The 2nd happiest place on earth- Lagoon 2016

Wild Child Chill Summer Days

Leprechaun Traps for St. Patrick's Day

Recipes for Sisters

Howdy blogger people. I need to share a few of my favorite recipes with the lovely Haws sisters and friends and  I  figured this would be the easiest way to share. Don't get your hopes up for posts in the near future because I am not really great at getting much done these done that require me to sit at the computer, or clean:) 

White Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

10 soft taco shells

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan

Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.

Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese

Beef and Broccoli

First, marinate the meat:

 1/2 tsp baking soda

 1 tsp sugar

 1 tbsp cornstarch

 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

 1 tbsp water § 2 tbsp vegetable oil

 1 1/2 lbs flank steak, sliced into thin strips

Whisk together the baking soda, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, water, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Toss the steak with the marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, then proceed below.

 1/2 c low-sodium soy sauce (Do NOT use regular. The final product will be way too salty)

 2 tbsp brown sugar

 4 cloves garlic, minced

 2 tbsp flour

 1 tbsp sherry

 3 tbsp vegetable oil

 2 heads broccoli, crowns only

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1. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, flour and sherry until smooth. Set aside.

2. In a large wok or saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering. Add broccoli and saute 3 minutes, stirring often. Transfer broccoli to a plate.

 3. Reduce heat to medium-high. Carefully add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Add the marinated meat and half of the sauce mixture and saute for 3- 4 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Stir in the broccoli and remaining sauce. Saute 1 minute more. Serve

ROASTED NEW POTATOES AND ASPARAGUS

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch fresh asparagus, with thick stalks, ends trimmed, cut in 1 1/2 – 2 inch pieces

1-2 pounds new potatoes, cut in half or thirds (the larger ones)

olive oil

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed between fingertips

sea or kosher salt and fresh black pepper

1-2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, chopped

fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In an extra large mixing bowl toss the asparagus, potatoes, 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning and plenty of salt and pepper together. Alternately you can use your hands to massage the oil and seasonings into the vegetables.

Grease a roasting pan, casserole dish or sheet pan. Roast vegetables about 35-45 minutes until potatoes are tender. Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

Ingredients

¹⁄₂   cup milk

1¹⁄₂   tbsp peanut butter

1   tbsp honey

¹⁄₂   tbsp cocoa powder

1   banana

1   cup ice cubes

Throw the ingredients  in and blend for 45 seconds

Guacamole

INGREDIENTS:

3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed 1 lime, juiced 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup diced onion

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

Here is my little vampire baby! His front tooth is just about to break through, and I had to get a picture

before it did. I tried once before to get a picture of his fangs, but Chandler was fighting hard not to have my fingers in his month. The picture I did get of his teeth the first round  look awful. It looked like I was ripping off his lip! I couldn't post a picture where it looked like I was ripping lips off. This time around I pulled out the big guns to get Chandler to be a little happier with me prying he mouth open. When I say big guns I mean chocolate. And Yes, Chandler loved it! 

New Years Resolutions

Typically I never think much about making New Years Resolutions because I am to cool for that, just kidding! I just haven't ever really been attracted to the idea, but at the end of 2013 I saw so many ways I needed to improve. So my New Years resolution is to improve. I made a few little signs that I put up on the magnet board in my room, and my goal each day is to get as many of them accomplished as possible. My little signs say: Pray, Read the Scriptures, Give Service, Make a Record, Stay Calm, Make Dinner, Eat Healthy, Do a load of Laundry, Workout, Clean something, and Do the Dishes After Every Meal. :) Eating Healthy is totally my hang up. I just love to EAT A LOT! Even when I make healthy food I eat way to much thus not making as healthy. I also Haven't been great at keeping my sink clean.(Jake has been ding the dishes for me lately and I LOVE him for it.) I will improve in those two things!

Here are my littles today! Tori and Macy are holding little chocolate mint sticks that I bought at a discount at fresh market. I really like them because that are so yummy and small enough they are only 15 calories each. 

2013

Wow 2013 is over and I didn't post once. I bet y'all thought this blog was abandoned. Ha! I did think about posting quite a few times :) But it is taking a New Years resolutions for me to get my fingers a moving.

This year to save a few pennies I skipped on sending on Christmas cards :(  so let me share with you a few things from last year...


Jake started the year off right by nearly cutting his finger off. No, his finger was not dangling by the skin or anything, but he cut through the tendon and nerve. Thus he needed surgery. How did he do this? By attempting to cut off the little 'feet' off of a power strip with a super sharp chisel. Jake went to physical therapy for 12 weeks for that! The best news of 2013 for Jake  GOT INTO BYU!!! Woot Woot! In July Jake started his MBA. He is still working at General Atomics while he goes to school in the evening. He also  fills his time working on a starting business. At the moment he is working on www.MFGlink.com. check it out!

I had a wonderful year adjusting  to life with three children. On occasion I feel over whelmed, but I LOVE having 3 children. I was expecting the worst, but three children has been such a wonderful blessing. My pregnancy felt never ending, and the end of it was very emotional for me. I was pregnant for 42 weeks! I never thought I would be pregnant that long! I even planned the blessing for the baby at a week and half after my due date but my baby didn't come for it! Oh I want to cry just thinking about  how big  of a mess I was. My family came and left and I was still pregnant! My labor and delivery was good. I had a home birth and really loved being able to give birth where I felt most comfortable.
 
Tori started Kindergarten! She is in a Spanish immersion program, so half of her school work is taught in Spanish. She really likes her teacher and the new friends she has made. Tori is still in ballet and really enjoys  being able to go every week! Tori love being a big sister! She is always willing to help her brother feel better if he cries and play with him. She loves crafting everything from necklaces to painting. She also really enjoys making books.

Miss Macy Leona  is my strait talking little firecracker with the most sweet and tender little heart. Every day that girl pipes up with the most outrageous things to say. Whatever she has to say it is always true and it makes to laugh. One thing she did that wasn't so funny was to cut her own bangs. Thankfully she did a okay job, and only cut her bangs, but we are still waiting for them to grow in. Macy started taking Ballet lessons this year, and she is now leaping gracefully wherever she goes.  Macy also loves being a big sister and is way to eager to smother her Brother with kisses!

Chandler Jacob Green is the newest member of our family and he has stolen all of our hearts. He was born on April 30, and gave us a big smile the very first day he was born! He has been a wonderful baby. He is happy and sweet and just a lovely ray of happiness and light in my our families' life. He is growing to fast. He is now eight months and walking along the couch. He loves to cuddle and play with balls. Oh and he has little vampire teeth right now because his two front teeth have not come in but the teeth to sides of them have.

Our family enjoyed a few awesome trips this year. We were able to go to Moab, UT, Disney Land, and of course Paris, ID! We enjoyed visits form family and fiends from Michigan, Texas, Louisiana,and Colorado!

So there you have 2013 in a nutshell!

Family Reunion Calendar

Fancy Smany

Okay I shouldn't have been quite so dramatic about the lack of pictures I have taken a few posts ago because Jake has been taking pictures. Have I mentioned Jake received a extra fancy camera for Christmas? Well he did, thus he has been been more of the photographer for the family than I. So here are a few more pictures we have from earlier this year I would like to catch you up on. Oh I guess I should find Christmas and Tori Birthday pictures, maybe in a couple days.

 We celebrated Mardi Gras with Angela's family and the Ellsworth's with a yummy king cake form a local bakery and enchiladas(not pictured)

Tori helped me make my mask.

Tori was going wild to the Zydeco music.

moving on....

Our children nap every where but their beds.

We also celebrated St. Patricks Day at Angela and Loyd's. We had a tasty brunch, and all the food was made festive some way.

And Macy got her feelings hurt. Angela touched her Lucky Charms, or something completely awful.
Shame on Angela ;)

And just one more cute picture I found.

Celestail Happening

So as mnay of you know there was a total solar eclipse on Sunday and we had a little solar eclipse party to celebrate the rare celestial event. The view on our front porch with welding mask was just peachy.