able to play outside for a bit.

And here was our attempt of getting a picture of ourselves.. (It was really windy!)

And I am not going to mention that I have not blogged in 2 months for various and sundry reasons..
But I will say HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Would you like to know what my husband got me for Valentines??
A Beautiful bouquet of flowers??
A box of delicious chocolates???
An elegant dinner out?

No...my friends...I got a stalk of asparagus for Valentines..

He told me that flowers die..but you can eat asparagus!!
Ha ha, Gotta love that man...logical and reasonable as he is. ;)
He once got me firewood for Christmas, go figure..

Well I hope everyone has a Happy Valentines today.
I bet you can guess what we are having for part of our dinner!
But this is what I am going to attempt to make for dessert...Hope it turns out! I found the recipe at http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/cream-puffs-dark-chocolate-sauce-ghk0108

Red Velvet COOKIES!

2010-12-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

If you are a red velvet cake lover, then you are sure to love these cookies. I get a cookie of the day recipe through out December from Taste of Home, and when I saw this recipe I really wanted to try it. So, I made some for our Sunday School Christmas Party. They were exceptional. Perfect for the Christmas season.

You can find the recipe here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Red-Velvet-Cookies?pmcode=IKLDP01T&_mid=809232&_rid=809232.618800.60099
*I added sprinkles instead of cookie crumbles.
These were a very unique and tasty treat! Perfect for a cookie swap or to give to a friend!

And I have been attempting for like three months now to get a good picture for a Christmas card. I can never get everyone to look at the camera at the same time with their eyes open much less with all smiles. We attempted are Christmas photo again at the party trying again to get the "perfect picture." But to no avail, still no perfect picture.. I guess we will just keep trying ;)

Only 15 days or 367 hours or 21985 minutes or 1219091 seconds till Christmas!

Have a blessed Christmas season

Two Ingredient Cake

2010-11-15T12:17:00.000-08:00

Yup, thats right folks, you only need 2 ingredients for this yummy cake. So for all you busy bees out there, this cake is for you. And..I can not take credit for this one. A neighbor friend shared this one with me.

Ingredients:

One box of Betty Crocker's devils food cake mix
One can of pumpkin

Spray and flour a bundt pan.Thoroughly mix ingredients(batter will be thick), then dump batter evenly into bundt pan. Bake on 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

*And no, it does not taste like pumpkin, just like pure chocolate cake! If you like devils food cake, then you are sure to like this!

I also decided to add a glaze to the cake, and it is pretty simple as well.
Just mix about 2-3 cups confectioners sugar, 2-3 tablespoons of milk and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Mix well and then spoon onto cake while it is still warm.

Enjoy!

Tis the Season to enjoy Pumpkin!

2010-11-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

Fall is such a great time of year. I love the cool crisp air, love football season(even though I am not a die hard football watcher,) love how it reminds me of falling in love, love the changing colors of leaves and there is so much more to love about fall, but one of the things I love the most is COOKING WITH PUMPKIN!

I tried two new recipes recently that I would like to share with you. The first is Pumpkin Cream Cheese dip. And then some delecious pumpkin cookies with a caramel icing that taste more like cake! Yum!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
1 can pumpkin
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
This was really good served with cinnamon pita chips or graham crackers.

Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (I may use more next time to make them taste more pumpkiny!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Directions:

Cream shortening, white sugar and pumpkin. Add eggs and mix well. Sift together the baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt and flour. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
Drop from spoon to cookie sheet. (I used an ice cream scoop) Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
To Make Frosting: Cook butter, milk, and brown sugar until dissolved. Cool and add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Spread over warm cookies.

These are OH so yummy served warm out of the oven!

I also thought I would add a few pictures of my cuties dressed up for Halloween(a bit late, I know.) We went to a fall festival at our Church, but the girls did not last long seeing how they were tired from an already long and fun-filled day. So, I did not get a lot of pictures. But here they are..Campbell is an indian and Adeline is a monkey!

Hmm..now all I need a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte..too bad the closest one is forty-five minutes away!! And get this..my grocery stores do not carry the Pumpkin Spice Creamer! How unfortunate! But lucky for me, my mommy is coming to visit this week and promised to bring me some!! Thanks Mommy!

Have a great week!

Happy BIRTHDAY Adeline!

2010-11-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

My sweet Adeline turned ONE yesterday. It's hard to believe. Its true what they say, it goes by in the blink of an eye.

Most of the family came to visit. We missed Uncle Jack, Uncle Eric, Aunt Michelle and Uncle Alan and cousin Houston!

And what's a party without a cake?

Adeline had her own personal cake.

She wasn't to sure what to think of it at first...

But it did not take her long to figure it out...

And Campbell helped herself as well.

Laney REALLY wanted a bite...it won't be long!

The rest of us enjoyed this yummy homemade strawberry cupcakes.

Besides birthday cake, I decided I would be festive as well and made this yummy pumpkin dip. This was great served with cinnamon pita chips or graham crackers! (Recipes to be posted later)

Adeline got some great gifts too! Thanks everyone!

And Campbell got a present too! She has not stopped wearing them since!

We attempted a few family shots.

And I finally got the chance to hold sweet Laney bug! She was such a happy camper all day long!

It was a wonderful day of celebration. Thanks everyone for coming!

Date Night- Spicy Ranch Wings and Soft Pretzels

2010-10-27T12:28:00.000-07:00

Friday night is usually the time that Brian and I try to spend special time together. And while we never go out, I usually try to make something special, or sometimes he treats me to bringing supper home!

First, I made these soft pretzels which the recipe I found on Allrecipes. I made some home-made cheese dip to go with it as well. It was good, but I am not 100% thrilled with it yet, so once I tweak it a bit, I will share it as well.

I also made these Spicy Ranch wings which were very easy to make. And they are baked not fried! (Recipe at bottom)

We also enjoyed this appropriate little flick. Although a little silly(for my husband's taste), it made us laugh and we still enjoyed it.

And while this was a post about our date night, I could not resist posting a few pictures of my cuties.

She can't help it. She wants to be just like her daddy.

I know the coloring in this one is weird, but what do u think? Does she look like me? I'll have to scan an old picture of me soon...

Spicy Ranch Wings

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken wingettes
1/4 cup hot pepper sauce
2 TB butter, melted
1 1/2 TB cider vinegar
1 envelope spicy ranch salad dressing mix (I only used half of it)
1/2 teaspoon paprika

In a gallon size resealable plastic bag, combine pepper sauce, butter and vinegar. Add Chicken wings; seal bag and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate 4-8 hours.
Place chicken on racks in two greased baking pans. Sprinkle with dressing mix and paprika Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until juices run clear.

(Note: this recipe can easily doubled/tripled etc.)

Serve with ranch dressing!

Happy Hump Day!!

Sunday is Adeline's Birthday, but all the family is coming on Saturday to celebrate. We are looking forward to it. I can not believe she will be one!!

Smoky Mountain Vacay

2010-10-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

We took our first family vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains. We could not have gone at a better time. The weather could not have been more pleasant and autumn had just painted all the trees red, orange and yellow. It was beautiful. We also enjoyed our time of ~~rest and relaxation~~ with our two little ones.

This was our view from the awesome cabin my Uncle let us use.

Fortunately for us, Uncle Walker and Aunt Emily kept the girls one night so that Brian and I could enjoy a night together. We were very thankful and much enjoyed our night out, even more so when we came home and both of the girls were sound asleep in their beds! GREAT job Auntie Em and Uncle Walk.

This was just one of the many beautiful views as we went up and down the mountain.

Our vacation was sadly short-lived... Before we knew it, it was time to pack up and head home!

But we made a few stops on the way home. First we stopped to let our animal lover, Campbell ride the mini horses..

But, riding the horse deemed less attractive as it was to just look at it and pet it... So off we went.

We saw this little dude in front of one of the gas stations where we stopped. She got one step ahead from last time by actually getting on the mechanical horse, but as soon as it started moving..she wanted OFF!

But I could not let a good ride go to waste. SO, me and Adeline jumped on!

And quite frankly, I do not blame Campbell for getting off..That thing really moved!

We also came across this farm stand not too far off the mountain.

There were so many pumpkins of all shapes and sizes!

And soo many apples to choose from as well.

But the girls were tired..so it was time to head home.

I stole these two pictures from my SIL, Emily, her pictures turned out much better than mine. :)

We had a great time, and I hope it won't be too long before we have another chance to get away!

Fall Festival

2010-10-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

Rather than bore you with the details of all the preparations and how much time it took to prepare for the fall festival. I will just let you see images that portray the event much better!

We sold pumpkins..

pumpkin bread..

sausage cheese muffins

chocolate oatmeal cookies..

along with apple butter, pear preserves

and instant chai tea mix

Oh! And my sister, Lele, made these really cute make-up bags to sell as well.

The girls were the key to our pumpkin selling success.

Here is a glimpse of everything once it was wrapped..

And Campbell made a new buddy while we were there.

While Adeline enjoyed some time with her Grammy. (Thanks Grammy and Grandpa for all your help!)

We still have plenty of apple butter, pear preserves and chai tea mix. So e-mail me now if you would like some! These make great holiday gifts! ehfnorris@gmail.com

After a long week and weekend, we took off for our first family vacation ever! We headed north to the Great Smoky Mountains. It was a much needed time of rest and relaxation and fun family time.

(More on this later)

Have a great weekend!

Preparing for Fall Festival and Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

Well, you may have noticed that I'm behind on my "blogging." This time, I have been making apple butter..
So, if its been a while since I've last posted, its probably because I have been peeling fruits of some sort!

We have also been preparing for the Fall Festival in Rogersville, Alabama. If you live anywhere close by, Please come see us!! It is this Saturday, October 16 from 10:00-2:00 in the downtown area (parking lot behind Hardee's.) We will be selling pumpkins, pear preserves, apple butter, pumpkin bread, sausage cheese muffins, chocolate goodies and other yummy treats along with many other vendors! (I will post pictures and recipes on this later.)

Here is a picture from last year..

I was 9 months pregnant, mind you...
Also, let me tell you about our past weekend... We went to the pumpkin patch with some friends from Church. Campbell had an absolute blast. I must say that she takes after her Daddy because she was out there bossing the animals around the pin.

This pig would squeal and run away as Campbell just giggled and kept chasing!

Adeline on the other hand is a bit more timid around animals.

She was hanging on to Daddy for dear life.

Some other highlights of the trip were...

The baby ducks..Campbell was mesmerized..

They both enjoyed the miniature horse.

Campbell enjoyed the toddler play area.

While Adeline enjoyed a snack.

And Campbell even got to be the leader of the "cow train.

We also got to pick out our own pumpkins..i.e.- Campbell picked out a pumpkin for Daddy, a pumpkin for Mommy, a pumpkin for Campbell and a pumpkin for Adeline.

And because Campbell dominated the photo shoot at the pumpkin patch, let me show you Adeline's new trick.

She likes to climb up in this rocking chair and rock herself...or Stand...

Whew! 3 days later I am finally finished this blog..quite a few interruptions these days!

Have a great weekend!

Heres to Taco Soup, Mini Fried Apple Pies and Long Time friends!

2010-09-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

So with this cool crisp air we have been experiencing this week, I have really been craving some good hearty soup. This is one of my favorites, and it is also one of the easiest.

Taco Soup

This soup is so easy! You basically just toss a few cans in a pot and you are done, no mess at all!
Ingredients:

2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can corn, drained
1 can chili beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can beef broth (or water)- more or less depending on how "soupy" you want it
1 packet dry Ranch
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 lb. ground beef (optional)

1. Brown the ground beef, and drain drippings.
2. Pour tomatoes, corn, beans and broth into a stock pot. Then add Ranch and taco seasoings. Turn stove on low.
3. Add ground beef to soup mixture. Continue to cook for 2 hours. (I think the longer it cooks the better, but you do not have to cook it that long...just until everything is warmed up.)

Perfect on a cool autumn day!

Also good topped with shredded cheese, sour cream and corn chips!

I also love anything apple and wanted to try something new for dessert tonight. So we had "mini fried apple pies," and they were OH! so good!

This recipe makes about 4 or 5 mini pies. You can double it very easily. But this was just perfect for our little family. (p.s.- mine got a little crispy-but that actually made them even more delecious!)

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced into chunks
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 tsp. of cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg (optional)- This gives it a little extra kick!

Dough (I promise this dough is REALLY easy to make, but you can also substitute biscuit dough)

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup of water (or more)
1/2 oil

1. Peel and slice apples into small chunks. Add sugar and cinnamon. Cook in a saucepan on low heat. Cook for about 15 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool.

2. Sift flour and salt together. Cut in the shortening. Add water and mix with fork.

3. Roll out to about 1/8 inch thick on a floured board. Cut with a large cookie cutter or large glass. (I used the lid of a mason jar.)

4. In each round, place about 1 tablespoon of apple mixture. Moisten edges with cold water, fold and press edge with a fork.

5. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Fry pies, a few at a time, 2 to 3 minutes on each side; cook until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture or confectioners sugar.

On a fun note, we are going to "Sissy's house" tomorrow. Campbell is beyond excited, she loves going to Sissy's house. I will be getting to see many of my closest friends this weekend. First I get to see long time neighbor and friend, Lar Lar.

Then, I will be getting to see my good friend, Becky, and I am so excited about meeting her baby girl, Lily Grace. I will also be getting to see my long time friend, Starr, who now lives in Washington, D.C.

Shoud be a very fun weekend! Thank goodness for GRANDMAS! Just wish both mine lived closer!

Have a good one!

Pumpkin, Spice and Everything Nice

2010-09-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

So, it's AUTUMN...And, I just could not resist baking some sort of pumpkin delights!

Using this recipe, I made a pumpkin loaf and LOTS of mini pumpkin muffins. They were so delish.

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

1 and 2/3 cups of flour
1 and half cups of sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, powder, cloves and salt.
In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin, oil and water.
Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and mix just until moistened.
Pour batter into a 9x5 greased loaf pan. Bake for 65-70 minutes.
Let bread sit for about 10 minutes before removing from pan. Then cool on wire rack.

*You can add nuts, pecans, raisens or even chocolate chips to this recipe.. I always leave it plain when taking it to others, but it is great with toasted chopped pecans.

(Note: This recipe makes 1 pumpkin loaf)

I doubled the recipe so that I could also make some scrumptious mini muffins as well! These mini muffins take about 15 minutes to cook. These are great for breakfast or even an afternoon snack. YUM!

And then I wrapped them nice to take to some friends.

And my sweet pea stole her a few as well..I mean, how could she not?

While I was sleeping..

2010-09-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

So, I put precious Adeline in her bed for a nap, and right to sleep she goes.
      Then, I take Campbell to her room for a nap, and she ought to be tired after a full day of school.
               Then, I decide that I will lay down for a little while also...Mommy's need their rest too!

Well..about an hour later..I hear Campbell talking to someone.. who? I'm not sure.
         But this is what I discovered....

Campbell in a swimsuit, socks, and crocs!! And EVERY SINGLE piece of clothing from her drawers scattered across the floor!

I love that girl, but sometimes she does the craziest things!!

And this one likes to scoot...

She does not, will not, never will she crawl...She just scoots right along just fine on her bottom! :)

Have a great weekend, it's finally fall!

Chocolate Chess Squares

2010-09-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Bottom Layer

1 stick of butter, melted
1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist Dark Chocolate Cake Mix (or flavor of your choice)
1 egg

Top Layer

8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 box confectiones sugar

Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Mix together melted butter, cake mix and egg. Press down into greased baking dish.
Beat cream cheese, egg and conf. sugar. Pour over cake mixture.
Bake 350 degrees for about 25-35 minutes. (Edges should appear golden)

And...FYI... Fall begins this Thursday! (I hope the weather gets the Memo.) We are definately ready for some cooler weather. Along with everything else that comes with it...pumpkin spice lattes, apple pies, pumpkin muffins, and cute pictures like these!!

Happy Fall everyone!

Sunday Dinner- Pecan Crusted Chicken

2010-09-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

Excuse my poor photography skills, I know this isn't the prettiest dish you've ever seen, but it sure did taste good!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups finely crushed pecans
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 TB basil
2 TB chopped parsley
cooking spray
2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, mix together crushed pecans, salt, pepper, basil and parsley.
Beat two egg whites in a seperate bowl.
Dip chicken breasts individually into the egg mixture and then the pecan mixture.
Arrange pecan covered chicken breasts on a lightly coated (with cooking spray or oil.) aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 20-25 minutes(or until chicken is done) on 400 degrees.

I actually made the chicken breats in advance for our "Sunday Dinner." So that when I got home, all I had to do was stick them in then oven. A very easy and yummy dish! (My husband was just so glad that it was not a casserole!)

Oh Pears!

2010-09-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry for my lack of posting lately. I've been busy...peeling pears.

Pears, pears and more pears. Our neighbor has a pear tree that is LOADED with pears this year. She said she was not going to use any this year, and that I was free to pick as many pears as I'd like. So what do you do with 100 plus pears???

First, I start with my famous pear preserves.

Pear Preserves

Ingredients:

15-20 pears
galloon of water
2 tablespoons of vinegar
1 tablespoon of salt
sugar (about 6 cups)

1. Peel pears. Place in mixture of water, vinegar and salt.
2. Core and slice pears into small chunks.
3. Layer 4 cups of pears into large cooking pot followed by 2 cups sugar. Repeat layers till you've used all your pears. (DO not to exceed 10 or 12 cups of pears per batch)
4. Let mixture sit for 20 minutes.
5. Cook on high till it reaches boiling, then cook on medium for 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
6. Let sit covered for about 12 hours.
7. Boil again for 20 minutes, or until reaches desired thickness.
8. Immediately put into sterlized jars.
9. Put jars in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. (Click here for directions on canning)
(Yields 4 pints)

Enjoy on warm biscuits, pancakes or toast!

I love to give these as gifts for Christmas as well!

I also wanted to try some kind of pear dessert to take to our Church's ladies meeting. And this is what I came up with, Pear Berry Crumble.

Ingredients:

3-4 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup blueberries (I used fresh)
2 tablespoons of honey
1 or 2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup cold butter (Chopped in small pieces)

1. Arrange pears in pie plate, then sprinkle blueberries on top.

2. Drizzle honey over fruit mixture. Then sprinkle a tablespoon or two of flour over mixture (This helps to thicken mixture.)

3. In a seperate bowl mix together, brown sugar, oatmeal, flour and cinnamon.

4. Cut in the butter into the oatmeal mixture until crumbly.

5. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the fruit.

6. Bake 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

(Note: You can exchange apples for pears in this recipe if you prefer.)

I thought it was delecious, and evidently, the ladies must have agreed also...

Well i finished with that round of pears, but there are still plenty of pears on the tree, so I think I am going to try some Pear Butter next. I'll let ya know how that goes.

Speaking of pears, if you are in need of cute stationary, invitations, birth announcements, recipe cards or calling cards then you should visit
http://www.paisleypeardesigns/.
She can design and custom make your invitations and stationary to your own personal taste. You can also visit her Etsy shop here www.etsy.com/shop/smitha5

And of course, here are a few pictures of my sweeties!

Top Ten Tricks of the Trade (in the kitchen)

2010-09-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

If you've ever looked through an old cook book, you may have found that at the end of each recipe there is an extra note. Sometimes it is just a light hearted quote like.."I have never had so many good ideas day after day as when I worked in the garden."- John Erskine
Sometimes it gives you a tip in the kitchen like "Remember not to refrigerate fresh tomatoes...they'll keep their just picked taste longer when stored on your cupboard shelf or counter."
Others give you ideas for crafts or decorating such as "Instead of one large flower bouquet centerpiece, set a single zinnia flower bloom in white milk glass cups for each place setting."

Let me tell you a few of the other ideas that I have come across that I found particularly helpful.

1. No more tears when peeling.cutting onions if you place them in the freezer for 5 minutes first. -This really works! I was stoked about this one after cutting many an onion while buckets of tears ran down my face.
2. If a recipe calls for buttermilk and you do not have any, you can stir one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into one cup of milk and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. To remove stains from a favorite table cloth, kitchen towel, cloth napkins, etc.- Combine half a teaspoon of salt with a tablespoon of water. Wet the stain and lay cloth in the sun. After sitting table cloth in sun for hour(smaller cloths need less time), gently rinse the cloth with cold water.
4. After enjoying an orange or grapefruit for breakfast, don't toss the hollowed out fruit halves. Filled with potting soil, seeds and a nice drink of water, these clever little starter pots can be planted directly in your garden. I look forward to trying this one!
5. To keep just-cut fruit slices looking fresh, dip them into lemon-lime soda before serving.
6. For baking, it's best to use medium to large eggs; extra large eggs may cause cakes to fall when cooled. I've learned this lesson the hard way.
7. To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it into a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh - if it rises to the surface, throw it away.
8. A dampened paper towel or terry cloth brushed downward on a cob of corn will remove every strand of corn silk.
9. To soften up brown sugar that has hardened, throw an apple slice in the bag.
10. Rubbing the inside of the cooking pot with vegetable oil will prevent noodles, spaghetti and similar starches from boiling over.

I found a few of these tips in a cookbook that I recently purchase called "Farmers' Market Favorites," and it has become on of my favorite cookbooks. Since we always have a plethora of vegetables each summer, I am always looking for new recipes. In this book you will find homegrown recipes, crafty ideas for vintage finds and tips for market shopping. You can visit their website at http://www.gooseberrypatch.com/ They have more more great books to choose from. You can find this cook book at Cracker Barrel as well.

I hope to try many recipes and tips from this book, and I will share them with you as I do.

And now, just a few pictures from Labor Day.

I got this for Adeline, but every time I turn around- Campbell is rolling around in it.

Our nephew, Houston came for a visit this weekend, and he did a lot of this.

And when Sissy came, she brought Campbell a NEW back pack.

She carried it around ALL weekend long. She could hardly wait to show it off at school this morning. I actually found it with her in the bed this morning!

Campbell was worried about all the attention she was getting, and wanted to be sure I took a few pictures of Adeline also.

Well, I hope everyone had a wonderful and restful Labor Day Weekend.
Bye for now!

Sissy came and went...so we made Cinnamon Bun Bars!

2010-09-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

Well this Sunday marks the start of our "new year" at Church, so I decided it would be nice to have a baked treat for our Sunday School class. I found this great recipe in a Betty Crocker magazine, but here is a link to the recipe online.
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/cinnamon-bun-bars/b64ffc29-891d-493b-84cf-a330aff19697
It is super moist and very sweet. Anti-nut eaters can omit the pecans.

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist Butter Recipe Yellow Cake mix
1/2 butter, softened
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup caramel topping
1/3 butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, softened butter, milk and eggs with mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute. Spread evenly in evenly in pan.
3. In medium bowl, mix brown sugar, caramel topping, melted butter, pecan and cinnamon. Drop by spoonfuls on rop of batter and spread evem;y.
4. Bake about 25 minutes or until topping is deep golden brown and slighlty puffed throughout. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Store covered.

Also, Sissy came for a visit this weekend. We had a blast and were sad to see her go.

Campbell says... "Warrr Eagle!"

These two love each other, can you tell?

I love my sweet girls too!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!

Casserole Lady- Chicken Spaghetti

2010-08-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

So just about every Sunday, and every time I take a meal to friends, it is a casserole. So my husband said to me today.. "Ya know, pretty soon, people are going to start calling you the Casserole Lady..and that's not a compliment." Of course, he was just joking with me. But I happen to love casseroles. I love the way they taste, I love that you can make them ahead of time, love that you can make extra and have a meal frozen for later. Casserole to me are simply comfort food.

So I thought I would share this recipe that we as well as our neighbors enjoyed today. I do not have time to come home and cook up a big meal on Sunday, so I always make this casserole on Saturday, then I simply come home from church and pop it in the oven for a nice Sunday dinner.

Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. box of spaghetti noodles

• 1 can cream of chicken

• 1 can cream of mushroom

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 can chicken broth

• 2 cans rotel tomatoes with green chilies

• 1/2 cup chopped celery

• ½ cup chopped onion

• Butter

• Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

• 1 whole chicken- pulled apart (or 6 chicken breasts cut up)- I like to use Rotisserie Chickens from the deli

• 2 cups Italian mix shredded cheese

• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Set Aside. (Sprinkle with about a TB of olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking)

2 Saute celery and onion with butter. (You can omit this step if you or your family is not a fan of these veggies)

3 Mix in bowl the cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, sour cream, chicken broth, tomatoes, and celery onion mixture.

4 Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, cheese, pulled chicken and spaghetti noodles to cream mixture and mix well.

5 Pour mixture into two 9x13 pan. (I usually separate mine into smaller portions, like 5x8 pans or even a loaf pan is perfect for an individual-I stick the extras in the freezer)

6 Melt a stick of butter, mix in bread crumbs and spread on top of spaghetti.

7 Bake 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

And then my sister, Lele, made me these cute stickers to put on the meals that I take to other families. I just love them.

Aren't they cute??

And now for you viewing pleasure...

Caught in the act....

Someone decided her baby doll needed a bath. (Notice she is standing on her potty)

That's all folks!

Buttermilk Pecan Pie

2010-08-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

I decided I wanted to try to make a buttermilk pie because my husband said it was one of his favorties, and he is not a big dessert eater. So I searched through several recipes and decided on this one from Taste of Home because it had pecans in it. http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Buttermilk-Pecan-Pie

I modified it a bit, but I have to say it was delicious. And I did not even know I liked buttermilk pie, but man it was good. It makes a great Sunday afternoon treat with coffee or great to take to a potluck supper. I made two and stored one in the freezer for later use. I took it last night to a Church supper and it was devoured!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

5 eggs

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon (This is my added ingredient)

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup chopped pecans

1 unbaked pastry shell (10 inches) - I used two 9 inch Pillsbury pie shells

Directions

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir in buttermilk and pecans. Pour into the pie shell. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator.

BEST Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-08-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a big, chewy melt in your mouth cookie, you got to try this one. Believe me, they are good.

If you don't believe me, just ask Campbell.

Okay, so here the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 stick of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips (or semi-sweet chips)

Melt butter, then add sugars and mix until well blended. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, making sure not to beat too much.
Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to egg and butter mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees, set cookie dough in fridge while oven pre-heats. (This well help the dough be easer it work with)
Scoop dough into 1/4 cup and transfer to cookie sheet. There is no need to grease pan.
Bake for about 15-17 minutes, or until edges of cookies turn brown. (The center may apppear to be undone)
Let cookies set on sheet for 10-15 minutes. (If you can stand it that long!)

As for glimpes of the life of a two year old and 9 month old, these are some sights you may catch at our house.

This is how I found Campbell after she was supposed to be napping.

It does not take them long to collect a passle of toys in their tent.

This is my mischevious one.

Hanging out in the back of Grandpa's truck

And I can't belive how much my little precious is growing! She loves to eat!

And she loves her alone time with Mommy while Campbell is at school.

Well we are having great week enjoying some of this "cooler" weather. Campbell LOVES school, she asks to go all the time. So far she has not had any "worms" in her apple! But we'll see how long that lasts...

Hope you have a wonderful rest of the week.

Bye-bye for now!

School!!!!!

2010-08-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

School! School! School! Campbell's going to school! Those are the phrases we have been shouting around our house lately in efforts to get Campbell excited about her first experience with with school.

We decided it was about time to socialize our bubbly little 2 year old this year. She has basically never been away from home and has only stayed with family members for short periods of time as well as the nursery at church. So I was not sure how her first few days out from under Momma's wing would go. But she sure was excited this morning as we were getting ready to go.

I was not sure how she would act when we got there, but she acted like she knew exactley what to do!

In the meantime, Adeline and I went for a walk, and then the poor thing was exhausted! So we went home so she could nap. So, what in the world was I supposed to do??? I got a few things done around the house, then got to take a shower and get ready in peace(this never happens!) And before I knew it, it was time to pick Campbell up!

I got to pick Campbell up thinking she would be so excited to see me and she practically ignored me! She was waiting her turn as the teacher passed out treats. The teacher said she was super sweet and never fussed and was a great teacher helper. Campbell seemed to enjoy her day and is looking forward to going back to school! I can't believe she is old enough to start pre-school, even if it is only 4 hours for 2 days a week!

Well that's all for now, hopefully I will get better about taking and posting pictures as well as recipes. Have a fantastic day!

When life hands you tomatoes..Make Salsa!

2010-07-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

Well summer is in full swing and all the gardens are blossoming.. well, except ours. My husband always plants a HUGE garden in the summer, but unfortunately has not had enough time this year to make that happen.
Fortunately for us, we live in the "country." And plenty of our neighbors have gardens of abundance and are gracious enough to share with us. Everytime we go to church or to a neighbors house, we are handed a bag full of freshly picked vegetables.
Last week I had lunch with one of our neighbors, and they gave me a BUNCH of tomatoes as well as many other summer veggies. So what better to do with tomatoes than make salsa! Yum!

And due to my lack of blogging this summer, here are a few pictures of sweet pea and preshy poo!

Ready to go after swimming at the pool.

She thinks she's big stuff..until later when the chair folded in with her in it!

This is what happens when you give a two year old Markers!

Sisters hanging out together

How does she do that with her tongue?

How is is that Campbell screams and throws a fit when I try to put her in her car seat when its IN the car..but throw it in the kitchen, and she climbs in and buckles herself!

Summer reading!

Campbell and Daddy after feeding the catfish!

I love my presh poo!

Could these two look any more different?

Fun in the sprinkler!

Only in the South, do we monogram "pannies"

We are heading to Montgomery this weekend to see Sissy, Laney, and Aunt Lele. We will be showering Becky Buchanan and her baby bump this weekend. Then we will be celebrating the marriage of our cousin Laura Courson the next weekend. It will be a busy but fun week ahead!

Monkey Bread

2010-05-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make something to take to our Sunday School class and Monkey bread is always a breakfast favorite. I have made it several time before and finally twiched the recipe till the monkey bread come out just perfect!

Monkey Bread

Ingredients:

2 tubes refrigerated biscuits (I used Philsbury Flakey Biscuits that come 8 in a can)
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 stick of butter
1 cup of brown sugar

1. Coat bundt pan evenly with oil.
2. Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl and then mix in the brown sugar.
4. Cute each biscuit into fourths. (I like to use a pizza cutter to cut the dough.)
5. Dip each piece of dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
6. Place half of the dough in the well greased Bundt Pan. (Do NOT press the dough together.)
7. Pour half of the butter/sugar mixture over the first half of dough.
8. Put the rest of the biscuit dough into pan and then pour the rest of the butter mixture of dough.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook for 35 minutes.
10. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Then turn pan over onto plate.

This monkey bread just pulls apart with your fingers and melts in your mouth!

Note: I sometime make this recipe the night before. I just put the bundt pan in the fridge after finishing with the dough. Then just stick it in the oven in the morning!

Now here is a couple of pictures of my sweet little monkeys!