50 Miles

My hubby and the girls went with the scouts on a {crazy} 50 mile hike! Here are a few pictures from the week, including ones from the terrible fire that forced them to come home a day early {but don't worry, they still got their miles in}.

Kindle Sleeve

Last time I was at my friend Molly's house, I noticed that she didn't have anything to protect her Kindle. Naturally I just HAD to whip her up this fun sleeve for her birthday! I made sure to use minkee fabric on the inside to protect the Kindle, but I was super excited when I found this fun fabric line for the outside! I didn't really know what I was doing, but she liked it haha! Happy Birthday Molly!

164 More Days...

The Bapron

A few weeks ago my sister in law asked me to make a bib for my nephew, who is an adorable, but messy eater! Ironically, THIS post came out about that time and I finally got around to making her two (because lets face it, these are adorable). I followed THIS tutorial for making my own bias tape and I was pleased with how quick these came together! Wouldn't these make such a fun baby shower gift?!

Couponing

Once upon a time I was an instructor for Coupon$ense. It was pretty cool to get all those crazy deals and I LOVED my stock pile (and so did many of our friends and the missionaries). I fizzled out when we moved to Colorado. Well, one night me and my hubby watched the new TLC show Extreme Couponing, and a seed was planted again. He teased that he would get all the coupons if I would do all the shopping. To my surprise, he came home from a 2 hour walk the other night, with all the neighbors coupons! I guess it was his subtle way of saying let's get started!

So, today I ran into Target real quick and saw an end cap with clearance twin packs of Old Spice body wash for $3.40. Well I just so happened to have a Target coupon for $1.00 off Old Spice body wash, and since Target is cool and will accept a manufacturers coupon on top of one of theirs, I used a buy 1 body wash get 1 free. That's right...4 body washes for $2.40...or 60 cents a piece! I grabbed 2 more to stock up. Then I found 2 clearance deodorants (which had a free body spray included) for $3.40 a piece, which I used $1.00 off Target coupon and a $1.00 off manufacturers coupon (I had to buy 2 Old Spice items to fulfill the coupon). That's $4.80. My grand total today was $9.60. That's pretty good considering I got 8 body washes, 2 deodorants, and 2 body sprays!

Scrumptious Sundays

Creamy Cheese Dip

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 green onions, finely chopped
Dash of cayenne pepper
12 Ritz crackers, crushed
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, green onions and cayenne pepper. Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish. Top mixture with cracker crumbs and bacon and bake for 15 minutes. Serve immediately with Ritz crackers or baguette bread.

Scrumptious Sundays

Gouda Burger

This was one of those throw it together type meals and it has become a favorite!

1 lb hamburger

1 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled (Bacon Made Easy)

1 cup smoked gouda cheese, shredded

1 egg

1 tsp montreal steak seasoning

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients thoroughly (gloves are worth it). Form into 4 - 5 large (not thick) patties (remember they shrink). Grill.

Bacon Made Easy

Thank you to my dear friend Amy, who showed me the light when it comes to making bacon! I absolutely HATE the pop, sizzle, and mess that comes with making bacon. Wanna know a secret?! Bake it! You can still keep the grease too (for other recipes)! This is so easy friends! Preheat your oven to 400°, line a cookie sheet with foil, put a wire rack on top of the foil, place desired amount of bacon on rack (it can overlap), cook for 15 minutes, turn, then cook for another 10-15 minutes. Easy! Try it with tomorrows Scrumptious Sunday!

Scrumptious Sundays

Banana Bread

I'm not gonna lie, I think I have the best banana bread recipe ever! That is until about 3:54 pm on 4-26-11.

So I "blog stalk" a lot of websites. One of them being THIS fabulous .com! Well, she did THIS post about her banana bread recipe and I had some buttermilk that was about to be thrown out (and I was kinda inspired by her amazing oven). So, I decided I could just give her recipe a try...why not, right?! Umm...HELLO perfection! You guys don't know what you're missing! You need to get in your car, drive quickly (but safely) to the grocery store, and purchase the items to make this recipe. You won't regret it! I may have tweaked the recipe a little bit, but I needed a chocolate fix so I added 1 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. I also didn't have any of the tiny bread pans, so I used my regular bread pans to make 3 loafs and I cooked them for 35 minutes. What are you waiting for?! Hurry and click over to her blog and print off her cute recipe card!

ATTENTION!!!

Hey you!

Yeah you!

Do you take pictures with your cell phone?

Please watch THIS quick video.

You won't regret it.

It might just keep you safe!

Not The Best Helper

Sometimes it's hard to get work done around the house because Liberty isn't a fan of the vacuum...

Imagine My Surprise...

I had a coupon for these new Wheat Thin Sticks. Imagine my surprise when they were on sale and I purchased this box for a whoppin $.28! Now imagine my surprise when I tasted them, then realized something didn't taste quite right. I read over the ingredients and realized the "kick" at the end is jalapeno juice! So I read the front of the box again and the flavor is "Cinnamon Kick" not Cinnamon Stick! They are good still, but even better dipped in cream cheese!

Monster

I found a fun way to use my fabric scraps! A while back I saw someone post a monster baby toy that combined the idea of a ribbon rag and plush toy. I loved it and stole the idea for a baby boy gift. The mouth was super hard to do but I ended up doing a crazy stitch and zig zag stitch all the while telling myself that it made it look like a crazy monster mouth. The perfectionist in me had to just let go and say yeah, it kinda looks monsterish! For a made up pattern it eventually came out ok.

Easter Brunch

Saturday was our traditional Easter brunch at Grandma & Grandpa Harmon's house! It is the only time we are allowed to have ice cream on our waffles (what happens at Grandmas stays at Grandmas)! We had a huge spread of food (as always)!

Brunch was followed by the Easter egg hunt. I didn't get any pictures of Phil and I, but I followed my nephews around to take pictures for my brother and sister-in-law.

All the great grandkids had a blast searching for eggs in the backyard. In years past the grandkids knew that if we held out long enough, then Grandpa and Grandma would start offering money for the harder to find eggs. This year they surprised us by saying that the front yard was just for us...and they sure didn't disappoint. We were vicious trying to find those $20 eggs! It was so fun!

The Easter Bunny is always so creative! This year each child had to follow the color of string that was attached to their name. Eventually it led to their basket!

This video isn't the greatest quality, but it is hilarious nonetheless! This is my nephew Jaron who recently learned what "astonished" means from the scriptures!

Happy Easter!!!

Scrumptious Sundays

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg Oreos

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

1 brick Bakers chocolate

Blend Oreos to a fine powder. In a mixer combine Oreo crumbs and cream cheese. Mix thoroughly. Form each truffle with a 1 inch cookie scoop. Place on a wax lined cookie sheet. Melt Bakers chocolate and dip each truffle. Add sprinkles if desired. Place in fridge or freezer to harden. Store in fridge.

Shelby vs Liberty

We had it so easy with Shelby! The few times she ever did something naughty we said no and she never did it again. Liberty, on the other hand, is a repeat offender and we've resorted to a little time out area for 1 minute, then we show her what is a "no no" again and tell her so firmly. Today she did something naughty and I stood there with my hands on my hips without saying a word and she put her head down and slowly walked to time out. I tried so hard not to laugh! When her minute was up I said "ok" and she went right over to what she knew she had done and sat and waited for me to talk to her. I think it's time to figure out a new discipline technique!

We LOVE Miss Liberty, don't get me wrong! She is super smart! We put a bell on the door for her to ring so we could know when she needed to go out to go potty and she just figured it out! Shelby on the other hand will sit quietly by the door for 30 minutes then finally ring the bell. The girls are night and day different, that's all. Shelby is very passive and listens incredibly well. Liberty rules the roost and has selective hearing. We love their unique personalities though and wouldn't have it any other way!

Scrumptious Sundays

Avocado Smoothie

Before you freak out on me and leave this page, just hear me out. The name of this recipe is enough to make me click the 'close window' button too. While we were in Vegas last weekend we stayed with Phil's sister Julie and she shared this awesome concoction that I have been dying to share with you.

I HATE FRUIT and therefore I HATE SMOOTHIES! That is until I gave this recipe a try. Guess what...I liked it......like a lot! I rushed home and made myself a batch. In fact this recipe makes about 3 days worth of smoothies for me (which I just keep in quart size jars in the fridge). The cool thing is you can't taste the avocado, but you are getting the healthy fat. I like to throw in a packet of Green On The Go with it too (but be warned it changes the flavor a little). It took me a few times to get used to the consistency (again I hate smoothies), but yeah for a healthy start to the day!

3 apples

1 avocado

1/2 can frozen juice concentrate

1/2 cup raw almonds

1 cup water

Blend for 1-2 minutes. Serve chilled. Store leftovers in fridge.

What Happens In Vegas...

...doesn't always stay in Vegas because I'm about to share with you what we've been up to lately. So, Phil applied to UNLV and got an interview (yeah), and ironically a job we stumbled upon (which was totally written for us) wanted to interview us that same weekend. Off we went in my aunts cute little car (thanks Sherlene)! We were laughing and I was quizzing him on what questions the school interviewers might ask when we both realized that the last sign to Vegas said 70ish miles and we were coming to an odd state check point. Long story short, we missed our little turn off and we made a slight detour through California, but we still got to Vegas about an hour or so later than planned. No biggie, but we laughed forever about it. Because we weren't paying attention, we put a few extra miles on my aunts car than planned and we helped her immaculate 2004 hit 20,000 miles! Ya, you read that right! Here's the proof (and sadly the only picture from the entire weekend)!

His interview went well, but we found out he was wait listed. Our job interview went awesome and it was pretty much what we had expected, but it wasn't until the drive home that we both had to have some pretty serious conversations about it. The job is a once in a life time opportunity, but it would mean pushing his schooling back for a minimum of a year, and sadly, we would need to find a home for Liberty. We did as they told us making lists of priorities and pros and cons. Well, as luck would have it, we were offered the position, which is what we decided was best for our family right now, and if all our background checks pass, we will be moving to Vegas around the middle of May! When we know more, we will share more about our plans and the job. Thanks for everyones sweet comments and support!

UPDATE: Vegas is a no go...but it is for the best!

Because I'm Cool Like That

Imagine my surprise when I noticed at 8:00 pm that my shoes didn't match. I know I came home after work and slipped them off under my desk while checking emails. I quickly slipped my shoes on without looking to run an errand, and when I looked down I laughed out loud at myself. I hope think that I had my other pair of shoes down there too and I just mixed the two up.

Thank You {Jerk}

There's nothing like procrastination right?! I love the thrill of working on projects at the last minute because I push my creativity to the max. Tonight I got to work on 3 projects I need to have ready to present tomorrow at work. After a few hours in Photoshop I go to print the final product and of course my printer was out of ink. Don't worry, I was prepared and purchased some ink last week knowing I was going to need it soon. I rip open the box...

...and find the following!

What?! Are you freaking kidding me?! Thank you to the JERK who apparently purchased these ink cartridges, used them, put them back in the wrappers, hot glued the box back together, and returned them! You have ruined my night! Now if I take them back to Walmart {yes, I am saying exactly where I bought them} they probably won't believe me because I bought them last week and I don't have the receipt. Who does that?!

Scrumptious Sundays

Cajun Chicken Pasta

8 oz fettuccine noodles

1 onion, halved & sliced

1 green bell pepper, halved & sliced

1 red bell pepper, halved & sliced

2 tbls oil

2 cups chicken, cooked & cubed

2 tsp cajun seasoning

1 tsp minced garlic

1 jar Alfredo sauce

1/2 cup spaghetti sauce

2 cups Italian blend cheese

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. In a large skillet saute onions and peppers in oil until tender. Add chicken, cajun seasoning, and garlic; heat through. Stir in Alfredo and spaghetti sauces. Drain fettuccine and add to sauce mixture. Transfer to a greased 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Addiction

Really Trader Joe's?! As if I need another sinful addiction {although Dr. Pepper isn't sinful, it's just an addiction}! I really heart these yummy treats!

Scrumptious Sundays

Turkey Pesto Meatballs

These meatballs are so super yummy! We love the flavor and the fact that you can freeze what you don't use!

2 lbs ground turkey

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 {small} jar Classico Basil Pesto

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

Mix everything in a bowl and combine well {gloves are optional}. Roll mixture into about 1 inch balls. I use a cookie scoop to make them all the same size. Put them on a cooling rack on top of a foil lined cookie sheet sprayed with a little cooking spray. Bake the meatballs at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Serve over noodles with spaghetti sauce.

Image

Is your image distorted?

Service

I decided to do a little service in the month of February. You know...spread some "love" {haha}. I used Craft Hope's latest project, which is birthing kits for Haiti. I roped in a few friends to help and altogether we made 6 bags. It was fun to get together and chit chat and do something for a good cause. Thank you Angie and Molly!

For each kit we had to make a bag {we used this pattern} to hold the following items {which were sealed in a gallon baggie}

1 small bar of soap
1 packet alcohol wipe
1 packet Purelle
1 pair of clean latex gloves
1 square yard of clear sheeting
3 pieces of clean string each 12″ long
flannelette/cotton receiving blanket 1 square yard

Here are their bags that they made! Molly's is on the left, Angie's is on the right!

Here are the bags I made. I made one to show them, one with them, then I decided at the last minute to make 2 more since we had enough for 6 kits.

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve and the means to do so. It helps to have friends who feel the same way too! It does my heart good!

Sickies

Common sense people! When your child is sick, you don't take them to places where they can expose other kids. The same is true for dogs. Thank you to the irresponsible owner who took their sick dog to the dog park and let him/her drink from the community water therefore causing me $350 worth in vet bills, chest x-rays, and antibiotics. NOT COOL! I guess we will now be vaccinating every 6 months for kennel cough. It's a small price to pay when our dogs are super social and LOVE to play at the dog park.

Look at these poor girls who are zoned out because they are drugged up on meds. None of us got sleep for approximately 3 days because every 10 minutes someone was coughing up a lung. Shelby ended up with an upper and lower respiratory infection and Liberty had what they think is a form of pneumonia. Alas, we are on the mend!

Scrumptious Sundays

Stuffed Pork Chops

This recipe was delicious and I tweaked it to my liking, but owe the inspiration to these cute girls.

4 boneless loin chops, 1" thick

4 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, grated

4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup cooked spinach, wring out extra water

bacon grease

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grate the cheese and mix with the bacon and spinach. Cut pork chops horizontally most of the way through (but not all the way) to create a pocket for the filling. Divide the cheese mixture among the pork chops filling them by hand. Season as desired. Heat grease from bacon using the same frying pan. Sear each side of the pork chops for about 2 minutes per side. Transfer pork chops to a cookie sheet. Cover with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes or until juices run clear when pork chops are pierced with a knife.

We Made It!

After a ridiculously long drawn out move...we made it to Arizona! I think that sometimes my LOVE for planning is a curse because really, how often do things go off without a hitch?! Well we were pleasantly surprised when the truck was loaded and the house was cleaned by 5:00 pm on the day we planned! That left us a few hours to do the finishing touches, say goodbye to some friends, eat dinner, shower, and get to bed early. Of course we ended up dragging our feet and taking far too long and crashed on our friends couches (thank you Comptons) in the wee hours of the morning. We were going back and forth about what time to leave the next morning because they were planning on icy roads (dangerous in TX). We ended up sleeping in until 7:00 am. Not bad, but we went back to our house to put the bikes on the car and head out. Our landlord pulled up as we were getting in the car and he ended up staying for 2 HOURS! At 10:00 we were finally at the gas station filling up and about to head out on the open road when Phil decided to check the tire pressure. As luck would have it...we had a screw on the side wall of our tire. So Phil told me to run to Walmart and he'd wait for me. Waste of time. Walmart said that they couldn't do anything for a puncture in the side and sent me off to Discount Tire. Discount Tire was super cool and said since I had a 5th tire on the back they could put that on...until he went and checked and found out that it was a different size than the other 4 tires. WHAT?! Plan B...buy 1 new tire and put the back tire on with it (I can have 2 different sizes on the front and the back - who knew). The guy ran outside to check and came back in to inform me that we needed to go to Plan C because it was the original tire from 2001 and they legally couldn't put it on. Plan C...call daddy! Daddy forked over money for one tire and we fork over money for the other. At 1:30 pm I called Phil from the freeway (driving on my 2 new $440 tires) and asked him if he wanted me to grab him something to eat so we could get on the road and maybe make it halfway. He laughed and said that would be great, but we won't be getting very far today...the moving van won't start. Of course it won't start, if you know us, we never have good luck! Plan D. Budget came out, jumped the van, took Phil to their location to install a new battery, and by 3:30 we knew we had to go to Plan Z. We called our friends to see if we could stay the night (thank you Browns) and they graciously put us up in their guest room! We did get up the next morning and got on the road and finally made it to Arizona with no other problems! Whew! And to think, we'll probably be moving again in 6 months!

Argh!

Poor Phil had a little accident with the dogs a few days before we moved. He was playing outside at our friends house in their backyard with all 4 dogs (2 were ours, 2 were theirs). Long story short he got scratched on the eye and eye lid. Luckily our friends saved the day because they just happened to have some eye antibiotics (way random)! So we quickly patched it up and kept it medicated for a few days. He makes a cute (tired) pirate!

Real BBQ

Before we said goodbye to Texas we felt it was critical to our departure that we eat real bbq. Boy howdy did we find the best smokehouse ever! Check out their loaded french fries! This place was awesome! If you are ever in Dallas you should try The Railroad Smokehouse!