Bring on the Holidays

I've always wanted a live Christmas tree, mostly because I think going out and chopping one as a family is memorable and fun. This was the first year we got to try it out, and I'd say the outing was a hit! We went to a nearby tree farm, searched to find a tree worthy to deem our own, then Matt used his mad skills to saw that puppy down.





On Saturday we headed to the airport for Santa's arrival via firetruck. We waited in line for way too long (the Grinch in me came out when person after person cut in front of us in line). Sky and Kaitlyn finally got to see the big man up close and personal. Sky was not a fan. But she did get a lame bracelet and got to decorate a cookie, so the outing wasn't too much of a waste. ;)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday we headed four hours northeast to Sandusky, Ohio and spent Thanksgiving day with some of our favorite friends from medical school. It was so good to see them, and the food did not disappoint. Jenni was the mastermind behind the planning and execution, and I dare say she is one of the best cooks I've ever known.

The Whitings (friends of the Rackers) hosted us, the Rackers, Renchers, Beestons, and a few other families from Sandusky.

Billy, Nick, Nate, Kaitlyn, and Matt

Jenni, Nathalie, Erin, and Megan
I love these girls! When we met none of us had kids. Four years and nine kids later my love and admiration for these women has only grown.

Skylie taking a whack (or two or three) at the turkey pinata

Skylie and her mama

Kaitlyn and her daddy

We got many, many comments on what a good, quiet baby Kaitlyn is.

We definitely hope to see our Ohio friends again, soon.

P.S. We missed you, Annie and Caleb!

Lessons In Painting

Thank you those of you who offered painting advice. In all honestly, I relied heavily on your guidance. My five-day painting marathon earlier this month taught me a thing or two:

1. Letting your two-year-old watch Tangled ten times in one week isn't the worst dilemma in the world of parenting.
2. Having your two-year-old get into the paint just might be.
3. Home Depot rocks. Those employees know their stuff.
4. For taping, nothing compares to Frog Tape.
5. It really is possible to do trim without tape, if you have a good brush.
   
6. Sherwin Williams and Purdy paint brushes are amazing.
7. Beginning your painting project on a weekend when you have a family baptism, a hair appointment, and other meetings may not be the best timing.
8. In the end, it is just paint. It can be covered up.

Per Megan's suggestion, I'll post a few pictures of the painting project. I had to snap these pictures right after I cleaned, because I knew that within five minutes my house would be complete chaos again. :)

BEFORE:

AFTER:

(The color in the kitchen looks better than in these photos, I think. After finishing, I realized I really liked the gray and wanted to paint the gold wall in the kitchen gray, instead. But Matt prefers the gold, and I'm burnt out for now.)

Notice the gray wall above next to the door? I plan to stencil it and make it similar to the picture below.

Colors are by Glidden:
Brown-gray: Meadowlark
Light yellow: Tawny Birch
Gold: Grand Canyon

From the Mouth of My Babe

I recently pulled out this toy for Kaitlyn, but Skylie took to it like a fish takes to water. It brought back memories.

November 2011

December 2009

How did my baby grow so fast?

TEMPLES

I'm finally following President Monson's (and President Kimball's) counsel to, "have in every bedroom in their house a picture of the temple so [their children] from the time [they are] infant[s] could look at the picture every day [until] it becomes a part of [their lives]."

The pictures aren't anything fancy--just the $1 prints that can be purchased here, and they are even only taped to the wall in my kids' rooms.

Miss Skylie noticed these pictures within hours after I posted them. Some of her comments about them have been:

"It's a temple, Mommy!"
"I go inside someday."
"It's my temple." (When she sees the temple in her bedroom.)
"It's Kaitlyn's temple." (Referring to the temple in Kaitlyn's room.)
"Sing a temple song?"

CUTE GIRL

At breakfast this week:

Me: "Are you a cute girl?"
Skylie grinning in PJ's, with her face covered in oatmeal, and rockin' bedhead: "YES! I a CUTE GIRL!"
Skylie continued pointing to Kaitlyn then Mommy: "Kaitlyn's a cute girl! Mommy's a cute girl!"
Me (seeing if she was paying attention): "Is daddy a cute girl?"
Pause.
Skylie questioning, "Ah... yeah?"
Pause.
Skylie: "He's a BOY!"

If only we could all have the self confidence of a two-year-old.

LOVE

Driving home from Ohio at midnight on Thanksgiving...

Matt and I have just finished talking about how much we love our kids and never want anything bad to happen to them. I was feeling a little sentimental so I reached back, rubbed Sky's hand, and said, "I love you, Skylie."

Me: "Do you love Mommy?"
Skylie: Silence, while she stared in a trance at the portable DVD player
Me: "Do you love Daddy?"
Skylie: More silence
Skylie: "I love movies."

Kaitlyn's Two Month Pictures

October 5, 2011
Courtesy Olan Mills Portrait Studios

What Should Santa Bring My Two Year Old?

I'm seeking advice. What should I get Skylie for Christmas? She's two. Our Christmas will be modest by scope, but I want to get her one great present that she'll love.

Some friends have told me some great ideas for deciding how many gifts they give their kids, and I thought the ideas were too good not to share. One friend gives three gifts to each child (not including what grandparents and others might give), representing the three gifts the wise men brought.

Another friend does the same thing, but she classifies the toys in three categories: 1) a fun toy, 2) a gospel-centered gift, and 3) an educational gift.

I'm thinking I'll try this approach this year. Sky will get a puzzle (They're educational, right?) and the Scripture Stories DVDs. But what great toy should I get my little one?

P.S. I haven't forgotten Kaitlyn. But her gifts will be a bit, uh, easier to scrounge up. :)

Creamy White Chile

Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 3 tsp. chick bullion
- 3 cups water
- 3 cans Great Northern Beans (rinsed & drained)
- 1 can corn
- 1 can chopped green chilies
- 1-2 cooked chicken breasts
- 8 oz. cream cheese

- 1 cup sour cream
- Tortilla chips
- Shredded cheese

Directions:
Put everything except chips and sour cream into the crock-pot. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Add the cream cheese the last 30 minutes. Top with sour cream, cheese, and tortilla chips.

Turkey Burgers

Don't let the fact that these burgers are made with turkey sway you from trying them. Matt made these babies a while back and I couldn't get enough.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds ground turkey
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, seasoned bread crumbs, onion, egg whites, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Form into 12 patties.
2. Cook the patties in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning once, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).

Copy Cat Lion House Chicken Salad

Natalie Jolley shared this recipe with me, and it's to die for.

• 4 chicken breasts
• 5 stalks celery finely chopped
• 1 yellow onion VERY finely chopped
• 2 tsp. WHITE pepper
• 2 tsp. KOSHER salt
• 1-2 cups MAYONAISE (enough to moisten the salad to your liking)
  

1. Microwave chicken 8-10 minutes until no pink is left. (This is the best way to cook it for the salad. You can boil it if you would like, that works just as well but it takes longer)
2. Chop chicken. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Using your hands, work the chicken into a tuna like consistency. Just by "kneading" the chopped chicken it will break apart nicely.
3. Add celery, onion, white pepper, and salt. Work with hands again until all ingredients are incorporated.
4. Add Mayo (Miracle Whip is fine, but the Lion House uses Mayo) and mix until desired moistness is achieved.
5. Serve with leaves of RED cabbage, homemade rolls, and a pickel spear. Just the way the Lion House does it.

Baked Salmon

• 1 lb fresh salmon
• 1 tbs chopped fresh dill or tarragon
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• Fresh ground pepper
  

Place the salmon in a baking dish. A layer of non- stick aluminum foil makes the clean up easier. Sprinkle on the dill and soy sauce and grind on some black pepper. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45-60 min at 350. Salmon should not be overcooked. Fresh tarragon or the grated zest and juice of a small lemon can be substituted for the dill, which will give quite a different flavor. The tarragon version is very good.

Pad Thai

Another recipe Matt tried out that we loved.

Pad Thai

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. Thai rice noodles (or enough for 2 people), linguini-width, available at Asian/Chinese stores to 1 1/2 cups raw chicken breast or thigh meat, sliced
• Marinade for Chicken: 1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• optional: 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced
• 3 cups fresh bean sprouts
• 3 spring (green) onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander/cilantro
• 1/3 cup crushed or roughly chopped peanuts (or other nuts, such as cashews)
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
• vegetable oil for stir-frying, and wedges of lime

PAD THAI SAUCE:

• 3/4 Tbsp. tamarind paste dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water (look for tamarind at Asian/Chinese or Indian food stores)
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce, + more to taste
• 1-3 tsp. chili sauce, or substitute 1/2 tsp. or more dried crushed chili or cayenne, to taste
• 3 Tbsp. brown sugar

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of pot to a boil and remove from heat. Dunk in your rice noodles. Allow noodles to soak while you prepare the other ingredients. Note: you will be frying the noodles later, so you don't want to over-soften them now. Noodles are ready to be drained when they are soft enough to be eaten, but are still firm and a little "crunchy". Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
2. Make the Pad Thai Sauce by combining the sauce ingredients together in a cup. Stir well to dissolve the tamarind paste and brown sugar. Set aside. Note: this may seem like a lot of sugar, but you need it to balance out the sourness of the tamarind - this balance is what makes Pad Thai taste so amazing!
3. Place chicken slices in a small bowl. Pour the marinade (2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp. soy sauce) over the chicken. Stir well and set aside.
4. Warm up a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp. oil plus garlic and minced chili, if using. Stir-fry until fragrant (30 seconds).
5. Add chicken together with the marinade. Stir-fry 30 seconds to 1 minute. When wok/pan becomes dry, add a little chicken stock, 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, to keep the chicken frying nicely. Continue stir-frying in this way until the chicken is cooked (5-8 minutes).
6. Add the noodles, and pour the Pad Thai sauce over. Using two spatulas, wooden spoons, or other utensils, immediately stir-fry the noodles. Use a gentle "lift and turn" method (like tossing a salad) to prevent noodles from breaking. Stir-fry in this way 1-2 minutes. If you find your wok/frying pan too dry, push noodles aside and add a little more oil to the bottom (but no more broth, or the noodles will become soggy).
7. Add the bean sprouts and sprinkle over the pepper. Continue "tossing" 1 more minute, or until noodles are cooked. Noodles are done to perfection when they are no longer "hard" or crunchy, but chewy-sticky wonderful!
8. Taste-test for seasoning, adding more fish sauce until desired flavor is reached (I usually add at least 1 more Tbsp. fish sauce). Toss well to incorporate.
9. Lift noodles onto a serving plate. Top with generous amounts of fresh coriander, spring onion, and crushed/chopped nuts. Add fresh lime wedges (lime is great squeezed overtop), and if desired, serve with Nam Prik Pao Chili Sauce (homemade recipe) on the side. ENJOY!

Pad Thai Tip: For even more flavor, I'll often make a double batch of the pad Thai sauce. Then, as I'm stir-frying the noodles, I'll add more sauce until I'm happy with the taste (I also add extra fish sauce). Any leftover sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Quinoa Pancakes

I got this healthy recipe from my friend, Sara, the cooking diva.

Tried quinoa? I love it and would substitute it in place of rice all the time if cost wasn't a factor. Quinoa is a grain, but it's also a complete protein and can be found at Costco, Trader Joe's, and the health food section of most grocery stores.

1 c. milk

1 c. raw quinoa or wheat berries

2 eggs

2 T oil

2 1/2 t. baking powder

2 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

Mix together in blender. Bake on a griddle or frying pan as you would regular pancakes.

Chicken Pizza

Another one of Matt's creations. This may have been the best homemade pizza I've ever eaten. (I'm trying to organize my recipes—hence the massive amount of posting.)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 unbaked pizza crust
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, torn
• 1 sweet onion, sliced
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 1/2 (6 ounce) package feta cheese, crumbled
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Grilled Chicken

Directions

1. Preheat oven according to pizza crust package directions.
2. In a small bowl combine butter, olive oil, garlic, pesto, basil, oregano and Parmesan cheese. Spread mixture evenly on pizza crust.
3. Arrange mozzarella, tomato, spinach, onion jalapeno, and chicken on pizza. Top with crumbled feta cheese.
4. Bake according to pizza crust package directions.

Fettuccine with Sweet Pepper-Cayenne Sauce

Matt made this a few weeks ago, and it did not disappoint.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dry fettuccine pasta
• 2 red bell peppers, julienned
• 1 chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• (optional) tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, couple pinches of dried oregano and basil
  

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Meanwhile, spray cooking oil in a large skillet and sauté red bell peppers, garlic and cayenne pepper over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir in sour cream and broth; simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
4. Toss hot pasta with sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste; serve.

Keeping Secrets

Today the dentist said my teeth don't show signs of excessive sugar consumption.

I smiled (but thought it best not to laugh out loud).

I didn't think it necessary to admit that in the last 24 hours I'd consumed almost an entire package of these sweet treats.

Happy Halloween!

Skylie has a new favorite holiday—Halloween. What's not to love? Candy galore is this girl's heaven.

MOPS FALL FESTIVAL

Since movie to Indy I've joined MOPS (Mothers of Pre-schoolers). It's a group that gets together a couple times each month. A few days before Halloween we got together at a farm for hot dogs, s'mores, and tractor and pony rides.

On the tractor ride
It's a rare occasion to get a picture with all the fam.

Skylie loved the pony ride.

Skylie dressed as a witch--but seriously disliked wearing the hat.


WARD TRUNK OR TREAT

That same night we made it to the end of our ward's Trunk or Treat activity.

Can you see the complete and utter joy Skylie felt at getting to eat massive amounts of candy?

LIBRARY'S HALLOWEEN PARTY

The next day Matt and I watched a few friends' kids so they could go to the temple. While the little ones napped, I took Skylie and Rachel to the library's Halloween Party.

I love that they're holding hands. Too cute!

HALLOWEEN DAY
APPLE ORCHARD
A DMU student and his family visited Indy to check out the residency program here. On Monday I took my kiddos with Natalie and her gang to an apple orchard. The "toddler" corn maze left even the adults wondering if we'd ever reach the end! Here's proof that we did.

HALLOWEEN NIGHT
NEIGHBORHOOD TRICK-OR-TREATING

Kaitlyn, dressed as a pumpkin, did make the rounds.

But this one cared about getting the loot.

We ate dinner at 8 p.m. on Halloween. It consisted of edemame and candy. To our surprise Skylie shoveled the vegetables down just as quick as the candy.

Happy Halloween!