The Johns Family

Tantalizing Tuesday

2011-08-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Oh My Heck-I just made the yummiest dessert ever!!! The direct recipe can be found HERE.

Smores Cookie Bars
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Morgans Quilt

2011-08-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY finished Morgans quilt for her room. Granted I bought the fabric before Christmas of last year...HELLO!! There are not enough hours in a day! I got this quilt pattern fro=om one of my favorite quilting blogs Cluck Cluck Sew . Check it out, I just love her style! Still getting amped to make her headboard:) Hopefully i can get it done-power tools scare me:)

What's Cooking?

2011-08-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

So this is what I did to our burgers tonight,,,and they were replaced by a very nutritious meal of frozen pizza and french fries...Do I get the bad mom of the year award?

Summer Flowers

2011-07-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

Baseball 2011

2011-07-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

This was Kadens first year of baseball. I wish he had enjoyed it more. Sor far we have tried gymanstics, karate, flag football, and baseball, all of which he has disliked!

This was Kailers second year in competetive baseball. Needless to say I am glad to have a little break before football begins.

Morgan's Room Redo

2011-07-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

Yep she is growing up. Time for something a little more sophisticated. It is still a work in progress-BUT I should have the quilt completed next week...and maybe the headboard too!

Lazy Day

2011-06-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

This is what happens to an almost 13 year old after an eight mile hike and campout!
Man I can't keep enough food in this house! This kid won't quit growing!

End of the School Year 2011

2011-06-08T17:15:00.000-07:00

They all made it through the school year. Many days I wondered if my boys would be held back, but hallelujah-they made it. They enjoyed field day, and ice cream party, pioneer day and spending the last week having fun with their teachers. Mrs Will and Mrs Amicon were great!! I loved these ladies. Hopefully my kids will have hreat teachers for 2nd and 4th grade!

Adoption 5K

2011-06-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

Since about Feb. I have been a non running momma!
This has been a bummer because I find I need it in order to help keep the stress at bay. Heaven knows i need an outlet with a husband working 90 hour weeks, 4 kiddos with all their many activities, I many days feel like a single mom. Anyway, since I couldn't run I registered my fabulous daughters for a 5K. We trained a little bit and the did an awesome job. My little Morgan is a runner, she said Paige kept slowing her down and she just wanted to go go go.

I am trying to train for the Boulder 1/2 Ironman. It takes place in August, honestly I am just barely running again and there has been little time to fit the training in. I registered $250 last year. That is my problem, so much money but it is just not coming togteher. So I would like to do a shorter distance(maybe an olympic distance). I have until the end of June to get a small refund of $75 on the IRONMAN. I will reevaluate then. Meanwhile, I am going to register my little swimmer Morgan for a kids Tri. She is on the swim team this year and is loving it.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-06-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

These are my fabulous kids on Mothers Day! And I made this tasty dessert!!!!

Not much to post about Mother's Day this year. I did get to spend time with the family and take a nap:)

Baseball Erie Tigers

2011-06-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

Kailer is into his second season playing competitive ball. We went up a division and the boys were not prepared. Needless to say it has been a bit disappointing to see the struggle to win. But they have improved. Kailer is normally number 58 in football and baseball. But the lady who did the uniforms messed up. Totally embroidered 56 on the bag, hat, windbreaker, and jersey. I didnt have the heart to tell her, but I did pay $250 for the uniform:( Kailer is almost 13. He has probably grown close to a foot. I can't believe how tall he has gotten and how helpful he is. He's my little BIG man! And my go to guy(fixer, lawn moxer, trash taker outer etc), since Dev isnt around much these days.

Tantalizing Tuesday

2011-04-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last night we tried something new, Chipotle Pork Tacos with Lime Cilantro Rice from Our best Bites.
Devin and i were the only ones who liked them, but I think my kids just aren't used to chipotle. For something different give it a whirl, you just might like it!

Chipotle Pork Tacos
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, April 2011
1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced thin
1 ½ tsp grated lime zest
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
2 tsp minced fresh oregano, or a heaping ½ tsp dry
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (use the peppers for heat and the adobo sauce for a mild smoky bite. I used 1 1/2 Tbs of sauce and no peppers and it was hardly spicy at all.)
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
¼ tsp kosher salt
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 C thinly sliced shallots, or onions
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro
Recommended: Lime-Cilantro Rice
Combine thinly sliced pork, lime zest, lime juice, oregano, brown sugar, chipotles, garlic, and salt. Set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp olive oil. Add onions and sauté for 4 minutes or until tender. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 2 tsp olive oil to pan and add pork mixture. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink. Add pork to onions. Warm tortillas on a hot grill and fill with pork mixture. Top with sour cream and cilantro. Serves 4.

Lime-Cilantro Rice with Pineapple

1 cup dry white rice, cooked in 2 C water.
2 T real butter
Juice from 1 large lime, or two smaller ones (taste as you go, I add a lot!)
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained. (You may want 2 small cans)
½ – ¾ C chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook rice. As soon as it’s done, toss in the butter and stir to melt. Add lime juice, pineapple, and cilantro. Stir to combine, and then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

* You’ll want to serve this right away, if you don’t, the flavors tend to mellow a bit and you’ll probably need to add more lime juice because the rice kind of sucks it up. If you’re not quite ready to eat when your rice finishes cooking, just toss in the butter and keep a lid on it so it stays warm. Then right before you serve it, toss it all together. Picture from Our Best Bites

Orlando Days 4.5.6

2011-04-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

Epcot

There is not much to post about Epcot, we loved Test Track!! But honestly this park is rather boring, and it was a downpour the whole day. Kaden and Morgan were sooo sick and I as well started to get a fever that day. I decided to take the little ones back to the hotel to get out of the soggy rain and rest up.

Day 5-Hollywood Studios I think wew were all sick of being sick that we just plum fogot the camera. Its too bad, we did have a great time at this park. There are some fabulous shows-Indian Jones, the Lights, Action, Motors. And the loved Rockin Rollercoaster-so much fun. But holy cow this park was sooo busy I thought I was going to die! Man I hate crowds, they just make me cranky.

Cocoa Beach(Atlantic Coast)

Fevers and all the kids had a great time at this beach. The could have played for hours(actually they did). Devin got sick here. Yes the terrible Fever, the Orlando Fever! He was so miserable but was a good sport. This water was suprising warmer than the gulf coast. As you can see it was cloudy most of the day. It was raining back at the hotel with Tornado warnings, but we were oblivious to what was going on an hour away.

Kailer and Dev spent most of their time body surfing After finishing the day we headed over to RonJons Surf shop and left for the hotel to get packed up for an early flight. We spend 2 hours the next morning sitting on the runway. The rain would just not stop!

Orlando Days 1.2.3

2011-04-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

The kids have been giddy with excitement since we booked the Orlando trip. We have not been on a real vacation as a family(airplane and all) ever. We have driven places, Cali, Utah, Yellowstone, but never hopped on a plane. I think mostly cause it is so dang expensive to fly 6 people anywhere, but we had actually saved up enough frequent flyer miles to fly 5 of us for free.
The logistics of trying to prepare for a vacation including all 4 parks at Disneyworld(trying to figure which day to do what, when the each park be less crowded, meals etc) really was NOT the most fun part. I am a planner, Devin is a fly by the seat of his pants kinda guy, but I wanted to whatever it took to avoid standing in hour long waits for rides. Thus I put together a park touring plan, which saved us hours of waiting.
The trip began with a very early morning drive to DIA with sleepy children in tow and yes, hold onto your hats, only 2 large suitcases for all 6 people! I am a great packer what can I say.The way the FF miles worked, Morgan and I were on one flight, and Dev, Paige, Kai, and Kade were on a different flight.

Morgan on the tram and in the airplane! She made sure to tell everyone that this was her FIRST time on an airplane!!

Picking up the minivan and heading out of the airport. It was so warm! Kailer looks a little constipated(traveling can do that to ya!)

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Kilaminjaro Safari

Kailer being Kailer

Towards the end of the day we met a lady who has worked at Animal Kingdom Park since it opened. I think she was just so thrilled to talk with us she gave us VIP tickets for a ride and to see the Lion King(this was a fabulous show). We were ushered into the open theater first and set right in the first row. Unknownly getting prepared to be part of the show!

Magic Kingdom

This is the day that things started to fall apart. Morgan came down with a fever. Of course I forgot her Nebulizer, any cold she gets goes straight to her lungs. So we had to purchase one from Walgreens and get a bunch of albuterol. We can't seem to go anywhere without her getting sick.

We woke early to get to the park right at opening. We were able to ride everything by 11 am. Thanks again to my handy touring plan. And were greeted by singing and dancing with Mickey and Minnie in tow.

Because of our early arrival, we were able to ride everything by 11 am! How is that for planning?

By lunch the park was soooo crowded that we decided to head back to the hotel for some swimming and napping. It was a much need break! We headed back for a parade and didn't make it to the fireworks. Morgan was just too sick:(

Clearwater Beach(Gulf Coast)

Day 3 was a beach day, and we thought it would be good to take a break for Morgan...and Kaden, yep he came down with a fever too. By golly i paid for the vacation, we are doing everthing as planned, even if we are miserable doing it. The water hear was beautiful, but it was windy. The sand was like powdered sugar and you could see the bottom of the ocean. We bougth some snorkles and Dev and Kai went out and snorkled for a couple hours. Morgan layed around and Kaden was soon to follow. It was beautiful, but wasy too many people!!

Aqua Running

2011-03-09T12:01:00.000-08:00

Today I water ran for the first time. Some might think that water running sounds super easy, but it kicked my butt! I actually sweated while in the water. Feelings of apprehension have been hovering in the back of my mind. Would I look like a big dork, would I do it wrong, would I look like a big dork, would it work, would I look like a big dork, will I keep my lungs and cardio strong till I can run again...These are the thoughts that have been circling my mind since I bought the blasted water belt last week.

Now I did catch one of the freaking life guards mimicing me and making fun of me, but WTH I shouldn't care what I look like. Devin pictured me with one of those rubber floatation devices, something like this:

Yep he got a good laugh. Anyway I did about 50 min of on and off speedwork. You warm up 5 min and then do 1.5 min fast and take a 30 second recover in between. I did this a total of 16 times and then I cooled down for 10 minutes. I had a few charley horses in my calves but all in all it was a good workout. Or a very successful mission. I hope those damn lifeguards are not there on Friday.

Kaden's 7th

2011-03-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

Kaden has been planning his 7th birthday since his last birthday. Every month it seemed to change venue. Boondocks, Disneyland, Jumpstreet, the Rec, swimming, ChuckE Cheese, Boondocks, swimming, Jumpstreet, and finally ChuckE Cheese. We let Kaden invite just a few friends and it was perfect. The boys were all very well behaved and I think they had a great time. I can't believe he is going to be baptized next year. Where does the time go???

Tantalizing Tuesday

2011-03-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Want a fast dinner under 30 min. start to finish? Why not try Chinese Fried Rice. This is one of my kids favorites, and I have to say I like it too. I had left over ham this week from potato soup so I used the rest for this recipe, and I might just be able to use the ham for MacnCheese too.

Jarrie's Fried Rice
6 C cooked brown rice
1 T garlic
1 c green onion
1 cup cooked carrots
1 c frozen peas
3 eggs
1 c diced ham, shrimp or chicken
3 T oil
soy sauce to taste.(I use gluten free)

Cook up the rice in your rice cooker, I like brown rice because it is healthier, and my kids can't tell its brown cuz of the soy sauce.

Add 1 T of oil to pan and cook green onion and garlic for 1 min. Add diced ham. Add cooked carrots and frozen peas. Saute till fragrant and warmed through. Remove this mixture from pan and hold in a bowl.

Add 1 t oil to pan and cooked whisked eggs and scramble. Remove from pan and add to bowl.

Now add the last T. of oil and add your 6 cups cooked rice. Saute for a minute or two and add the mixture in the bowl to the pan.

Cook through and add soy sauce to taste.

Stress Fracture

2011-03-07T16:56:00.000-08:00

Last week I finally made it to a Physical Therapist. I have tried everything to get rid of the shin splints, but I think I have known for a while that it was something else. I was just hoping the sharp pain would go away, but the PT confirmed my worst fear, a stress fracture of the tibia. I can say she did not do an MRI, but she said that she had seen enough and by my reactions to the tests made her 99.9% sure. That was enough for me and after a very painful hour visit including some heavy massage(not the feel good type)acupuncture and some sort of electronic stimulation therapy, I left hobbling out of the office with a very bruised calf and butt(periformis muscle). She did not do anything to my shin, It was too swollen and will be reevaluted in 3 weeks.

What does this mean. She actually asked me which was more important, the Ragnar Relay or the Ironman in August? I looked at her with a tear in my eye and said, can't I do both? Anyway-no running for me for at least a month. I have to say that the idea of water running sounds a little boring, but that is my plan. Spinning and Aqua Running. My shin hurts on and off, but these are the 2 exercises that I don't feel any pain. Too much standing and it starts to throb. I am also doing exercises for my shins and glutes. Yeah my glutes are week. Even though my butt is big, there is NO MUSCLE in there, just flabby fat.

I wouldn't say I am chipper about the outcome. Actual I am a little depressed. My team is still allowing me to participate and I want to participate but I know I will not be 100% and its not fun when everyone is running and planning runs, and here I am. I am trying to stay positive but it is hard. How much i take my body for granted, and hopefully I can come back from this with a good attitude and still physically fit.

I fell off the blog wagon,

2011-02-26T14:09:00.000-08:00

Mostly because I have been a running fool. About a month ago I joined a running club. I have always wanted to get faster, and every time I would reach my speed goal, I'd get injured. Most of my friends know I have a love/hate relationship with running. The idea of a club is help you to reach those goals with a support system AND accountablilty.

Redline Running Club

meets on Tuesdays at 530 am and Saturdays at 630 am. I HATE to wake up early, especially to an alarm, it just doesn't seem natural. I have upped my running to 4 days a week, right now around 25-30 miles/week. It has been a painful and exhausting process, yes I have come to need a nap after those early morning runs. FOR SURE, the training is kick my booty!!

But I have committed and have only missed a couple of sessions due to needing more recovery and injury. Yep-my shin splints are back in full force. I HATE SHIN SPLINTS!

Yesterday I went and had a gait analysis redone at a local running store. They put you in several shoes and watch your gait on the computer to see how you pronate your foot. After 4 pairs of shoes I finally decided that I was going to switch brands from ASICs(I have worn this brand of running shoes for 6 years), to MIZUNO's. I was in for quite a shock when to my surprise, the shoe laces were flouresent yellow!! YIKES, now you can see me coming and going.

I also bought a nifty night jacket that matches those awesome shoe strings. So hopefully my shins will get better, I have been icing, ibuprofen, stretching, cross training, foam rolling, massaging...just about everything I can think of to get back up and going. Ragnar SOCAL is just over a month a way, and on to training for the Boulder Ironman . I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR INJURY.

Tantalizing Tuesday

2011-02-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

I had these yummy morsels of goodness at my friend Susan's parent house. These A'Eppleskivers are heavenly and they will just melt in your mouth. You do have to purchase a special pan, I bought mine on Amazon. It was inexpensive compared to the pan I found at Williams Sonoma in the Mall. Anyhow this is Susan's step moms recipe and it it yummy. I will serve these with homeade strawberry or blackberry jam.

Aebleskivers

2 C bisquick

3 eggs, separated

2 C milk

Beat yolk, milk and then add bisquick.

Beat egg whites till frothy, and fold into the mix.

Cook on Med heat till toasty in color and flip with a fork.

Aebleskivers Pan

Beat the Whites

Egg whites should be stiff peaks

Put a 1/2 teas oil in each dimple (you must do this EVERY time for each one that you cook.

Top with Jam and Powdered Sugar

Tantalizing Tuesday

2011-02-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Curried Chicken

1 lb Chicken

1 T oil

1/4 C chopped onion

1/4 C flour(I use Gluten Free Flour Mix)

1 t curry

1 t sugar

1/2 t salt

Dash of Ground Ginger

1/3 C water

1/2 C sour cream

1 Cup cooked cubed potatoes

1 Cup cooked carrots

Boil your veggies(pot, carrot) till al dente. Cut Chicken into 1 inch pieces , heat skillet with oil, add onions and chicken. Combine flour, curry, sugar, salt, and ginger. When chicken is almost cooked through add the flour mixture. Tumble lightly. Add water and simmer cover for 10 min.until chicken is cooked through. Stir in veggies and sour cream and remove from heat. Serve over brown rice.

Tantalizing Tuesday

2011-02-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

I knew I liked Mountain Dew, that it had to have a use other than just a beverage that we consume. Yea for dessert!!! I tried to get the after pictures when these puppies came out of the oven, but the kids had them devoured before I had a chance!

Easy Apple Dumplings

Ingredients(serves 16) **But in my family serves 8

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Mountain Dew ™

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish.
Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the apple dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew™ over the dumplings.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Mo's 9th Birthday Bash

2011-01-26T10:20:00.000-08:00

From left to right: Emma, Casey, Ashlyn, Kelsey, Morgan, Hannah, and Riley
She really did have to talk me into it. I hate having birthday parties! The whole idea of 8 kids running around my house.Possibly a kid getting feelings hurt or not feeling included...you moms know the drill. I put it off for weeks and finally gave into my sweet Morgan.

It was a "PJ" party since we are anti sleepovers. The girls painted nails, made flowers for their hair, played the kinect and watched a movie!

Tantalizing Tuesday

2011-01-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

I like mexican food-A LOT!! I like soup-A LOT!!! By now you probably think I only post soup, but I just can't help it. It is the perfect make in the morning eat in the evening type of food. See I have this problem, if I don't get it made early in the day, by 4 pm I am too exhausted to think about wanting to cook dinner. If only I had a personal chef!

Chicken Enchilada Soup
1 T oil
3 chicken breasts
8 T flour(I use a Gluten Free flour mix)
2 C tomato sauce
1 C milk
5 C chicken broth plus enough to cover chicken while cooking
1 T chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

In crockpot place chicken breast and enough broth to cover the chicken. Cook on high 4 hours. Shredd chicken, leaving broth in crockpot. Pour oil in sauce pan and heat till hot, add the flour and the shredded chicken. Stir for a minute and then add the next 7 ingredients. Cover and simmer 15 min. Serve with jack cheese and tortilla chips- or whatever floats your boat.

I always double this recipe as my family eats it all!! I like soup leftovers.

Hippity Happity

2011-01-20T09:24:00.000-08:00

After weeks of bleeding and blistering fingers from Christmas Jewelry Orders, yes my friends I am quilting again. I decided to tackle something a little more difficult, so I have been cutting out hundred of kites. This quilt is for MOMOs room, I just love red and turqouise! I am using this fabulous pattern from Cluck Cluck Sew.

Tantalizing Tuesday

2011-01-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

Tasty Blackberry Freezer Jam

4 cups prepared fruit (buy about 4 pt. fully ripe blackberries)

3 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

1 box SURE.JELL For Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes Premium Fruit Pectin

1 cup water

RINSE clean plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly.
CRUSH blackberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. (Press half of the pulp through a sieve to remove some of the seeds, if desired.) Measure exactly 4 cups prepared blackberries into large bowl.
MIX sugar and pectin in large saucepan. Stir in water. Bring to boil on medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 min. Remove from heat. Add blackberries; stir 1 min. or until well blended.
FILL all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

Motivation

2011-01-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

Isn't starting a New Year suppose to bring with it some motivation- I find myself struggling to get my rear in gear and get my crap done!! I seriously have to talk myself into getting out the door and get rolling. I do have some goals-things I would like to accomplish this year so I decided I better put it down on paper so that I will hold myself accountable.

1. Redo Morgans bedroom(quilt, new bed, paint)
2. Ragnar training, Ironman taining, and hopefully a marathon this year!
3. Fix dinners(gluten free) and eat better
4. Get the office organized
5. Design a craft/sewing/jewelry making room for the loft
6. Be healthy
7. Tile the living room and office with slate
8. Build something-don't know what yet
9. Scriptures with kids daily

Tantalizing Tuesday

2011-01-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Breadsticks or Pizza Dough

3 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
6-9 c. flour

In a large bowl combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 min or until yeast is bubbly. Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 6-8 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl.
Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

.

Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into24 strips with a pizza cutter. I then add butter, garlic salt, and parmesean cheese.

Twist each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it's okay if they're close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life's greatest pleasures!

Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes

When there's about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks. YUM YUM!

Multiple Piano Festival

2011-01-06T10:50:00.000-08:00

The girls participated in a multiple piano festival. The are onstage with up to 24 othe pianist all playing the same music. It was amazing. Morgan had to present one number and she did a great job up in front of a 1000 people.

Phew-

2011-01-05T18:51:00.002-08:00

Yep-I havent posted since Halloween. The holidays were super busy, my jewelry business took off with 8-10 hour work days, hardly any "real" meals fixed,, I barely finished Christmas shopping in time, and wonder what happened to my favorite month of the year. So I do have pics to post, with probably not much dialogue-its all a blur. Probably because my jeans are so tight right now they are cutting off circulation to my brain, hence memory loss...I know you moms know what I am talking about!

Stay tuned for Tantalizing Tuesdays return!!

New Years 2010-2011

2011-01-05T18:51:00.001-08:00

Fun and Festivities abound. Lots of food and games:)

Mo's 9th Bday

2011-01-05T18:51:00.000-08:00

Sh'e 9!! Can't believe how time flies. Morgan was such a good baby, always smiling and even when she cried all you had to do is tell her to stop and the tears would turn into a smile in a minute:) She had RSV at 10 days old and has always been the one to get sick pnuemonia, and ongoing asthma she always braves it with a smile. This winter she was really sick, we had been to the doc several times in a week and I was starting to feel the weight of the cost of visitng a doctor. Morgan wasn't feeling well and she brought down her wallet to help pay for the doctor, even though we didn't need her financial help, I thought it was so sweet that she thought she needed to chip in.

Christmas

2011-01-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve we made homeade tamales.

Shared some hugs:)

Ate taco soup and more tamales!

Woke bright and early to many gifts and family fun.

Insomnia and Halloween

2010-11-09T02:06:00.000-08:00

I have just spent almost two weeks sick. All I really wanted to do was take a nap and sleep, which I did plenty of. Now that I am starting to feel better-yep insomnia. I took a little catnap from 11-12:30 and have been awake ever since. Its now 2:46 am. Thank heavens I am not going to spin class at 5:30!
Ok enough wihining. Halloween was good, the kiddos always have a great time. We were out trick or treating and Kaden says to me...Mom I love the spirit of Halloween. They got to ride around a little in daddies police car and trick or treat. They thought that was pretty cool, but we got some wierd looks from the neighbors!
This year Paige decided she was to old for trick or treating, so she stayed home and handed out the candy. Kailer left the second it startd to get dark and came home with 25 lbs of candy, yep we weighed it. Now that he is eating so much candy he really feels a need to brush his teeth. Thanks heavens for that!

Trunk or Treat

Paige and Cierra

School Parties

Spooktacular All Day Giveaway!

2010-10-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

My sister is hosting an all day live giveaway and twitter party at Bloggy Blog Designz

I will be giving away one of my hand-stamped necklaces, so be sure to check out the details

Happy Birthday Kai

2010-10-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

Today is Kailer's birthday, he is 12! Lots of responsiblity comes to a 12 year old boy. I am so proud of all he has become and what a helper he is to me. Yesterday we had parent teacher conf. and I was in sweats because I had been painting all afternoon. I asked him if he would be embarressed if I didn't change before we went to school, he told me "Wear what you want, nothing you do embarrases me." I couldn't believe he said that. Paige always tells me how embarrasing I am. But Kailer is just proud to have me as a mom.
Out of all my babies Kailer was the worst. He cried from the time he emerged till about 10 months. I swear my but was glued to the rocker from morning through the night. By 2 months he was 18 pounds-I know sumo wrestler!~! He had the chubbiest cheeks you ever saw and we called him BUBBA. Today he is by far my biggest helper around the house and does a great job babysitting he siblings. I love you Bubba.

Here are just couple of my favorite pictures. I haven't dug through all of his old baby pics(pre digital). One of these days I will gat a cute one of when he was so fat!

Day 4-Yes I know there is MORE!!

2010-10-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

Day 4 was a wet day. But we were on vacation, nothing was bringing us down! We hoped on our lovely tour bus and headed to the upper part of NY. Lots of buildings more of central park and Grants Tomb.(pictured below). Ulysses S Grant is my 5th or 6th great Grandfather. Can't remember which one exactly.

I love this building-I mean I just can't wrap my brain around how architects think of this kinds stuff.

We had breakfast at Carnegie Deli-super yummy and it was fun to see all the celebs hanging on the wall. Restaruants in NY or so tiny. And they cram a lot of people into a small place. I am sure they are violating some sort of code. When we came out of breakfast it was raining and we stopped and bought ourselver some handy $2 umbrellas. They leaked by the end of the day but they served there purpose.

Here is Carrie sitting on the bus sporting the ever fashionable trash bag cover up. Felt like we were going to Niagra Falls!!

Nikki had a tradition that whenever she had visited NY in the past she would visit St Catherines Cathedral and light a candle. The arcitecture was AMAZING!! So beautiful. Notice the shopping bags in the above pic, yep we hit Century 21 AND Canal Street!

We stood in line in the middle of Time Square to get the 1/2 Broadway tickets. Yes it was pouring but we really wanted to sneak in one more show before heading home the next day. We chose to see Billy Elliot. Despite hearing a lot of the fbomb said by the kids on stage the show was FABULOUS!! I LOVED it-I think more than Wicked, or maybe it was just different...more real life stuff but sooooo gooood. Before the show we got a bite to eat from Juniors-Carrie took a pick of this because she called it NY's chips and salsa. Yep thats beets and pickles my friends.

Following Billy Elliot(which was about a boy who learned to dance) I did a special private dance back in our hotel room in memory of Billy Elliot.

Tantalizing Tuesday

2010-10-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Want a chocolate cake that is super moist and spectacular, try my Momma's Chocolate Buttermilk Cake.

Momma's Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

Dry ingredients:
2 C sugar
2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
(set aside)

Melt:
2 sticks butter
add 4 T cocoa
add 1 C hot water
(bring to a boil)

Pour boiled mixture over your dry mixture and while hot add
1 C buttermilk
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
(beat till smooth)

Pour onto a greased cookie sheet pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 5 minutes before your cake is done make icing.

Icing:
4 T cocoa
6 T buttermilk
1 stick of butter

Heat till boiling, and then remove from stove. Quickly beat in 1 lb powdered sugar, and add nuts if you wish. Pour over cake while it is still hot. This is sooo good with icecream.

NYC Day 3

2010-10-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

We had big plans on day 3 to get up early and hit Central Park for a run. I think the goal was for 6:30??? Can't remeber exactly but we didn't set an alarm and we all woke up around 9. So much for an early run. We did however get our butts outta bed and headed down for a 7 mile run through the park. It was a beautiful day and I felt pretty awesome running in a place I had only seen in movies.

We stopped for a parfait on the way back to our hotel and saw this dude who must have had a little too much to drink tfrom the night before. I don't know how he could sleep in broad daylight with all those people around. We wanted to hurry back cause we were meeting an Erie friend who moved to Jersey in May.

Nicole showed up as her fashionable self an d we headed over to grab a bus. Yeah-we were total tourists, but it got us around to see all the places we probably would not of been able to see. It was so good to see Nicole she is so sweet and always has a smile on her face. My Kaden played with her Evan last year in kindergarten. We were sad to see them move!

On the bus we saw Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building and we drove through Hells Kitchen and made a stop at Little Italy. I bought a scarf for my momma and we headed for a walk through China Town.

Carrie and I were so excited to see Zarin Fabrics(Real Housewives of NY) sitting right there in front of our eyes!

After rushing to catch the bus back to Time Square we decided to have a nice italian dinner and talk a stroll through the scary part of NYC. Hello-we had to get Nicole back to her train so she could get back to New Jersey. During our scary walk we stopped and got some Garretts popcorn. We all got the Oprah mix which is half cheddar and half caramel. It was really yummy and then we bid farwell to Nicole.

Tantalizing Tuesday

2010-09-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say that fall is in the aire, but since the last 2 days have been in the 90's it sure doesn't feel like it. This cheesy soup is very easy, make in like 10 minutes.

Jarrie's Easy Peasy Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 cans celery soup
1 16 oz jar of cheeze whiz
1 32 oz fat free half and half
1 head of broccoli chopped and steamed for 8 min.

Steam up your chopped broccoli and add to the rest of heated ingredients. Serve with yummy bread. Serves 6.

Cast Away

2010-09-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

This is what Devin did last night. After using our electric turkey carving knife and my nice cutco knives, Kailers cast is off! But there is more to the story-Kailer has been playing football with the cast, (without my blessing of course) and he fell and jammed his thumb at practice a couple nights ago. Needless to say his thumb swelled and Dev said the cast had to come off. I think the thumb is broken, Dev is taking him to our dentist friend to get an Xray as we speak!!

New Favorite Piece

2010-09-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

New York Day 2 (the rest of a very long day)

2010-09-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

After stuffing our faces, I convinced the girls that we couldn't come to NY and NOT ride in the subway. After a little hesitation, I convinced them and we were off on a new adventure! This was so exciting to me!

Our next stop was to ground zero-I had a to take a pic of this for Devin;) Anyway, it was the day before Sept 11th so they were setting up for a ceremony the following day. It was busy, although, I think NY must always be busy.

Where the twin towers stood.

This is something that i did not no, but when the towers were built, they alsobuilt a fire dept right across the street so it would be available for the Twin Towers. Literally right across the street. Anyway we talked with a firefighter who was there when the towers went down. What an amazing thing to see the memorial and talk to someone who was actually there.

I love mw some good firemen:)

Following our Twin Towers adventure, we strolled over to Sephora where they painted out face with some sort of airbrushinging stuff. We looked marvelous!!

Now that we were all gussied up we decided a nice stroll over the Brooklyn Bridge would be awesome-it was kind of a long walk though. I swear by the end of the night we had walked around 8 to 10 miles.

You know walking that much makes you hungry, so more pizza for us at Ignacios. This was the best pizza ever. We also went down to the pier and had us some yummy icecream from the Brooklyn Icecream Factory.

Some nice foreigner took our picture on the pier and then we headed back over the bridge and back onto the subway to get to Times square.

I can't forget we stopped at Magnolia Bakery for some cupcakes. They were good, but I think I have had better. Its a good thing we walked so much that day, I still went back to the hotel stuffed and exhuasted. We fit so much into this one day, but I think it was my favorite day of all!!

Tantalizing Tuesday

2010-09-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is another family favorite-Quick and easy Taco Salad!! This dump everything in a bowl and mix it up. Can't get any better than that!

1/2 lb cooked ground beef
1 head of lettuce chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
6 green onions chopped
1 can pinto or kidney beans
1 can corn
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese
italian dressing(taste salad till you have the amount of dressing that you like.) Some people like it drenched others not!
crushed Dorito Cool Ranch chips(to your taste) My kids think the more the better.

Cool the cooked beef and add everything in a large bowl.. Do not add dressing and chips until you are ready to serve!

New York, New York Day 2 Part 1(It was a very long day)

2010-09-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

One thing I really do like about vacation is sleeping in. In fact I don't like to feel pressure to get up at all on vacation. Fortunately I did get to do that 2 of the 4 days I was there. So we slept till about 9 and got ready for my favorite part of New York. We took a food walking tour in Greenwich Village. This quaint little part of New York was loaded with history and aweome architecture. We jumped in a cab and headed to Greenwich Village.

Carrie and I are eagarly waiting to start the tour and be fed. We stopped at 5 different eatery's interspersed with different tidbits of fun trivia and history. Our first stop was for a slice of "real" NY style pizza at Joe's Pizza. NY pizza has a crunchy thin crust with delicious sauce and fresh mozzarella. Delish!

Here we are all stuffing our faces!!!

This here is a cheese ball from Faicco's Itialian Specialties. This was really good, some concoction of rice, cheeses, and slightly coated with bread crumbs and fried to perfection. I have never had a rice ball before but I will say, it was very yummy.

Next was Palma. I guess this little quaint resturaunt is where a lot of celebs have parties and such. There is a hidden coutryard inside of the building. They served this cauliflower dish with currants and pinenuts. WOW!

We stopped at a strange Japanese restuaraunt that was only vegetariean. Everything in the above Bento box is veggies-the meat was made out off gluten. I really like this. Especially pickled seaweed with the fake meat.

Cannolis are big in NY- I don't care for them, but Carrie said the one she had in Little Italy was better. We actually also got a choclate chip oatmeal ookie from another place, that to me was really good. I didn't get a picture of the last place we went. it was a cheese and sausage place. I am kinda a good old colby/jack kinda gal. So it was just alright to me.

This is only a 7 foot apartment. I think the gude said it is the smallest apartment in NY. Can you imagine? All you could fit would be a bed.

Here is a little yard for some kids to play. To me this is just sad!

New York, New York Day 1

2010-09-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

I finally went to NYC!!! Can I just say OH MY GOSH! It was amazing!! This might be a long post, but we did way too much and took way too many pictures! Probably about 1 1/2 years ago, my girlfriend Carrie and I started planning that someday we were gonna go to the Big Apple. Honestly how often do you say "lets do a girls trip to so and so," and then it never really happens. So we chatted about it all the time, but really I didn't think that it would EVER happen.

We left bright an early, way before the sun came up, and those of you that know me, know that I am NOT a morning person. I think we set the alarm for 4:00 A.M. Nikki (Carrie's neighbor), Carrie and I headed off to the airport so excited!! We arrived a whole 1/2 an hour early which is always a bonus. Especially since we were on the very back row-the non reclining row.

When we arrived we were immediately attacked by taxi drivers galore. Holy Moly, I had expected this, but I wasn't rapping my mond around the hustle and bustle of the people. We actually caught a cab from the airport and just happened to be sharring it with Project Runway's Christian Siriano's assistant. I didn't catch her name but, she was telling us all sorts ofthings about fashion week and Project Runway. If you don't know who he is:

Afterchecking into our fabulous hotel, the Westin at time Square we decided to get out and experience NYC. Ok, I hate amusement parks and anything that has too many people. Time Square took the cake on the amount of people in 1 area that I have ever visited. Not my thing. I like to walk in a a straight line and not have to worry about bumping into people. I think i learned by the end of our stay, that people in NY don't care if they bump into people, eww I just hated it! Say out of my freakin personal space!!!

Don't I look sooooo happy! I have to admit, it was pretty amazing! We went to the H&M store first thing. This place was a zoo too, but later in the trip we found another one and had a better shopping experience with less people. I didn't even have to try on my clothes in the middle of the store!!

This really was all a blur, I can't even remember what we ate-but we did go back to the Westin and freshen up for WICKED the musical. Devin took Kailer to see Wicked back in November when I was in Hawaii. Dev loved it and said it might just be a fav over Les Miserables, which of course in his eyes was hard to beat. Let me just say FAB-U-LOUS!! My favorite part is right before the intermission where Elphaba (who becomes the wicked witch) decided to not try to be something that she is not and really decides to defy everyone. So powerful, the song just made me want to stand up and cheer!!

After the show we just happened upon the place where the actors come out of the dressing room after the show. This dude is the guy who ends up falling in love with wicked witch Elphaba. As you can see we were very starstruck and just had to get a picture and an autograph.

After the show we got the most delicious nachos and snuggled into bed where we slept till probably 9 or 10 the next morning. I love vacation!!!

Tantalizing Tuesday

2010-09-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

I experienced this dish at a church activity a couple weeks ago. Katsudon is a popular Japanese food, a bowl of rice topped with a deep-fried pork cutlet, egg, and condiments Absolutely delicious and is probably just as good as eating out. For the pork we have substituted chicken.

Kara's Katsudon

Part 1: Katsu

Coat chicken with the following:

Bowl 1- 5 Tbs flour, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper to tast

Bowl 2- 1 egg beaten

Bowl 3- 5 Tbs Panko Bread crumbs

Fry breaded chicken in just enough oil to cover each piece. Cut into strips.

Part 2: Sauce

Combine the following and heat in a saucepan until dissolved.

1 C water

1/4 C sugar

1/3 C soy sauce

1/3 tsp dashi(optional)

(makes 2 servings)

Part 3: Katsudon

Katsu

Sauce

Sliced Onion

1 egg

Place desired amunt of sauce and onions into a frying pan and bring to a boil. Add katsu strips. Beat egg and pour over chicken. Cover with lid and cook till egg is mostly set. Serve over rice.

PS-I added some zuchinni during the adding onion stage. It turned out so yummy!

Broken Bone

2010-08-31T06:56:00.000-07:00

This is what we got out of Kailer's season football opener, yep a broken scaphoid. Isn't it lovely.
The docs say 4 weeks no contact, but Dev says 2. We will see:) I think we are pretty lucky, I have never had a kid break a bone, so this is a first for our family. Kailer is very creative though, I told him I was going to help him bathe, he totally freaked. I guess mama seeing your you know what at 12 is a little embarrasing. Anyhow, he came up with a brilliant idea to wear his swimsuit in the tub. Now why didn't I think of that?

Tantalizing Tuesday

2010-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

There is really nothing better than homeade fresh peach cobbler. My mom used to make this all the time, and I can see why everyone liked it so much-Totally delish! This was the first time I gave cooking cobbler a try, and really all I can say was that it was worth the effort. So grab your fresh peaches ladies and give it a shot!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 egg
1/4 cup cold water
3 pounds fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1.In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, and salt. Work in the shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cold water. Sprinkle over flour mixture, and work with hands to form dough into a ball. Chill 30 minutes.

2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Roll out half of dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Place in a 9x13 inch baking dish, covering bottom and halfway up sides. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

3.In a large saucepan, mix the peaches and lemon juice. Add 1/2 cup butter, and cook over medium-low heat until butter is melted. In a mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch; mix into peach mixture. Remove from heat, and pour into baked crust.

4.Roll remaining dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut into half-inch-wide strips. Weave strips into a lattice over peaches. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted butter.

5.Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is golden brown.

Tantalizing Tuesday

2010-08-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

This Taco Soup is my families favorite soup. I stick all the items in a crockpot first thing in the morning, only takes about 10 minutes and tada-you have dinner at 5:00!

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

Directions:
In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned over medium heat. Drain, and set aside.
Place the ground beef, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, green chile peppers and taco seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Mix to blend, and cook on Low setting for 8 hours.

Share the Love-Please!!

2010-08-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

Hey friends and blog readers- As many of you know I have a hand stamped jewelry business called Poppy Chic Jewelry. It has been successful so far, but I am not getting the word out as much as I would like. I am posting my button and as a pretty please will you help me spread the word? You can add this button to your side bar or in a post. And as a special thanks to each of you, if you post my button on your blog you will receive 20% off any item in my etsy store.

You can Grab My Button on the right. Simply copy the html code an add it to your layout. To cash in on your 20% off, go to my Poppy Chic Jewelry store and purchase what you want. In the "notes" at the end of your purchase just say that you add my button and I will refund you the 20% through paypal. Thanks for helping me share the love!!!

Back to School 2010

2010-08-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

Can you hear all the moms breathing a sigh or relief that their kids are back in school....well that is what you heard at my house. Don't get me wrong I LOVE my kids, but there comes a point in the summer when your house can't get any dirtier and you can not stand the phrase "I am BORED!" anymore.

Tantalizing Tuesday

2010-08-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today we are going for dessert, what better dessert than
Better Than (you know what) Cake

I box of devils food chocolate cake cooked by package directions
1 lg instant chocolate pudding
4 crusched skor or heath bars
1 12 oz thawed coolwhip

Cook up your cake and let it cool. Cut into chunks and layer cake, pudding, coolwhip, toffee, into 3 layers(just like a trifle). Chill and serve, so Delish!! By the way I took some fabulous pictures but had to post some one elses because somehow mine got erased.

Georgetown Half Marathon

2010-08-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

I completed my 3rd half marathon on Saturday. It went really well and I am so happy to not train for anything for a while. Just do what I want to do. The Georgetown Half starts at Georgetown and drops into Idaho Springs, a nice mining mountain community. It is a beautiful run along the river and beautiful scenery.

I woke up around 5:15 to get rady to go. I met a bunch of my MOM team members(notice my other blog on my sidebar) and we headed up the mountain. It is about an hour drive from Erie to Georgetown.

Perhaps this might be too much info but about half way there I HAD to go to the bathroom. There was no holding it or stopping it. So we pulled over at some swanky hotel and let me do my business. Fortunately no accidents and the run went without any accidents too-thanks to a double dosage of Imodium. Boy-I am still paying for that today:(

It wasn't too chilly this year, last year Carrie and I almost froze our butts off, but this year it was so nice. The only dowfall was that there were only like 10 porta potties for 3000 people. It took us 40 minutes to get through the line. While waiting to go potty we took some before snaps of us, this is good cuz usually all you get of me is the aftermath when I look half dead!

Carrie, me, Susan

Erin, Amber, Tara, Natalie

Me and Susan

Me and Susan AFTER the run

The whole group

My strategy was to start at a 10 minute mile pace and by the middle og mile two kick it up a notch and shoot for a 9:30 the rest of the way. Here are my splits:

Mile1: 10.21

Mile 2: 9.38

Mile 3: 9.01

Mile 4: 8.47

Mile 5: 9.25

Mile 6: 9.13

Mile 7: 9.23

Mile 8: 10.33

Mile 9: 9.33

Mile 10: 9.37

Mile 11: 10.47

Mile 12: 10.30

Mile 13: 9.49

Mile .1: 8.08

I totally died around mile 10, I was sick and thirsty and just wanted to quit-as you can tell from my time. But I kept telling myself I could do it. Just like the little engine that could.

I finshed at 2 hours and 7 minutes which is 5 minutes faster than last year and averaged a 9.44 pace. Can I say that I am ecstatic with my time. My goal was 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Chasing something...

2010-08-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

Oh boy, summmers ending and the kiddos are heading back to school next week. I find myself in a frenzy to fit in all the "STUFF" before next week rolls around. I am feeling a little blue, and I don't know why. I am really frustrated, personally I think I am talented, I have hobbies like quilting and sewing. I have friends, a business, four gorgeous kids. I run, swim, bike and can even cook. I married a good man, and I have the gospel and a testimony of my Savior. Now I am not saying all this to sound boastful, I guess just trying to cheer myself up! Why aren't all of these things good enough, why am I not satisfied, why do I feel like there is a void, what the heck is my problem??
Am I the only mom who feels like this??? I think I am broken and need to get fixed.

Now onto brighter things, my business is going well and sales have picked up and I stay fairly busy. I would like to have more sales, but it is a work in process. I am going to NYC in 3 weeks with some girlfriends:) I just ate belgian waffles with cream and fresh strawberries. Oh and tomorrow is FRIDAY!! I think I will sleep in and hope that I will wake up with a different outlook.

Paigey's necklace

2010-08-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

I made this one for my 13 year old daughter. I love the way it turned out and it has her birthdate in the back side of the rectangle. Paige keeps telling me I need to add more color to my pieces-I am working on it. I just kinda like the sterling look.

Tantalizing Tuesday

2010-08-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

These were soooooo yummy, I had 2!! The recipe was taken from Taste of Home Magazine. Even my kids liked this.

Open Faced Chicken Avocado Burgers

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 medium ripe avocado, peeled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
4 green onions, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
BURGERS:
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons prepared pesto
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground chicken
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 4 slices
4 slices Italian bread (3/4 inch thick)
2 cups fresh arugula or baby spinach
8 slices tomato
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
In a blender, combine the first eight ingredients; cover and process until smooth. Chill until serving. For burgers, in a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, pesto, garlic and salt. Crumble chicken over mixture and mix well. Shape into four patties.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook burgers in 2 tablespoons oil for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165° and juices run clear. Top with cheese; cover and cook 1 minute longer.
Meanwhile, brush bread with remaining oil; place on a baking sheet. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until toasted.
Spread each slice of toast with 2 tablespoons avocado spread (refrigerate remaining spread for another use). Top with arugula, a burger and sliced tomato. Sprinkle with basil and pepper. Yield: 4 servings plus 1/4 cup leftover spread.

Tantalizing Tuesday

2010-08-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

A family favorite is Cracked Wheat Blender Pancakes. This recipe is from my mother in law and is sooooo easy and nutritious. It is by far my favorite pancake, I also like to add a whole banana to the mix as well.

2 C milk
1 1/2 C whole wheat grain
Put both ingredients in blender and blend for at least 5 minutes.
Add:
2/3 oil
pinch of slat
4 eggs
4 teaspoons baking powder
Blend till combined:)

We eat our pancakes with yummy homeade freezer jam or syrup.

Triathlon

2010-08-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday I did my 2nd triathlon. It was actually a lot of fun and I am looking forward to another one. I don't know that it will happen this year, but I hope to go for a farther distance. This tri was done in a pool and I have to confess, was wayyyyyy easier than the last lake one that I did. The water was a perfect temperature and I could see the bottom and I didn't have a panic attack like last time. I am a strong swimmer, but there is something about swimming in a lake:(

I went into the tri having injured my leg the week before on a 12 mile run(I am also training for a 1/2 marathon.) Because of this i had decided I was not going to worry about my times and I would just have fun. Normally I would physc myself out a week before the race and totally disappoint myself because I had stressed about it too much. Since I went into this thinking that I was just gonna do my best, I totally surprised myself.

The swim was the best of course, I took 2 minutes of my time and lapped the people in my lane twice. I ended up doing the swim in 10 minutes and the fastest I had done it intraining was 12 minutes. Next cam the bike portion and it went pretty smoothly, no flat tire-allelujah.

In this picture I am going so fast that the picture was blurry!!!!

This is after the bike and heading out on the run. Normally after a bike ride my legs feel like jello, this time I didn't really have that problem, I did OD on Aleve before the race so maybe thats why. The run was pretty good. I was expecting a 10 min mile due to fatigue and my injury but i still avaerage a 9:30-I was so happy with that pace!

This is one of my Mind over Mileage team mates and I right after the race. My othe MOM team mate Amber took the pics. It was nice to have her there cheering me on:) The tri that I did previously was a tad longer than this one and took me 2 hours 50 minutes. This one took me 1 hour 25 minutes. So how do you like them apples??? YEA!!!

You can check out our team MIND OVER MILEAGE blog at:

http://mindovermileage.blogspot.com/

Bieber Fever

2010-07-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I purchased tickets to take the girls to a Justin Bieber Concert. Boy did we have fun, I don't think Paige knew that I could be so cool:) And I hadn't been to a concert since Leonard Skinard, pretty lame I know, but it was a lot of fun. I really didn't know girls could scream that loud! First we headed over to our favorite chinese resturaunt, HEAVEN DRAGON. So Yummy! Next we took a little drive to the eventy center and took some pictures and waited FOREVER for the preshow to start. There was 3 acts before JB came on. The first 2 were some lame girls and then Jay Sean. He was a lot of fun and the girls new all the songs so they really got into it. JB is really talented, he sang, danced, played guitar while floating through the air in a heart(see pic below), and had a drum solo. All in all it was a really good show, and it is so nice to see a performer NOT LIPSINC!

Tantalizing Tuesday

2010-07-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

This yummy recipe is a family favorite and I like it because it is quick and easy. Plus it is pretty cheap to make. Hope you enjoy.

Chicken Taco Rice
1lb cut up chicken
1 T oil
1 can chicken broth
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 can corn
1 1/2 C INSTANT rice
sourcream
colby jack cheese

Cook and brown chicken in oil. Add broth, tomto sauce, and seasoning to chicken. Bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 2 min. Add corn and cover an cook for 5 min. Add rice and stir, cover and let sit 5 min. Top with shredded cheese and add a dolop of sour cream. This serves 6. So yummy!!

Sew Cute Tuesday

2010-07-20T13:51:00.001-07:00

I decided to enter my first linky party, its kinda fun seeing all the unique creations people come up with. I am really digging handmade items these days. Check it out, you may just be inspired too!

Tantalizing Tuesday

2010-07-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

Time for a recipe. this is one of my favorite Sunday meals. It is like nachos, but with a bunch of yumminess all combine. Hope you enjoy!!
Chicken Ole with Homeade Nachos
1 lg can cream of chicken soup
1 can ro-tel tomatoes
1 pt sour cream
1 can black olives
1 onion chopped finr
16 oz colby cheese shredded
4 chicken breasts boiled with salt and 1 lg clove garlic
Homeade Tortilla Chips
Cut up cooked chicken breasts and combine with all other ingredients. heat till cheese is melted and combined, Serve over chips.

Homeade Nachos:
1 pkg corn tortillas
oil to fry
salt
Cut all tortillas into quarters and fry till crispy.

Ingredients

Chicken, onion and olive mixtureAdd all ingredients together.

Fried tortilla chips

Something Creamy

2010-07-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

Its pretty pathetic, but I have been craving something creamy for over a week now. My mouth would water at the thought of anything with alfredo sauce. Although I REALLY wanted it from Olive Garden, the stuff out of the jar just wouldn't do it for me. Yesterday at church I couldn't even concentrate cuz all I was thinking about was cream sauce. So tonight I made homeade Mac n Cheese. I WILL eventually get alfredo sauce from Olive Garden when I have time to drive 15 minutes away, for now Mac N Cheese will have to do:
P.S. I am sure you could make it healthy if you wanted, but I always say GO BIG OR GO HOME!

Jarrie's Mac N Cheese
1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni

5 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 quart warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

salt and pepper to taste

1 pinch cayenne pepper

5 ounces cubed Cheddar cheese

5 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed

5 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cubed

paprika to taste

1 1/2 cups diced ham

1/4 bread crumbs

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2.In medium saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour to make a roux. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then whisk in warm milk a little at a time to make a white sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Mix in salt, pepper, and cayenne, and stir frequently until sauce thickens.

3.Remove pan from heat and stir in cheddar, mozzarella, jack and ham. Combine pasta with sauce and stir well. Pour into baking dish. Use paprika and bread crumbs to make a decorative pattern on top. Bake 45 to 60 minutes, or until top is the desired crispiness. Let rest 20 minutes before serving.

Inital Necklace

2010-07-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

I finished this puppy up toaday and love the simplicity of it. You can find it in my etsy shop. http://www.etsy.com/shop/PoppyChicJewelry

4th of July Family Dance Off

2010-07-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

Cheap family entertainment on the 4th. The Johns Family dance off.

FUNNY FACES

2010-07-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

When it is dark, Paige loves to put the camera in my face and flash it. I just all of the wonderful pictures that she takes of me. Especially the ones where I look constipated.

Fireworks

2010-07-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

We are waiting for the fireworks down at BYU. The kids had glow sticks for entertainment.

4th of July Balloon Launch

2010-07-09T13:43:00.001-07:00

Doen't Kai look SOOOOOOO excited?

4th of July

2010-07-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

We haven't spent 4th of July in Utah in several years. I had to go get Paige from a stay in Utah so I made the trip with my mom and kids. All the cousinf and fmaily have a tradition of getting up bright and early to see the balloons launch down by BYU. It was so windy they never left the ground, but I though the coke can was pretty cool.

Kids with Uncle Darrin

Me and the kids

Waiting for the launch.

Wasatch Back

2010-07-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

We Decorated our van before the race!

Me on My FINAL RUN- This was the longest and hardest of all 3 legs. I ran a total of 18 miles, this one was up hill for 5 miles.

Right after the Race

AT THE SPA
Well I did it!! The Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back was totallyAWESOME!!!! Not to mention I made some new friends! How can you NOT become close when you are in a van for 24 hours, sleeping on a highschool floor with hundreds of other runners, showering in a highschool community shower at 2 AM-NOT TO MENTION FREEZING together with a group of ladies!! I will have to admit it was FUN!! I did great on all 3 legs of my runs conquering mountains and bugs! The best part was having a spa day after the race was all over!!

Paige's Piano Recital

2010-07-09T13:25:00.001-07:00

These are some of the kids Paige takes Piano with. We absolutely love Mr Zach and Heather! Morgan has started with Mr Zach as well and really enjoys it. Paige's piano talents have really developed and everyon at home LOVES to hear her play.

More BLING

2010-07-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

I am still having a blast creating hand stamped jewelry! These are some of my new favorites.

Poppy Chic Jewelry Giveaway!

2010-06-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

As a jewelry lover, I believe that you need to” FROST YOURSELF”. Jewelry is a fabulous way to accessorize and make a statement or just boost your mood. Poppy Chic Jewelry specializes in personalized jewelry that is lovingly hand stamped by me. Each piece is made with great attention to detail and the highest quality sterling silver, copper, or brass. The metals will age over time and will add more charm to the individual piece. Poppy Chic Jewelry is a great way to customize a gift for that special someone.

Poppy Chic Jewelry is offering one winner the "Key to My Heart" necklace (shown above), valued at $38! A second winner will receive the "Hugs and Kisses" necklaces (shown above, top right), valued at $23! And, a third winner will receive $10 of in-store credit. All winners will receive free shipping! Everyone else can receive 20% off, via refund. Just mention "Or so she says..." in the checkout notes to seller. This offer expires July 16, 2010.

To Enter: swing by Or so She Says and enter their June Giveaway!

MIA

2010-06-09T18:33:00.000-07:00

Who says summer is lazy, I think I've been WAY busier since the kids got out of school. Just trying to stay on top of the house, which is a total disaster 90% of the time. Does anyone out there feel my pain? That is one of the reasons I have been MIA!

Next to December May is probably the next busiest month of the year. I really don't understand why all the teacher cram EVERYTHING, projects, concerts etc into one month. BLAH!! Just a warning, there will be lots of pictures of our May happenings.

Kaden had an end of the year summer concert. It was really very fabulous. The all go t matching Tshirts and sung their little hearts out. The sang The World is a Rainbow, One Small Voice, When I grow Up, and the Kindergarten Song.

Kaden had a day of fun the last week of school. They went to Sunflower Farm. You can feed animals, play in the tree houses, corn mazes, sit by a campfire, ride the zipline, and get totally exhausted. Kadens kindergarten class a had an awesome time. I am so sad he is out of kindergarten, he learned so much this year, and his teacher Mrs. Vogel-Pitts was GREAT!

Next came the yearly Erie town Fair and Balloon launch. This is a yearly tradition and they all launch just outside our door on the Vista Ridge Golf Course. This year my mom came along and it was beautiful as usual. Yep-some nightime trampoline jumping.

The cousins from Utah came for a quick visit on their way to Alabama. Our kids have so much fun together.

There are some perks to having a husband as a police officer. The kids in the neighborhood love it when he brings the police car around. The cousins thought it was pretty cool too!

CRIMINALS!!!!!

That pretty much wraps up our 2010 May. Super exciting, I mean exhausting. I didn't even post feild day, baseball, 5th grade graduation, training for the Ragnar Relay next week, etc.....

Etsy Shop

2010-05-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

My Etsy shop is officially open. I am also setting up a website.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PoppyChicJewelry

New Jewelry Business Samples

2010-05-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

FAITH LOVE HOPE NECKLACE-$32

Domed Copper 1 inch disc with a sterling silver puffy heart.

JOY NECKLACE-$19
Sterling Silver with a Turqouise Jade bead

BLOOM NECKLACE -$32
Domed Copper 1 inch disc with Aurora Borealis bead

KEY TO MY HEART-$38
1 inch sterling silver washer with sterling puffy heart and key

BITTY BIRTHCHARM NECKLACE-$24(with 2 charms) each additional charm is $8
1/2 inch rounded square sterling silver charm with swarovski gemstone

HUGS AND KISSES NECKLACE-$23

hammered sterling rectangle with heart charm and freshwater pearl

I've been busy pounding away with my hammer and have created some fun samples. These are just some of my firsts and many more to come. I am just so excited I wanted to get them on the blog. Every item is sterling silver and natural gemstones.

Also because these are made by hand, part of the uniqueness that I love is that sometimes the letters don't line up perfectly. This is not a flaw but actually adds charm to the hand forged piece. I can make just about anything, so custom orders are expected!

Morgan's Running Club

2010-05-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

Before the run.

During the run.

After the run with her friend Emma.

Over the past several weeks Morgan has attended an after school running club. She has had a great time running! Yea-one of my kids likes to run like me;) Morgan has asthma, so I was worried that she would have a hard time, but she did great and she was so proud of her self. The race was a 2 mile run around a track and she did it! She even ran in sparkly pink Converse All-stars. Thats my girl!

Morgan's Mother's Day Poetry Reading

2010-05-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

Morgan is just finishing up 2nd grade. Wow! I had the privilege to attend her poetry reading. Morgan is so sweet! Her 2 poems read:

My Mom
My Mom is Love.
My Mom is Pink.
My Mom is Graceful.
My Mom is Fun.
My Mom is Jarrie.
My Mom.

What is Pink?
Pink is cotton candy.
Flowers are pink and cute.
Pink smiles make me laugh.
On Easter I got pink eggs.
Poodles are pink.
Pink makes me feel good
When I play with my friends.

Morgan and her 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Mcguirk

Puppy Love

2010-05-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

Many of you know how much I love my dog Gunner. I know it sounds retarded, but he fixed me of being baby hungry. He likes me best, and cuddles with me on the couch. He doesn't cry and he is house trained. He is about 7 1/2 months and a bit spoiled.

Take me out to the ball game...

2010-05-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

Kailer has started baseball season. We are going competitive this year and so far are happy with the investment. This ishis friend Seth that he met through rec ball last year. They look pretty darn handsome;)

Homeade Pretzels

2010-05-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

This tasty recipes comes from my friend Jen. We have made these several times and stuck them in the freezer and sent the kids to school with homeade pretzels. Oh they are the envy of their classmates.

4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
5 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping
DIRECTIONS:In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water. When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned. Put a pretzel in your child's lunchbox with small containers of mustard, honey, ranch, ketchup, cheese sauce, or whatever dipper he/she likes.

What do you guys do on Sundays?

2010-05-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday is the one day out of the week that you hope your children will be nice and loving and they don't kill each other by the end of the day..hmmmm. I wish it were that easy! When they start trying to strangle each other they get sent outside to the trampoline. Growing up, in good ole Columbia, Mo-my parents never gave into the idea of a tramp. I really don't see why, are yard was freakin huge! Really, the tramp was one of the best investments we have made in 15 years of marriage. As you can see all of my sweet, kind children are actually getting along. This ONLY happens on the tramp, sigh.

Wait-are Paige and Kai actually holding hands? What the heck.

Tangerine Twist Quilt

2010-05-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

This is by far my favorite quilt. The colors make me hungry and it has reminded several people of sherbet. Yummy. I love the zig zag pattern on the back!! My dog Gunner was camera happy, he wouldn't get out of half the shots I took.

Serendipity Quilt

2010-04-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

It is almost finished, I just need to quilt it and I will soon have a finished product. Up next is my lovingly named "TANGERINE TWIST" lap quilt. Any name suggestions for this one though?

Aunt Nelle's Homeade Granola Bars

2010-04-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

Ingredients + Paigey

I have tried to start makeing homeade snacks-it is just too expensive to buy all the boxed stuff anymore. Devin's sister Janelle, has this great granola bar recipe. Just thought I would share. Also this could easily be made with a gluten free flour instead of whole wheat.

Mix it all together.

Press into a oiled cake pan.

Simply Fabulous!!
(we did 1 batch of peanut butter, and 1 batch of chocolate chips)

2 cups oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup honey
Dried fruit, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, etc. to add to your liking. Our favorite is dried apples and craisins. I'll just rehydrate the apples before I put them in there. I also really like just the plain old chocolate chips. Mix all ingredients and press firmly into a greased 9x13 pan. Dough may be dry and crumbly so you can add a little milk to help keep it together. Bake at 325 for 20 min or until edges are browned. Let cool completely then cut into strips and store in snack size bags or wrap each piece in saran wrap.

Star Ceiling

2010-04-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

Dev has been work, work, workin away on the star ceiling for our movie theater room. I was completely happy with just a regular ceiling but he thought it would be cool. So basically he has made this domed ceiling by wetting sheetrock. It will have a bazillion little fiber optic lights that come through tiny holes and make the domed ceiling look like it has stars all over it.

Hopefully it will look similar to this ceiling:)

Karate Tournament

2010-04-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

Before sparring with mouth piece in.

Horrible picture, I know, but this is Kaden going for fastest and strongest punch.

Morgan sparring.

Karate Tournament

2010-04-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

Kaden and Morgan had the opportunity to participate in their very first karate tournament over the weekend. Both kiddos were very nervous but ended up having a really good time. Kaden got 3rd place in one of his events and Morgan got 3rd in sparring. She is quite the little fighter, I think it must be due to all the practicing with dad.

This is Morgan "clearing her mind" before the tournament began.

Kaden, Morgan, and their good buddy Riley.

Showing off their awesome medals.

Kaden's Bronze medal.

New Fabric

2010-04-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

This is some new fabric I just got for a quilt. Isn't it just delish! I am working on another one right now and will post when it is complete.

Manitou Springs

2010-04-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

Spring Break

2010-04-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

This is becoming a tradition. Spring break down in the Springs...the kids wanted to go to the same park in Manitou that we went to last year. I think it is all because of the fancy flying saucer swings.

Devin took the week off from policeman work to spend time with us. But of course he had to do his other job down in Colorado Springs. We all wanted to be with him thus, we piled into the Tundra, including Gunner and off we went.

While Dev worked we went to the Park and got ice cream. We also tasted a couple of the springs just for old times sake.

Kai and Gunner

2010-03-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

This was too cute not to post.

Dying Easter Eggs

2010-03-27T16:54:00.000-07:00

Not very good photography and not all that interesting. We dyed eggs, the kids said it wasn't all that fun. Hmmmmm maybe we will try something different next year.

Chippandale

2010-03-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

I told Kaden to get ready for school. This is what he came down wearing. I have always dreamed of having a male stripper in my family room, JUST NOT MY SON!

Kaden turns 6

2010-03-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

This year Kaden wanted to have a swimming party at the rec center. It was so much fun(for him), I had a migraine.

Kaden is my youngest and the most spoiled child of all my kids. I never wanted to be that kind of mom, but there is something about that "last one". I rocked him every night till he was 5, boy was that a mistake. He still has a hard time going to bed by himself.

Kaden loves: balloons, jumping on the tramp, kindergarten, playdates, talking about poop(BOOOOOO), riding his bke, swimming, playing in the dirt and sand, playing tetherball, eating snacks all day long, playing the computer, and spending the day with ME!!

He is a mommies boy, which I love most of the time.

Butt Boarding Helmet

2010-03-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

Kailer has this fab idea that he is going to start a brand new sport called: Butt Boarding. I do appreciate a good idea now and then, but this one has disaster written all over it. Basically, picture a luge without sides to keep you from crashing. Kailer mounts his Ripstick on his butt and puts gardening gloves on. This is so he doesn't scratch his hands up when he pushes off. He then flies down the hill on his back going 5000 miles and hour. This is the ONLY time I can get him to wear a helmet. Kai especially likes to do this at night, so he fixed 3 flash lights onto his helmet so that he can see better...does this sound crazy to anyone else? I have to give him 3 thumbs up for his creativity.

Cotillion

2010-03-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

Paige attended her first "real" dance. She had a lot of fun-FOR ONCE! I just can't believe how grown up she is!