forever and ever amen...

Gluten Free Poppyseed Chicken

2012-01-28T19:38:00.001-06:00

This is what we had for dinner tonight and I was quite pleased with how it turned out! I grew up eating traditional poppyseed chicken made with ritz crackers, but needed a gluten free adaptation.

Here's how I did it:
Poach, and shred 4-6 chicken breasts (you want to have enough chicken to fill your casserole dish, I use a smaller dish do I only need 4).

Mix together:
12 oz box of pacific natural foods cream of chicken soup (GF)
8 oz container reduced fat sour cream
3 tsp poppyseeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1-2 tsp herb de Provence seasoning

Combine mixture with shredded chicken and place in greased casserole dish.

Crush 2-3 cups of corn chex (again, you may need more if making a large batch). Add 1/4 C melted butter. Sprinkle this mixture on top of casserole.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350. Remove from oven when bubbly and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

We usually serve over rice or mashed potatoes. I like to double up on my starches. :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Microwaveable GF Cake in a Mug

2012-01-14T18:35:00.001-06:00

I've seen the "cake in a mug" recipes all over pinterest, but never a gluten free recipe. I decided to make my own last night and it was delicious! The beauty of this concept is that you can customize it to your liking. Add peanut butter, coconut, vanilla, etc. It's also the perfect portion, no more huge cake pans to tempt you into the night! Next time I will definitely have some icing on hand to throw on the top for extra enjoyment.

Here it is:
1/4 C. GF flour of your choice
1/4 C. Sugar
3 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1 egg beaten
3 TBS. milk
1 TBS. vegetable oil

Mix dry ingredients in mug of your choice (I used one of my beloved Starbucks city mugs). In a separate small bowl mix wet ingredients. Add wet to dry, mix well. Microwave on high 1 1/2-2 minutes. Top with ice cream or frosting and enjoy!

(not the best picture ever, but you get the idea)

12 things to do in 2012

2012-01-13T14:45:00.001-06:00

1. Go to Ireland.
2. Write a will (smart, not morbid).
3. Take Liam to the zoo.
4. Go on 12 dates with my hottie husby.
5. Go camping with the Cummings'.
6. Go on a family hike.
7. Wash my face before bed every night.
8. Cook, or try, 5 new foods.
9. Go to a show at the Ryman.
10. Find a play group or day out program for Liam to be involved in.
11. Make 5 things I've pinned on Pinterest.
12. Write snail mail/send packages to those we love.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Colorado!

2012-01-11T10:47:00.001-06:00

We are home from an incredible week in Colorado visiting family and friends. It is always such a treat to just get to share life with our extended families. If you live near yours, be thankful!

(landing in Denver)

I didn't take tons of pictures, I was busy enjoying myself, but I did have tons of fun!

(elk in Estes)

Liam had a great time playing with his cousins and getting loved on by grandparents and aunts and uncles.

(a moose at the visitors center in Estes)

Ryan and I got to cash in on some grandparent babysitting generosity and spent our first night away from Liam. We stayed in a condo in Estes Park, ate delicious food at the Stanley Hotel and saw, "We Bought a Zoo," (new favorite movie) without rushing to get back to relieve a sitter...divine!

(beautiful drive into the mountains)

We ate at all of our favorite places: Blue Parrot, Swing Thai, Little Man, Udi's, (new fave) Snooze, and even got to have Barb's meatballs!

(great am cocktails at snooze)

We even got a little snow while we were there! Liam loved getting hit in the face with snowflakes. We took it one step further and ate ice cream in the snow! So fun, so cold!

Our trips home are always too short, but we are so thankful for our time to visit! Thanks for making time for us, all you Colorado people! We love you very much!

(Grami and Papo love)

Liam's first haircut

2012-01-05T13:56:00.001-06:00

Grami got to cut Liam's hair for the first time today! Sadly, Liam was not very excited to see his baby curls go. His tears and wails were quite humorous. Such a silly boy!

Mommy also got "a little off the top."

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

In case I ever have a bad day...

2012-01-02T16:38:00.001-06:00

I will watch this video. Such a sweet little love! We were trying to pack to go on vacation and Liam discovered the fun that can be had with two suitcases! So funny! It's shakey because I was shaking with laughter.

YouTube Video

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

15 Months Old!

2012-01-01T19:25:00.001-06:00

Dear Liam bird,

It is so hard to believe that you have been with us for 15 months already! You are such a joy, and we love learning and growing with you!

You had a check up with Dr. Davidson the other day and we were excited to hear about your growth. You currently weigh 24 pounds, 13 ounces which is in the 50th percentile. Your height of 31.75 inches is also in the 50th percentile. Your big coconut of a head, however, is in the 75th percent!

It's no wonder that you are growing so much, you can definitely put away the food! You drink about 24 ounces of whole milk throughout the day (4 sippy cups), and eat three quite large meals. I am always amazed at how much you can eat. For example, at Cracker Barrel last week you ate 2 scrambled eggs, 1 whole biscuit, a half-dollar sized piece of ham, half a glass of yogurt, and the top of a blueberry muffin--that's a lot of food! We are so happy that you eat well and continue to be adventurous with food. You love fish, lentils, cornbread, black beans, yogurt, cheese, clementines, breakfast casserole, pumpkin pie, and arrowroot cookies!

Your one year molars are trying to come through and with them they have brought some temper fits. We have always known you to be strong-willed, you got a double helping of that, but you have started to head butt us when you aren't particularly thrilled with something. We have started referring to you as "grumpy-old-man-tooth-face" when you exhibit this behavior-- it is often cured with oragel, or teething tablets which we are thankful for. Despite the grumpiness and obvious pain, you are still sleeping your normal 14 hours at night. We have been trying to figure out your new nap schedule though, sometimes you still need two naps, but more often than not you are are just taking a 3 hour nap in the afternoon.

At fifteen months old, you are still taking your precious time with walking. It will definitely be on your terms, little buddy. You can more than adequately get around by crawling, creeping, walking behind your walker, or climbing. Yes, we need to have you fitted for a harness, you successfully climbed the spiral staircase (with my hand constantly on your tushie) the other day!

Liam, we love to hear your sweet little voice. You say, "mama," "dada," "book," "hi," "baby," and "nigh nigh." You prefer to speak in your little made up language that sounds like French at times. Your intonation sometimes makes it seem like you are saying complete sentences, we will sit around and translate for you so that you feel like you're a part of the conversation. So cute!

You are still our little observer, when you see something new you will watch it for a long time. If you get a new toy you have to turn it over and over inspecting it and then you quickly figure out how to play with it. You absolutely love books, you will sit for a long time just pulling your books out of baskets and flipping through them. You love any "touch and feel" books and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See." You also adore all of the "Little People" that you have acquired. They get loved on and driven all around your room. You have such a sweet heart and love to share with Gus. You will try to put anything in his mouth: food, books, toys, teethers.

We are so thrilled to be your parents, Wiggs. You have no idea how much you bless us everyday with your sweetness, kisses, and smiles. You are so much fun to hang out with, even when you are challenging we wouldn't trade a second! We can't wait to see what this year holds for your development and growth, you're more of a little boy every day! You are loved, cherished, and treasured, my sweets!

Love you forever, and ever,
Momma

A brief Christmas recap...

2011-12-29T15:06:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas, thanks for asking! Little man loves to take things out of things (ex: emptying dresser drawers, removing books from shelves, etc), so he greatly enjoyed removing gifts from his stocking.

We kept Liam's gifts to a minimum considering he has too much to begin with! My favorite gift we got him is the Little People Nativity. He loves to carry around baby Jesus and even lets him drive the dump truck sometimes!

Liam also really likes his bug puzzle that we got for him!

We had a nice relaxing day at home. Ryan outdid himself with wonderful gifts for me, we listened to lots of great music and ate lots of great food!

I can't wait for more Christmases with my sweet family and for Liam to grasp the true meaning of what we celebrate!

"Let's sing out with joy for the brave little boy who was God, but he made himself nothing." -Andrew Peterson

Christmas Decorations: with a toddler

2011-12-13T16:22:00.001-06:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year! This is Liam bird's second holiday season, but last year he was still a non-moving, sleeping all the time little babe so it seems like this is really his first Christmas. I love this time of year and enjoy Christmas decorations so much!

We don't go all out or do a theme, but I think our home always looks festive. This year, we had to adjust our decorations a bit for safety reasons. I did not feel comfortable putting out all of my beautiful snow baby ornaments so we bought some cheap, quilted-ish ornaments to go with non-breakables we already had.

I stole an awesome idea from a friend to use sheet music to make paper chains, she provided the paper for me as well, thanks Becca!

I have my beloved nativity up on the mantle with a few other things.

Each year, the tree stand next to my store gives everyone a free wreath in exchange for coffee and I made a little sheet music bow for the center as well.

Liam has his very own tree! I always wanted a tree in my room growing up, so I must say I am a bit jealous. :) We used his special first Christmas ornaments from last year as well as some colored balls, he seems to enjoy the lights.

So, that's our simple, homespun Christmas! And, we love it.

Wordless Wednesday: Driving

2011-12-07T14:52:00.001-06:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

14 Months!

2011-12-01T11:45:00.001-06:00

Dear Darling Liam Bird,
You are fourteen months old today! Little man, you are growing so big, so fast! We adore you more than we can ever express, but trust me kid, you are loved.

I have no idea how much you weigh (scale needs new batteries) or how long you are, but you are definitely still growing away. You are still wearing size 12 month clothes. You refuse to wear sock or shoes of any kind; we put them on, you pull them right off. It's getting pretty cold, so hopefully you figure out soon that we aren't trying to torture you and keep them on!

This past month you got your front two teeth! Yay, we won't have to wish for them for Christmas! You have also been working on the two teeth next to them and they are both half way through, so four-ish teeth in one month! You have been such a champ about them, but definitely chewing on everything to find relief. Your bed is beginning to look like a beaver sleeps there! You love having your teeth brushed and will sit and let me brush them for several minutes, so sweet!

Your new teeth have aided in your desire to eat everything in sight! You are still loving food, you especially loved the pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream you got to eat on Thanksgiving! You eat three, fairly large, meals each day with three 6-8 ounce sippy cups of whole milk. Right before bed you have a smaller sippy cup while we snuggle and read books just to make sure your tummy is full before bed. You love all food, but especially: sweet potatoes, black beans, breads, cheese, squash, and applesauce. I'm so thankful for your good appetite, I hope we can continue to cultivate a little foodie!

Your communication skills have grown so much this past month! You are now saying: "dada," "mama," "book," "milk," "hi," and "no." You don't necessarily say them perfectly (the k's are left off of book and milk), but you say them well enough that we understand you. You have also started to make a hilarious trilling noise when you are throwing a fit. Imagine someone rolling their tongue while crying, it's pretty silly!

You are still on the brink of walking; so stinking close, but so uninterested. We know you can do it and are trying to just give you all the space and adventure you need to take those first steps!

Liam, you are a hoot to hang out with. You laugh and clap a lot, and you squeal and babble along all day. You are very independent while playing and I am sure you will be a "I do it by myself," kind of kid. You know the ins and outs of all of your toys and love to just sit in your floor and play by yourself. Often, if we get in the floor to play trucks or something else you take that as your cue to go to the other side of the room to play with a different toy. You love to read and have begun tearing the flaps off of all of your "lift the flap" books, destructive little angel. You are constantly trying to engage Gus in a toy to no avail, I'm hopeful that one of these days he will stop being afraid of you and play!

You are such a sweet little boy. You have a tender heart and can turn on the pout at any time; but your eyes are usually sparkling with happiness. Your daddy and I love to walk into any room that you are in because you light up and squeal, while crawling a fast as you can and reaching up for a hug! We are so excited to celebrate your second Christmas season and are looking forward to teaching you about the real meaning of this holiday. We love you so much, sweet baby. And continue to count you as are biggest blessing and our greatest joy.

Love you forever,
Mama

Thankful November: Day 29

2011-11-29T14:34:00.001-06:00

Today, I am thankful for our new (refurbished 1st generation) iPad! I know it's material, but it's so much fun! I'm enjoying using it for lots of things, and playing games with Liam. There are so many apps for toddlers! Ryan is already loving it, he's been able to download a bunch of apps for school stuff. I am also excited about using it for entertainment when we fly to Colorado in January!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Thankful November: Days 25, 26, 27, and 28

2011-11-28T11:28:00.001-06:00

Day 25: I was thankful for leftover cranberry salad! It's my favorite part of thanksgiving.

Day 26: I was so thankful for a fun date night with my sweet husby. We haven't had time to schedule a babysitter for a date since our anniversary in September. We had a great time eating yummy food, exploring old churches, talking, and walking around the mall.

Day 27: I was thankful for a gray rainy day to enjoy lots of snuggling with my little family. My favorite days off are lazy days at home. Perfection.

Day 28: I am thankful for audible. It's an app on my phone with audiobooks! I love listening to books while I am doing laundry or cooking and especially while I am driving in to work in the wee hours of the morning. I'm currently re-listening to "Catching Fire," from the Hunger Games series (I might be obsessed).

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful November: Day 24

2011-11-24T09:01:00.001-06:00

I am so incredibly thankful for all of the loving family that I have! I am blessed by your love, prayers, and friendship. I was raised by some pretty awesome folks and I have two amazing sisters who have husbands and children that I love so much! I married into an incredible, large, loud, loving, and funny family that I love to bits! I am so thankful that God knew just the right people to give me as in-laws, I don't see them much but I love them more every time I do! I am also thankful for two families that I am technically not related to, but have been a part of for countless years: the Garton and Pohle households. Their girls have been my other sisters and I have been blessed to be loved and included as their own over the years! I'm a pretty lucky girl to call four families my own! So thankful for ALL of you! I wish I could hug everyone one of you right now! Next year, why don't you all come to Nashville for a change? Good idea! :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful November: Day 23

2011-11-23T15:31:00.001-06:00

I am so thankful for my sweet friends. I have been blessed by a lot of wonderful friendships here and around the world, but my true best friends are in Arkansas and California. I am terrible at talking on the phone, and I have a weird schedule so I am even more thankful for texting and facebook to interact with them throughout the day. Thanks, Mae, Kir, and Mir...love you girls and so blessed by your love in return.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful November: Day 22

2011-11-22T15:31:00.001-06:00

Today, I am thankful for boogie wipes!

Have you used these? You should! They are made with saline so they don't dry up/irritate sweet baby skin. They also smell fresh. Perfect for my runny nosed, teething little man!
I should really just say that I'm thankful for all of the "modern-day-mommy-conveniences" in my life. :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful November: Day 21

2011-11-21T18:01:00.001-06:00

Today I am thankful for the fairness of State Farm insurance, and God's overwhelming provision in our lives. We were graciously awarded much more than the trooper was worth, as well as an additional medical settlement. So thankful to be able to replace the beloved trooper without having to add a car payment.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful November: Day 20

2011-11-20T16:20:00.001-06:00

I am thankful for the incredible nap I just woke up from! It's a gray, rainy day--perfect for nap taking! I may regret it when my 8pm bedtime arrives, but for now, I am thankful for the extra rest.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful November: Day 19

2011-11-19T23:10:00.001-06:00

I am thankful for SEC football! I'm so proud of my Razorbacks, and excited to hopefully see 3 SEC teams ranked in the top 3 tomorrow! Woo Pig Sooie!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful November: Day 18

2011-11-18T18:42:00.001-06:00

Today, I just want to publicly proclaim that I am thankful for the television phenomenon known as "Friends." It is seriously my favorite show of all time! We recently got rid of cable so I am also thankful that I own all 10 seasons of the show! I really don't think I will ever get tired of watching it because each episode brings back different memories for me. I've been watching this show since middle school, so I associate different episodes with different times in my life. So many great quotes and great memories. Love.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful November: Day 17

2011-11-17T19:28:00.001-06:00

Today I am thankful for Skype! We don't utilize it as much as we should, but it is nice to easily see loved ones who live far away. We loved getting to see our monkey nieces and nephews for a minute tonight. :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful November: Day 16

2011-11-16T19:03:00.001-06:00

On this wet, chilly day I am thankful for comfort food and the ability to make it gluten free!

White chicken chili, cornbread, and cider. Warm and delicious.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful November: Day 15

2011-11-15T16:59:00.001-06:00

Today, and everyday, I am thankful for my husby! He never ceases to make me feel special, funny, loved, and beautiful. I am so thankful for his friendship and his partnership; we are an amazing team! He is a full-time stay at home dad, a part-time tutor and a more-than-full-time graduate student. He is an incredibly hard worker and a dedicated student (seriously, he writes papers weeks before they are due!). He is truly a hands-on dad, I am so proud of his relationship with Liam and his confidence in caring for him. I am so blessed by his tender heart and commitment to me, Liam, and the Lord. Thanks, loverface!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful November: Day 14

2011-11-14T17:33:00.001-06:00

Today I am thankful for Liam's clapping! He is so sweet and proud of himself.

YouTube Video

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful November: Day 13

2011-11-13T16:21:00.001-06:00

Let the Holiday weight gain begin! :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone