Friday, April 29, 2011

My Momma Loves Me!

Isn't this little guy super cute? He's a sweetie too. 
Our only problem was that apparently my Canon looks really weird. As soon as I pulled out the camera he looked concerned... and he has the same serious expression in almost all my photos.
I tried peekaboo, toys, little tickles- no such luck. I was about to give up when... 
 his momma kissed him!

Thank God for mommy kisses!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Little man...

His favorite place is in the car!



the long road

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Tasty Tuesday

Strawberry Cake
My daughter loves it because it's all pink! She says that it's "awicious" and I thought she might want it for her birthday but she asked for pink "Oreo Prize" instead! 

 Jello, white cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs, baking powder, strawberries, butter, confectioners sugar

dissolve Jello in hot water

blend the strawberries

Grease the pan- the kids love to help with this part!

dust the pan with flour and do a few other things...

put it in the oven for baby and me!
 Frost it!

Ingredients:
1 small pack strawberry jello
1/2 cup hot water
1 box white cake mix
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup thawed frozen strawberries (in the juice)


Frosting ingredients: 
another 1/2 cup frozen strawberries in the juice.
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 stick of butter.



Directions:

Dissolve Jello in the hot water. Blend strawberries in blender until smooth. Combine all the ingredients with jello. Beat 4 minutes. Grease and flour 13x9 pan or bundtpan. pour into pan and bake 35 mins in 350 degree oven.

For the frosting: soften butter. add 1 lb. of powered sugar and 1/2 cup frozen strawberries (also buzzed in the blender). mix 2 mins until frosting is smooth. Frost cake after it cools completely.


You are going to love this cake... it really is delicious!

Monday, April 25, 2011

One, Two, Free!

My little girl is "Free years owd" today! It's hard to believe...she will always be my baby girl!
Her 1st smile!
1 month old.


Big brother loves her! He called her "wittle girl" and gave her presents :)

2 months old.

6 months old.


Happy 1st Birthday!



Sweet big sister! 


Little Momma.

She asked for a "mink" (pink)  Birthday! 
She said her cake was "awicious!"

"I so cute"

One evening I told my girl "I'm going to go fix my hair, I'll be right back." she said 
"Oh! Will it be pink?"




 At nap time one afternoon I laid down beside her for a minute and she was very generous "I'll suck one thumb and you can have the other. It tastes wike wemonaide" :)



She found a caterpillar outside. 

Unfortunately she fell down while she was holding it and she cried 

"Oh no! I fell on my best friend!"






Happy 3rd Birthday, my sweet girl!


Sunday, April 24, 2011

Scavenger Hunt


1. Reflections


2. Guess what this is
(hint: it's not a can)


3. What's inside?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I checked this chrysalis every day and I still missed the butterfly! 

4. Playtime


 5. Lawn and Garden
This is my favorite rose in the whole yard... maybe the whole world!





Happy Easter!


Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia! 
 Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia! 
 Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! 
 Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia! 

 Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia! 
 Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia! 
 Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia! 
 Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia! 

 Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia! 
 Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! 
 Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia! 
 Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia! 

 Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia! 
 Following our exalted Head, Alleluia! 
 Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia! 
 Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia! 

 Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia! 
 Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia! 
 Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia! 
 Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia! 

 King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia! 
 Everlasting life is this, Alleluia! 
 Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia! 
 Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia! 
~Charles Wesley 1707-1788








 Isaiah 53
 1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?.
   And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2For he grew up before him like a young plant,
    and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
   and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men;
   a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
   he was despised, and
 we esteemed him not.

 4 Surely he has borne our griefs
   and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;
   he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
   we have turned—every one—to his own way;
 and the LORD has laid on him
   the iniquity of us all.
 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
    yet he opened not his mouth;
 like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
   and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
   so he opened not his mouth.
8By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
   and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
   stricken for the transgression of my people?
9And they made his grave with the wicked
    and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
   and there was no deceit in his mouth.
 10Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
   he has put him to grief;
 when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
   he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
 the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 
11Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
    make many to be accounted righteous,
    and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
    and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
   and was numbered with the transgressors;
 yet he bore the sin of many,
   and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Fab Friday

Play Time... 
it's exhausting!





Have a great weekend, y'all!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Black & White Wednesday

I just love her little face!




the long road

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Tasty Tuesday

Here is a simple Sweet Tea Marinade recipe for chicken. 
I found it in a Food & Wine magazine, the chef who created it is John Currence.
The tannins help tenderize the chicken while the sugar gives it a light cure.

the ingredients:
Worcestershire sauce, sweet tea, dried thyme, Tabasco and salt

Brew strong tea in a small pot

after the water comes to a boil, add a pinch of baking soda, if you like!

Pour all the ingredients in a resealable plastic bag.
Easy Peasy!

Ingredients:
3 cups ice tea
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Tabasco
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon salt

Directions:
Place tea bag in small pot of water, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add pinch of baking soda to enhance the flavor. Remove tea bag and stir in sugar. Add enough water to make 3 cups of tea. In a resealable plastic bag, coat 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs with the sweet tea, Worcestershire, Tabasco, thyme and salt. Refrigerate overnight.
Rinse off the thyme before cooking.


This chicken is awesome because you can grill it, fry it... whatever you prefer. I think it tastes delicious grilled, sliced and served on a strawberry spinach salad with raspberry dressing!

When I made this for dinner yesterday,  I started out by pouring corn bread batter into a hot cast iron skillet (it turned out dry so next time I'm going to use The Pioneer Woman's recipe),
next I sprinkled the chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper, then cooked it in a hot skillet with butter and olive oil till it was golden brown.

(I didn't take photos at this point because the kids were melting down and dinner needed to be on the table ASAP. Oh, and I have trouble multi tasking. Sorry!)

While the chicken was cooking, I made an onion gravy. If you like caramelized onions, read on!


Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Directions:
Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onion, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the thyme and sugar and cook until the onion is caramelized, 15 minutes. Add the sherry and cook until evaporated. Whisk in the chicken stock and dissolved cornstarch and bring to a boil, stirring, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the gravy over the chicken and serve.




Enjoy!



Monday, April 18, 2011

i heart faces

Photo Challenge: Wind



check out all the awesome entries @ iheartfaces.com

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Scavenger Hunt

1. Time 
I'm amazed by the metamorphosis that is taking place.

2. Poetry

3. Outside

  4. Zoom (somehow I missed the "from the car" part :)

5. Isolation
(did someone say iceolation?)