the life of DSCD

Firefighterforhalloween

2009-11-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

Don't you love when you write an entire post and when you go to hit publish, it goes blank?? GRRRR

For months Carson has insisted that he be a firefighter. When you ask him what he wanted to be his reponse was "firefighterforhalloween" all one word. I didn't realize that he seriously thinks this is all one word until the other day when he was talking he said it as all one word. it's the cutest thing in the world! when you ask him today what he was for halloween he says "firefighterforhalloween" love it!

My mom came over early to give Carson some halloween presents. My dad had to work...bummer! Carson was very disappointed papa wasn't there :( My mom was wearing the cutest headband that actually looked like part of her hair. This is what Carson would look like if he was a girl! :)

Then we met Nikki, Sam and Bella...Bella was a hot dog and she was not loving it! she sure was cute though!

Carson walked the entire hour and a half to all the houses to trick or treat. He would walk right up and stick out his little arm with the pumpkin hanging on it and wait for his candy. No shyness in that boy! I've mentioned before that he could live outside if i let him...he was so happy to be outside, walking and running around for that long. However, FINALLY after almost two hours, he wanted my mom to hold him. Luckily, we were at the end of our route. I'm pretty sure that he got two full pumpkins full of candy because he was the cutest firefighter on the block! He was so adament this year abuot what he wanted to be...i can't wait to see what he is going to be next year!

Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

2009-10-27T17:02:00.001-07:00

I've been looking for good and healthy (and tasty!)breakfasts for carson and i for a while as i've been in a rut latley with fruit oatmeal, eggs, toast, cereal... . Found this one on Iowa Girl Eats. Can anyone tell me how to link a website here?

Anyway...i love pumpkin anything and i thought this may be bland but with all the little additions of the spices, it was really good and good for you. Carson gave it the ok too :) This is for two servings so you can double and make more. If you make the night ahead, just put it inthe fridge til ready and then pop in the microwave for 45 seconds or so..

1/2 cup oats
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons brown sugar
splash of vanilla extract
dashes of pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg & cinnamon
Topping mix:
~2 Tablespoons sliced almonds
~1 teaspoon brown sugar
~1/2 teaspoon butter

Bake for 10 minutes at 375, remove from oven and top with almond mixture. Bake for 10 more minutes and you are all set :) enjoy!

Pic of the day

2009-10-24T08:49:00.001-07:00

We have a big weekend this weekend. We're going on a little getaway...more next week. This pic is of Carson out at my co-workers house last weekend. I love it...he was so happy to be on their farm.

Easy Halloween Decorations

2009-10-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

This was so easy and i thought turned out really cute! I made this last year and all i did was go to Michael's with 50% off coupon in hand and bought one of the black wreaths. I then bought the Halloween garland with pumpkins on it, wrapped it around the wreath and then added the Eek ornament that had a cute little bat on it. I hung it on Carson's bedroom door this year :) easy and cheap!

Coffee Cake

2009-10-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my local newspaper. It calls for any fruit and i just so happened to have blackberries from my mom's garden that i had frozen so that's what i used. I will make this again and again! and side note...don't do what i did and read the instructions wrong.i added 1 tablespoon of almond flavoring and 1 1/2 tablespoon of salt in my first batch. can you imagine what that tasted like?? blah!!! that first cake went right in the trash :)

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese

1 tsp almond flavoring

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 3/4 cup fruit (blackerries, bluberries etc..)tossed in 1 tblsp flour and 2 tbslp sugar

Lemon glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp heavy cream

1 tbso softened butter

Preheat oven to 350. Combine butter, cream cheese, almond paste and sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add eggs, flour, baking powder, and salt then fold in your fruit. Bake in well greased bundt pan for 35-45 minutes.

While it cools, combine ingredients for glaze and stir until smooth. Drizzle over your cake.

Taco Soup

2009-10-10T11:47:00.000-07:00

(sorry for the horrible pic...soup doesn't photo well)

I got this recipe from my mom a while ago. It's full of protein and fiber and is really really good and can't get any easier than this. It is perfect for this chilly fall weather and so good!

1 lb hamburger

1 chopped onion

1 small can chili beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can great northern beans

1 can corn

1 can diced petite tomatoes

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 pkg hidden valley ranch.

Brown hamburger and onion, add rest of ingredients (i didn't drain any juice from the beans) and heat til through.

Carson Funnies

2009-10-05T07:44:00.001-07:00

couple things i want to document that has made us fall over in laughter. The little man is just to funny these days...

Carson knows four nursery rhymes by heart: Jack and Jill (his fave and happens to be what this little story is about) Baah Baah Black Sheep, Little Miss Muffet and Hey Diddle Diddle.

His little cousin Addi fell the other day and i was telling Carson about it.
This is our conversation:
Me: Carson...Addi got hurt and had to go to the hospital to see the doctor like you did. She fell down...
Carson: and broke her crown??
Hilarious!

There is a country song out by Zac Brown. Carson loves country music and we watch videos on tv sometimes and this happens to be a frequent one. The lyrics go "I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand...."
This morning i start singing it...(of course, i don't say "ass" and i stop there and i've never sang this song out loud before...ever)
Me: I got my toes in the water...
Carson: Ass in the sand...

I about fell over laughing.

Loving Fall

2009-09-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today officially felt like fall to me. I know it was officially fall, two weeks ago?? But with the warm weather we are having during the day, i couldn't get myself to get any of my fall decor out. However, today was in the high 60's here...so, now i can start to get excited about my favorite time of the year! i absolutely looooove fall...and thought i'd share some of the reasons why!

Pumpkin scented candles...

Hoodies...Starbucks pumpkin coffee/lattes...Tall boots!!

sitting outside on our deck with our firepit...

Taking Carson trick or treating for halloween!!
Baking chili and apple cobbler! and these are just to name a few!! i love fall!

Hamburger Stroganoff with cream of chicken

2009-09-23T15:45:00.000-07:00

Wonderful. Excellent...Carson and daddy loved it! So easy and fast to make...i'll definately make this again! I found this on recipeezaar...

1/2 pound hamburger meat

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup butter

2 tbls flour

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 (4ozcan)sliced mushrooms

1 (10oz) can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

sprinkling parsley flakes

2 cups egg noodles

1) Bring water to boil for noodles and begin browning beef and onion, drain

2) Add butter, flour, salt, pepper, blend til smooth an add soup. Add mushrooms and simmer 5-10 min. Cook noodles during this time, drain. Just before serving stir in sour cream and parsley flakes to meat mixture. Stir in pasta and serve.

3) I served with rolls and broccoli

Rambo!

2009-09-10T19:21:00.001-07:00

Never a dull moment! Sometimes weekend plans just don't turn out the way you hoped :) We were supposed to go ona 4 wheeling trip with friends last weekend but at the last minute, i found out that my parents could not watch Carson for us so we opted not to go. It wouldn't of worked out anyway because that same night, as i tell carson to give daddy a kiss goodnight and on our way to bed...i'm inthe kitchen andi hear a blood curdling scream! daniel comes running in thekitchen with carson in his arms and blood pouring, literally pouring out of his eye. it made me sick to my stomach...i was scared to look. I had a huge sigh of relief when i saw it was just a cut under his eye...but it was so close to his eye, i haved thanked the lord many times for it being under his eye. We got the bleeding to stop and waited about a half hour before we left for the hospital but i tell you...this little man is a trooper!!! He wanted to keep playing while i chased him around the living room wiping his face from the cut still bleeding! And once we got to the ER, he was such a big boy. They only had to glue it which was a huge relief. Cardinal Glennon is the best!!! Carson had many visitors through the weekend and got "get well" gifts too! haha spoiled much?? :)

I have to remind myself that these things will happen. I beat myself up about it because it could of been prevented...he walked into the living room to kiss daddy and tripped on....my yoga mat. ugh. and then hit his face on the juice cup he was carrying. double ugh. i was sick about it...but accidents happen and i've learned that you can't be to careful...even with a rolled up yoga mat.

Here is the damage...our little rambo :) the cutest is when you ask him to do "strong boy" with muscles showing and this hat on :) so cute.

Puppy Chow

2009-09-07T11:29:00.001-07:00

We went to a bbq over the weekend and i made this. An oldie but goodie. This stuff is addicting...can't keep your hands out of the bowl...addicting :)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup peanut butter

2 cups milk chocolate chips

1 (17.5) ounce rice cereal

1 pound (give or take?) powdered sugar

Melt peanut butter and milk chocolate chips. Pour over cereal and toss til well coated. Place cereal in a paper sack-add powdered sugar and shake til all coated. Tip...store in freezer. SO GOOD!

Feel Good!

2009-09-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

I read this today and it struck a cord with me. It's something i need to have in my pocket at all times so that when my attitude even slightly waivers, this is what i turn to. I think we all need this and should remember this. It's such a good inpirational message! Have a great weekend! Ours will be filled with friends, family....and most importantly...wedding dress shopping for nikki's wedding! YAY!

Blackberry Cobbler

2009-09-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

My mom gave me blackberries from her blackberry bush and i knew exactly what i wanted to do with them. Blackberry.Cobbler. yum!!

1 stick butter

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

2-3 cup of fruit

Heat over to 350. Melt butter in 9X13 pan. Mix together flour, milk, sugar, baking powder. Pour over the melted butter in pan. Place fruit over mixture and sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over top (i omitted this...i sprinkled justa little) Bake for 30-35 minutes

Fall is in the air

2009-09-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

I was at Target yesterday and these two boots caught my eye! They are actually really comfortable too. Target has some really cute shoes out right now! I love heels but my feet sure don't! We just don't get along...as much as i wish we did! But they have a paid called Vonnie pumps in Caramel and i absolutely love them. I have wide feet and these are so comfortable! They are all under $40 each as well! I can see these with skinny jeans, skirts and tight with a belt. I'm sad summer is coming to and end but Fall is my favorite season!! This Ann Taylor sweater looks like the most comfortable thing in the world!

Vacation!!

2009-08-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

Carson and i had a blast! He was a little scared of the ocean at first but he warmed up to it! When he was one...he had no problem what so ever with the ocean but now he's older, he is more aware and can be scared of things...they are fearless when they are that young. It was so much more fun this year because he was able to run around the pool and in the sand. i can't wait to go again next year. This is Carson and Sam, my sisters fiance. They were best buds by the end of the trip!! I love this pic! This is my dad, aka...Papa! Carson absolutely loves him!!!! My dad is the best!

This was by far...hands down...without a doubt his favorite thing to do! Play with the water hose! People would walk up from the beach and he would be the one to rinse off their sandy legs. He also loved squirting his cousin addi. It was hilarious!

Ready to hit the road! Til next year PCB!

This and That...

2009-08-05T20:51:00.000-07:00

My poor little blog...it's been so ignored lately! We have been so busy around here! Carson's birthday, my birthday, my 15 year reunion, our town homecoming and now Carson and i are getting ready to head out to Panama City Beach, FL for a week of beach time with our family! This is a little recap of what we've been up to...

A visit to the Arch!

Little man turned 2! We celebrated his day at Chuck E Cheese

Homemade chocolate cupcakes used with my favorite sheet cake recipe and buttercream frosting! so good!

This is one picture from my 15 year reunion. These are my best girlfriends! We have all been friends since we were born and i love them dearly! This is Jess, Amy, me and Sara.

These are a couple of Carson's buddies. This is Dane, Maya and Carson riding one of the cars at the town homecoming. So cute! Well...we're off tomorrow and i'll post more later! i have upcoming posts on Carson's big boy room...it's so close to being done! Also my cabinet redo...that's also so close to being done! for now...
I'm ready to get a tan!!!!

Birthday Party!!

2009-07-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

Carson is turning 2 next tuesday and i'm so excited! This party will be tractor themed b/c the boy is obsessed with tractors, motorcycles, airplanes, lawnmowers...he is 100% boy and i love it!! These are his invites...i did them on my computer and just printed them off. Simple and best of all...free!

Start your tractor and get it in gear

Carson’s 2nd Birthday

is finally here!!!

Join us to celebrate

Saturday, July 25th

4:00 PM

The Moll home
Regrets~Shelby~

We're still deciding on the menu but i want to keep it simple...hubs wants to grill but i'm thinking sandwiches and finger foods! i'm making my favorite chocolate sheet cake into cupcakes with green icing and tractor picks. Of course, i'll post pictures next week! He's going to have so much fun!

Another fantastic giveaway!

2009-07-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

ANOTHER one!!! I recently discovered this blog http://lolabboutique.blogspot.com/ and i love her style! She's got such great posts and i absolutely love all of her ideas. Her blog makes me smile :) She's giving away a box full of goodies! Who knows what will be in there but it's sure to be good!!

Bird watching...

2009-07-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

Another great giveaway at http://theinspiredroom.net/

they are so cute!! go ahead and enter but i'm praying i win!! :)

Giveaway!

2009-07-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

i just stumbled upon this blog and she has some wonderful tiles that have wonderful messages! Go check it out...it's a great giveaway!

http://kkskreations.blogspot.com/2009/07/4th-of-july-giveaway.html

Coconut Cream Pie

2009-06-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

Tell me how good this looks! I loooove coconut and i was looking for something cool for tonight's dessert. i must be craving sweets b/c it seem that's all i'm posting about these days! :)

I found this at allrecipes.com and the original recipe calls for vanilla pudding but i subsituted Coconut pudding instead and i'm so glad i did!! i was looking for something easy and this is it! it got rave reviews online too!

Coconut Cream Pie

1 9 inch pie shell, baked

2 3.5 oz coconut pudding mix

1 and 1/2 cup milk

1 and 1/2 cup flaked coconut

1 8 oz .container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. In a large bowl, combine the pudding mix and milk until pudding mixture thickens. Fold 1 cup of coconut and half of the non-dairy whipped topping into the pudding. Pour the combination into the prepared pie crust.

2. Spread the remainder of the non-dairy whipped topping on top of the pie and sprinkle with the remainder of the coconut. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

SEE...Even Dakota's dying to get a taste!!! :)

My Favorite Cake in the world!!!

2009-06-22T13:33:00.001-07:00

I made Daniel a cake for Father's Day. We love this cake around here! It's so moist and melts in your mouth...not to mention the frosting is delicious! Definately definately definately make this! i got this here http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_chocol/ suprised? :)

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake

Combine in a mixing bowl:2 cups flour2 cups sugar1/4 teaspoon salt
In a saucepan, melt: 2 sticks butterAdd 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa. Stir together. Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk.Add:2 beaten eggs1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon vanillaStir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely.Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add:6 tablespoons milk1 teaspoon vanilla1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugarStir together.Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares or because it's so good...just eat straight from the pan! :) Seriously, this is my favorite cake ever and i'm not sure anything can top this! well..i like carrot cake and german chocolate too :)

Yard Sale Finds!

2009-06-20T11:41:00.001-07:00

Whew...we hit the jackpot today!! Today was our city wide yardsale in Troy...the Chamber of Commerce even had a map with all addresses and what everyone was selling! About 130 yardsales!! i got up early this morning to get a head start on everyone and we did good! i'll be back with our finds later!

Fantastic Giveaway!

2009-06-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

Melaine over at My Sweet Savannah...http://mysweetsavannah.blogspot.com/ is doing a wonderful giveaway!! she's so very talented and i love all her stuff! just take a look... a pillow case made with vintage postcards!!

and a wonderful candle and one her pots with a black crown on front! i love it!!

My love

2009-06-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

This day 3 years ago we stood on the beautiful mountains in Breckenridge, Colorado. Besides the birth of our son, this was my happiest and most memorable day! We were literally on top of the world...it had snowed *in june* and was rather cold. It continued to drizzle when the ceremony first started but as our minister started to talk about our love, the clouds parted and the sun came through. It was amazing!

We have been through a lot since we have been married and we have made it through together! Honey-i love you from the depths of my soul!

Summer Squash Casserole

2009-06-08T19:55:00.001-07:00

This is a good summer recipe. I would definately make it as a side dish and not a main but that's my personal opinion. :)

2-3 medium summer squash
2-3 small/medium zucchini
11/2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheddar plus 1 cup for top of casserole
1 heaping cup of sour cream
2-3 cups croutons

Steam squash and zucchini (in microwave or boil) for a few minutes until just tender. Drain. Mix soup, sour cream, and cheddar cheese. in a 2.5 qt. casserole dish (i used 9X13 and it worked fine!)Starting with croutons layer: Croutons,squash, soup mix,croutons,squash,soup mix
top with shredded cheddar. bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Dreamy Kitchen

2009-06-02T18:47:00.000-07:00

This is my dream kitchen! Go to the website to see her whole house on Rate my space!

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Kitchens/The-look-for-a-lot-lessbefore-/detail.esi?oid=6494122

i loooove the brown shelving she put on top of the stove then matched the brown on the island but made the cabinets an off white.

this sink is huge! so awesome!

love it!

Croup

2009-06-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

So, Carson woke up hysterical last night at 1 AM. He was gasping for air and had this cough that sounded like a seal. It was awful. He wouldn't stop crying. Once he did, he threw up and then was gasping for air. I had no idea what the hell was going on. I had heard of a "croupy cough" but i didn't know that it meant they couldn't breathe! After five minutes and not knowing what to do, i called 911 asking for advice and they told me to take him straight to the ER. I don't remember one minute of that car ride except for daniel driving like a maniac and carson saying once "Woah, dada" when he hit a big bump in the road. When we got there, they were waiting for us and gave him oxygen and steroids and it opened his throat back up and he was fine. Just like that. Fine.
The scariest thing i have ever gone through. I really thought he was going to stop breathing. The scariest part was that he had absolutely NO symptoms. NONE! No fever, cough..nothing! Last night he had dinner, played outside...a normal night. That is why i was so panicked because there was nothing wrong! I'm still confused what happened but it's a upper respiratory virus that makes his throat and bronchial passages swollen! Today he has barely coughed but gets short of breath. I'm scared for tonight but the docs prepared me with what to do. Close the door in the bathroom, turn the shower on full hot water and sit in steam for half an hour then immediately after the steam, put his head in the freezer. Simple advice for something so darn scary! Please pray tonight he sleeps ok and this will pass! My poor baby!

Giveaway at the Pleated Poppy

2009-05-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

It's lindsey's birthday and she's doing a great giveaway of one of her cute little pouches!! She's so creative...you have to check out her blog!

Isn't this the cutest?? below is her website!

http://lindseycheney.blogspot.com/2009/05/31.html

More yoga!!

2009-05-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

My friend Jill bought this dvd and since she's a beginner, we traded and she used my beginner one and i tried this more advanced one out...wow...was i feeling it!! so sore! i highly recommend it...definately different than my other two which are more calm and works more on meditation, breathing, stretching. this one is more Cardio and i love it!!!! give it a shot! Also, i have a subscription to Shape Magazine and the March issue has a great article with Jaime Pressly and her yoga workouts! it's a fun little workout if you are pressed on time. i sure hope the yoga does magic and makes my body look like hers! eh, who am i kidding?! :)

Classroom Rules

2009-05-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

I wanted to do this project for our "family rules" but i thought i should wait til Carson is older and actually "gets" the rules we set...but i was dying to do it! In comes Nikki's graduation gift...i racked my brain for something creative to do for her when this project popped in my head. Classroom Rules! I got this idea from here: http://lindseycheney.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-view.html her blog is so creative...just love her and her guest blogger Nicole! Anyway, i wanted rules that would define character and not your typical "no running, hitting etc.." i wanted rules that i would want my own son to follow. So, these are the ones i came up with! I loved how it turned out and nikki loved it too!

First...i went to Hobby lobby when they were having a great sale on scrapbook paper. I picked out all my favorite sheets...it was so fun!

then went to Michael's with my 40% off coupon and got a large canvas. I painted the edges a pretty green color because you will be able to see the sides of the canvas once you are done with putting the rules on. then we cut into that beautiful paper! My wonderful husband helped me a ton with this! We cut the paper into strips and mod podged it onto the canvas. I varied the width of each paper to give it a different look.then once we were done with putting all the paper on, i took a black paint pen and wrote all my different rules on each strip of paper. I downloaded free fonts and wrote out all of my rules by hand. it was tricky and took the most time but it was so worth it! I can't wait to do this for our home too!

Fettuccine and Chicken Asiago

2009-05-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

This is another dish i made for nikki's graduation party and it was a hit! There is a very well known area in St. Louis called "The Hill" and it has all the best Italian restaurants right in one location! There is a contest called "The pasta bowl" given by Lorusso's restaurant and this recipe was the winner in 2005. it is so very good!!

1 lb of grilled chicken breast (sliced bite size)

1 lb fresh asparagus cut in half inch pieces

8 oz pancetta (italian bacon) diced

1/2 pound of fresh mushrooms sliced

2 oz extra virgin olive oil

1/3 stick of butter

8 cloves of sliced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb fettuccine cooked al dente

freshly grated asiago cheese

Over medium heat lightly brown the pancetta in a saucepan with 1 tbsp of olive oil, drain half the rendered fat.

Add the remaining oil, asparaus and garlic and saute for 4 minutes until the garlic is lightly browned.

Add the mushroom to soften and add the salt and pepper. Add the butter and hot pasta and toss.

Top with plenty of asiago cheese and serve immediately!

When cooking pasta, do not rinse, try to cook it so it is ready when sauce is finished. if the dish needs more moisture, add a spoon or two of the pasta cooking water.

Loving Blue and Orange

2009-05-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

We have a guest bedroom/office that i want to turn into a sort of playroom that can also be an adult room :) I usually go the neutral route in our room...tans/creams/green...but for the playroom i want it to be fun and more bold!

or this... (Centsational Girl)

i'm gravitating toward blues and oranges. So, now i know what i'm going to do with this cabinet: which has been sitting in my dining room for months b/ci don't know what to do with it! this baby is going to get a transformation!
hey carson!! i didn't even know you got in the picture til now! haha

Bacon Appetizers

2009-05-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Pioneer Woman's website(this is her picture too). Haven't visited her? Do so...she is awesome! and so are these little bacon things!

Club Crackers
Thin sliced bacon
Grated parmesan cheese

lay crackers (as many as you want) face up on a cookie sheet. Scoop about 1 tsp of grated parmesan cheese onto each cracker. Cut your package of bacon in half and carefully so the cheese doesn't fall off, wrap each cheese covered cracker in one half piece of bacon, completely covering the cracker. It should fit snugly around the cracker.
Place the bacon wrapped crackers onto a baking sheet that has a rack on it. Place in a 250 degree oven for about 2 hrs.
so good...

A graduation party!

2009-05-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

Nikki got her master's in education from McKendree last week. Even though she didn't walk, we wanted to throw her a good party...and a good party it was! The food was incredible...thanks to all who pitched in!! i will post the recipes to some of these tomorrow but here's a peak....oh! and i will share my special gift that daniel and imade for nikki's classroom! she loved it!

love her!

carson enjoyed straddling and dancing on this pole. haha
my cute grandparents!
here is the spread...see those bacon things to the left? those were some apps i made from a recipe on PW website. yum.

and this was a hit! i mad this...chicken and linguini pasta! so good!

My momma's day!

2009-05-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

What a nice day! :) My second mommy's day...and look what my little one made me....

He filled it with dirt and put the stickers on by himself! He is the reason i can celebrate this day and my heart could just burst with how much i love him!

Yard sale find II

2009-05-05T19:10:00.001-07:00

This is the riding car i was talking about....although, this is what he would rather do than ride in it.

I have a special project coming up! i've been working on it since sunday...i'm so excited! it's a great craft project! stay tuned!

Yard Sales-they are the way to go!!

2009-04-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

So, i'm all about a deal...but i've become a new lover of thrift stores and yard sales! The last couple of months i haven't even thought of buying from brand name stores. I find the hunt way to exciting at thrift stores to go back to buying from the chain stores! i've found some amazing things for my home at thrift stores, antique stores and yes...goodwill! Don't get me wrong..i love homegoods, target, pier 1 and all those stores still but i just find it so exciting to find a lamp or shelf or something of that nature ina thrift store for a much lower price!

so...for yard sales...i've been looking for a month for some outdoor toys for Carson and i did not want to spend a ton on them seeing how fast he outgrows things. Now that the weather is nicer, all he wants to do it be outside! or as he says it..."Siiiiiiiide" as he's pointing and leaning on the door. :) I went yardsaling last saturday morning and knew what i was looking for...and i hit a jackpot! I found a car that has a swing open door, fake radio, steering wheel and he can push around with his feet for $3!!!!!!!! Not only that...look at this....you won't believe what i paid! The same family was selling this....

$5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, $5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a two seater motorized jeep...great condition and all it needs is a new battery! granted, a battery will cost me about $30 but it's soooo worth it for $5!!!!!!! It has a stick shift, radio, horn and a pedal for his feet. i can't wait til he can drive it. for now, his legs aren't long enough to reach the pedal but he just loves sitting in it. These pictures of him and the girls are priceless. His hair is a little out of control at times but honest, the wind was crazy that day...hence the fro :)

boy...i need to post some recipes! we haven't done much fun cooking lately (your typical spaghetti, hamburgers, salads etc...) we've out "Siiiiide" :) and on the grill! but nikki's graduation party is coming up so ill post everything we make!

Our Easter Weekend

2009-04-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend! busy and hectic but great!! We loved doing all these fun things with Carson! We spent the day at Eckert's and it was great weather for it, thank goodness! We couldn't of asked for a better day considering it was probably the nicest day in weeks! Here are some pics of his day! He got to....
Pose with a bunny and go on an easter egg hunt...

get his face painted...
hang with the girls...
and his favorite part of the day was riding a "fractor!"

Easter Bunny!

2009-04-13T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a great easter!!

Mr. Smarty pants

2009-04-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

I bought these first word flashcards at Michael's for $1 and it was the best buck i've ever spent.

who knows 27 out of 36 of these cards?????

This big boy!!!!!!

He amazes me more and more every day!

Broccolli Salad

2009-04-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

One of our favorites! This brocolli salad is amazing! We had a great weekend with pulled pork in a crockpot and brocolli salad. yum!

1 head brocolli (cut into bite size pieces)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup raisins

1 pound of bacon fried and crumbled (we used turkey bacon and it was just as good!)

Dressing ingredients:

1 cup mayo

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbls vinegar

Make dressing and put into fridge til 1 hour before serving

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl

Add dressing to dry ingredients 1 hour before serving. Place in fridge til ready to serve. (we've made it and served it with minutes of making so it's fine if you don't have the time to refrigerate 1 hr)

Poppy Seed Chicken

2009-03-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

This was really good! I probably could of even done without the poppy seeds but it's the name of the chicken so can you do without? :)

Poppy Seed Chicken

2 or 3 chicken breast, boiled and cut into small pieces

1 16 oz sour cream

2 cans cream of chicken

2 tbls of poppyseeds (i just shaked on)

Ritz crackers

1 stick of butter

Mix the first 4 ingredients andput in a baking dish. Cover with crushed up ritz crackers. Melt a stick of butter and pour on top. Bake for 20-39 minutes on 350.

House stalking :)

2009-03-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

I found this house while randomly driving through a neighborhood in Edwardsville and it was so cute that i had to go back and take pictures of it. Ever done that? haha The people driving past me had to think i was bonkers!! I know...the house is nothing special but it's simple and so cute. I'm sure it was an old house that the people totally renovated. I've been looking for a front door with windows and haven't really found exactly what i wanted but this is the best one i've found. don't you just love the house numbers?? I think this house is adorable...kind of cottage like. I'm in the process of looking for a brown wicker chair for our front porch. I have the pillow for the chair but no chair! i have pots for plants but no plants yet! i need to get on it! i'm really excited about this weather!

Spring is in the Air!

2009-03-19T08:12:00.000-07:00

Ahh...i love this time of year! These are pictures i took one day of Carson, Dakota and i playing around the yard. It's times like these that i'm so thankful for the little piece of land that we own. Our subdivision has a community pond and we love taking Dakota to swim there. We also have a creek in the very back of our property so it's another one of his favorite places to have a swim!

takes after his daddy...he LOVES this 4-wheeler!
My little man walked this hill all by himself :)

Yoga

2009-03-18T11:52:00.001-07:00

My whole life i've been about running, lifting and working up a sweat to get a good workout but i decided to give Yoga a try since i've heard the wonderful things it can do for your mind and your body. I have absolutely become addicted to it. I've recently gotten into Kundalini Yoga. For Christmas this year, I asked my sister nikki to get me a couple different Yoga videos that i could do at home since i don't have time to go to the gym anymore. She definately came through for me! She researched and found these Yoga dvd's for me and i absolutely love them! This type of yoga involves meditation and breathing and it's also a great workout. These are the two beginner dvd's and i highly recommend them because the instruction is easy to follow if you are a beginner. I've been doing these for a while so i'm already looking into advancing to the next ones so i can rotate the beginner and advance videos. If you are into Yoga at all or looking for a different type of exercise, definately try this!

Banana Pudding

2009-03-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

I made this pudding last night. Due to the fantastic weather we had at 80 degrees, i wanted something cool and carson LOVES bananas. I don't believe i've ever had banana pudding with whipped topping but it was very good! This is daniel's favorite all time dessert. Sorry...no pic because it was gone in a flash!

1 large box vanilla pudding
2 cups cold milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 small tub of whipped topping
Nilla Wafers
2 large bananas

Mix pudding, milk and vanilla-use mixer. Pour in large bowl and fold in 1/2 of the whipped topping. Layer wafers and bananas in bottom of container or bowl and pour half of pudding over top. Layer wafer and bananas agan and pour pudding over top. Top with whipped topping.

Wild Man!

2009-03-05T11:07:00.001-08:00

My little man got his hair cut...and i mean cut. I don't know if it's the cut but it's given him a little pep in his step :) He thought he was big stuff when we (i mean daniel...i was to chicken to cut it) were done cutting it. I love his hair long...the boy has had a ton of hair since the day he was born. The times he has gotten it cut, i've only let them trim it. Daniel stepped in and said he wanted to cut it because it was getting "out of control" ha! Whenever we go out, the things people comment on most is his hair and his adorable cheeks. Now his hair is gone...but it's hair and his grows fast so i know it will grow back soon. It's just if daniel lets me let it get "out of control" again :)

Here is my little man with all that hair:

just kidding!!! That is a wig he just HAD to put on! haha

Here is a pic of him the morning we cut it...i love that it's crazy! :)

a side view...i still love it!

here is his new "do".

i'm definately getting used to it and i think that he likes it too. He really does strut around the house like he's hot stuff. haha We'll see...maybe it's because he looks more like a little boy now and i'm not ready for that! i want him to be my baby forever!

Bon Voyage, Adios

2009-02-26T11:15:00.000-08:00

It's Lent time! I'll see you at Easter my unhealthy friends! I've officially decided to give up two bad habits i have...Soda and Peanut M&M's! Diet Pepsi is my favorite but i'm going to go without all soda! yikes! And whenever i crave chocolate, those little things in the yellow bag is the first thing i go to! But it's all worth it! See you soon!

Cake Balls

2009-02-23T19:02:00.000-08:00

I've had these before but it's been a while. This weekend was a relaxing weekend for me and i wanted to make something simple, mouth-watering and something Daniel has never had. These are so unbelievably good! You can't stop eating at one!! It's a hard chocolate coating on the outside and a soft moist cake on the inside. I'm thinking of all the ways to vary this recipe...chocolate almond bark outside with white cake and white icing, chocolate with chocolate cake and chocolate icing, carrot cake with cream cheese icing! but i went with Red Velvet cake and cream cheese and i'm so glad i did!

So simple...bake your cake mix according to directions. When the cake is done and still warm, crumble it up in a large bowl with a can of frosting. WARNING: You will be tempted to grab a fork, sit down and eat the whole bowl just like this!! :) (again, i used red velvet cake and whipped cream cheese frosting but you can mix it up however!)

Now...important....refrigerate cake and icing for quite a while before you start making the balls. (i refrigerated for 1.5 hours and that didn't do it for me...when i started to form the balls, they fell apart so i had to stick them back in for another hour or so) Melt almond bark (vanilla or chocolate-depends on cake choice) and dip the balls in the bark. I used a fork to do this.

SO GOOD!!!!!

Love those stripes!

2009-02-22T12:16:00.000-08:00

There are MANY projects i want to do around our house but one of our easier ones is to redo our master bath. It's a boring white right now and i just hate it! My sister's fiance knows how to lay tile so i'm going to beg him to help me with our floor!! sam, pretty please?! :) These are some wall colors/bathroom looks i'm choosing between...so, i need to figure out how to make my bathroom look like one of these ON A BUDGET!

this may be my favorite...found this online on Rate My space. i love the stripes! daniel actually agreed to do the stripes for me!! yay!

this is my other fave! love the wall color against the white cabinetry!

so spa like. love it.
and for kicks...isn't this the cutest kids bathroom ever?!

Stacy's 30 Bday

2009-02-12T18:23:00.001-08:00

My cousin Stacy's 30th bday was last week. Her husband Doug set up a surprise dinner at Dave and Buster's with a group of our friends and all of our kids. The kids had a blast! Carson was pooped when we got home! I didn't get any pics of the bday girl but i did get some of carson and stacy's two little ones...Makenna and Addison. These girls are adorable!

Carson in a big chair :)

Not sure if you can read but it says "Players only in the Playing Area" thought it was kind of funny to get Carson standing there
Addi and carson hugging. it was so cute!! i asked them to hug and neither hesitated!

Here is Makenna...this girl is a spitting image of her mom! Carson and Makenna hanging out onthe big chairs

Big Boy Room

2009-02-10T05:49:00.000-08:00

I love Target! I got a couple things at their home event...50% off. I got a adorable little blue vase for my bedside table as well as the cutest apron ever! I paid a total of $8 for both of those. BUT...my best purchase was by far the Bear set for carson's big boy room! I have bee eyeing this set since he was born because i thought it was so adorable and now that he's older it works perfectlybecause he loves bears! It NEVER goes on sale and while i was there over the weekend, it was! I got the quilt for $20 (regularly $85) and after looking at three different targets, i found the bear paw sheet set for $6 (regularly $26)! I loooove a "deal"! Anyway, i have big plans for his room and i am so excited! It won't be for a little while because we're renovating his room so for now i'll just showyou the adorable quilt and sheets!

this is the quilt and sheets... i can't get it to turn?? this is a close up...i just love it!!

Prayers

2009-02-08T06:39:00.000-08:00

Our family needs all the prayers we can get right now. My uncle Merle, my mom's brother, lives in Nebraska with his wife, Marcy and five grown kids and small grandchildren. One of my cousins had twins at a young age and Merle and Marcy have pretty much raised those two boys. They are 5 now and they need Merle in their lives. Merle was diagnosed with brain cancer close to a year ago. He has had two surgeries and is now going through cemo. We just recently found out that he is at a stage 4 (it can only get to stage 5) and the doctor's say they can not do another surgery on his brain. We pray that the cemo will do it's job but for now all we can do is pray to god for him and his family.

Peanut Butter Filled Cupcakes

2009-02-03T19:11:00.000-08:00

Holy Heaven! These were amazing! I made these for Superbowl and they were well received!! Again...found these on Brooke's blog. The girl has some great recipes!! like her, i cheated and just got a devil's food cake mix and before baking, pushed a reese's peanut butter cup in the middle of each and let them bake. Then i topped it with the Fluffy peanut butter frosting from All Recipes.com. I topped each cupcake with a couple bits of leftover peanut butter cups. I will DEFINATELY make these again...actually, i'm going to make something similar for V-day but with a different frosting. You should definately check these out! And little Carson got his own devil's food cupcake...minus the peanut butter. I felt bad making cupcakes he couldn't have one of :)

Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

Super Bowl!

2009-02-03T18:50:00.000-08:00

How awesome was that game?! im an avid sports fan but for some reason...just can't get that into football?? However, the end of this game had me on the edge of my seat! whew! We had friends over for the night and it was great to catch up! Not to mention, the food was awesome! Sam made a great recipe of Italian Beef...i could of eaten it all night! Nikki made a wonderful fruit pizza which was so delicious that i was suprised i had never tasted it before! Jill made a great pumpkin cheesecake froma recipe from the Cheesecake Factory and Todd even pitched in and made the cucumber and feta salad! Daniel and i made appetizers and i made the Peanut butter cupcakes i've been dying to make. I'll post that recipe next! They were so amazing!

Part of our night consisted of making jewelry! Jill tought herself how to make her own and i was really excited to have her over to teach me how. It was fun! i made some pendants, bracelets and a necklace. You should see all her jewelry stuff...it would blow you away. Take a look at this....our entire dining room table was full!!

It was a lot of fun and now i'm going to start making my own...of course, with help from Jill! :) She's really good! She makes jewelry for special occasions too! So, if anyone needs anything, let me know and i'll get you in contact with her!

Speaking of making things...Daniel had a great idea for coasters!! I have been on the lookout for some cool looking coasters but haven't found any worth spending money on. So, he volunteered to make me some! He cut down a small tree that we had in our yard and made them for me! He just cut them and carved them and then put brown felt on the bottoms with super glue. They work like a charm, our heavy bottom glasses fit perfectly on them and they are "us"! I love them! He has some leftover and he is going to glaze those to give them a shiny look. I'll post those when he does.

Snow day!!

2009-01-30T19:19:00.001-08:00

We had a pretty big snow storm this week and it kept me home from work one day. This was Carson's first encounter with snow and he was in love! His mouth hung open the whole time, just in awe of all the white stuff on the ground. We pulled him around on the sled for a while until his little nose felt like an icicle! it was so fun!!

All bundled up and ready to go!

This was the look he had most of the time! ha :)

Sledding!

After sledding, he didn't want to go inside! Boy, he was mad! Doesn't he look like Randy from The Christmas Story?! HA!

Oven Fried Honey Chicken Nuggets

2009-01-30T19:05:00.000-08:00

So...daniel repeatedly tells me as he's shoving his face with these nuggets that this is his "new favorite meal" :) And Carson normally doesn't care for chicken nuggets (consistency thing, i think??) so i wanted to try these out for him and he agreed with his daddy. he dipped them in ranch and ate two whole nuggets!! i was very excited...and i have to say i agree! these were really good. the perfect amount of honey flavor...loved it! I found this on Lauren's blog

Oven Fried Honey Chicken Nuggets

1/4 cup honey

2tablespoons balsamic or red ine vinegar

11/2 cup dried bread crumbs

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or cooking spray)

6 (4-6 oune) fresh boneless, skinless chicken breast, halves

Preheat over to 375. In shallow bowl, whisk together honey and vinegar. Pour bread crumbs into separated bowl. Set bowls aside. Spread oil over foil lined baking pan large enough to hold chicken pieces in one layer. Roll chicken pieces in honey mixture, then in bread crumbs, place in pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly.

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

2009-01-28T04:59:00.001-08:00

We had a snow storm here which kept me home from work...so, it was the perfect weather to put some Chicken and dumplings in the crockpot. This recipe is so good...i found it on allrecipes.com The original recipe is slightly different but i've shown my modifcations below and it is really really good. The carrots and celery are optional but if you have them, i highly suggest to add them! Personally, i think it makes he dish! I knew it was good when my husband told me last night that it compared to his grandma's recipe and she makes all her stuff homemade!

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons of butter
2 (10.75 oz) cans of condensed cream of chicken
1 can chicken broth
onion powde(optional)
1 package refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces
salt and pepper, spices
cut up chunks of carrots and celery

Place the chicken, butter, soup and seasonings in a slow cooker, and fill with chicken broth to cover.
Cover and cook for 5 to 6 hours on high. (or if you are cooking all day, set it on low and then when add biscuits, turn it on high) About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook unil the dough is no longer raw in the center.
side note: once done, if you feel it is to thick, just add water til you get a soupy consistency

Spo Bob!

2009-01-26T09:38:00.000-08:00

Carson loves spongebob or as he says it...Spo Bob. :) So, he's in the kitchen with me playing with the pots and pans and i'm doing some dishes. The tv is playing in the living room. Personally, i can't hear the tv but apparently carson can because all of a sudden he stops playing and goes "oh, man" and runs in the living room, looks at the tv and starts shaking his butt and humming to the theme song of spongebob! ha! Then after the song is over, he comes back in the kitchen and continues playing with the pots and pans. haha He never watches the cartoon, he just likes the song! It's hilarious to see!

Chocolate Chip and Cheesecake Heaven!

2009-01-24T19:07:00.001-08:00

These bars are delicious! I love chocolate and i love cream cheese so i knew this would be a winner! i saw them on brooke's blog and had to make them! The original recipe did call for 1/2 cup of coconut, if desired but i omited. I may try that next time. Nik...these are for you, girl! I know they are going to be right up your ally! Considering you text me just to tell me that i hadn't posted the recipe yet...i know you are dying to make these!! ha! :)

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth.

In ungreased 8 or 9 inch square pan, break up half of cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form the crust. Spread cream cheese mixture over dough. Crumble and sprinkle remaining half of dough over cream cheese mixture. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool 30 minutes and then put in refrigerator for at least two hours or until chilled. For bars, cut into four rows by four rows. Store in fridge.

Our new Kitchen Addition

2009-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

I am so excited! I am sure most mom's can agree with me that we spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Originally we wanted a flat screen in the kitchen but we have cathedral ceilings and was told that it would be almost impossible to get cable hooked up in there. I wasn't to sad because having a radio was just as good! I have been waiting for this baby for over a month now! Best Buy has been sold out since Christmas and just got some in at our local store. I got the last one! This is what my christmas gift cards went towards and i couldn't be happier with it! Now i can play music and cd's when i cook, bake, clean the kitchen or whatever. Carson loves hearing his special cd's when he's eating breakfast too! It was a fun purchase and looks really good in our kitchen too!

30 (31) Things about me

2009-01-23T14:08:00.000-08:00

My friend Jill sent me this email teling me to list 30 things about mysef. I had 31 but i could of probably kept going...i thought it would be neat to include in my blog for those that don't know me well!

1. My name is Shelby
2. If i was to be a boy, my parents would of named me Travis
3. I have a fear of spiders and any kind of flying bugs. Especially horseflies. Eek!
4. daniel is 27 and i am 32
5. I got married in Breckenridge, CO
6. I have lost 50 pounds since i had Carson!!
7. I have three more to go to my wedding weight!
8. I went to college at the University of Northern Iowa
9. I chose that school because i got a full ride to play Division I Softball
10. I am a pitcher
11. One of my biggest accomplishments was running a half marathon-13.2 miles
12. I only walked a total of 5 minutes through the whole thing...my knee hurt
13. the one place i desire to travel to is Charleston, SC. i love the south and hear it's beautiful!!
14. I love to blog...http://lifeofdscd.blogspot.com/
15. I would like three maybe four kids
16. I have one sister, Nikki-28 and one brother, Christopher, 17
17. My favorite color is ocean blue...but i'm becoming partial to anything green lately.
18. i have been to 11 concerts, i think?
19. two of those were smashing pumpkins and two were Alana Davis
20. I have met Billy Corgan and Alana Davis!!
21. I met oj simpson at a bar in the lodge we stayed for our wedding. he wished me luck in my marriage. he was staying at the same lodge we were in CO.
22. I hate raw onion...if any food has any onion in it, i wont eat it
23. I love yoga!
24. So much so that i secretly want to be certified to become an instructor :)
25. I have had broken two bones in my whole life
26. they were two of my toes when i cracked them on the tub getting in the shower. i was 17 when i did that. how clumsy!
27. I want to make my own jewelry-jill is going to show me how!
28. i have pierced my nose, belly button and ears
29. i have one tattoo on my lower back and can't wait to get another. i want the next one on the inside of my wrist but my husband hates that idea
30. carson is 18 months yesterday! i sware he's a genius...he's so smart it's scary! we are so blessed!
31. i LOVE to cook and bake!

My Little Hercules!

2009-01-23T06:11:00.001-08:00

Can i brag a bit about my child?? I figure this is my blog...so, i can do what i want,right?? :) I have never been one to brag...about anything.. but when it comes to your kids...you have to! When i was pregnant, I always had a serious gut feeling that Carson was going to be a boy. When we had the 3-D ultrasounds done, it was confirmed even though we didn't see the "goods" :) The definition of the muscles in his arms and back were a dead give away that he had to be a boy. Otherwise, we would of had one hell of a muscular girl! I sware...it was like nothing i have ever seen before. The little guy was ripped and he wasn't even born yet! Anyway, i nicknamed him "Hercules" for the rest of my pregnancy. When i finally delivered him and Daniel said the words "It's a Boy!" it was no shock to me! I was 100% without a doubt positive that he was a boy....and he is ALL boy to this day! This morning, I was watching him run around the house in his diaper, throwing a nurf football around and it brought me back to seeing his muscular little body on the 3-D ultrasound. It brought tears to my eyes because it seemed like yesterday i was pregnant with him and now he's exactly 18 months old. Time really does fly. Being an athlete myself, i would love to see Carson one as well! A baseball player (i hope...i see him being a catcher!) football player (his daddy hopes!) basketball, soccer, golf, rugby...something! And if he's not...i am 100% ok with that! But darnit, we're going to at least try to get him to use those muscles of his in a sport somehow!! ;) My parents got me into sports when i was a kid and that was the life i knew. I loved it! I loved the competition, the feeling of winning and accomplishment and with my parents at my side, they always made me feel like i was the best at whatever sport i played.. I want to give that same feeling to Carson. So, i snapped a couple pictures of him playing...not sure if you can tell how broad his shoulders are or the muscle definition in his back but just look at the bicep on his arm in the one picture of him dumping out his blocks. That's my little hercules and i am so proud!

Chicken Spaghetti

2009-01-21T08:19:00.001-08:00

An old roomate of mine made this for me on one of my birthday's and i've been making it ever since! It is so darn easy and so good! My husband has said that the cold leftovers the next day are even better!! I add a little garlic salt to give it a little more flavor. This is one of my favorite recipes!

1 pound of spaghetti noodles (i use less....tends to be a lot of noodles)
1 can rotel
1 can cream of mushroom
1 cup of milk
2-3 chicken breast
garlic salt to taste

Boil noodles in salt water and same time cut chicken into chunks and cook on skillet. drain pasta. When noodles and chicken are cooked, add chicken, rotel, cream of mushroom and milk to noodles and stir. Season to taste.

Chipmunk Cheeks!

2009-01-16T13:02:00.000-08:00

Carson was trying to see how many oyster crackers he could fit into his mouth at once. He just kept piling them in until he looked like........this!! oh, thank god i had my camera nearby!

Tomato Chicken Pasta

2009-01-16T12:53:00.000-08:00

THIS.IS.SO.GOOD!! Lots of flavor and very easy to make!! You must like oregano...it is a strong spice in this dish. You can lessen the oregano if you are not a fan though. I will definately be making this again!

2 cups of pasta (i used mostaccioli but you can use any tube pasta)

3/4 pounds of chicken, cut into pieces

1 can healthy request cream of chicken soup

1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes

11/2 cup of milk

1 tbsp of dried basil

1 tbsp of dried oregano

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1tsp black pepper

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Cook pasta as directed. Heat skillet over medium high heat. Add chicke and cook thoroughly. Reduce heat to medium, stir in soup, tomatoes, milk and seasonings. Stir in cooked pasta. Cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. Reduce heat, cover and let stand about 5 minutes.

Nikki is the Big 28!

2009-01-14T18:46:00.000-08:00

Last saturday we celebrated my sister nikki's 28th bday! Her and her FIANCE (yay!! they just got engaged xmas eve!), Sam just moved into their new apartment together so they had people over to kick off the night. Sam is from Bloomington, IL and just got a new job in St. Louis to move down here and be with Nikki. They are getting married next year! so exciting!! Anyway, some of the funny pictures are on a cheap throw away camera we got from Melting Pot at new year's so i'll have to scan those and post them later. But here are some pics from our night...

Me, our great friend (and sweetest girl ever)Beth, my sis/bday girl, Nikki, sipping on our martinis! they were so good!

This is the whole gang! l-r, Sam, Nikki, Me, My hubby daniel, my hilarious cousin james and beth

Daniel, Me, James and Beth

Nik and Sam! so cute!

Crockpot Lasagna

2009-01-13T19:01:00.000-08:00

i found this recipe on Brooke's blog...and a cookie for dessert. This was a easy recipe...a little more prep work than i would like but it was still really good. When i think crock pot, i think throw everything in there and call it a day but this took a little prepping....but worth it! and note...when it says to cook on low 4-5 hours...it really means 4 to 5 hours and no longer!! thank goodness my husband was home to watch it because i put it together at 8 am and it was done by noon! He turned it on warm for the rest of the day so by the timei got home at 5 it was rather dry on top. However, it still tasted good!

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz package of lasagne noodles
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1/3 cup of milk
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 egg
11/2 cup shredded italian blend cheese

Using a little olive oil, add onion and garlic to a saute pan. Then add beef. Over medium heat, cook until completely browned. Add sauce to meat and simmer for a few min. In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, add egg and mix completely. Add shredded cheeses and mix well.
Using cooking spray. coat sides and bottom of crockpot. Pour 1/4 of meat mixture into crockpot, then a layer of noodles (you will need to break them in order to fit), followed by a layer of the 1/3 meat mixture. Repeat 3 times. Then top with remaining meat mixture. Make sure all noodles around the edges are covered with sauce. cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Oreo Pudding Pie

2009-01-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

This was so easy and pretty light....the recipe calls for one box of the oreo pudding mix but i think it should call for two. With one box of pudding, i think the pudding got lost in the cool whip so next time, i will try two. this was so good!

Oreo Pudding Pie
1 box of Oreo Cookies and Cream pudding mix (i would do 2 boxes)
1 pre made chocolate pie crust
1 tub of fat free cool whip
Crushed reduced fat oreos to top

Mix pudding mix...put in crust and top with cool whip. Crush oreos to sprinkle on top. Simple!

Pizza Casserole

2009-01-09T19:01:00.000-08:00

This was dinner tonight....a very easy recipe and good as well! I think next time i may add pepperoni on top. I sprayed the crust with olive oil spray before baking and sprinkled it with garlic powder and some italian seasoning.

Here is my trusty helper! Notice the spatula...he was ready to help mom stir the meat!

Pizza Casserole

1 lb of extra lean ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 jar of sliced mushrooms, drained

1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce (i used pizza sauce)

olive oil cooking spray

1 10 oz can regrigerated pizza dough

6 oz of park skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat over to 425. in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook onion, garlic until softened, add meat stirring until it's browned. Drain and return to skillet. Add musrooms and tomato sauce, and cook until heated through and most of the sauce has been absorbed. While meat cooks, coat a 13X9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Unroll pizza dough and press into bottom and halfway up sides of the baking dish. Pre-bake in the oven for 5 minutes. remove from oven, then ada a layer of cheese, then layer the meat mixture on top of that, then top meat mixture with another layer of cheese. Bake, uncovered for 12 min. or until cruse is browned and cheese is melted. cool 5 minutes before serving.

First post!

2009-01-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome!! I am recently new to "blogging" but i've been following others blogs for months and have so much fun doing it that i decided to start my own! I am all about cooking, baking, decorating our home, sports and of course, my wonderful family! Let me introduce...I have a wonderful husband, Daniel...we got married in Breckenridge, CO on June 16, 2006. He is the kindest and most thoughtful person i know and i am so blessed to be married to him. Next is our beautiful son Carson who is 18 months. He has truly changed our life in every way possible! He is so sweet, adorable, hilarious, (i could come up with a million words to describe him)...but oh...such a handful!! We love him more than words can say! And i can't forget the wonderful and hyper "horse" of a dog, our yellow lab, Dakota! He is quite entertaining and i'm sure i'll have some funny posts about him. I'm starting this blog so that family and friends can see what we're up to! Every day seems to be an adventure for our little family and this blog will tell you all about it! For now, i leave you with one of my favorite pictures of Carson. isn't he the cutest?? :)