Living With Lindsy

- Updates -

2012-01-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

Just a heads up....

I have FINALLY updated my

headband blog.

I have neglected both blogs for so long.

Shame on me!

Please check it out!

THE SPRINKLES ON TOP

- Birthday -

2012-01-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

Last night we celebrated Grandma Joyce's 80th birthday.

She is a precious lady. Always has kind words

and sweet remarks to share with you.

My in laws hosted the party. Dad made his famous

spaghetti (the best in the world, no lie!). We had

a great evening with most of the family.

Happy 80th Grandma!

Little Caden had us fully entertained.

He is such a doll and has the cutest voice

and stories.

He had recently had surgery and was telling

us about the nurses and doctors, oh it was to funny.

Love my hunny, and his wonderful family!

Of course Rox had to celebrate too!

She loves to sit on grandma's lap.

I don't think the feeling are mutual though. ;-)

It is Friday!! Thank goodness. This has been a very

long week here at work, and I am looking forward

to having Monday off. YAY, I love court holidays! ;-)

Have a fantastic weekend!!

- Recipe -

2012-01-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

I have decided to try my best to blog more this year.

Several times I have wanted to just give up, but

I truly love to blog and share our memories and recipes,

so I have decided to keep on going.

* * *

I was given a slice of this wonderful cake

to try and oh wow, it was delicious. Although I wasn't

given the recipe to the one I tasted, I did find this

recipe online and wanted to share.

If you like ding dongs you will love this cake...

DING DONG CAKE

1 (18 ounce) box Pillsbury Plus Devils Food Cake Mix

FILLING:

1 cup milk

4 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

ICING:

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons cocoa

powdered sugar, to desired consistency

DIRECTIONS:

Bake cake according to directions on box, using a 9x13-inch pan.

After it cools, slice in half horizontally and set aside until filling is prepared.

For the filling, combine milk and flour. Cook until thick, then cool. Mix butter

and shortening for 4 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla and mix for 4 more minutes.

Add flour mixture and beat 4 minutes more.

Spread filling on bottom layer of cake and replace top layer of cake

For the icing, combine butter, vanilla, milk cocoa and mix.

Add powdered sugar until quite thick.

This sounds easy and amazing! ;-)

Let me know how yours turns out!

- Happy B-day -

2012-01-04T10:48:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Roxie's 2nd birthday yesterday. Don't worry,

I didn't make the banner just for my dog, haha, it was left over

from Nate's birthday.

I am not "that" crazy. ;-)

Rox has been such a wonderful dog. We love her to death!!

She has learned to sit, stay, speak, dance, and if I ask

her to "Go wake up daddy" she runs and jumps on Nate

to wake him up. Such a smarty. Ok, I'll stop before

everyone starts thinking I am nuts. haha

Happy Birthday Rox!

- December 2011 -

2012-01-03T11:24:00.001-08:00

December was a fantastic month. I always look forward to it

every single year. I love the weather, all of the events, the holidays...

it is my favorite month!

We started off the month with the annual winter banquet

in Orosi. Bro. Joel Booker spoke to the young people

and everyone had a great time of fellowshipping.

We had my family's Christmas in Bakersfield, which is

always something to look forward to. Being with my

family is wonderful, and I enjoyed playing with my niece

and nephews.

On December 23rd we celebrated Nate's birthday at

the Cheesecake Factory. We were thrilled to have

my parents come up and stay the weekend with us.

Christmas Day was spent first at church, where it should be!

We had a wonderful service and then prepared for

the massive dinner and desserts that evening. ;-)

Little Liza came by and opened her presents from Pastor

and Sis. Weidner. Caden was excited to have a little friend with him.

Roxie enjoyed getting into everyone's wrapping paper.

But eventually she was able to open her own present from grandma.

On December 30th, we took our youth group to Bakersfield for the 2:38 Conference.

It was awesome! Bro. Cody Marks preached and we didn't get out of

service until after 11:00 p.m. After a couple hours of talking and

eating, we finally arrived back home in Kingsburg at 4:00 a.m.

We were dead!

New Years Eve was exciting! We met at the church at 9:00 p.m.

and everyone was to bring some time of bread and dessert; Pastor

and Sis. Weidner supplied the soup. We ate, talked with each other then

met in the sanctuary where we had service and then prayed the

new year in.

I can't wait to see what God has in store for 2012!! I am anxious

to start this new year, and to see what is ahead for us.

Happy New Year everyone!!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-20T12:00:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Christmas with my side of the family this past weekend in Bakersfield. Friday evening we watched the kids open their presents.

The boys loved their binoculars..

Addi was so cute to watch. She would squeal and then clap her hands.

Love this munchkin!!

Playing the game we bought them. In their Jammie's of course. :-)

On Saturday our extended family came (30 in all). Amy and I decorated the garage with lots of snow flakes and goodies.

I have sure enjoyed this time of the year!!

Have a safe and very Merry Christmas!!

- Pies & More -

2011-11-23T10:15:00.001-08:00

We had two VERY busy days of pies, pumpkin rolls,

peanut brittle, etc.

Our church does this fundraiser every Thanksgiving

and Christmas, and it is really fun.

We started off Monday evening with prepping

for the following day of baking.

The men made peanut brittle in order

to give us ladies the entire kitchen

the following day.

Preparing pie crust! YUMMY!

Not sure what Nate is doing,

watching all the action it looks like. ;-)

The second day consisted of baking.

We made SO many pumpkin rolls, peach & apple pies,

nut pies, and pumpkin pies.

I love how our whole church gets together

and has a grand time.

I think there is more laughing going on

then anything.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Don't eat too much. ;-)

- Totally Random -

2011-11-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

Well hello there...

The weather I have been longing for is finally here! Fall has officially arrived.

Nate and I traveled to Burbank a few weeks back to preach for their youth service. Well, he did all the preaching. I did the fellow shipping. :-)

We had an awesome service, I love the Burbank church, and of course a chance to be with great friends again.

Rox has been enjoying the fall as well. We have been outside taking walks nearly every night. The moment I arrive home from work she walks over to where her leash is hanging and whines. It's so funny.

Nate and I enjoyed last nights service at West Coast Conference!! We have family and friends coming into town and I am anxious to be with them all!

This is such an awesome time of the year!!

- Recipe of the Week-

2011-10-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

I thought these were really, really, REALLY cute

and HAD to share them. I LOVE me some candy corns ;-)

Candy Corn Cupcakes

Source: inspired from the web and OurBestBites

1 white cake mix

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Garnish: candy corns and orange sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pan with paper liners.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until incorporated. Scrape sides of bowl and then beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.

Divide batter in half and color one half orange and the other half yellow. Wilton has color gels that are really vivid. You can find them at craft stores.

Fill paper liners with about 1-2 Tablespoons of orange batter. Then top with 1-2 Tablespoons of yellow batter. Bake according to cake mix package directions - about 15-18 minutes. Cool cupcakes and frost with your favorite frosting and garnish with a candy corn and sprinkles. Makes 18 cupcakes.

Use your favorite frosting or this is what I used:

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

In a mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue creaming until well blended. Add salt, vanilla, and whipping cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.

- Humor-

2011-10-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

- Ladie's Day -

2011-10-04T13:26:00.001-07:00

I always look forward to Ladies' Day hosted in Fresno by

Elder Morton. This is definitely a treat each time I go.

This year Sis. Dykes from Tulsa, Oklahoma shared her life

stories and spoke about being favored by God.

The entire service was AMAZING!!!

After service our ladies went to Cheesecake Factory for lunch...

It was so nice to have my blogging buddy, Rachel, with us!! ;-)

- Autumn Time! -

2011-09-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Autumn everyone!!!

Although it is still around 100 degrees outside today I am cheerfully expecting the upcoming holidays, cooler weather, boots, to try that new salted carmel mocha at Starbucks, scarfs....oh my list could go on for days!

I LOVE this time of the year and am looking forward to all it holds!

Here is a lovely autumn cheesecake recipe to celebrate this wonderful season, enjoy!

Autumn Cheesecake

Ingredients

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and melted butter; press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar. Mix at medium speed until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in vanilla; pour filling into the baked crust.

In a small bowl, stir together 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Toss the cinnamon-sugar with the apples to coat. Spoon apple mixture over cream cheese layer and sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped pecans.Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes. With a knife, loosen cake from rim of pan. Let cool, then remove the rim of pan. Chill cake before serving.

- Project -

2011-09-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

Our home has a small porch and I have been

searching for a cute little bench to add to it.

I haven't had much luck, but one evening

my father in law told me his neighbor had put one

in the alley with his trash and to come look at it.

Nate and I were so excited and made sure they were

throwing it out and to see if we could take it off their hands.

We took it home and over the labor day weekend we went

to work sanding, re-screwing the loose bolts,

and then spray painting. Here is the outcome...

BEFORE.....

AFTER....

It sure adds to the look of our home.

I love it! It cost around $8.00 after sand paper and spray paint.

Not too bad! ;-)

This Saturday, September 17, marks 2 years of being in our home.

I can't believe how fast it has come.

- Disneyland -

2011-09-12T09:37:00.001-07:00

Nate and I had a fabulous time at Disneyland this weekend. Here are a few photos from the trip....

We stayed with our awesome friends Matt & Chantelle. Roxie accompanied us this time and she loved meeting Moose & Kona.

Bags are packed and she's ready to go...

I can't resist these chocolate eyes of Moose, he is SO precious!...

DISNEY!! Need I say more?!?...

Riding Autopia...

The last ride of the night..

I LOVE Disneyland and can't wait to go again!

Hope you had a great weekend!!

- Recipe Time -

2011-09-07T10:20:00.000-07:00

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

By Lauren Brennan

Makes 2-3 dozen (if you don’t get generous in your scooping)

Ingredients:

½ cups butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 whole egg

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoons baking powder

⅛ teaspoons baking soda

1-½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

*If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

- Party Time! -

2011-08-29T13:11:00.001-07:00

On Friday, Nate and I hosted

a "Back to School" party for our

Jr. High & High School youth.

Nate snapped some photos before the group arrived.

Making the last minute preparations...

We went on a scavenger hunt....

These girls won, thanks to kindly neighbors who took

the list and gave us almost all of the items.

Roxie was happy to go on a walk, too bad it was

nasty hot outside!

The girls showing their "hunt" paraphernalia....

Poor Rox got overheated and passed out under the table...

We played a really funny game where I pinned

a name of a person on everyone's back and they had to guess who it was by

asking questions. Of course they were Adventures in Odyssey names. ;-)

Pictionary time!

The party was fun, I hope they enjoyed it as much as Nate

and I did.

We have such a terrific youth group ! God has

been so good to us and we look forward to what

else He has in store!!

- Recipe Time -

2011-08-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

PEANUT BUTTER PIE

Courtesy of

Whisk Kid

PEANUT BUTTER PIE

Courtesy of

Whisk Kid

8 oz (227 g) chocolate cookies

4 Tbsp (57 g) butter, melted
4 oz (113 g) finely chopped chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 c (31 g) chopped peanuts
1 c (237 ml) heavy cream
1 (8 oz or 227 g) package cream cheese, room temperature
1 c (237 ml) creamy peanut butter
1 c (156 g) confectioner's sugar
1 (14 oz or 397 g) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice

Reduce the cookies to fine crumbs using your preferred method (use your hands, forks, a rolling pin, a cast iron pan or - easiest yet - a food processor). Add the butter and mix well. Press into the bottom and one inch up the sides of a 9" springform pan.

Melt the chocolate. While still hot, pour over the bottom of the crust and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Sprinkle over the chopped peanuts and place in the fridge to set.

Beat the heavy cream in a large, cold, clean bowl to stiff peaks. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and peanut butter. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl when needed. With the mixer running, slowly add the sweetened condensed milk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth and well-combined.

Using a rubber spatula, stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream to lighten the filling. Fold in the remaining whipped cream in two parts, then carefully pour into the springform pan. Refrigerate for at least three hours before serving.

Camping & San Fran

2011-08-10T13:06:00.001-07:00

Nate and I had a busy, but fun weekend.

Our church campout started on Thursday through Sunday.

Since we were taking care of

service on Sunday we just went up on Saturday.

The weather was perfect!

Everyone gathered around for the potluck.

After we took care of service on Sunday morning

we left for Walnut Creek.

We met up with Matt & Chantelle at our hotel,

then we were off to San Francisco for the evening.

We made a stop at the massive Westfield Mall

then headed to the top of MACY'S to

have dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

It was absolutely FREEZING! We did not come prepared

for such freezing weather, so our only hope was a cup of coffee.

We drug the guys with us to H&M where they

were great troopers while we shopped. ;-)

When we couldn't take the freezing wind anymore

we decided to travel back to our hotel for the night.

The next morning, Monday, we were up early

and back on the BART towards San Fran.

Matt & Chantelle were laughing at how much

Nate loved playing games on the "pink" ipad. ;-)

BOUDIN was fantastic, as usual!

We have had a terrific weekend/week so far.

Now it is back to the grind. ;-)

- celebrate -

2011-07-29T08:03:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday today to my amazing Sis!!!

I hope you have a terrific day today. You have been an incredible Sis to me and I am so thankful for you and especially the gorgeous little guys you brought into this world!!

Love you SO much!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

- Recipe Time -

2011-07-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite dishes is the

MUSHROOM JACK FAJITAS

from Chilis.

It is no longer on their menu (although

last time I went they made it for me), but I

googled and found a recipe very similar

and of course wanted to share.

CHILI'S MUSHROOM JACK FAJITAS

What you will need:

One Chicken breast per person

White onions

Green and red peppers

Mushrooms

Bacon

Flour tortillas

Cumin seasoning

Jack cheese

Cooking oil

Choice of condiments: sour cream, diced tomatoes,

pico de gallo, shredded cheese)

Slice uncooked chicken breast into thin strips against the grain of the meat. By cutting across the grain, the pieces will be tenderer after sauteing. Place uncooked chicken strips in a large zip-type bag, sprinkle with approximately 1/8th teaspoon per chicken breast and store in the refrigerator while you prepare the other ingredients.

Slice onions, peppers and mushrooms into thin slices and set aside. An approximate amount to use is 1 cup of fresh sliced vegetables per person. During cooking, they will reduce in size.

Cook bacon until crisp, drain and set aside. Preheat the griddle or skillet and spread 1 tablespoon of cooking oil on the bottom.

Saute the chicken in the hot skillet turning often with a spatula to brown evenly. When the outside is golden brown, add peppers and onions. Continue to turn. When the vegetables are crisp-tender, add the mushrooms and cook for one more minute. Remove from heat.

Soften tortillas by placing on a microwave-safe plate and covering with a damp paper towel. Microwave 1 minute on high for six tortillas. Increase or decrease the time, accordingly, if you have a different amount.

Separate warm tortillas and wrap immediately in aluminum foil, folding them in half and sealing the foil to keep them soft.

Place cooked chicken and vegetables on individual serving plates and cover with shredded jack cheese. Top with crumbled bacon and microwave for 15 seconds to melt the cheese.

Serve the fajitas with a side dish for each person, prepared with your choice of condiments. Chili's uses shredded iceberg lettuce, Pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole and extra cheese but you can use your family's favorites.

- My Thoughts -

2011-07-18T15:25:00.001-07:00

Hello All!

My blog is in need of a good post.

Unfortunately, I don't have one up my sleeve, yet.

* * *

Please say a prayer for my family. My grandmother (moms side)

has been in the hospital for ever a week now with

bleeding in the back of the head, a mild heart attack, severe pain and infection

all throughout her body, etc.

Thankfully we know that God is our healer and comforter.

All we can do is trust in Him through this time.

Thanks!

- 4th of July Recipe -

2011-06-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

Check out this easy recipe I found from

A Place For Us

Follow the directions according to the box and then add red food coloring!

I let my mix sit in the fridge for a bit to let the color get darker.

Bake the cake as directed in a rectangle 13x9! I used a square shaped pan.

After the cake cools, remove it from the pan and wrap the cooled cake in saran wrap.

Let the cake freeze for 2-3 hours or overnight. Use the same cake pan and wrap in parchment paper. leaving about a 1 inch overhang.

Remove the cake from the saran wrap and level it out by cutting the top off.

Set the leveled cake in the pan of parchment paper.

Next empty a tub of vanilla ice cream into your Kitchen Aid mixer.

With the paddle attachment starting on low, whip the ice cream to a creamy consistency.

Spread the whipped ice cream over the frozen cake.

Freeze again for another 15 minutes or until firm.

Add blue food coloring to your choice of frosting.

Again to intensify the color, let the color sit.

Spread the icing on the layer of ice cream.

Refreeze another 2 hours or until it’s ready to serve!

After the cake is frozen and firm…SERVE to your guest!

I cut mine up in little squares and served them on a stick!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

- Decorating -

2011-06-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

Since Nate and I have been married we have been using

a hand-me-down table from my parents. It has

been a great little table for us, but since we

are now in a larger home and have more room we

decided to look around and get ideas for a new, larger table.

I'm not sure if you all remember THIS post from 2 years ago about the

white table I absolutely loved. Which was a whopping $2,000.

Obviously that wasn't going to happen.

But I thought about Craigslist the other day. I have actually never purchased

anything before, but I was searching online for ways to paint tables

and decided that I would check and just see if anything interesting came

up. Boy am I glad I did!

I found a beautiful set that was made in the 60's and it has

SO much character. I immediately shared it with Nate and

my mother in law to see if it was really as good a deal as I thought

it was.

Needless to say, after a few calls and emails we brought it home

that very next day!

Here is our table before....

Please excuse Roxie's pillow. ;-)

And my new table....

It doesn't look modern now, but believe me, it will! ;-)

I am so excited about this find! I have some ideas

floating around in my head as to what I should do with it.

I'll keep you updated as we make changes, and

make sure you check out Craigslist

it sure was wonderful for me!

- Recipe -

2011-06-21T11:43:00.001-07:00

So, I am searching through my lists of blogs

and found this recipe. I had to re-look at the title to

make sure what I was reading was correct.

I have not tried this recipe but had to share it.

If you try it, please let me know if it was worth it.

This sounds too strange to me. ;-)

ICE CREAM BREAD
Printer Friendly Version
Makes One 8 x 4 loaf

2 Cups Ice Cream, any flavor, softened
1 1/2 cups Self-Rising Flour

Preheat your oven to 350. Spray and flour a 8 x 4 loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl mix the ice cream and flour together until just combined.
Scoop into the loaf and and smooth out.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the loaf comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it.
Remove from the pan and allow to cool (if you can wait that long)!

For best results..use full fat ice-cream!

Recipe source: 1001 ways to Cook Southern

2011-06-19T19:09:00.001-07:00

Happy Fathers Day to my dad.
Dad, you are so wonderful, thanks for all that you do. Love you lots!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

- Recipe -

2011-06-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Spinach Salad
Recipe from Our Best Bites and Stephanie Jones

1 10-oz. bag fresh baby spinach
1/2-1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium cucumber, seeded and sliced (you can peel it first if you want)
1 pint strawberries, sliced
1 c. sliced almonds, toasted
1 recipe Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
1/2 lb. grilled chicken breasts, sliced or diced (optional)

Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

2-3 large lemons (use as needed–you’ll need 1/3 c. juice and 1 tsp. zest)
1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
1/4 c. canola oil
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. grated onion
1 clove finely pressed garlic

Using a Microplane or other fine grater, grate 1 tsp. lemon rind off the lemons. Grate 1 tsp. onion. Place in a small container with a lid. Add the remaining ingredients and shake vigorously. If possible, refrigerate at least an hour before serving. Shake well before serving.

You’ll need a bag of spinach,

sliced fresh strawberries, red onion, and cucumbers (peeled or un-peeled, whatever your preference)…

Toasted almonds (just heat them in a small skillet over medium heat,

stirring frequently, until they’re golden and fragrant)…

and one recipe of the Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette.

If you want to add a little more protein to serve as a meal,

you can also add strips of grilled chicken.

Toss ingredients together and serve immediately.

You can also arrange the ingredients on individual plates for serving.

- Addi's Party -

2011-06-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

Saturday after outreach Nate and I drove to Bakersfield

to celebrate Addison's 1st birthday.

My sister had decorated similar to Addi's bedroom.

Owls!

The Birthday girl!

Check out her poor face. She just started walking

a month ago and has bruises all over from

falling and bumping into things.

It sure doesn't stop her though. ;-)

Cake Time!

She got all excited when mommy sat her

down and started handing her presents.

Inspecting the pillow Aunt Lindsy made. lol

All warm and cuddly in her jammies.

I love this girl so much!!

She is such a happy little thing, and keeps us laughing.

I am so thankful that God blessed our family with this precious baby girl!!

Birthday!

2011-06-03T09:35:00.001-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday to my adorable niece, Addison!!!

Aunt Lindsy loves you SO much!! ;-)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

- Cupcakes -

2011-06-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

BACON, CHEDDAR & HERB CUPCAKES

Courtesy of bouffe e bambini

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 egg, beaten

1 1/4 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup milk

Corn sliced off 2 corn cobbs

1/3 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped (I used rosemary, thyme and chives)

3/4 cups cooked chopped bacon

for topping:

( a note about the topping. This is TOTALLY unnecessary.

They are great without the topping)

8 oz cream cheese (room temp)

1/4 cup mascarpone cheese(room temp)

1/4 cup sour cream (room temp)

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon chopped chives

Spray 2 muffin pans with non stick cooking spray. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Now in another bowl, mix together all the remaining ingredients. Then mix wet and dry ingredients together. Scoop into muffin pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 min or until golden.

For topping beat all ingredients at room temperature and pipe onto cupcakes. Garnish with fresh herbs.

2011-05-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

I am doing a give-a-way over

on my other blog.

Make sure to check it out!

The Sprinkles On Top

This give-a-way ends tonight at midnight.

Make sure you enter today!

TGIF

2011-05-20T09:48:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone, happy Friday!!
It has been a couple of crazily(is that a word?) busy weeks.

I am looking forward to a weekend at home with the hubs and this cute pup...

Have a great weekend!!!

Also, I wanted to wish my incredible mother in law a very happy birthday today! Love ya! ;-)

-Give a Way-

2011-05-18T15:17:00.001-07:00

Evy's Tree is doing another give a way.

Make sure you check out their

wonderful site!

EVY'S TREE

Mothers Day

2011-05-08T12:38:00.001-07:00

I want to wish a Happy Mothers day to my incredible mother. She is the best!! ;-)

Happy Mothers Day to my mother in law as well, she is fantastic! ;-)

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- Recipe! -

2011-05-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I recently came across this wonderful easy recipe.

Instead of adding a link to the site I wanted to share

the entire recipe with you.

Rhode's Bake & Serve

LEMON PULL-APARTS

For the rolls, you will need:

12 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold
zest from two whole lemons
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix lemon zest with sugar.

Cut rolls in half.

Place rolls in a 12" sprayed deep dish pizza pan or a 9x13" sprayed baking pan.
Sprinkle with lemon zest/sugar mixture, reserving 1/2 of the mixture to sprinkle on just before baking.
Drizzle melted butter over rolls. Cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size. Remove wrap. Sprinkle on remaining mixture. Bake at 350º F for 20-25 minutes.

Remove immediately from pan & place on cooling rack

Glaze ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Combine glaze ingredients & mix well. Drizzle over pull-aparts.

SERVE!! ;-)

Now if that doesn't make your mouth water something

is definitely wrong with you! ;-)

- TGIF -

2011-04-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!!

Please check out my new BLOG!

And have a fantastic weekend!

- The Wedding Part 2 -

2011-04-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are my photos from our

trip to Tulsa for the wedding....

This was a family affair...;-)

The Wedding Day

After the wedding our family met at Uncle Kenny and Aunt Lavette's home.

Yum!

2011-04-18T09:29:00.001-07:00

Well, mom and I made the Pull Apart Bread and it was fantastic! Mine came out huge but tasted awesome. I highly recommend this recipe!

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- Recipe -

2011-04-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone...Sorry I haven't blogged in a while.

I have been in bed the past 2 days with a nasty

sickness. It is going around right now and I hope it stops

soon!

I received this recipe from my mom and HAD to share it.

I plan on making it for her when she comes to see me this weekend.

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

Click on that link and it will send you straight to the recipe

and it even has a photo tutorial, love those!

Matt & Sheramy's Wedding

2011-04-08T11:03:00.001-07:00

We left last Thursday morning for my cousin Sheramy's wedding in Tulsa.

Since I was a bridesmaid I didn't get too many photos but here are a few I was able to snap on my phone.

I have more on my camera to upload later when I get a chance..

The platform...

This picture does it NO justice! It was absolutely beautiful and the lighting made it stand out!

The beautiful bride...

The reception, well part of it...

The guys...

Signing the license...

My incredible friend Lisa, who I hadn't seen in 4 years, and her gorgeous baby, Emme.

I SO enjoyed spending time with you Lisa, miss you SO much!...

The wedding turned out beautiful. It was nice getting to spend

time with my family.

As I said, I'll try to post more photos of our weekend later. ;-)

ITS FRIDAY!! Enjoy your weekend!

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2011-03-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

Mexican Chicken

By Paula Deen

Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cheddar cheese soup
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10-ounce) can tomatoes
1 whole chicken, cooked, boned, and chopped or 4 cups leftover cooked chicken
Unsalted butter, for greasing pan
1 (11 1/2-ounce) package flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Cheddar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by-9-inch pan with the cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the 3 kinds of soup and the tomatoes. Stir in the chicken.

Layer the tortillas and the chicken mixture in the pan, beginning and ending with tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole and bake for 30 minutes.

- Addi -

2011-03-11T13:27:00.001-08:00

I can't believe that in 3 more months my niece will be 1 years old. It seems like she was just born.

She loves her snacks...

Wiped out from playing...

Shopping with aunt Lindsy...

I am so thankful God blessed our family with this gorgeous baby girl. She is so precious!!!

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- Youth Rally -

2011-03-04T10:11:00.001-08:00

This past weekend our church hosted a jr youth rally. We had a terrific turn out, our church was packed and we had to bring in extra chairs. It was exciting!!

We invited Bro. Jason & Jennifer Bohannon to be the speaker. They did a wonderful job!

Alter call...it was so precious !

After the service and alter call was finished everyone met in the social hall for lemonade, pizza, games and a bounce house. Fun!!

Mr. Chandler Bohannon...him and Roxie loved playing together! ;-) He was such a good boy, I never heard him cry once! So adorable!!

I want to say thanks to everyone who helped us make this a success!

We have such an awesome church family that are always up to helping and I appreciate that, especially this weekend! ;-)

Oh...and don't forget about the give a way going on over at Evy's Tree! You can win this beautiful hoodie...

EVY'S TREE

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- Evy's Tree -

2011-03-03T14:32:00.001-08:00

I am at it again....

Check out Evy's Tree

for another give-a-way!

EVY'S TREE BLOG

EVY'S TREE ETSY

- Snow -

2011-03-01T10:46:00.001-08:00

A couple weekends ago Nate and I drove down to Matt and Chantelle White's home. The drive there took forever because of rain and a terrible car wreck right over the grapevine. Thankfully we got over without any problems.

The next morning we headed to their family's home in Pine Mountain. It started snowing the minute we turned off the highway and started up the mountain.

We arrived!!!

Snow ball fight...

Enjoying the gorgeous snow...

The view from the front window...

On Sunday we drove down to the social hall down in Fraizer and played some games....

That night Matt and Chantelle introduced us to Ticket to Ride, that was really fun!!

Thanks guys for inviting us!! We had such an awesome time relaxing, playing games and laughing till the wee hours! ;-)

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- Cupcakes -

2011-02-24T15:39:00.000-08:00

If you know me at all you'd know

that I love cupcakes and anything to do

with them. This explains why I was

thrilled to come across this site.

mingmakescupcakes.yolasite.com

Make sure you check it out, its wonderful!

I can't wait to try some of these!

- ? -

2011-02-24T10:22:00.001-08:00

What in the world...
Snow on Saturday?!?

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- Giveaway! -

2011-02-22T09:38:00.000-08:00

Once again I am blogging

in hopes of winning this sweater from

one of my favorite shops, Evys Tree.

Please check out her latest listings for spring.

They are to die for!

EVY'S TREE

- TGIF -

2011-02-17T23:14:00.001-08:00

This past weekend we were invited to be with Elder and Sis. Kendrick and the Lompoc church.

Saturday night they had a couple's banquet...

Nate being silly...

They had decorated each table with tons of candles, rose petals and candy. Each table also had a cupcake cake...

Pastor Kendrick asked Nate to say a few words...

The food was amazing!! We had a great time.
Nate preached that Sunday morning and night...

They have a terrific church. Everyone was so nice and made us feel like we had been there forever.
Both services were powerful. God moved so wonderfully!
We were so thankful to be invited. It was great to see how well Elder Kendrick is getting around, God is amazing!!

As for Rox.....

She's still as cute as ever! :-)

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- Surprise! -

2011-02-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

Last month, January 11th, was my 25th birthday.

I was totally unaware that my hubby had planned a surprise party AT OUR HOUSE!

Thank Heaven I try to keep my house straightened "most of the time"!

He had conspired with my friend Kim to invite me to shop

so he could get things together. Sneaky!

I was SO shocked when I walked through the door that I started crying.

I have never had a surprise party before

and I NEVER expected my hubby to pull one off.

Here are some photos of the party.

Waiting for us to arrive....

My gorgeous niece Addison ;-)

Opening some presents...

Grandpa played some tunes for us on Nate's new guitar.

AH..I miss this precious baby girl SO much!...

Poor Rox STILL had her cone on.

Thank goodness that is over with!

Thank you to everyone who drove up to surprise me!

It was such a special night and I am SO

thankful for each and every one who made

my 25th special! ;-)

- 5 -

2011-02-11T11:07:00.001-08:00

Happy 5th anniversary Babe!!!

I love you much, and I'm so glad you're mine! ;-)

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- Giveaway! -

2011-02-10T09:18:00.000-08:00

Want to win some Gold Canyon Car Scents?!?

Click HERE!

* * *

Want to win a gorgeous wrap or hoodie? I do!

Click HERE!

- Cruise -

2011-02-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

Finally I was able to upload my photos of our trip.

I must say if you are planning on a vacation this year

make sure it is a cruise! It is the best way to vacation!

* * *

We arrived at the dock in San Diego early Sunday afternoon.

Here we had just jumped off the shuttle bus and onto the dock.

I think they were checking to make sure we had all of our luggage. ;-)

Once we were on the boat we went straight to the lido deck and had lunch.

We weren't allowed in our rooms until around an hour after we had arrived

so we waited patiently and had some lunch.

After Nate and I checked out our room and left our carry-on bags

we grabbed some lemonade and went straight to the top of the ship.

Check out that water slide!

Our family met us up there and we watched as the ship left the dock heading for Mexico.

I couldn't get a hold of my parents that day, but eventually we found them ;-)

Here was our first animal of the week.

They had a class demonstrating how to make these cute critters,

but we went to the kitchen tour instead.

Us ladies scrapped during the first two days we were at sea.

After one of our classes we met at the lido deck for lunch.

As we sat visiting all a sudden a huge school of dolphins

started jumping in and out of the water beside us. Too cool! ;-)

The second night of our cruise was "Formal" night.

That means shrimp, lobster, cheesecake...need I say more. ;-)

Enjoying our dinner...

Here was my favorite dessert....Chocolate Melting Cake...I definitely had it more then once. ;-)

The Theater

A Family Portrait ;-)

"Cheese!"

Late that second night Nate and I browsed around the ship.

Here we were at the top over looking the middle of the boat.

Acting normal ;-)

During dinner every night our Maitre'd and every waiter sang and danced.

It was hilarious.

This was our main waiter, Allen. He was from Romania.

We, by far, had the best waiters!

Here was our other waiter. Sadly I cannot remember his name,

but I believe he was from the Philippines.

Here he is showing the guys how to do a magic, balancing, trick with a glass,

salt and pepper shakers, two forks and a tooth pick.

The third day of our cruise we arrived in Cabo.

We were docked there for two days so we didn't go on land until the second day.

All I can say is thank God I live in America!

Stopping during our little shopping spree to snap a photo.

Heading back to our boat via a small tender boat.

Ahh...the weather was perfect!!! ;-)

Our Boat!

After dinner that night we met at the lido deck to play some Skip Bo.

Nate decided to have a little fun with the camera...hah...not bad babe! ;-)

On our last day at sea we went on a tour of the kitchen.

That was quite an experience. I was amazed how clean and organized it was.

Our Maitre'd was explaining how to properly hold the food tray,

and that each server is to carry only 12 plates at once.

Fresh apple pies were being baked for our last night's dessert. It smelt heavenly. ;-)

This entire wall was covered with a photo of each dish that was prepared that week.

Our last night in the dining room. ;-( I totally miss having someone serve me.

(well...confession is good for the soul right?!?)

We had such a terrific time! I hope another cruise is in the works real soon! ;-)

- Back to Reality -

2011-02-03T13:46:00.000-08:00

Hi ! ;-)

Yes we are back from vacation.

Thanks to all of you who emailed

and wished me a great time!

I WILL be blogging soon about our

trip, but since I do not have internet access

at home, nor a computer I am

limited to blogging.

I hope to get them up soon so you can hear all about it.

It was great! ;-)

In other news I am entering again to win

a gorgeous hoodie from Evy's Tree.

Please check them out, you won't be dissapointed!

I hope to win this one....

- Vacation -

2011-01-19T15:45:00.001-08:00

UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE:

This blog will not be updated due to this....

Be back soon! ;-)

- Recipe -

2011-01-11T13:13:00.000-08:00

Several articles I have seen have stated that

today is a special date.

1/11/11

Well, I must agree.

I remember my 16th birthday

and thinking how very far away 25 was

and that surely I wouldn't reach that age

quickly.

Today, I realize just how fast it actually came.

To celebrate my 25th I wanted to post

one of my favorite cake recipes...

FAST CHEESE CAKE

This cheesecake can be topped with any flavor of canned pie filling for a finishing touch.

From start to serving time, it takes a little over an hour.

For a chocolate version, see Fastest Chocolate Cheesecake.

This is a soft-set cheesecake; it does not have the texture of a baked cheesecake.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

3 ounce package cream cheese, softened

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 9" graham cracker or chocolate cookie pie crust

Preparation:

In medium bowl beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add the sweetened condensed milk, beating constantly. When half of the milk has been added, add the lemon juice and beat until smooth. Add remaining sweetened condensed milk until mixture is smooth. Pour into graham cracker crust and chill at least one hour. 8 servings

Note: Please make sure you are using sweetened condensed milk, NOT evaporated milk, in this recipe. The mixture should already be thick when you pour it into the crust; if it is thin at this point, you used the wrong kind of milk.

And do NOT use low fat or nonfat cream cheese or sweetened condensed milk; the recipe will not work. And who wants a low fat cake any way? ;-)

2011-01-04T22:50:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to share such a sweet article with you. Tonight during a prayer meeting Bro. Bradford was surprised by the men of Gbfpc...

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x1014659024/Congregation-shows-solidarity-with-pastor-suffering-from-cancer

Please keep Bro. Bradford and his precious family in your prayers!!

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- B-day -

2011-01-04T00:07:00.001-08:00

Roxie turned 1 today. We celebrated at papa and g'mas house...

She's such a cutie. :-)

She has us wrapped around her finger...or paw I guess I should say. :-)
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- Hoodies -

2010-12-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

Here is an awesome Give-A-Way!!!!

Check out one of my favorite blogs....Evy's Tree.

They are giving away a gorgeous hoodie!

- B-Day -

2010-12-23T09:20:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday!!

Nate, you are such a blessing to me. You are incredible and I love you so much!!

Hope you have a great b-day today!!

2010-12-22T09:34:00.001-08:00

Question:

Have you ever been to Lake Tahoe?

If so, where did you stay and what is there to do?

I'd appreciate any info... ;-)

- Christmas, part 1 -

2010-12-20T10:58:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures from

our weekend in Bakersfield with my family..

The kids opening their presents....

Addi's first Christmas present...

New homemade aprons from grandma...

Hanging out Saturday.....

Addi loves her aunt Lindsy... ;-)

We were so glad to be able to stay Sunday morning

for Addison's baby dedication...

Addi and her new Bible...

By the time I got her she was ready to go...

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season!!!

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- Cupcakes -

2010-12-15T16:42:00.000-08:00

Happy National Cupcake Day!!

Just wanted to celebrate something

that I am truly crazy about.

I LOVE cupcakes!!! They are awesome on

clothes, dishes, and especially right in front

of me ready to be devoured. ;-)

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream
FROSTING:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon milk

Directions

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add lemon peel and vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick). Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. For frosting, cream butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add lemon juice, vanilla, lemon peel and milk; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes.

- Photos -

2010-12-15T13:15:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to share some of our Christmas photos

we took while at our grandparents this past weekend.

This would of been perfect except Roxie wasn't there.

We just might have to photo shop her in. j/k ;-)

Happy Holidays from my family to yours! ;-)

- Weekend -

2010-12-14T10:08:00.001-08:00

Our busy weekend started in Porterville Friday night.

The Kendrick's church hosted a youth service for some surrounding churches.

Nate was asked to preach...

He did phenomenal, as usual. :-)

After the service everyone went to a local gym to have pizza and hang out.

Here's some of our beautiful girls...

We watched the youth play volleyball and basketball...

On Saturday we went to my great-grandparents' 70th wedding anniversary.

It was a casual party with all of the family.

Here are grandpa and grandma Helm and 3 of their 4 girls...

I am amazed how well my grandpa gets around.

He will be 90 next year. He still makes killer meat in a barrel...

Miss Addi visited with me for a while...

Miss Chunk should be more like it, she's 6 months wearing 1 year clothing! :-)

That night Nate and I hosted our church's adult Christmas party.

We had a house full..

Check out my early Christmas present..Love it!!...

We had awesome food, games, ping pong, and a gift exchange.

It was such a great time!

Now, onto my poor baby...

Roxie has what's called a 'hot spot'.

I guess dogs get it from a sore that they won't quit scratching.

Poor thing has to wear this thing until Thursday.

She hates it, and won't play or hardly move with it on.

I feel so bad for her, but it still makes me laugh a little,

especially when she hits the side of walls and cabinets with it. :-)

Have a great week!

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- Youth Banquet -

2010-12-05T22:58:00.001-08:00

Last night we took our youth to the annual Winter Youth Banquet in Orosi. I hate to admit it, but I look forward to the food every year. :-) it is always soo good!

John and Jen...

Nate and I...

Some of our youth...Brian's face is priceless...:-)

Bro. Trevino speaking to the youth...

We had a lot of fun!
Thank you Orosi church for such a great banquet and killer food! :-)

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2010-11-30T12:00:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a terrific Thanksgiving week!
Nate and I were lucky enough to have the whole week off! (thank God for employers' children who decide to get married in Denver the weekend if Thanksgiving) :-)

We started our week at Matt and Chantelle's home. They were kind enough to have us again for the weekend. We had a great time! We were going to introduce them to the Orange County Swap Meet but since it was raining we decided to go somewhere indoors so we went to the LA Auto Show.

That was really fun!
We saw some amazing cars like the new Range Rover...

And of course the all time "best".
The Rolls Royce.

I was fond of this Austen Martin...

Ahh...LOVE it! :-)

Sunday we left for Anaheim until Tuesday.
We put our Disneyland passes to good use again!

I love Disneyland at Christmas time, it's so beautiful, but cold! Boy was it cold, and I think it was national "take your baby stroller to Disneyland" day.

We had a nice time and even enjoyed a romantic dinner at Maggianos one night. So much fun, wish we could go back again this week.

Now onto Thanksgiving...

We came back Tuesday and right into our church's pie fundraiser. I ended up at my in laws house till wee in the morning making sure the pumpkin pies didn't burn.
Once again our fundraiser was a hit!!

Thanksgiving day was celebrated at my in laws. We ate, napped, ate and had such a terrific day!!
I Thank God for my incredible family and all of His many blessings!!

Now I am enjoying a nice fire and trying to get over the flu. I haven't been sick once this year and now it comes full force during the holidays. :-(

So glad I am back home with my Roxie. :-)

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- Celebrate! -

2010-11-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to one of the greatest people in the world...

Kim, I hope you have a terrific day!

Thanks for being such an incredible friend to me.

And for your every day chats. ;-)

-WCC-

2010-11-13T00:59:00.001-08:00

West Coast Conference was so awesome! It came and went too fast!

Elder Morton's message was fantastic tonight. Every service was great, I'm so thankful for this awesome conference and especially that it's right here in our backyard.

Addi looked sooo adorable, I'm glad I got to spend some time with her. :-)

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- Recipe of the Week -

2010-11-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Whipperberry

3 1/2 c. pumpkin puree or 1 (29 oz) can pumpkin

2 t vanilla extract

3/4 c. apple cider or juice

1 c. packed brown sugar

2-3 cinnamon sticks

1-2 t pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

Combine pureed pumpkin, vanilla, apple juice, spices, cinnamon sticks, and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well.

Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until thickened.

Stir frequently. Adjust spices to you taste.

- Upgrading our Decor -

2010-11-08T12:56:00.001-08:00

We are slowly upgrading our rooms with new furniture

and other great deals we have found.

Here is our newest "great deal".

Trying to keep Roxie off of it has been a chore.

She thinks it's her new "spot". ;-)

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- Give a Ways -

2010-11-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

I just ran across this incredible

blog called Fabulous Fun Finds.

Check it out, they do really great

give a ways daily!

- Happy Fall -

2010-11-01T18:20:00.001-07:00

Fall feels like it is officially here to me, I guess it's because November is finally here. I am SO glad too!!

Nate and I had a terrific weekend. We left Thursday evening after work and headed to Castaic (Valencia). We spent the night at Matt and Chantelle Whites' home.

Once there we became quick friends with their adorable babies...

We stayed up way too late that night but it was totally worth it. We woke up early Friday morning and travelled to one of my favorite places...Disneyland!

Matt and Chantelle persuaded us into getting Disney passes so we could go with them often, and boy are we glad that we did!! We had a terrific time with them!

Waiting for the amazing water show...

Saturday we had to head back home so we stopped for a quick bite with my family

Addison is such a chunk, it was quite comical when Nate and I couldn't even get her shoe on and she just kept smiling...

We had to rush when we got home to make it in time to Mike & Shari Truck's wedding, it was really sweet and beautiful..

Sunday night we had our annual Harvest Festival

Nate and I were over the cake walk this year. As you can see we were there for quite a while. :-)

What a busy but awesome weekend!

I am so thankful for our friends, family, our church, cake walks and definitely Disneyland. :-)

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-Recipe of the Week-

2010-10-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

This was on the menu last night for dinner.

It was such an easy recipe and so

tasty! Enjoy ;-)

Cheesy Potato Soup in Bread Bowls

Courtesy of WhipperBerry

6 large potatoes, peeled & diced

3 stalks celery, diced

2 large carrots, diced

(can also add zucchini, broccoli, etc.)

6 chicken bullion cubes or 6 tsp. granules

White Sauce:

¾ c. butter

¾ c. flour

1 qt milk

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Dice your potatoes, celery and carrots into small pieces. This makes for easier mashing later and quicker cooking. Put all veggies into a large pot and just cover with water. Add the chicken bullion and bring to a boil until veggies are tender. Remove from heat but DO NOT DRAIN!! Mash with a potato masher. Meanwhile, in another pot you’ll be making a white sauce. In the second pot, melt butter. Remove from heat and whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in milk. I like to use my stash of powdered milk in recipes like this, but you can use regular milk from a jug as well. Return this second pot to heat and stir in cheese until melted. Your sauce will gradually thicken. When you’ve got a nice thick cream sauce, combine the two pots, stirring the mashed veggie mix into the cream sauce. If your soup seems too thick, feel free to stir in some more milk.

Cut off bread bowl tops and hollow out bowl. Use these yummy bits for dunking in your soup if you like. Ladle in hot soup and enjoy, scooping out bites of bread with your soup. Talk about a warm dinner! Yum!