Baby Hats Everywhere!!

The other baby hats I made for the preemie baby girl.

 I think James thinks "Enough....you need to stop!" I'm kind of addicted!

 This blue one has a flower on it that I also made. It didn't really show up well in the picture though.

 I love this fabric! It looks kind of old ladyish but for a baby!

I also thought a bow would be vintage, cutesy looking!

 Fabric flower and the hat matches...same color green. Didn't show up very well in pictures.

I love this one!! Just because it has a great big knot on it!

I'm so inspired and am hoping to make a few more projects...as soon as I have time! Today Ian was crabby again so he took a nap on me as I worked on computer. I don't know if it's his formula (I just started switching him to half formula/half breast milk) or if he has teeth coming. It might just be that he has days that he's extremely clingy? I don't know. I'm just glad that he doesn't get this way at night when it's time for bed. He might fight the sleep at first but after I have him asleep, he sleeps fine in his crib.

Baby Hats & Hot Cocoa

 Finished little hats! I only got 2 done but so far they turned out really cute!

The flower unattaches and they can switch them out.

Hopefully they will fit when she gets off some of her monitors and stuff.

 We made Mint Hot Cocoa as requested by my brother in law Jason who is Afganistan. I sent them some around Thanksgiving and it was gone in 3 days! They requested we make the same stuff just WAY more!

This is Jenny (his wife).

 Amy (Jason's sister) and two of her kids (Morgan and Chris).

Jenny again and Helen (Jason's mom/my mother in law).

We had alot of fun and made about 100 little single serving pouches. We also made little packets of marshmallows and Andes mint chips to mix in them...so good!

Week 7-Yummy Chicken and Crafties!!

This weeks recipe is called Crispy Onion Chicken and I found it in a Taste of Home (of course!) Ultimate Chicken Cookbook magazine (May 2008). Anyway, it is a really easy recipe and super delish! After last weeks flops I needed something to kick me back into gear and want to cook again. So what would be better than chicken covered in crunchy onions? Apparently not much! We both loved it and James got seconds...poor guy was about starving after the yucks I served him last week! I'm hoping this heats up well and doesn't get soggy. I made a little extra so I could bring some to our friends who just had their baby. The husband really hates cafeteria food, eating out, pretty much anything that's not homemade....picky! Since their daughter was born 12 weeks early and will be in intensive care for about up to her due date, I figured I better bring him some food so he doesn't have to try to stomach the cafeteria food :o( Baby Girl is doing really well and has very proud parents! Congrats Nic and Shirley!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 can (6 oz) cheddar or original french-fried onions, crushed

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I think you could use 6 without using extra ingredients)

Instructions

In a shallow bowl, combine the butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, add 1/2 cup french-fried onions. Dip chicken in the butter mixture and then coat with onions.

Place in a greased 9-inch square baking dish. Top with remaining onions; drizzle with any remaining butter mixture. Bake, uncovered at 350* for 30-35 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

SO YUMMY AND CRUNCHY!!

Since my friend had a little girl, who is much to small to wear the customary tutu I was going to make, I wanted to make her something. So looking on some blogs yesterday I found some very cute stuff. We couldn't find her tiny hats to wear ('cause the hospital ones aren't cute enough for her to wear 3 months!) so I'm gonna make some today...with the help of my Grandma! I'm hoping they turn out...the idea sounds easy and its not a hard pattern or anything but I've never tried sewing knit before...we'll see. I also was inspired to make some headbands for the other babies in my life. I'm going to put pins on the backs of these so they can be switched out from headband, to hats, to clothes, etc. I know they look alike but for $6 for all my flowers I wanted to experiment...gotta love the dollar stores!

 SO YUMMY AND PRETTY!!



I want one for myself!

 I tried to "try one on Ian"...James caught me and said "NO WOMAN! NO flowers on the baby!"

 He looked so cute though! The big reddish flowers are about as big as Ian's head!

This ones my favorite!

I found the tutorial on how to make these at

http://samstermommy.blogspot.com/2009/04/big-bloom-baby-headband.html

I also incorporated elements of another tutorial with the tulle stuff...that can be found here http://samstermommy.blogspot.com/2009/11/no-sew-fabric-scrap-flower.html

These were really fun and easy to make. I am now addicted to making little baby stuff...for girls! If anyone knows of any cute stuff to make for boys let me know...Ian needs stuff too!!

Week 6...

My boys snore on the couch together....frequently!

I don't know which one is more handsome!!

 GO PACKERS!!

Superbowl Sunday.

(I couldn't get this picture to turn for the life of me! And now I somehow lost it on my camera..sad face!)

 My recipes this week left much to be desired!!!

This is homemade mac and cheese I made. Apparently, when you are trying new recipes...don't modify them! I was trying to use up some leftover Velveeta so I just used a "tad" extra....horrible! It was pretty much inedible! The next day I had it for leftovers...even worse! I also made some cinnamon rolls this week. FLOP!! I think the recipe is a good one, I just totally screwed it up! I was trying to make a half batch and halved some stuff and used the full amount of others. The rolls were just barely edible...very floury. I will try them again after I pick up yeast. On the bright side, I made my very first pot of homemade Chickie Noodle Soup this week...DELISH! I used a rotisserie chicken I got at Sam's and cut it up and stuck it in freezer (for soup). After the week I had with cooking I'm glad something as easy as soup worked out for me!

 Ian eating BABY cereal!

We had Ian's 4 month check up and shots this week. My boy is gettin' big! 16 pounds! He did great with his shots and developmentally is right on track (maybe even a little ahead...mommy says). He also got some Zantac to start taking for acid reflux, seems to be helping. My mom thinks he has withdrawal from when he was getting all the Zantac I was taking for heartburn when I was preggo!



 Faith, Ava, Ian

I babysat for a friend of mine while she went to an interview. It was just fun to watch the girls play with Ian.

 Ian in his jumper with his favorite toy!!

 James' sisters kids and Ian with their Valentines from Grandma.

There were cupcakes under all that frosting! Typical boys...more interested in the food than taking a nice picture!

 Ian's valentine from my mom.

He took this picture between temper tantrums...gonna be a long day!

I think he's trying to get to the chocolate covered animal crackers inside!!

Week 5-Chris' Bay Area Burger

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. I love looking on that site if nothing in my cookbooks "speaks to me." I decided to try a new recipe on the fly that night. We bought a bunch of buns that we needed to use up. James wanted tavern (sloppy joes) and I was really in the mood for a burger. I got on allrecipes while pumping to look for a new hamburger recipe. I found this one and decided it was something we might like...and I had all the ingredients!

James (my handsome hubs) "cooking" the burgers.

I had to snap this one quick while he had the spatula in his hand!

MMM....can you smell them?

They smelled amazing...and were very juicy!!

 Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2-1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp dried basil leaves

Instructions

Mix together. Make into patties. Grill or fry...EAT!!!

I served with grated provolone and regular hamburger buns. Someone left on a comment on the website that this would be good served with mozzarella and foccacia bread. I think they would be good that way too...with a little preparation!!

OK...I know you can't tell by what I've written already...WE LOVED THESE! James (with a big smile) said "Mmmm...you can DEFINITELY make this again!" I loved them! They were so good I didn't even use any condiments! Easy, delicious....definitely going to be made again.

This is Ian trying to roll over.....

 still trying.....

almost.... 

Nope...not happening today :o(

Week 4-Cheeseburger Paradise Soup

6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small carrot, grated
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 Tbsp chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
3 cups water
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp beef bouillon granules
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp pepper (I substituted white pepper)
2 lbs ground beef
1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
2 Tbsp butter
5 cups milk, divided
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 pkg (16 oz) process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
Crumbled cooked bacon

In a stockpot, combine the vegetables, jalapeno, water, bouillon, garlic and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and mushrooms in butter over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add to soup. Stir in 4 cups milk; heat through.

Combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in cheese until melted. Garnish with the bacon.

The recipe says it makes 14 servings (about 3 1/2 cups). That is quite wrong!!! I used a 5 quart pan and it was about a half inch from the top! I left out the green pepper and mushrooms.

This soup was amazing!! James liked it as well. It has a little kick to it, probably because I used some white pepper in it too. I like a little spice in my life, so I was OK with it. We have a lot left over so we will be serving it to our parents tomorrow, at my mom's request.

We are going to try to complete a fairly large project tomorrow, replacing our corner shower in our tiny bathroom with a whirlpool tub! We also have to take out the little window near the shower. I'm super excited to finally have a bathtub!! I could have used one about 4 months ago...but what do you do? I'll try to post before and after pics.

On a quick side note...my sister-in-law made the salmon bundles for her family. I don't know about the kids, but her husband really liked them! Also, I made the taco lasagna for a friend to freeze, I'm hoping she will let me know how that turns out as well.

I think this is week 3??

My baby is already 3 1/2 months old and 16 pounds 2 ounces!! He has grown so quickly! I just can't believe that it took him 9 months to get to 8 pounds 11 ounces, and he has grown so much in just 3 months. This picture is from Christmas...I took several and he was covered in glitter for a couple of days. My tree was full of glittery ornaments and somehow it got all over him! This week he got his second cold and I had to take him to the doctor. They just have me continuing his saline nasal drops (which he hates) and feeding him water after his bottles. He also got his first set of professional pictures taken on Thursday. I can't wait to see them!

Taco Lasagna

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

2/3 cup water

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14.5 oz.) Mexican diced tomatoes, undrained

6 flour tortillas (8 inch)

1 can (16 oz.) refried beans

3 cups (12 oz.) shredded Mexican cheese blend

InstructionsIn a large skillet, cook the beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add water and taco seasoning, bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 2 minutes. Stir in the black beans and tomatoes. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Place 2 tortillas in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread with half of the refried beans and beef mixture, sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Repeat the layers. Top with remaining tortillas and cheese.

Cover and bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

I substituted salsa for Mexican tomatoes (I didn't know what they were).

I also left out green pepper (they make me sick for some reason).

We topped with sour cream, salsa and some of my yummy canned jalapenos.

These were SO GOOD!! James preferred this to the salmon bundles, but he's not really much of a salmon kinda guy. I will definitely make this again...maybe try some green chilies in it?? We'll see.

I also had my first new recipe fail since I started this challenge. I found this recipe that sounded delish....and it probably could have been! However, I didn't realize it only needed 5 oz. of evaporated milk (until I had added the whole 12 oz. can) and completely forgot the taco seasoning (which I didn't realize until I got it to our friends' house with it). I guess I'll wait to post that recipe until I "master" it. It is actually a microwave recipe....and I screwed it up. Sad...I know! It was edible, just had no flavor at all!

Spinach Salmon Bundles....and my "Bundle"

Ok...these were so good I'm doing my review first! AMAZING!! I love salmon and I think this is my new favorite way to eat it! Plus, these are so easy to make (it seriously took me five minutes to assemble two of them).

Ingredients
2 tubes (8 oz. each) crescent rolls
4 salmon fillets
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup garlic-herb cheese spread
1 pkg (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

InstructionsUnroll crescent dough and separate into 4 rectangles; seal perforations. Place a salmon fillet in the center of each rectangle; sprinkle with salt and pepper (I used Greek Seasoning). Spoon cheese spread over each; top with spinach. Fold dough over filling and pinch edges to seal.


Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400* for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.
This makes four servings but, can easily be halved and make a lovely dinner for two!
**I will put a little more cheese spread in it next time.**
**I used a 5 oz. fillet that I cut in half.**

We had our first "incident" tonight. I was slicing the carrots for the veggie side and I sliced my fingernail really low right on the top. OUCH!! It just kept bleeding...gross. I have a band-aid (and a kissy from my hubs) now so I think I might be ok.


This little guy is my bundle of joy! He's such a sweetie! He rolled over for the first time this week. It was so funny! He was squawking so I was going to roll him onto his back and he did it himself before I got there. He got a weird look on his face....and started SCREAMING! He scared himself...poor kid! He also giggled for the first time this week. So cute! In other baby news...he figured out how to suck his thumb much to his momma's dismay!! I've been trying very hard to keep it out of his mouth...oh well.

No Bones Chicken Wing Dip

I found this recipe in one of my Grandma's recent issues of Taste of Home. I realize a lot of my recipes I'm trying are from Taste of Home magazines and cookbooks. I think that the recipes they feature are simpler more "normal" food that I like. I'm what my husband refers to as a "picky eater." I beg to differ...I'm just "particular" about what I like and don't. One thing I LOVE is hot wings. I love hot wing pizza as well...yum! So how about a boneless hot wing dip...I'd love some, thank you!

1-8 oz. pkg cream cheese-softened
16 oz. (2 cups) sour cream
1 cup Bleu Cheese salad dressing
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1-8 oz. block of provolone cheese-shredded

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, salad dressing and buffalo sauce until blended. Stir in chicken and provolone cheese.

Transfer to a greased 2 quart baking dish. Cover and bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serve with crackers, carrots and celery. I used tortilla chips...delish!

A few notes:
I used Ranch dressing instead of Bleu Cheese. It made it a little runny so I think I would only use half the amount next time.
For the chicken I bought a couple cans of shredded chicken because I was in a hurry. It probably would be better with actual chicken breast shredded.
Also, I'm kinda "particular" about my wing sauce. I used Franks.
The last note, I mixed it up the night before and refrigerated it. It took about an hour to bake it and then it was in the crock pot about another hour and a half before we ate it. It was good and hot then.

We had a potluck lunch after the morning service at church this week, so I figured they could be my guinea pigs! I forgot to take a picture of it...and there was none left to take a picture of later! It was SO GOOD!! Definitely worth all $15 the ingredients cost me!!

Baby things...my sweet baby boy is 3 months old already! It is just amazing to me how fast he has grown! He has a jump up that he LOVES, and a swing he is outgrowing. He very quickly went from drinking 2 ounces to 7. He loves his grandmas...all 4 of them! The gray haired ones get more of a reaction from him...sorry Mom...you're gonna have to go gray. He still looks so much like his father, it is sometimes scary! When they are cuddled up on the couch, looking up at me with those big dark eyes...just melts my heart. James started his new job last week at a local implement dealer. So far he likes it. I started working out last week with a couple of girls from church. Waking up at 4:30 am to go to the gym is something I never would have thought would be important to me! Yesterday, I found a sitter for Ian so I could go run...weird. This morning, I got to the gym and realized I left my key at home. So I drug my disappointed butt back home and wearily crawled back into bed...this cannot be a trend! **I live 10 miles from the gym, and have to be home before James goes to work**

Later this week I'm making Salmon Spinach Bundles. I just have to make my way to the Big City to purchase the ingredients.

Runza Pie

This is a recipe I found awhile back. My family loves runzas, and this is a much simpler version. For those of you who don't know what a runza is, it's basically a pizza pocket but instead of pizza toppings has cabbage, meat and cheese. This is a great way to use up some of the left over cabbage from the soup!



Ingredients
Pie crust for double crust pie
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup (diced)
3 cups cabbage
1/2-1 cup cheese (grated)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

*Instead of salt and pepper I use Greek Seasoning.

Instructions
Brown hamburger in heavy skillet; drain. Combine cabbage, onion, salt and pepper with hamburger. Place lid on skillet and let steam for 15 minutes. While cabbage is cooking, roll out pie dough and line a 9-inch deep dish pie pan. Turn drained meat mixture into lined pie pan. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Cover with top crust. Cut slits in top. Bake in a 425* oven for 35-45 minutes.

*Double recipe works in a 9x13-inch pan.

This reheats really well and is still very flavorful the next day. Also, one of James' (my hubs) favorite recipes....enjoy!