Week in iPhotos 6 + a Recipe

We were at the Apple store THE day the new iPad came out.

Jeff is thrilled.

He is the ultimate electronic nerd!

I am thrilled because I get his old iPad, but to be honest, I don't really know what to use it for.  

I have an iPhone, a NookColor, and a computer.  

Really, what do I need an iPad for?  

Someone enlighten me.

I've been too tired to make a really involved (more than 6 ingredients) dinner since my surgery.

I surprised my kids with one of their favorite dinners and they were beyond excited.

Made me feel pretty guilty.

Chicken Chalupas:

1 dozen flour tortillas

4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

2 cans cream of chicken soup (I use Healthy Request--no msg)

1 pint sour cream

1/2 lb. monterey jack cheese, grated

3-4 green onions (optional)

1 can olives, sliced

1 small can green chiles

1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, grated

Combine soup, sour cream, jack cheese, onions, olives, chiles.

Remove 2 C. mixture and add to chicken.  Roll up in tortillas.  Place in greased 9x13.

Spoon remaining mixture over top.  Cover with cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

So, I think I am slightly anemic.

I was supposed to take iron pills for a month after my surgery (I lost quite a bit of blood.)

The iron is positively poison to my system!  I cannot take it.  I've tried every which way to take it, too.

Cannot be done.  I get super nauseous.

So, I've enlisted my husband  to make me a green smoothie (spinach is high in iron) 3-4 times a week.  I'm also trying to up my red meat intake, and eat Total or Cheerios cereal.

Sam's latest game.

Stacking all the paper cups from the pantry into the biggest tower he can make.

He's pretty proud of this one.

I'm on the bandwagon.

Sam and I went shoe shopping.

He fell in love with these Yo Gabba Gabba Vans and wouldn't even look at another pair of shoes.

(Me?  I got bright pink wedges and tan sandals--so excited for Spring!)

This is what I get to do every week.

Aren't a lucky?

Aren't they adorable?

(Except I want to push girl on the right-front's shoulders down, and I want to straighten girl on the right-back's knees, and I want to push Lu's heels together.)  :)

My brother and his wife are on vacation.

I have their kiddies this weekend.

When they aren't playing outside, they are playing in the entryway.

We crowded 7 kids into three bedrooms (6 in two bedrooms) for a sleepover.

Once they fell asleep (which took a looooooong time), they slept great!

Happy Monday to everyone!

Just Here to Share My Expertise

Does it seem like every blogger out there has become an expert at something?

Or several things?

Fashion, budgeting, cooking delicious-healthy-organic meals from scratch, cleaning, organizing, hair, makeup, weight loss, child-rearing, spirituality, photography.

Well, I'm here to share my expertise, offer advice, and give tips.

1

 I am expert at getting my kids out the door for school in a record amount of time when I have overslept for the third time in a week.

Tip #1:  Poptarts and bananas are fast, easy, convenient, and can be eaten in the car.

Tip #2:  Keep gum handy when there is no time for brushing teeth.

Tip #3:  Downy wrinkly release is a life-saver for clothes pulled from the bottom of the clean laundry pile that has yet to be folded.

Tip #4:  Buy a brush that doesn't yank out your daughter's hair when brushing quickly and vigorously.

2

I am expert at placing dishes in the sink in such a way so that, from a distance, the kitchen appears clean.

Tip: plates on the bottom, silverware in glasses, bowls stacked nicely on plates, etc.

3

I am expert at a never-ending system of laundry rotation.

Tip:  Just keep everything in the laundry room and the kids always know where their clothes are.  Easy.

4

I am expert on scouring bathrooms.

Wait a minute.

Nevermind.

5

I am expert at time-outs.

 

6

I am expert at fast, easy, questionably nutritious meals for my kids when I have exactly 25 minutes between carpools to fix something for dinner

New invention:  Pizzadillas

Tortillas

Spaghetti sauce

Cheese

Pepperoni

Olives

Top with another tortilla

400 degrees

8-10 minutes

Voila! 

My kids think I am the best chef ever!

(I won't mention that we ate this 3 times last week.)

7

I am expert at starting a project and NEVER finishing.

Remember my closet makeover?

Yep.

Still pretty much looks like this.

8

I am expert at worrying.

Give me any situation.

I will find something in it to worry about.

I once walked into the dance studio and, without even thinking, started baby proofing (throwing away plastic bags, picking up choke-able objects off the floor, etc.)  

9

I am expert at impulse purchases and buying stuff we don't even NEED just because it's on sale.

Oh, this is such a problem--I can't go to the store anymore.

10

I am expert at extending the life of my hair so I can wash it as infrequently as possible.

Baby powder, dry shampoo, curling irons, lots of hairspray...and lots of ponytails.

Okay, so I am not an expert on being the perfect mother/housewife/fashionista

BUT

I am expert on LOVING my kids and family and doing the darn best that I can.

And that's good enough for me.

Tinfoil Dinners

I haven't posted a recipe for a long time.

Probably because I've hardly baked any treats this entire summer.

It's too hot and we'd all rather have snow cones, or ice cream, or shakes.

This isn't a dessert but one of my family's favorite dinners.

Tinfoil Dinners:  SO EASY!

Bacon (pre-cooked--you can cook beforehand yourself or buy it already cooked.)

Potatoes

Carrots

Butter

Salt and pepper

I line them up assembly style and just pile on all the ingredients. (That stuff on the top is butter that I just broke off of the cube and placed on top.)

Variations:  Chicken

Hamburger

Green or red peppers

Tomatoes

Pretty much anything you like.

It's hard to mess up.

Fold tinfoil over food and fold all edges.

You can cook these outside, over charcoals in a fire pit

or in the oven.

In a fire pit, these only take 15-30 minutes to cook, depending on how hot the coals are.

In the oven, I bake them at 400* for about an hour or until potatoes are soft.

My family likes to put cheese or sour cream on their dinner.

I just like lots of extra butter and salt and pepper.

Rolo Cookies

 After talking it over with Jeff and stewing for a few days, I have decided to keep my blog public (for now).

It's only my first weird comment (which is the only way it can be described), and talking to other bloggers, this same weirdo, calling himself "Angel Moroni" has made his way around the blogging world leaving creepy comments, esp about the Mormon church (which he clearly knows nothing about).

I have since blocked him and I will keep blogging for the time being.  

And thank you so much for all the nice comments, emails, and Facebook messages/notifications.

  I had no idea THAT many people were reading my blog.

So, I will carry on with the best cookie recipe ever (except maybe for gingersnaps--it's a toss-up).

2 1/2 C. flour

3/4 C. unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1 C. sugar

1 C. brown sugar

1 C. butter

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

48-60 Rolos

Sugar

I asked Jake to unwrap all the Rolos.

Here's what I got.  :)

Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda.  Set aside.
Beat sugars and butter until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla. Beat.
Add dry ingredients.  Mix well.
Shape dough into a flat ball, press a Rolo in center and wrap dough around.  (Hint:  I like to use as little dough as possible.  The caramel to dough ratio is higher--a personal preference.)
Roll cookie in sugar.
Bake 350* for 8-10 minutes until tops of cookies start to crack.

Make sure you let the kids help, especially if you double the recipe like I did.

It's a bit time consuming, but so worth it.

I made these for the first time for Father's Day and they were a hit.

Ultimate S'mores!

Have you ever tried Ultimate S'mores?

You haven't?

Well, you should.

A couple weeks ago we had a big dinner party at our house with Jeff's entire family.

For dessert, we had S'mores.

Instead of just regular ol' Hershey bars we tried Kit Kats,

Reeses Peanut Butter Cups,

and Caramellos.

The PB cups were the favorites.

Happy roasting!!!

P.S.  I need to have another Ultimate S'mores party ASAP!

I have had 31 1/2 candy bars left and they are all sitting in my fridge almost gone and I can't stop eating them!

Help!

And Hello?  I am forgetting my big neurotic moment in this one.  

Fire Pit!  

I camped my little self right down there (even at the cost of being anti-social) to make sure none of the 17 grandkids accidentally got burned.  Then I brought out the hose the exact MINUTE we were done.  

Oreo Pops

My friend gave me a plateful of these balls of pure deliciousness and I went straight to the store and bought the ingredients to make some for myself.

These are Oreos on steroids.

You will need:

1 bag of Oreos

6-7 oz. cream cheese

Chocolate candy coating (white or chocolate or the colored discs sold at craft stores)

Sucker sticks

I don't have a food processor so I pulsed a few Oreos at a time in my blender.

Blend into fine crumbs (I had to pick out a few big pieces that wouldn't crush)

They should look like this.

(The first time I didn't crush them enough and they did NOT work)

Start with 6 oz. of cream cheese and blend thoroughly.

Add more if needed.

(Once again, trial and error, I added all 8 oz. the first time and the dough was much too gooey)

Roll into balls and insert sucker sticks.

Dip pops into melted chocolate.

Place on waxed paper and chill in the refrigerator.

I got really creative and sprinkled a little white chocolate on top for decoration.

If you thought Oreos were bad already, this recipe takes them to a whole new level of fat and calorie content.

But they are, oh, so delicious!

Birthday Shopping and a Recipe

I have this really bad habit of pre-spending all of my anticipated birthday money (and then some) before my actual birthday.

Sometimes I start as early as February.

It's great for breaking up the monotony of winter in Utah,

But not so great for when my actual birthday rolls around.

This year was no different.

I started shopping the first of March.

Then we went on a girls' trip to California and I made my mom buy me my present while we were there.

Then I told Jeff I spent way too much money and to please not get me anything.

And, dang it, he listened to me.

Wah!

But, BUT, this birthday wasn't a total waste.

We are leaving for the beach tomorrow.

(Yay!  Get me outta this crappy, snowy weather!)

So..... I saved all the pre-vacation shopping for that day.

I spent some quality time at my favorite store, Target, and bought new swimsuits for everyone, and other beachy stuff.

I also got a birthday check in the mail that day, too, from my dad.  Score!

So, we'll be gone for a week, but I'll leave with a recipe.

Neurotic moment:  Does anyone else get major anxiety before a vacation?  These are the things I will worry about for this one:

1-The drive, which is better than a plane, but I still worry that we will be that family that you hear about in the news that were all killed in a roll-over accident.

2-I hate semi trucks.  I hate passing them.  It makes me nervous.  I really want to get up in the cab of one of those things and look out the mirrors to see if you really can see all the little people on the road.

3-The germs.  Before I let anyone in the hotel room, I will spray Lysol on every surface.  I'm not scared of the kids or me getting sick (except the stomach flu) but it sure makes a trip miserable.  

4-Immediately after I Lysol, I will baby/child-proof everything.  Windows and balconies especially scare me. I will also map out the escape route in the event of a fire.

5-The beach.  I love the beach but there are so many perils.

I will repeatedly count and recount 4 heads the entire time I am there.  I don't like talking to people when I am at the beach (or the pool) because it distracts me from my vigilant counting.

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

I haven't made these in years.

And now I know why:  I eat all of them.  And right before my beach vacation. Boo!

2 bags of Hershey's Kisses                     1/4 C. milk                                         

1 C. shortening                                     2 t. vanilla                                        

1 1/2 C. creamy peanut butter             3 C. flour                                     

2/3 C. sugar                                         2 t. baking soda                      

2/3 C. brown sugar                              1 t. salt                           

2 eggs                                                   Sugar

*Remove wrappers from Kisses

*Have hired-help vacuum...

 ....the mess from letting the kids help unwrap Kisses

*Cream shortening and peanut butter

*Run to store for peanut butter and a box of cereal because I can NEVER just get the ingredient I need when I go to a store.

*Add sugars and beat

*Add egg, vanilla, milk; beat

*Gradually add flour, soda and salt.

*Shape into 1" balls and roll in sugar

*Run BACK to the store for more Kisses (whoops, ate too many) 

and sushi, yes sushi.  

Did you know Smith's has really good sushi?

*Bake at 375* for 10-12 minutes.

*Immediately press a Kiss into the center of each cookie

Enjoy!

Carrot Cookies

This recipe holds a lot of sentiment for me.

My Nana used to make these cookies all the time after Sunday dinner when she had leftover cooked carrots.

Peel and cut 5-6 medium size carrots.  Cover with water and boil until very tender. (about 45-60 minutes)

Drain.  Mash with fork and/or beaters.  Set aside.

3/4 C. shortening                 1 C. cooked, mashed carrots
3/4 C. sugar                         2 t. baking powder
1 egg                                    1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla                           2 C. flour


Cream shortening, sugar and egg.  Add vanilla and carrots.  Mix.  Add dry ingredients.  Mix.  Drop onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (this works sooo much better than a greased cookie sheet).
Bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes.

 Icing:     Powdered sugar

             Juice and zest of 1-2 oranges

Add enough juice to make spreading consistency.  Stir in zest.  Ice cookies while still warm.

These taste even better the second day.