Beanblog

Bean Boys

2012-02-10T14:12:00.000-08:00

Julie suggested that Jeff and Cailey bring this exercise ball to the family reunion.

Alisha

2012-01-27T07:48:00.000-08:00

My computer crashed, so this is the only picture I currently have- but I thought one should be posted...don't you?

Happy Birthday Alisha!

2012-01-26T06:29:00.001-08:00

I would have posted a picture of you but I'm at work and dont have access to any. But I just want you let you know how much we love you! Have a wonderful day today! :o)

2012-01-21T07:58:00.001-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2012-01-19T05:27:00.000-08:00

:O) Happy birthday Daddy Lee! We love you!

2012-01-11T01:12:00.001-08:00

Happy First Birthday, Julianne!

2012-01-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday, Jules! (Yesterday.) We love you!

Honey-Lime Enchiladas

2012-01-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

One of my Favorites to make! I got the recipe from a friend. I usually like to cook the chicken in the slowcooker to help marinade instead of cooking it then adding it and marinating it for a few hrs, this way I put it in till its cooked, and it shreds easier!
Honey-Lime Enchiladas

1/3 cup Honey
1/4-1/3 cup lime juice (about 2-3 large limes)
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder (I use a little less than a full Tbsp
2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 breasts), cooked and shredded (you can do the fist part in the slow cooker if desired)

2 14oz cans of MILD green enchilada sauce
2 cups of heavy cream (or a pint)

12-14 fajita-sized flour tortillas
3 cups of Mexican cheese blend, shredded (1small bag is 2 cups)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

avocado/guacamole
tomatoes
sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. In a medium sized bowl, place honey, lime juice, chili powder and minced garlic. Whisk together thoroughly to combine. Add Shredded chicken to marinade (I marinated the chicken for a couple of hours, and usually will throw all of this into the slow cooker, to cook the chicken so I don't have to boil it- I'm not a huge fan of my house smelling like boiled chicken and found that this helps with the marinade process, so do this earlier in the day, and I have loved it this way! So if you use the slow cooker don't use the oven yet, just mix all these ingredient and then turn on the oven when you are ready to do the next steps.)

In a medium bowl combine the enchilada sauce and the heavy cream. Spread about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the bottom of the greased baking dish.

Heat a large DRY frying pan till a drop of water skitters across (about 350 degrees). Heat tortillas about 20 seconds on each side till warm and flexible, but before any golden brown spots have appeared. (I just put mine in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften , it worked great) Working one tortilla at a time, place a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla in a line. Cover the chicken with a large pinch (about 2Tbsp.) of cheese and a little cilantro (I added some cream sauce to the middle of mine and loved it!), then roll the tortilla up from one side to make a rolled enchilada.

Place the enchilada seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken, cheese, cream sauce and tortillas. You will use about 2 cups of cheese for the filling - - Set the remainder aside fr topping the enchiladas in the pan. Add the remaining marinade mixture (if any) to the enchilada sauce and cream mixture.

Pour this mixture over the top of all the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake the enchiladas at 350 degrees for 30-35 minuets until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top. Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, avocado, and diced tomatoes. Enjoy!

January 6th

2012-01-05T19:26:00.001-08:00

January 6th is Bean Day! Happy Bean Day to my favorite Beans!

Recipe

2012-01-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

In response to Mom Bean's request, here is a quick/easy recipe. I'll try to post more later - I love to cook and we try a new recipe every week, so I've always got more.

Creamy Lemon and Chive Pasta

1 lb. farfalle

2 Tbsp. diced red onion

Olive oil

2 Tbsp. flour

½ cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream (you can probably substitute half-and-half here)

¼ cup fresh chives, chopped

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Salt and Pepper

½ cup grated parmesan

Cook pasta to al dente. Meanwhile sauté onion in oil until soft. Sprinkle with flour and stir. Cook for one minute, then stir in chicken broth until flour is dissolved. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and add heavy cream, chives, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add to pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan and toss. Serve hot with additional parmesan.

Anniversary Paprika Chicken

2012-01-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

Anniversary Paprika Chicken

This chicken is so tender and flavorful it doesn't need any kind of sauce or gravy. Serve with Anniversary Bowtie & Asparagus Pasta

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs (you can also use Panko bread crumbs and add Italian seasoning)
1 1/2 cubes (3/4 cup) melted butter
Paprika

Combine Parmesan cheese with breadcrumbs. Dip chicken breast in melted butter. Roll in crumb mixture until completely coated. Place in baking dish and sprinkle generously with paprika. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes @ 375 degrees - Do not overcook!

Anniversary Bowtie & Asparagus Pasta

2012-01-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

Anniversary Bowtie & Asparagus Pasta

We LOVE this stuff! Is it the healthiest pasta? Hmmmm.. no. But it is oh so good! This is a great one for crowds or just for two! :) Trust me, you will fall in love with this! Make sure you have a bigger skillet to work with, because this makes a lot! Its great for two and leftovers or family of 5, as a side dish

1 pkg. bow tie pasta
1/2 c. (1 cube) butter (the real stuff)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 pint heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste
10-15 spears asparagus, blanched
1/2 c. bacon, crumbled
1/2 c. toasted pinenuts (or to taste)
Parsley, to taste
Parmesan cheese, to taste

Boil bow tie pasta in salted water until al dente. Do NOT over cook.
In wok or heavy skillet melt butter. Add minced garlic and saute a minute or so.
Add Parmesan Cheese and bouillon cube(s). When the bouillon cube is dissolved, slowly stir in heavy cream and salt & pepper. Add cooked pasta to cream sauce and toss until pasta is well covered. Add blanched asparagus. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, toasted pinenuts, parsley & Parmesan cheese and toss together. Serve immediately.

Bacon & Rosemary Chicken

2012-01-04T13:18:00.000-08:00

This has to be one of my favorites to make. It is a bit time consuming but is DELICIOUS!

Bacon & Rosemary Chicken (Courtesy of Simple & Delicious)

4 Chicken Breasts
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 bacon strips, chopped
1 Tbsp. butter
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced/minced
1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Flatten chicken breasts to an even thickness; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place flour in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken breasts, one at a time, and shake to coat.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings. cook chicken in butter and reserved drippings for 4-6 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer reads 170. Remove and keep warm.

Add the garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes to the skillet; cook for 1 minute. Add broth and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid is reduced by half. Return chicken and bacon to skillet, heat through.

Misc dinner ideas

2012-01-04T13:14:00.000-08:00

This is an email I got from one of my good friends wife. There are a whole bunch on here but I figured it is fun to share with. I've tried almost everything on here and it is amazing!

not going in any particular order :) just grabbed some of our favorite recipes and started typing :)

so this isnt all of them...but its all i could think of right now, so im sure you will be getting random emails every now n again if we have something amazing for dinner! ;)

Alfredo sauce {jasons famous sauce!} its one of our favs!!

3 tablesppons butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup milk

melt butter, remove from heat

blend in flour, salt, garlic powder, and pepper

add the milk, return to heat

cook over medium heat, stirring constantly

cook until mixture is thinkened and bubbly

cook 1 minute more, keep stirring

remove from head and add:

2 oz. cream cheese {cut up{ mix with wire whisk until smooth

add 1/3 cup fresh parmasan cheese, stir constantly, until cheese melts

serve over noodles and chicken

crock pot potato and double corn chowder

1 bag {16 oz} frozen hashbrowns, thawed

1 can whole kernal corn undrained

1 can cream style corn

1 can evaporated milk

1 meduim onion, chopped

8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 teaspoon salt

/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

combine all ingredients in to a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

CrockPot Italian chicken

4-6 boneless/skinless chicken breast

1 pkg dry italian seasoning

1/4 cup water

8 oz cream cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

mix water and italian dressing pout over chicken in crock pot. cook on low for 4-6 hours. remove chicken and add the cream cheese and soup to juices in the crockpot, mix well. put chicken back in crock pot and cook for another 1-2 hours. serve over rice or noodles

crab ragoons

oil for frying

8 oz cream cheese

2-6 oz cans of crab drained and flaked {fresh crab works well too!}

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1 pkg wonton wrappers

heat oil, mix all ingredients in large bowl and put 1 TBSP in wonton wrapper, then fry until golden brown.

Wonton wrappers

1 egg

1/2 cup water

2 cups flour

mix all together and roll out till paper thin

chicken cordon bleu

flatten one boneless chicken breast for each person to be served. cover with slices of ham and swiss cheese. roll up into a ball. fasten them with tothpicks. roll in melted margarine or butter and then bread crumbs {we add ritz crackers to our breadcrumbs, and favorite seasonings} bake at 350 20-45 minutes

Chinese style fried rice

1 1/2 cupes water

1 1/2 cups minute rice

1 egg beaten

3 TBSP butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

2-3 TBSP soy sauce

whatever other veggies you like

bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. stir in rice. remove from heat; cover let stand 5 minutes. meanwhile, cook egg in butter in a 10-inch skillet or electric frying pan on 325 degree until set. add ionion and ric {and other veggies} cook and stir over medium heat until rice and onion are lightly browned. combine remaining water and soy sauce, stir into rice.

add ham, chicken, turkey, or beef

manitcotti with cheese

14 pieces of manitcotti, uncooked

1 3/4 cups part skim ricotta cheese{15 oz container}

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 cups spaghetti sauce

boil water, sitr in manicotti, return to a boil. reduce heat and boil uncovered, 6-8 minutes, stirring ocassionaly. drain well, cool in single later on foil to keep from sticking {we rinse with cold water to cool noodles down}

heat over to 350. in a large bowl stir together cheeses, parsley, salt pepper. spoon into cooled pasta tubes. spread thin layer of sauce of bottom of 13x9 glass baking dish. arrange filled pasta in a single layer over sauce. pour remaining sauce over pasta; cover with foil. bake 40 minutes. remove foil. bake 15 minutes loner or until hot and bubbly.

Sweet pork

1 pork roast

2 cans of red enchilada sauce

2 cans of green chilis diced

2 cups of brown sugar

14 oz dr pepper

1can crushed pineapple with sauce

place eveything in crock pot and cook for 6-8 hours on HIGH until pork shreds. for sweeter pork add sugar to taste.

serve as tacos, or just over rice and beans

Olive Garden Zuppa toscana

1 lb sausage

2 large russet baking potatoes sliced in half and then in 1/4 inch slices

1 large onion chopped

4 slices of bacon, cooked crumbled {or 1/2 can oscar meyer real bacon bits}

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups Kale or swiss chard chopped

2 cans chicken broth

1 qt water

1 cup heavy whipping cream

cook sausage in a 300 degree oven bake oproximately 1/2 hour drain on paper towl cut into slices

place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage, bacon, salt, and pepper to taste, and simmer for another 10 minutes. turn to low heat add kale and cream. heat through and serve

baked potato soup

8 slices bacon

1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons margarine

1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4-2/3 cups milk

2-3/4 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed

2-3/4 green onions, chopped

3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon shredded Cheddar cheese

2/3 cup sour cream

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain, crumble, and set aside. In a stock pot or Dutch oven, melt the margarine over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted.

Chicken Enchiladas we add whatever random veggies we have that sound good! n my friend puts corn in hers which sounds delish!

1/3 cup shredded cooked chicken

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

tortillas

grn onion

mushroom

grn pepper

mix all ingredients together, spread mixture down center of each tortilla rool tortillas and place in casserole dish. top with cheese. bake at 350 for 30 minutes. serve with cheese, lettuce, and sour cream

Easy beef Stroganoff

1 lb hamburger

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

4 tsp. worcestershire sauce

brown hambuger, drain, mix with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. add inions and cook a few more minutes. stir in soup and sour cream and worcestershire sauce. serve over noodles or rice

ritzy chicken Dorito chicken {same recipe just doritos instead of ritz, any flavor}

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup plain yogurt/sour cream

10 ritz crackers

1/4 parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic pwder

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 ccup canned milk

crush crackers to make coarse crumbs. miz crumbs with parmesan cheese, garlic powder, parsely salt and pepper. dip chicken into yogurt/sour cream and then in crumb mixture to coat chicken. place in baking pan. bake at 425 for 50-60 minutes or until chicken is crisp and golden brown. mix soup and milk. heat through pour over chicken.

Dutch oven potatoes in crock pot

4 slices of bacon cooked and chopped

4 potatoes peeled and thinly sliced

salt and pepper

1/3 cup onionsthinly sliced

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 4 oz can diced green chilies {opt.}

{we add grn peppers}

top it off with cheese when serving

combine all ingredients into crockpot. cook on low for 5-6 hours. check and stir occasionally

Swedish meatballs

we usually buy the swedish meatball seasoning packet at walmart. then make meatballs out of ground beef, follow directions on packet and serve over rice or noodles. but here is a recipe i found for it online

1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs, about 3 slices bread
1 tablespoon dried minced onion or 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed beef broth
1 cup half-and-half or light cream

Combine bread crumbs, onion, salt, pepper, nutmeg and 3/4 cup milk in a large mixing bowl. Let milk soak into crumbs for a few minutes. Gently stir in ground beef until well blended; form into balls about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Brown meatballs in butter and oil in a large skillet; remove with a slotted spoon to a 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of drippings; stir flour into drippings. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Stir in beef broth and cream. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and boils for a minute. Pour over Swedish meatballs in baking dish. Bake Swedish meatballs at 325° for 35 to 45 minutes. Swedish meatball recipe serves 6.

chip dip

1 can black beans

1 can niblet corn

grn onion diced

avacado

tomatos

cilantro

Kraft zesty italian dressing.

mix all together serve with chips

chicken pockets

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 T. milk
2 T. butter, softened
4 cups cooked diced chicken
1/2 cup finely grn onion
2 T. minced onion
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of black pepper
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2 T. butter, melted
mushrooms
Mix the softened cream cheese, milk, and softened butter together and beat until smooth. Add the cooked diced chicken, finely chopped celery, minced onion, salt, and pepper. Mix well, then set aside. Separate each can of the crescent dough into 4 rectangles. (Do not separate it into 8 triangles as directed on the can for dinner rolls. Press the extra perforations together to seal.) Spoon about one half cup of the cream cheese/chicken mixture on to the center of each piece of dough. Fold the dough in half over the chicken. Pinch the edges of the dough together to seal. Place the filled pockets on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush the top of the dough with the melted butter. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. This recipe makes 8 chicken pockets.

tuscany tomato soup

1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
4 carrots, peeled and finely diced
4 stalks celery, finely diced
3 medium onions, finely minced
3 (28-ounce) cans tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil and butter in a large pot. Cook the carrots, celery, and onions for about 20 minutes, or until very tender.
Puree tomatoes in food processor or blender; add to the vegetable mixture in pot and continue cooking over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley and basil; season with salt and pepper. Serve. 8-10

Desserts:

Lemon Love Notes

crust: 1 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Filling:1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

mix four crust ingredients together. press into 8x8 baking pan. bake at 350 for 15 minutes. remove from oven. meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients together. spread lemon mixture over crust. bake at 350 an additional 30 minutes. sprinkle with pwdered sugar.

Banana bread

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 nuts

2 cups flour

4 ripe bananas

1 tsp baking soda

cream butter and sugar. add beaten eggs, then flour and baking soda. smash bananas and mix in add nuts. bake at 350 for 1 hour.

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla paste (extract will work just fine)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.
Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
Add vanilla and chocolate chips.
Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm

Hash Brown Soup

2012-01-04T13:07:00.001-08:00

Hash Brown Soup

1 sauteed Onion, chopped
3 cans chicken broth
1 Large bag Frozen Hash browns
1 Can cream of Celery Soup
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
12 oz can of Evaporated Milk (I use regular milk instead of evaporated milk)
1 pound Velveeta Cheese

Combine onion and broth, bring to boil. Add hash browns, bring to boil. Add soups (don't dilute) and evaporated milk, bring to boil. Add Cheese. Heat until cheese melts. Optional, serve with bacon bits on top.

Easy Crockpot Salsa Chicken

2012-01-04T13:05:00.000-08:00

Crock pot Salsa Chicken

Toss 2-4 pieces of frozen chicken (prefer boneless)
in the crock pot - then add:

12-15 oz. bottle of salsa
1 can of corn (with out water)*
1 can of black beans (without water)*(you can also use dry beans on this - but you have to soak and cook them first or they're hard)

Let that cook for 4 or so hours on high, then mix it around, the chicken will fall apart - shred itself as you mix it - and then just before you serve it, add:

sour cream or a block of cream cheese

Serve over rice or cuscus - sometimes I mix the cooked rice in and make a burrito

. It's really good in a burrito. SO YUMMA! and a cinch! You can add whatever else you think would be good in this! One of my fav easy things to make!

*The original recipe says to add with water, but I found this made mine too soupy, especially if you want to have this as a burrito. Jeff doesn't like the beans and I've made it without the corn or beans, and substituted for other things.

HELP WITH DINNER!!

2012-01-04T10:40:00.000-08:00

I've No energy and out of ideas for simple, repeat SIMPLE things for Dad's dinner. I'm going to try Cailey's crock pot meal tonight but I could use any more ideas. I will post some for you all and I hope we can keep this going and share when we come across a great idea. With as busy as you all are, I think this will be a good thing for all of us. Loves and more loves, Mom
1. frozen burritos with salsa, cheese, and sour cream
2. .... well,.......well,.......see the problem??

Happy birthday adam.

2012-01-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

Concerned

2011-12-30T20:34:00.001-08:00

Should I be concerned that, out of the dark of my children's bedroom at night, both of them start recreating the melody of an Ozzie Osbourne song?

So True

2011-12-21T10:54:00.000-08:00

Sarah's been electrocuted

2011-12-20T20:15:00.001-08:00

This can't be my daughter can it?

Birthdays

2011-12-18T23:40:00.000-08:00

While perusing the birthday list on the blog, I noticed that we have NO birthday's in December. Is that weird, or is it just me that with 29 people in our family December is completely empty? Not that I mind!!

Gingerbread Houses

2011-12-18T23:37:00.000-08:00

Thanks Mom, for starting the gingerbread house tradition!

125 house, 30 left over, just under 100 people at the institute bldg tonight decorating and having fun. Sent some houses out w/ the missionaries to drop off at investigators homes and will drop the rest off to neighbors tomorrow. *PHEW* one family traidition down- 129 left to go! As much as I appreciate all that you did to create traditions and memories, it sure is a lot to keep up with (along w/ adding a few of our own!).

Children

2011-12-13T07:40:00.000-08:00

"Children begin by loving their parents. As they grow older they judge them, sometimes they forgive them."
Oscar Wilde

Hope you all can feel my love and forgive the sometimes angry mother that I was. Mom

Anyone want to go w/ me??

2011-12-09T10:02:00.001-08:00

Straight no Chaser is going to be in Missoula in March. I really want to go.
Also, Lord of the Dance is also in Missoula. And I am going. Regardless.
Any takers?

Seriously?

2011-12-05T15:26:00.000-08:00

Gingrich and Trump team up

Sarah's Baptism

2011-12-05T10:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Mom and Dad for coming to support Sarah. We had a great day filled with the Spirit, family, and great food.

Blair doesn't know it yet but...

2011-12-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

He just bought me Settlers of Catan and black Sunday boots for Christmas.
I will be so excited when I open my presents Christmas morning. Alas, when he bought be the game, he didn't realize that he would have to play it with me. Too bad for him, he should have thought of that before he bought it. I wonder what else he will be buying me? I am thinking he might buy me a really cool MP3 player, or an HP touchpad, or maybe even an E-Reader.

hehehehe

Does it Make me a Bad Mom if...

2011-12-01T11:31:00.001-08:00

Brant really wants to keep the wings, legs and head of the swan Blair shot. I put my foot down (HARD) and told him there was no way he was going to keep them on his "special" shelf in his room. He cried and begged to keep them, so as it was cold he put them under the bench on the porch (i hid them in a pizza box). Today, while cleaning up, the box may accidently get thrown in the garbage.

Our Blog

2011-12-01T11:04:00.000-08:00

Because we went private, our blog no longer refreshes to the top of the list on the sidebar when we post. We were feeling a little lonely over there and we were hoping that was the reason . . .

Happy Birthday, Hayley!

2011-11-27T17:27:00.000-08:00

Have a truly magnificent day! We love you!

2011-11-23T11:10:00.000-08:00

Santa was on my roof yesterday putting up Christmas lights. Thanks Elder Butler for making the kids in my neighborhood happy!

Happy Birthday Annabelle Olivia Bean!!

2011-11-22T23:23:00.000-08:00

Love, Grandma and Grandpa

Sarah

2011-11-20T06:56:00.001-08:00

Happy birthday! Yesterday.

Oatmeal

2011-11-20T06:54:00.001-08:00

There are two things I hate about oatmeal: It tastes gross, and there is always a lot of it.

"Eat them Up"

2011-11-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

I was absorbed in the super cute commercial of all these cute babies and toddlers snuggling their moms. The narrator over the top says:
"I remember when my kids were little, I just wanted to eat them up!"
Flash to SUPER cute little boy swishing his hands in the toilet.
Narrator voice over says:
"Some days I wish I had."
Que me bursting out laughing!

Super digging this song

2011-11-17T10:33:00.001-08:00

Dog Days Are Over by Florence and The Machine on Grooveshark

Bread Dough Nativity

2011-11-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

If anyone is interested, here is a link to directions to make the bread dough nativity that mom made so many years ago. Bread Dough Nativity

Tumblewood

2011-11-13T18:08:00.001-08:00

There's a tumbleweed in my yard.

Happy Birthday, Avery!

2011-10-29T19:08:00.001-07:00

We hope your weekend is full of lots of candy and spookiness! We love you!

Happy birthday, Isaac!

2011-10-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

We love you and hope you have a great day!

Sarah's turning 8

2011-10-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you know that Sarah is getting baptized the first weekend in December. You are all invited to come and we would love to have you there. No pressure though.

Republican debate

2011-10-18T22:10:00.001-07:00

Did anyone watch this? Because I just heard Herman Cain say that his plan hinges on companies lowering their prices because they are not paying as much in taxes.

What company on earth would think, "Hey, I don't need this money, let's lower prices."

Also, his plan encourages others to buy used goods. Doesn't this discourage consumer spending and wouldn't it kill jobs? Obeying live to hear your thoughts (or debate with you) on this subject.

Which brother (or in-law) is most likely....

2011-10-12T14:27:00.000-07:00

to have made this?

Prepare for the Zombie apocalypse

2011-10-06T23:34:00.001-07:00

I find this hilarious.

Strange quirks

2011-10-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

I recently realized that, while cleaning a particularly stubborn dish, I close my eyes and point my head toward the ceiling, as if I couldn't bear to see whether the dish is clean or not. What weird quirks do you have?

Oregon Vacation 2011

2011-10-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

Thought you guys might want to see some pictures of our vacation. There are a lot:)

Photo slideshow made with Smilebox

We LOVE Emma!

2011-10-02T19:19:00.001-07:00

Hope your feeling better. Sorry you were sick on your birthday. Maybe your Mom and Dad could give you a do-over birthday this week sometime. But we want you to know, you are very loved in this family. Grandma and Grandpa

Happy birthday emma!!!!

2011-10-01T19:14:00.001-07:00

We love you!

Happy birthday, Jen!

2011-09-24T13:04:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Jen!! We hope you have a marvelous, fantastic, terrific, stupendous, wonderful, splendid, awesome, amazing, fabulous, adjective-filled day! We love you!

Canning

2011-09-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

2 days
16 jars of peach jam
6 jars of blackberry jam (TO DIE FOR!)
23 jars of chicken
21 quarts of peaches
A great week with help from Alisha...

Happy Birthday Michael!

2011-09-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

We Love You! :o)

Solicitation

2011-09-11T14:48:00.000-07:00

We are trying to plan for expenses for our new baby and realized that we don't really have anything. Alisha has blessed us with clothing, and I am wondering if anyone has anything else that we might borrow. We are especially looking for a car seat that we can purchase for less than the astronomical amounts at Babys R Us. Thank you in advance for your help! We love you all!

2011-09-03T16:46:00.000-07:00

Beautiful isn't it. The only thing that would of made it better would be to have you all there sharing it with us. Mom

2011-09-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

Dad looking for agets, shells, and other treasures, Next a beautiful picture of fog and shore, last the island in the sea cave with seals.

Oregon Pics

2011-09-03T16:26:00.001-07:00

Top is the largest sea cave ever, thing in the middle of the water is a tiny island with sea lions.

Next is the fog we live in for half the time. Last is a lighthouse.

Pictures of cars

2011-09-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

Here are our new additions!

Out With The OLD!

2011-09-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

Out with the Old and in with the new! We were so tired of paying $25+ each time we would take the Beast to BYUI, which would happen at Least once a week so we set out to buy a more economical car. After much study and debate we went with Dad's first thought, a Subaru Outback. While we were sitting there waiting for paperwork, Dad wanted to go check out a sporty little Subaru in the parking lot. I could tell he was in love with it by the way he raised the hood and walked around and around it, but knew it was brand new and way to expensive. We both knew we were going to have to purchase yet another car before winter because our current car had no heat (non acceptable) and no cruise control (irritating). With it being worth only around $800 it was hard putting a big outlay of money on it. Dad has also been driving without air conditioning all summer. I told the salesman we were working with, "If you have any other less expensive sports cars, show them to him and I'll bet he'll buy it". The guy said "Really?" So when Dad came back in the guy said "I've got a little 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse, do you want to see it?" That's all it took. Dad loves eclipse. Maybe even more than 1965 Mustangs. We walked out to see it and found it to be so "Cute" (My thoughts not Dad's) . But he absolutely loved it also. So we surprised ourselves and bought two cars. I'm so happy for Dad. He deserves some real joys in his life along his children and grand children.

Happy birthday Mom!

2011-08-20T21:51:00.001-07:00

We love you!

Bad Planking

2011-08-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

I know, you've seen my family planking a lot..but we're hooked! We think that it will be a life long family sport...and we think that all of you should join us. These are from our trip, it just took longer to get the rest pulled of the other camera. Brant and Alex were very into "badland planking". Mommy was nervous because they wanted to get to the very edge of the plateau for the picture- better effects I guess? PHEW! Seriously though, this was one of the most amazing places to see. Not the dramatic colors of southern Utah, but some amazing and beautiful formations. We want to go back and spend a couple of days hiking and camping!

Blair Planking Blair

2011-07-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

I know, pretty ingenious, eh? And Kudos to Blair for actually doing it! He had to scramble to get up on top, and all the while we kept expecting the small town police to drive by and UNWELCOME us to Blair. (Brooke pointed out that the sign actually says "welcome Blair" like they really were greeting him, rather then the more logical "Welcome TO Blair"). We had to go out of our way by about 20 minutes to get this pic...and to say that we had been in Nebraska. Most of the trip we were driving along the Missouri river, but on the S. Dakota side, and looking across the bank we could see Nebraska.

Holy Planking....

2011-07-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed coming up with fun planking ideas while vacationing. There were quite a few the kids wanted to try, but mom and dad did try to keep them a little under control This "Holy Planking" took place OFF of the temple ground, but in front of the Nauvoo temple. And we did take a nice picture of her too... and it was her idea....

208-881-3489

2011-07-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

208-881-3489 That is Jeff's new phone number, just in case if any of you dont have this, he cancelled his old phone, and now has this verizon one. :o)