I LoVe My FaMiLy!

On Monday we got together for dinner with the Oliverson Family and my mom at the Green Springs Park. I brought a meal for my family and she brought a meal for hers (funny how our families don't agree on food when Nancy and I were raised eating the same foods).  Some how we both managed to bring Jell-O salads to share (layered Jell-O salad and a pistachio salad) and my mom made a apple crisp with apples from Whidbey Island minus the flour, so it was like fancy apple oatmeal!  I had never been there before and I should have assumed it would be beautiful because it is just past the country club.  It was a perfect night for boys to play outside.  My mom got each of the boys a matchbox car, a mustache and a punching balloon.

 Mustaches! It was fun getting the boys together to take these pictures.  Even though one of my nephews wouldn't participate....well Brogan wasn't that hot on the subject either, my boys were sweet as can be and others were...creative. 

 This kids face kills me.  How can one person be so adorable?

 

 I'm glad my mom is patient with us, cause this was hilarious. 

 Until this little piece of magic happen and then this was even better!

 My new favorite picture of Logan.  It captures his personality so perfectly.

 Easton learned the proper way to blow up one of these balloons...cute kid could not make it work on this end.  Not for lack of trying!

The balloons were almost the same size as Brogan! Sadly between laying on the balloons and the grass only 2 survived! But all the boys went home with a matchbox car to play with. 

Tomorrow my mom starts the long drive home again.  It has been an amazing week and a half with her here.  We have done canning, thrift store shopping, road tripping and spent countless hours talking.  I don't know who is more said that she is leaving me, or the boys.  I am sure this isn't the longest I have not seen my mom, but it just feels so great to have her near by. 

Carson has really enjoyed spending time with my mom's new puppy, Rosie. She is a sweet little dog and we figure she must be about the same maturity level as Carson.  We put her in his carseat and they are both vibrating with excitement.  Carson has been so patient with her too, she still chews on everything including Carson and he just reminds her, "No chewing Rosie. No chewing."

Heading up to Zion National Park was a blast and a good reminder of the beauty that surrounds us even here in this monotone Southern Utah. 

Zion National Park

From the time I can remember my mom has taken us camping and taught us the importance of this beautiful earth.  She even sent us to foreign countries where we didn't speak the language to see and  learn about new things.  Today my mom joined the boys and I on an adventure to Zion National Park.  I remember going once while in college with my mom and older sister and her family, but my mom tells me of exciting memories of cars dying while driving through the dark tunnels when I was much younger. The rocks are amazing, the colors, the textures, the grandeur...incredible.  I feel so blessed that my mom loves me enough to drive 3 days to come and visit for 10 days and that we get to do fun things together. 

We started out the day chasing a hot air balloon.  We thought that it might land, but the driver of the hot air balloon just liked flying it low we decided.  The boys and I have seen it 4 or 5 times since we moved here, but never so close.  It flew right over our car and because I am amazing I got some close shots of it. 

 My mom blessed us by being old too! She has a park pass that gets her into any national park for free...just for being old.  Someday I will get that card too! There were so many things to take pictures of and it made me wish I had a second card for my camera.  I felt like I needed to hold back a little to save enough room for my family pictures that we would be taking on the trip into Zion.  We live 45 minutes away, we'll be back eventually.

 I love the contrast of the blue sky with the rocks.

 My mom brought her new puppy, Rosie.  She is a sweet little thing and very much a digger.  My mom said that she doesn't bark much which is good for everyone, but she is crazy about digging.  I guess I need to clean out my car, because she kept digging at the same spot under Carson's car seat.

 We also decided on this trip that Carson and Rosie might be the same age.  She kept sitting on his lap and they played and Carson laughed.  It was all very sweet and I wish I would have taken a video of them.  We still have 4 days left with my mom, we can make that happen.

 Having 3 boys means you will never get a good picture of everyone.  Someone will be closing their eyes in every picture.

 Thing 1

 Thing 2

 Thing 3

 Lizard!

 One of us was a little less confident when it came to going back down the rocks.  Carson was laying down pushing himself down the side of this rock.

 Sweet rock!

 The sign said that these were glass.  The prettiest blue I've ever seen!

Crazy Carson

Having this chance to spend every moment with Carson has been amazing.  This kids is such a crack up and I think he gets more silly everyday.

Family Pictures...6 months late!

This last April we took family pictures while Curtis was up for a visit.  It was funny getting everything ready for the pictures, but the photo shoot was way too short. We have been to Vail Studios for family pictures several times in the past and they did some senior pictures for Nancy.  It was funny meeting with the second generation of photographers.

making wishes

 Curtis and the boys

 Mommy and boys

I will take more family pictures for Christmas cards...hopefully next month when my mom is here.  Thing 2 is sitting here with me telling me "how much fun it was to have daddy here to take me to the Aquarium, because I like daddy!"

Sand Hollow State Park

 Throw back Thursday! I finally downloaded the pictures off my camera this morning and look at the treasures I found. Since we are new to this area my sister took us to all the watering holes around.  We were at Sand Hallow State Park in August and although the water had things growing in it and it was beyond windy, it was still really fun in the water. 

 You like Carson's goggles? He walked around all summer with goggles on.  I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to spend every moment with my boys for the summer, what a blessing.

 There was sand in everything which is why Logan is under the table (there was also no shade either, HOT).

 My nephew, Brogan, eating all the food that my boys dropped! Love this age and that everything must be consumed!

What's on your shelves?

Moving away from home has taught me a lot about self reliance. When I moved to Southern Utah in July I had to solely depend on the food I had on the shelf and in my freezer. I struggled not being able to go to the store to buy apples or string cheese just because we wanted them, but I learned how to cook with what I have on hand. Last week I was asked to prepare some items that I had on my shelves that I could prepare dinner with if I couldn't go to the store. After I got over the first few minutes  of confusion of who was on the phone, (ruling out telemarketers) I realized I was not like most people, in fact I might be considered compulsive.
The conversation did lead me to consider what I might be missing on my shelves. Because I've lived the closest to my mom I have been reaping the fruits of her harvests/talents for several years. Along with plenty of kidney beans and dried onions I have meat, fruits, vegetables, pie fillings, jams and jelly's, but what else would be nice...bread.  This week through the power of Pinterest I have come up with a lot of really good ideas.  One of the genius ideas are to just to have the dry ingredients in a jar to make cookies or sweet bread, this will keep for 3 months and can make great hostess/visiting teaching gifts when in a bind.  My mom started making brown bread a few years ago and when I talked to her a few days ago she had just opened a can that she canned 3 years ago.  She said it just needed to be warmed up a little and tasted just as good if not better then the day she made it.  Just a little side note she also said that she after canning brown bread she prefers to let it sit for at least a month before opening it. In case you were wondering I am going to start working on canning breads.  I have had friends share Amish Friendship starts and I never wanted to take the time to actually try it myself. It takes 10 days to get 4 loaves of bread, but you can also share 3 of those with friends to start their own starts and to do what they please.

On Monday I made some banana bread in a jar and tried a new recipe from Chiquita Moms that was delicious and it sealed perfectly. It was so easy I was able to mix it up with a fork instead of my precious Bosch mixer...I haven't found that box.

Chiquita Banana Bread in a Jar

Ingredients 

3 Ripe Chiquita Bananas

1/2t. Baking Soda

1 C. Sugar

1 1/2 C. Flour

 1/2 t. Cinnamon

1/4 C. Chopped Walnuts

1 Egg

2 t. Butter

a Pinch of Salt

3 wide mouth Pint Jars

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly spray jars with cooking spray.
2. Mash bananas and blend with baking soda, sugar, flour, cinnamon, egg, butter and salt.  
3. Pour mixture into jars, filling halfway using a funnel.
4. Place pint jars (without lids) directly on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
5. Screw on lids and turn upside down to help seal.

3 Ripe Chiquita Bananas
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1 Egg
2 tbsp Butter
Pinch of Salt
Cooking Spray
3 Pint Mason Jars
Canning Funnel
Fabric
Jute or String
Scissors
Sticker Paper or Cardstock
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly spray jars with cooking spray.
2. Mash bananas and blend with baking soda, sugar, flour, cinnamon, egg, butter and salt. Mix in walnuts with a spoon.
3. Pour mixture into jars, filling halfway, using a canning funnel.
4. Place jars (without lids) directly on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
5. Screw on lids. Cut fabric into 6 inch circles for each jar and place on top of lid, securing with jute or string.
- See more at: http://www.chiquitamoms.com/2012/09/chiquita-banana-bread-in-a-jar-printable/#sthash.4eF3m97C.dpuf

3 Ripe Chiquita Bananas
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1 Egg
2 tbsp Butter
Pinch of Salt
Cooking Spray
3 Pint Mason Jars
Canning Funnel
Fabric
Jute or String
Scissors
Sticker Paper or Cardstock
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly spray jars with cooking spray.
2. Mash bananas and blend with baking soda, sugar, flour, cinnamon, egg, butter and salt. Mix in walnuts with a spoon.
3. Pour mixture into jars, filling halfway, using a canning funnel.
4. Place jars (without lids) directly on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
5. Screw on lids. Cut fabric into 6 inch circles for each jar and place on top of lid, securing with jute or string.
- See more at: http://www.chiquitamoms.com/2012/09/chiquita-banana-bread-in-a-jar-printable/#sthash.4eF3m97C.dpuf

 I was able to bring the canned bread to Relief Society and now maybe everyone else will give bread a try too. We might have something more then canned green beans and chicken in our food storage after this adventure after all!

Homemade Instant Oatmeal

I've been looking at my food storage and ways to utilize it better to help stretch my budget, so I started looking at options. Almost every morning Carson and I share a bowl of oatmeal and since I have 12 #10 cans of instant oatmeal in my closet I need start using it.
I looked all over the internet for options and I came across this recipe from Momables and I am excited to have breakfast in the morning with my Carson.

Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets

21-24 snack sized Ziploc bags
10 cups quick oats
1 t. salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 t. cinnamon
1 cup powdered milk

Instructions

1. Put 6 cups of the oats into a large bowl.
2. Add the remaining 4 cups of oats into a blender.
3. Blend until almost powdery, then pour into the large bowl.
4. Add salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and powdered milk.
5. Mix well until everything is combined.
6. Measure 1/2 cup of the oatmeal mixture into each snack sized plastic baggie and seal.

To use DIY Instant Oatmeal Packets:

1. Pour packet into a bowl and add desired hit water. Stir and serve.

 This recipe almost cleared out an entire #10 can! 11 more cans to go...hummm.  Gorilla Poop it is, my kids will be sad I'm sure.

It feels like home!

On Monday we began boxing up our lives again to move into a much smaller townhouse. It was not a decision I was thrilled about, but necessary all the same. We would be moving from a twin home to a four-plex that is much smaller without any of the luxuries that we had become accustomed to.
Last night was our first night in the house and that's when I realized that this is where we probably should have started out in the first place.  Maybe I have an unrealistic view of the world or maybe I bit off more than I can chew; either way we are going to make this our home. James and I were able to sit and watch the sun go down together last night.  I don't know why we hadn't noticed the sunset before in our other house 30 feet away, but I loved sharing that moment with him.
The kids celebrated this morning by letting me sleep in until 7:50 and only wanted cereal in our small dinning room. We will probably have to get a storage unit until I can sort out the extras and find room for our long-term food storage. But in the long run we are still saving money. Tomorrow I will start staining the shelving unit in the living room which will help with some of the clutter down stairs.   

Swig Sugar Cookies

Now that we live in Southern Utah there are a new things that just seem to be expected.  A. We are Mormon and B. we love Swig.  Sadly both are true, so I was excited to find this recipe so we can make these cookies whenever my kids want them.  I think the trick is the cream of tartar in the cookie that makes them so good, it is basically a Snickerdoodle without being rolled in the cinnamon and sugar. So let us begin!

Swig Sugar Cookies 

1 c. Butter at room temp

3/4 c. Vegetable Oil (I used Olive Oil cause that's what I have)

1 1/4 c. Sugar

3/4 c. Powdered Sugar

2 T. Water

2 Eggs

1/2 t. Baking Soda

1/2 t. Cream of Tartar

1 t. Salt

5 1/2 c. Flour

1. Cream together butter, oil, sugars, water and eggs. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix until everything is well combined.  The dough should be a little crumbly and not sticky at all. 

2. Roll dough into golf ball sized balls and place on cookie sheets.  With the bottom of a glass dip into 1/4 c. sugar and a pinch of salt (in addition to the ingredients listed above) and firmly press the cookie so that the edges crack.

3. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until the bottoms are barely browning.  Move cookies to a cooling rack and into the refrigerator once completely cooled.

Now lets make that famous pink frosting!

Sour Cream Frosting

1/2 c. Butter at room temp

3/4 c. Sour Cream

2 lbs. Powdered Sugar (approximately 7.5 cups)

1 t. Salt

1/4 c. Milk

Red Food Coloring

Start by creaming together butter, sour cream and salt and then slowly add powdered sugar.  When it gets so thick its not like frosting add a slash of milk.  Alternate this process until your frosting is the desired consistency.  Add 2 drop of red food coloring and whip on high for 1 minute.

Keep cookies in a sealed container until they are ready to serve.  The magic of a Swig Sugar Cookie is that the cookies are cold and the frosting is room temperature.  Frost cookies right before serving (if you need to make them in advance and need to refrigerate the frosting make sure you give it time to warm up a little before serving).

Monster Cookies

I love baking and trying new recipes.  This year church starts at 1:00 which gives me plenty of time to make cookies for school lunches for me and my sisters family.  In college one of my roommates used to make us cookies on Sundays and one of our favorites was her Monster Cookies.  I have been looking for something similar and I might have stumbled upon something here thanks to the powers of Pinterest and Sally's Baking Addiction!

         Ingredients

• 1/4 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup Crisco
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quick oats (not instant or whole-rolled oats)*
• 3/4 cup M&Ms (any size or variety - I used peanut butter, plain, and mini M&Ms)
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
2. In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed, about 3 minutes. Mix in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla (in that order). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly mix in the baking soda and flour. Do not over mix. Fold in the quick oats, M&Ms, and chocolate chips. If the dough is very soft and unmanageable by hand, chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling.
3. Rolls balls of dough, about 2 Tablespoons of dough per ball, onto prepared baking sheet. Press a few extra M&Ms on top for looks, if preferred. Bake for 9-10 minutes - do not bake past 10 minutes. The cookies will appear undone. I too mine out at 9 minutes, which is recommended. Slightly press down the baked cookies with the back of a spoon, since the cookies only slightly spread in the oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cookies will firm up as they cool. Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Cookies freeze well.

Notes

* Please use quick oats in this recipe. You need the slightly finer texture from the quick oats in order to give the cookies a more uniform texture. Quick oats will act more as a binder in this recipe than whole oats would, since the consistency is more powdery and the oats are smaller in size.

Recipe Source: SALLYSBAKINGADDICTION.COM