Kim

New Recipe: Bacon Potato Bake

2015-01-02T16:10:00.001-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. We did absolutely nothing for the eve of the new year. We have a 18 month who turns into a monster at eight o'clock and so it was safe to keep him home. I am sure everyone would of appreciated that. We were in bed before midnight. Anyway back to why I was doing this post....

I always have a hard time thinking of what I am going to bring to the family lunch and dinner for the Holidays. I usually do stuffed jalapenos but I wasn't in the mood to take all the seeds out and having to stuff them all. I had a few of these ingredients in my pantry and so I came up with a new recipe. I love coming up with something that is all mine. A recipe that I can take credit for and not found on Pinterest.;)

Ingredients

Golden Idaho Potatoes
Cooked Crumbled Bacon
1 can of Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 cup of Milk
1 sleeve of Ritz Cracker (crumbled)
Half of Stick of Butter(melted)
Salt & Pepper

Heat oven to 350

Slice your potatoes(I leave the skin on) & wash under cold water. Bring a pot of water to boil and add your sliced potatoes. Cook potatoes till slightly tender, don't over cook. You don't want your potatoes to fall apart. While the potatoes are cooking ,cook your cheddar cheese soup and cup of milk on low heat till the soup is liquified. Remove from heat. Then drain the water from the potatoes and place them in a oven safe casserole dish. Pour your soup/milk mixture over the potatoes, add the crumbled crackers and bacon. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Place in oven and cook for approximately 30 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Life According To My IPhone

2014-11-08T10:17:00.003-06:00

Life has been pretty busier around and with the Holidays coming up it will just get crazier! I leave for New York City in three weeks and I am super excited!

Rosemary Chicken with Wild Rice

2014-08-26T06:04:00.000-06:00

This recipe is one of my favorites to make it is rich in flavor and oh so good!

1 cup wild rice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/4 pounds of skinless boneless chicken breast, cubed
2 carrots, diced
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp orange marmalade
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
Salt & Pepper

1. Cook wild rice according to directions

2. In large nonstick skillet(I use my cast iron skillet) over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and carrots until golden brown.

Season your cube chicken with salt and pepper.Add Chicken and saute, stirring frequently, 3-4 minutes.Then add one tablespoon of dried rosemary to you pan and continue stirring for another minute.

Stir in marmalade and mustard, stirring frequently, until heated thoroughly, about 3 minutes. Add, the rice; toss to combine.

Weight Watcher Points Plus:7 points for 1 cup.

Surf Side Beach

2014-08-22T05:56:00.003-06:00

A little over a week ago we went away for a much need vacation. The boys and us had the best time, spending quality time together as family. We rented a beach house in a coastal town near Galveston. I would recommend anyone that has small kids to rent a vacation home. It is was so much better than being stuck in a small hotel room.

Here is a few pictures....:)

Christina's Heaven

Mustache Bash

2014-07-17T22:00:00.001-06:00

I am finally getting around and posting some pics of Max 1st birthday party. I was really pleased how everything turned out. Party's sure are fun but they are a lot of work. I was one tired Momma after it was all said and done!

I got the egg crates from Etsy & also the mustache straws from Esty. Once again I got the cute mustche cups from Etsy

The napkins came from target & I added the mustache decals myself

My talented friend from church "Carmen Cain" did a incredible job on Max' cake.

My mason jar is from Hobby Lobby & the goody bags are from yours truly....Etsy


My husband did a awesome job on our wood wall!He got it done by the time for Max party, like I asked!!

My good friend, Priscilla! She came over and helped me decorate.Love my friends!


My sister-in-law Kassie made these picture props for me. It's good to know talented people with machines to make you things:)

I started the tradition with my first born Miles that for their first birthday I would buy a book as a sign in book for their first birthday and I would give them the book when they turn 18. Isn't this book the Cutest


The letters I got from Hobby Lobby & painted my self. The banner came from Etsy once again..

My Max..

Miles & Max Moments

2014-05-24T07:24:00.002-06:00

I am way over due sharing moments of my little guys with everyone!

Miles

1.) He turned 4 years old in March and the little boy had 3 birthday parties!He is just a little spoiled....
2.) Still crazy about numbers and letters. Miles always ask us what "what does that say?" and "how do you spell that?"
3.) Every time Miles gets in my car he informs me my car stinks and I need to wash it...
4.) Miles likes to listen to "songs" aka "church songs" while we are driving but he is very selective in his song selections. He only likes "In Jesus Name, Jesus Said It, Jesus At the Center and When the Battle Is Over." He has no problem telling us when he doesn't like a song!

Max
1.) Max turned 1 years old on the 15th. He had a Mustache Bash that was a Smash!
2.) He is our little bully! He will bulldoze over little boys and girls and blow them a kiss to top it off;)
3.) Mack Max loves baseball caps! So much that he will get upset at strangers that are wearing them and he can't take them off their head.
4.) Little man words are starting to make some sense.... he can say "Momma, Dada, Juice, Thank you, Ball, Hi and Bye."

Four Years

2014-03-29T07:49:00.002-06:00

Four.sigh.Four years ago today I met you for the first time and my heart has never been the same. I know I would love being a Mom, but I never knew that my heart was capable of loving such a little boy so much. You have changed me, helped me, challenged me, rocked my world in the best possible way.

Miles, you are such a incredible little boy. Your love for church, learning, music..I can't wait to see the man you will become later in life.

As long as I can remember I wanted to be a Mom and on March 29th that dream came true. I love you with all my heart. Thank you for being more then I could of ever dreamed of.

Happy Birthday!

Pasta Salad

2014-03-08T10:24:00.000-06:00

This pasta is super easy to make and very tasty!

1 box of bow tie pasta(the multi-colored pasta makes this dish even more colorful)

1 container of cherry tomatoes(sliced in half)

1 medium chopped red onion

2 cans of sliced black olives

1 medium head of chopped broccoli

1 package of shredded carrots

2 bottles of Italian Dressing

Boil your bow tie pasta till done.( I always boil my pasta in chicken broth for extra flavor).Add all the other ingredients. I put everything in a ziplock baggy and let it sit over night but you can mix everything in a bowl as well in put in fridge. Let it sit overnight in the fridge.Before serving mix everything together with a spoon. Enjoy!

Weekly Dinner Menu Febuary 16th-Febuary 27th

2014-02-24T18:26:00.002-06:00

Febuary 16-Febuary 22nd

Sunday
Lemon Feta Chicken and broccoli

Monday
Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

Tuesday
Church

Wendsday
Left Overs

Thursday
Million Dollar Spaghetti

Friday
Out of Town

Saturday
Out of Town

Sunday
Crockpot Lemon Chicken

Febuary 23rd-Febuary 27th

Monday
Weight Watchers Smothered Steak and Mashed Potatoes
( Will post recipe later)

Tuesday
Church

Wednesday
Beef Tips, Rice and Green Beans

Thursday
Birthday Dinner for Brother-In-Law

Weekly Menu January 25- Febuary 13th

2014-02-10T18:44:00.002-06:00

Hello. I am a little behind getting my weekly menu out for the next two weeks. Hope you all find some great recipes you want to try. My husband makes fun of me and says we never have the same thing twice. What can I say..I like to cook and I like to try new recipes out;)

January 25-February 8th.

Saturday
Dinner with Friends
Sunday
Italian Sloppy Joe's
Monday
Quick Lime Cilantro Chicken and Roasted Vegetables. I like to saute chopped red onion, squash and zucchini in my iron skillet with some olive oil and seasoning. It's one of my favorite side dishes.
Tuesday
Dinner at Church
Wednesday
Crock pot Corned Beef and Cabbage( I don't have a recipe for this one but I just bought corned beef and added the packaged seasoning it comes with along with some carrots and cabbage, also some water to slightly cover the corned beef. I cooked on low for 8 hours.)
Thursday
Chicken Fried Rice
Friday
Jalapeno Ranch Chicken Tenders and Green Beans
Saturday
Balsamic Pork Roast and Broccoli
Sunday
Angel Chicken and Green Beans

February 9

Monday
Herb & Citrus Roasted Chicken and Cauliflower
Tuesday
Dinner at Church
Wednesday
Crock pot Lemon Chicken
Thursday
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

This Jalapeno Popper Chili is one of the best chili's I have ever tasted.

Weekly Menu:January 17-Jan 30th.

2014-01-16T20:49:00.001-06:00

I started planning a weekly dinner menu when I cook at home,which I do a lot! Planning has helped so much with grocery shopping and not having to think of something last minute to cook.I get most of my recipes from Pinterest..What was life before Pinterest?!

January 17-January 24

Friday
T-Bone Steak, Sauteed Vegetables and Dill Potatoes(recipe for potatoes at this site)
Saturday
Dinner at a friends house
Sunday
Mississippi Roast Corn and Cauliflower Mash
Monday
Seared Chicken with Smashed Potatoes and Herb Pan Sauce and green beans
Tuesday
Dinner at Church
Wendsday
Crock Pot Italian Sloppy Joes
Thursday
Skinny Beef Enchiladas and fried beans
Friday
Dinner with Friends
Saturday
Dinner at Chamber Banquet

Sunday
Crock Pot Sante Fe Chicken

January 25-January 30
Monday
Skinny Baked Parmesan Chicken, spaghetti noodles and broccoli
Tuesday
Dinner at Church
Wendsday
Crock Pot Chili
Thursday
Easy Macaroni Casserole

This is a pic of the Mississippi Roast, I can't take credit for this pic but this roast is so good!

Favorite Pics of 2013

2013-12-31T15:32:00.001-06:00

Progressive Dinner 2013

2013-12-23T20:33:00.001-06:00

Some friends and I have been doing a progressive dinner for a few years now where we go to different houses for a three coarse meal. This year I volunteered to do the appetizers. I love to cook and I do not bake so appetizers was my thing. I can't take all the correct as I did have help, my friend Karen helped. I did do most of the cooking and she did the majority of the decorating. Team Work!I wish I would of taken my camera and gotten pictures of the other two houses that did dinner and dessert. You can see the house here where my sister in law Kassie did the dessert, she is quite the decorating and she can bake really good:)


Karen was quite proud of these photo booth props that she got on etsy

Easiest appetizer to make...ever!2 bags of meatballs, 1 jar of favorite spaghetti sauce. Combine ingredients in crock pot with a little water and cook on high for 8 hours on low.

I used my friend Christina recipe for this cheese ball. 1 pkg of cream cheese(softened)1 pkg ranch dressing seasoning mix, Lawry's Seasoned Pepper and crackers. Mix cream cheese with ranch packet and with a plastic wrap around hands shape into a ball or rectangle.Place on a serving platter, once shaped sprinkle and cover with Lawry's seasoning.Refrigerate until ready to serve with crackers.

The spinach cups didn't come out as we planned but they were still good.Karen had the idea to make them into cups of cutting them into slices cause for some reason that wasn't working out so well for me. Here is the recipe that we intended to use.

Jalapeno Popper Dip is Yummy!There is numerous recipes on Pinterest but this is the recipe that I use.I always double the recipe to make the quantity larger.I think the recipe calls for fresh jalapenos but I always use jarred jalapenos.

Nothing like homemade salsa. You can find the recipe on my blog.

Karen came us with this idea. "Build Ur Beans" Bean Dip. We made homemade bean dip(recipe on blog another time), canned beans work just as well. Pile on all the other toppings and enjoy!

Garlic Chicken Puffs. I didn't buy the right kind of crescent rolls so we made due with what we had...pie crust. The original recipe here.I did brush some homemade garlic butter on each of these that made them extra good!

I am so glad I bought these cute drink dispenser from Target.The punch was really good and everyone seemed to like it. Original recipe is here.

Miles & Max Moments

2013-12-06T11:05:00.003-06:00

Miles
1)When Miles wants something to eat out of the pantry he comes and gets me(Mommy, never Daddy.) He tells me he needs to show me somethings and says " I think I need like...."
2)His new favorite game to play on the ipad is Sonic the Hedge Hog.He seriously can play that same game for hours!
3)Miles was really excited about Macy Thanksgiving Day parade this year. All his favorite characters were in the parade. He saw The Diary of the Wimpy Kid float and was calling it Diarrhea of the Wimpy Kid.LOL! Of coarse he thought it was hilarious, typical boy...
4) Took Miles to the Ft. Worth Science and History Museum last weekend, we had so much fun! He still doesn't like T-Rex, in fact I had to go touch him and smell his foot to show him he wasn't real.

Max
1)Max started "Dada" over the Thanksgiving holiday and hasn't stopped talking his baby talk ever since. He has some serious lungs on him but I guess we already knew that:)
2) He is perfectly fine as long as someone is in a room with him which can be a problem at times and then the water works start...
3)Our big boy is sitting up and somewhat crawling. The army crawl suits him the best. Watch out for cords and shoes, he loves them! Walked in on him almost pulling the DVD player on top of him the other day.
4)Max is holding his own bottle. Yay!! This does make things a little easier now.

Please excuse the mess. Our house seems to stay like this due to the little boy in the picture. Those flash cards are really cool. The teach kids how to add and subtract.

Our Macky Max. Ffor those who don't know..Miles called Max, Macky when we brought him home and it has kinda stuck.

Miles First Cooking Lesson

2013-11-16T10:13:00.002-06:00

One of my memories as a child is my Mom teaching us to cook. I am hopefully passing down the same passion of cooking to my sons. (Their wife will thank me later;)Miles got to learn to bake his first "Halloween Cookies" a few weeks. He made a huge mess, I mean there was flour everywhere! That's o.k. though,we were making memories!

Life According To My Iphone

2013-10-15T17:16:00.001-06:00

1.)My sweet nephew Harrison(he is a twin to his sister Lyla) 2.)Miles wanted to ride the inflatable giraffe...silly boy. 3.) That would be Lynn and Chris Prince participating in a game at Grayson Ouellette party...not really sure what they were doing. 4.) Memaw and our sweet baby Max!


1.) Eating at one of the best pizza places, Mellow Mushroom. 2.) Miles had to take a picture with the painted horse outside of Mellow Mushroom. 3.) That would be my crazy mentee "Anyissa"..she said " the camera just loves me for some reason."4.)One of the other best pizza places with my friend Laurisa, Ancient Ovens.The scenic view is amazing!4.) As you can see trying to get a picture with Miles is like playing tug of war. Literally....			"

Beef Tips and Fried Cabbage

2013-10-12T17:41:00.002-06:00

Beef Tips and Rice is one of my favorite comfort foods. This recipe is so easy to make and really good!

Beef Tips

1 pound of beef tips
1-2 cups of rice
1 package of dry onion soup mix
1 package of dry brown gravy mix
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 cups of beef broth

Get out at the ole' faithful crock pot. Put all the ingredients in it except for the rice. You can either cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours( The last time I made this I cooked on high for 4 hours and the beef tips came out tender.) Cook your rice according to directions. (I also add some chicken bouillon to the rice when cooking for some extra flavor)Serve beef tips and gravy over rice.

Fried Cabbage

1 head of cabbage(chopped)
1 small onion
4 pieces of center cut bacon strips(once cooked, crumble)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup water

Cook your bacon til crispy and set a side. Saute your onion in the bacon grease,add chopped cabbage and water. Cook your cabbage till desired tenderness, also season with salt and pepper.(stir your cabbage while cooking to get all the cabbage good and seasoned)Once cooked add your crumbled bacon.

Ancient Ovens

2013-10-05T09:36:00.002-06:00

Last night we took our friends Tim and Laurisa to Ancient Ovens in St. Jo. It was the perfect night!We have been there a couple of times but had to sit inside because the weather was to cold. Last night was got to sit outside and enjoy the weather plus the beautiful scenery.
www.ancientovens.com

Miles & Max Moments

2013-10-02T16:49:00.003-06:00

Miles...

He started the pre-school program at his daycare. It was an adjustment for him for a couple of days since he doesn't like change but he is finally used to it and all is well the world again.All I get out of him about school is...Ms. Kayli told him No, he played outside and Jacob did it...
He learned something new, I am assuming at school. He has learned the sound of each letter and so he goes from A-Z sounding each letter, he has hand movements and all. It's really cute!
Ask him what Timmy does? You'll get a show...
He loves The Count on Sesame Street. I wonder why??..;)

Max...

Still not a fan of sleep
His last doctor visit he weighed 18 pounds
Max started rolling over and just last night he started sitting up on his own! I can't handle all these mile stones all at once. He is my last child and I want him to stay little for a little while longer...:(
He started eating baby food, we"ll be putting him a diet here soon.

(Miles keeping Max entertained during church)

This Guy

2013-08-07T13:36:00.000-06:00

I have been married to this guy for 9 years! He is a incredible husband, father & friend. I am a lucky girl to have him all mine. The number of the day is 7!;)

Miles & Max Moments

2013-07-20T07:46:00.000-06:00

Since welcoming home Max into our little family life around the Dutton home has been a little crazy. I work a full time job among others things that I do so when I get home it's is cooking, cleaning and help take care of the kiddos. We usually don't get to bed till 11:30 or so...I don't have much time for anything else. It is 8:30am on a Saturday and the kids are still asleep. Yippee!

Miles...

1. Well I thought the 3 year old stage would be better than the terrible 2's but I don't know..There is more crying it seems and lots of whinnying.He likes to fold his arms and and turn his head, so you won't touch him. This little boy seems to get the best of me some days.
2. Everyone knows how much Miles loves church. He memorizes each title message. He also knows every soloist that sings every song at church. He likes to listen to the music on my ipod, so when he hears a song that we sing in church he tells me the soloist name if there is one. Smart boy!
3. Miles is learning to write his numbers and letters. Aunt Linda bought him these dry erase flash cards that has letters and words and a set that has numbers. She bought them from Books A Million for anyone that might be interested.

Max...
1. This little boy went for his 2 month check up this last week. He weighs 14lbs and 2.5oz. My little chunk! He is catching his fast with his little cousin Harrison who is also a little chunk.
2. Max loves it when you talk to him. He laughs, smiles, talks baby talk to you.He is a morning person just like his Daddy. Miles not so much, just like his Momma.
3.He is getting a little better at sleeping. He is staying awake pretty much all day but when he gets really tired at night he fights sleep. Trying to get his to go to sleep at night is a struggle. Bro. Halford at church told us to use lavender oil behind his ear and that seems to calm him down some nights. At this point he is only waking up once a night around 3 or 4. I"ll take that!

( I don't have any new pictures of Max because Miles deleted all the pictures on my phone.Ugh....)

Apple Dumplings

2013-06-20T13:59:00.003-06:00

Ingredients:

2 cans crescent rolls

2 granny smith apples

1 stick butter

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 sugar

1 (12 oz) Mountain Dew

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 wedges. Roll each wedge in a crescent roll. Place rolls in a baking dish. In small saucepan melt butter. Once melted add sugar and cinnamon. Mix well. Spoon over crescent rolls. Pour diet Mountain Dew over rolls. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

Southern Style Potato Salad

2013-06-20T13:06:00.000-06:00

This potato salad is not your traditional potato salad. It has lots of onions, pickles, eggs and mustard! This is the only kind we ever had growing up and the only kind that I will eat!

1lb of potatoes of your choice
1 small jar of pickles(diced)
1 medium onion(diced)
4 hard boiled eggs(chopped)
mustard to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Note: With this recipe you can add as much or little as you like

Peel and Chop your potatoes. Cook till tender. When done drain water and add onions, pickles, eggs, mustard, salt and pepper. Mix with a blender, till you get desired smoothness. Transfer to a serving bowl. I like to eat this potato salad while it is still warm.

Max's Photo Shoot

2013-06-08T16:37:00.001-06:00

Max got his pictures taken by his Aunt Kassie a few weeks ago. He did much better then his big brother did for his newborn pics. Kassie used to have a photography business till the twins and well life just got busier. I am posting a few of my favorite pictures. She did a awesome job. I can't thank her enough!

We love the Texas Rangers!

Max is middle name is Nolan, after Nolan Ryan;)

This one is my favorite!

A Birth Story:Max Nolan

2013-06-07T09:02:00.000-06:00

Let me first say that I love being a Mom to two little boys. Little girls are cute and yes they have super cute cloths but there is something about little boys. Miles and Max completely melt my heart! Also being the only girl in our little family can work to my advantage!

I ended being induced since I was close to my due date and I was making a little progress. The doctor was happy with how my body was preparing to give birth and so we went to the hospital on May 15th at 8:00 am. I wasn't really wanting to be induced since I had such a bad labor with Miles and induction makes for a very long hard labor. I was at a 3cm when I arrived at the hospital. They hooked me all up and started the pitocin. Giving it to me a little at a time. Weeks before I went into the hospital I was trying to mentally prepare myself for what contractions felt like. I never felt them with Miles but defiantly made up for it during the delievery part. There are really no words to describe what contractions feel like. My husband Lynn though helped me get through the pain. Though he couldn't do much to help me. Just him being there and letting me cry on him was plenty.

When Dr. Chu came in at noon to break my water, I think I was at 6cm at that point. She said that we should see Max probably about 6:00pm and then she left. The contractions got harder and stronger. I was waiting for as long as I could to get my epidural since with Miles it wore off when it was time for me to push. I had to wait for about a hour before the anthsteologist could give it to me because they were doing a c-section. I finally got my epidural and I kept waiting and waiting for it work. Nope.....so here he comes again giving me the full dose this time. He said that it should take about 15min for it to kick in. 20 minutes later, I kept telling my husband that it wasn't working. I went from being at 6cm to 10cm within minutes.My body just can't handle the medicine they give you for the epidural, so once again I had to give birth naturally.And in hindsight, I'm glad the epidural didn't work so good. Because I felt my son make his way into the world.

Here comes the nurses and the rest of the medical staff setting up the delivery room.There is something seeing the lights change and all the instruments laid out, knowing that at any moment your little love will make his appearance in the world. I remember them trying to keep him in me for as long as possible because Dr. Chu wasn't there yet but baby Max was ready to come and I was ready for him to come out. So in one strong push he was out and my wonderful nurses helped deliver Max. Max weighed 10lbs and 2oz. He was 22inches long. Big healthy baby boy!

It was love at first sight, just like his big brother. I was a little emotional when they let me hold him for the first time. Knowing all what God had brought my family through the last couple of years. Life is Good!