'Tater Relocator

This week I have been rearranging and redecorating our kitchen.  While I was working on a flower arrangement for the top of the fridge, Brennan was doing some redecorating of his own.





So now I'm thinking, what kind of toys could we possibly buy for Brennan for his birthday next month that could be this fun?  Looks to me like a bag of potatoes and a Coke box, and we're good to go!

26/365 ~ Mementos From the Beach

25/365 ~ Paper Clip Circle

Cheesy Chicken and Salsa Skillet

Cheesy Chicken and Salsa Skillet

Ingredients:
2 cups multi-grain penne pasta

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1-1/4 cups Salsa
1 can of yellow corn
1 can of seasoned black beans
1 large green pepper, cut into short thin strips
1 cup shredded cheese
salt, pepper and chili powder to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed on package.


Cook chicken in a large skillet.  Season with spices to your liking.  Stir in salsa, corn beans, and peppers. Bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 10 min. 

Drain pasta. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Top with cheese. Remove from heat; cover. Let stand 1 min. or until cheese is melted.

Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff

1 8 oz. package of egg noodles
1 pound ground beef
1 can condensed Golden Mushroom soup
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 small can of mushrooms
Worcestershire sauce to taste
1 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook egg noodles.
Brown ground beef and minced garlic.
Mix soup and mushrooms with ground beef and simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
Combine noodles, beef, sour cream and stir until well blended.

24/365 ~ Through the Grater

An antique grater that I have in my kitchen.  I took the shot by focusing on the back side.  I think it turned out pretty neat.

23/365 ~ Skirt-Wearing Wine

We went to a housewarming party today, and this is how I decorated the gift we brought.

22/365 ~ Painted Mountains?

I played around with some actions on this shot. I settled on the Hayes Island Variant action. Looks like a painting now, huh?

21/365 ~ Chicken and Salsa Pasta

19/365 ~ Snowy Morning

18/365 ~ Sleepy Dog

Peanut Butter Bars

Peanut Butter Bars


Ingredients:
1/3 box crushed graham crackers
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. melted butter
1 c. peanut butter
2 c. chocolate chips



Mix it all up in a bowl, then press into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Melt chocolate chips and spread on top. Place in refrigerator just until set, cut. Keep refrigerated.

An Inspirational List

Sounds like a good list to live by...
Stay loose. Learn to watch snails. Plant impossible gardens. Invite someone dangerous to tea. Make little signs that say yes! And post them all over your house. Make friends with freedom & uncertainty. Look forward to dreams. Cry during movies. Swing as high as you can on a swingset, by moonlight. Cultivate moods. Do it for love. Take lots of naps. Give money away. Believe in magic. Laugh a lot. Celebrate every gorgeous moment. Take moonbaths. Have wild imaginings, transformative dreams, and perfect calm. Draw on the walls. Read everyday. Imagine yourself magic. Giggle with children. Listen to old people. Open up. Dive in. Be free. Bless yourself. Drive away fear. Play with everything. Entertain your inner child. You are innocent. Build a fort with blankets. Get wet. Hug trees. Write love letters.





{From the SARK print "How to be an Artist"}

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these cookies over the weekend and they were the best. I used half chocolate and half butterscotch chips, because that's what I had. Next time, I think I will use white chocolate chips and some macadamia nuts. There was enough dough that I was able to freeze half of it for later.

Yummy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 sticks of butter
1 1/4 brown sugar
1 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
Cream together.

Then add:
3 2/3 flour
2 T. corn starch
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
a bag of semi sweet chips
Mix together.

Bake at 350 for about 10 to 12 minutes.

{Recipe originally found on the blog Barefoot in the Kitchen.}

Parmesan Baked Chicken

Parmesan Baked Chicken

1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
4 Teaspoons Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs

1. Combine mayonnaise and cheese.
2. Spread on chicken, then sprinkle with bread crumbs.
3. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Monday Musings - Weekend Recap

It was a pretty quiet weekend around the Bal house. Not that we minded, it was kind of nice.

On Saturday, Jason made it home from F.E. Warren AFB in Cheyenne, WY. Yay! He had been there for a couple weeks for work, and was more than happy to be home. The base he was at was really pretty and he had a lot of interesting stories to tell. Most of the buildings on base are original, and there were quite a few stories told about hauntings! Another interesting tidbit, the Pronghorn Antelope that live on base are treated like VIPs, they get the right-of-way in their meanderings, and you better not hit one or there is a formal investigation. Crazy!

Here are some pictures that he took during his trip.















Brennan is super happy that his Daddy is home. He barely lets him out of his sight. It's definitely made having some privacy in the bathroom an issue.

We got to Skype with Nana and Papaw on Sunday. That's always fun, but now Brennan points to the computer and says, "Nana and Papaw?" I wonder if he thinks they live in there, haha.

It's been a little warmer here, which in this case means it's been in the 30s most of the week. You'd think it was a heatwave, though, if you'd see the natives. Brennan and I went to Wal-Mart and there were people in flip-flops and shorts and t-shirts. Now, I know I lived in Florida for a long time, and my thermostat is probably off, but really, what do these people think when they get up and get dressed? "Hmmm...let's see, there is only a slight chance for frostbite today, flip-flops and bare arms it is!" I don't undertand it. I can't wait to see what they wear when it gets to the 60s!

So anyway, Jason gets off a couple days before he has to go back to work. We'll probably just do more of what we did over the weekend. Well, that and watching the 24 series premiere, woo hoo! I am really hoping this season is better than last season. If not, I just started reading The Great Gatsby, so at least I have a backup plan.

Exciting, right? I've already figured out, that's just how it is going to be in Utah. Hibernate in the winter, and then let it all break loose in the summer. You should see our "Things to do When it Gets Warm" list, it's huge!

I wonder if the Wal-Mart weirdos will be in parkas in July. I guess only time will tell.

17/365 ~ Birds in the Fog

16/365 ~ Yay, Hubby's home!

15/365 ~ A Melty Frosty Berry

14/365 ~ Showin' Some Scrabble Love

13/365 ~ Kiddy Colors

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1 cup Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh parsley
Chives

Directions:

1. Pierce squash with fork in several places. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes or until the squash is tender. Cut in half, scoop out and discard seeds. Scrape the flesh with fork to separate the strands.

2. Stir the soup, water and milk in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat to a boil. Stir in the Swiss cheese.

3. Place the hot spaghetti squash into a serving bowl. Pour the soup mixture over the squash. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, parsley, and chives.

Linked here:
http://farmgirlpaints.blogspot.com/2012/01/feed-my-family-friday.html

The Best Crockpot Potato Soup

I just added a new recipe section to the blog sidebar. Over the next few weeks I'm going to be posting some my favorite recipes. You probably won't be seeing anything too complicated or gourmet, just some yummy family food. Here's my favorite potato soup recipe.


The Best Crockpot Potato Soup

Ingredients:
2 lbs. baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 in cubes
2 cans (10 1/2 oz each) cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of finely chopped green onions
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 cups milk
black pepper to taste

Cheese, bacon, and green onions for garnish.

1. Combine potatoes, soup, green, onions, garlic powder and red pepper in crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hrs or on high for 4 hrs. 2. Add cheese, sour cream and milk; stir until cheese has completely melted. Cover and cook on high for an additional 10 minutes.

(The original recipe called for only 1 cup of milk, but I thought it was too thick like that. I also added some chopped bacon when I added the cheese. We like our food a little spicier, so I also added extra red pepper, garlic powder, and black pepper.)

Wordless Wednesday - One for Nana

12/365 ~ January Sunset

11/365 ~ Three Perfect Masons

We're so funny!

...Well, at least we think so! : )

Toys, Toys, Everywhere!

Brennan's Version: It is so much fun to crawl in with my toys, throw them all out and dance!

Mommy's Version: How Brennan can make the biggest mess in two minutes flat!

10/365 ~ A Fun Sunday Self-Portrait

9/365 ~ Little Man Lunch

8/365 ~ Everlasting

My wedding flowers

7/365 ~ Saucy Muffins

I was freezing individual cups of spaghetti sauce for quick lunches.

A Meltdown Over Jack

My wonderful friend Marsha gave Brennan a Jack-in-the-box for his birthday last year. Brennan absolutely loves Jack, but Mommy can only handle him in small increments. It's one of the few toys that we have to put on rotation around here (i.e. HIDE until Brennan happens notice where the hiding place is when you have the cabinet door open too long one day.)

Following is the meltdown procession that explains why.

Everything starts out fine. You can see Brennan's joy over his colorful friend.





Uh oh, Now the trouble starts. Get in there Jack!



The countdown to meltdown has started.



And we're off! Melt...



Melt and a glare...



Mommy closed the box, so we're re-entering normal mode...



The look...Why didn't you do that sooner?



All that drama just to pop the lid again.



The happy face is coming back again.



All is right in the world again.



Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

I think Jack will be going back into seclusion again soon, just as soon as I find the perfect spot.

6/365 ~ Jack-in-the-Box

Wordless Wednesday

5/365 ~ Our Morning Arts and Leisure

Up to No Good

Uh huh, look at that cute face, how can he be up to no good?

There has been a few more timeouts around here lately.  (For Brennan, not Mommy.)

Brennan's newest thing: he looks right at you, and then he does something he knows he's not supposed to.

Or he get's something he knows he's not supposed to have, and then runs with it. I was hoping he wasn't going to be a runner, but he is.

And the funniest one? He can be in the middle of doing something he knows he not supposed to be doing, and he'll say, "Oh, no, no, no," and shake his head just like a disapproving little old lady.

For the most part, though he's still his sweet little self.  He does have a tendency to like everything just so. (Nana says he takes that after me, but I don't know. :))  He definitely keeps the house in order.  Don't leave a cabinet door open, or clothes sticking out of a drawer, or he's right there to tell you that's not right.  He also notices if the blinds aren't open, or if there is a lamp not on that usually is.  It's like he makes rounds to check all this stuff out.

One of Brennan's new words is "PUTIBACK!"  He screeches this several times a day, mostly at himself, but sometimes to me and Jason.  It's actually pretty funny. 

An example of this...last night, when he was getting out of the bathtub, he knocked a shampoo bottle back into the tub.  He looks at me all upset and says PUTIBACK!

The best is when he says it to himself.  This happens mostly when he strays from his own shelf of books over to the big people books.  If he pulls one of them off the shelf, yep, you guessed it, PUTIBACK!

A self discipliner.  Gotta love it!



   

4/365 ~ Tiny Bubbles

Birds in the Yard

Since it snows so much around here, and stays cold all of the time, the ground is in a constant state of white frozen tundra. How are the birds supposed to find food like that? Well, they all come to our backyard and dine at our bird feeder, of course!


Here is just about a tenth of the birds that are usually in the yard at one time. I couldn't get a very good angle from inside, and I didn't want to scare them away.


This one was shy. He decided to stay on the other side of the fence. Either that, or he could see Maggie standing beside me dying to get outside and run them all off. It's become her new favorite hobby.


Here's one posing in the tree, making sure I got his best side.


Time for lunch! Yum! Yum!

Reporting from the Bal Family Bird Diner,
Heather