You know you're a redneck when.....

your daughter gets a darling pink polka dot apron (from her mom) and a 22 rifle (from her dad) for her birthday. And she LOVED them both! ;) The gun was one that Brett bought a couple of months ago and she's shot it before, she just didn't know it was hers until we wrapped it up and gave it to her yesterday. And my sweet, talented friend Amy made the apron and when she asked me what I wanted, I told her to surprise me and it was perfect! (thank you Amy!) Our oldest is 10 and I just cannot believe it! I've had a harder time with this birthday and finally figured out why it was freaking me out sooo much....DOUBLE DIGITS! Hard to believe that 10 years ago she was delivered on a rainy Sunday morning in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sydney is such a blessing in our lives and I am so grateful to have her as our daughter. She is growing up so fast and is such a smart, sensitive, patient big sister and a loving, kind daughter. We love you Syd!

Dogeared Necklaces

I've come across this website and have fallen in love with the necklaces...especially this one!


Oh, and this one too.... ;)

Sisterly Love

hAppY vaLEnTinEs DaY!

French Dip Sandwich

These were delicious and the sandwich was sooo good dipped in the au jus! (and easy cuz it was crockpot!)

1 beef chuch roast, trimmed
2 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 t. dried rosemary
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. garlic powder
1 bay leaf
3-4 peppercorns
8 french rolls, split
sauted' veggies ~ onions, green peppers, red peppers, mushrooms
mozerella cheese
mixture of cream cheese and mayo (used maybe 1/2 bar cream cheese and 2 tbsp. of mayo)

Place roast in crockpot. Add all ingredients. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or high 5 hours. Turn oven on to broil. Remove meat from broth; shred with a fork and keep warm. Strain broth and pour into dipping cups. Saute' veggies until soft. Combine mixture of cream cheese and mayo with the meat and put on each roll, then sprinkle with cheese. Put under broiler just until melted. After they come out of the oven, add veggies. Serves 8.

5 little monkeys....

Starting with Kendra in September 2006, the Harris side of the family had 5 granddaughters within 6 months. Here are the little rugrats at a "playdate" at Aunt Channy's. Sammy is the youngest and she'll be 2 at the end of February. From Left to Right- Samantha (Bruce and Suzi's), Kynslee (Kory and Channy's), Karlie (Joel and Shelley's), Mylee (Layne and Julie's) and Kendra.

"Lil Stinker"

Brett bought these little pj's for Kendra and they fit her personality perfectly! You know there are some parents who have at least one kid who is more laid back, doesn't get into everything, etc? Well, we didn't get even ONE like that! And I don't know if I've just blocked it from my memory or if she really is our worst one, but by the end of each day, I am literally counting the minutes until bedtime so that I can have a break! And this is what our life has become...child proof locks on almost everything! (yes, we did have the alarm before, but now I have to set it so that any time a door is opened, a beep will sound so that I know she's trying to get out!) Welcome to my crazy life!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Crepes

Okay, made this one tonite, but with my own variations, so I thought I'd share. I made mine with flour tortillas (cuz it just didn't sound that good with crepes? or maybe because I'm a horrible crepe maker? I'll admit, it was a little bit of both!) Also, I used canadian bacon instead of ham and mozerella cheese instead of swiss. Also, I doubled the sauce recipe and am glad I did that. Oh! I poured seasoned bread crumbs on top, too. AND since my family will not eat a whole 9x13 pan at one sitting, I put half of them in a disposable container, covered in tin foil, marked what it was and when it was made and put it in my freezer to use at a later date.
Hope you like!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Crepes

7-10 store bought, prepared crepes (or you can make your own)
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup chopped (cooked) ham
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 chicken bouillon cube, mashed into powder
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Assemble crepes: On each crepe, pile some chicken, some ham and Swiss cheese. Roll up and place in a greased casserole dish (9x13).

Make sauce: In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add in flour and mashed bouillon cube. Stir and let cook for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring this to a boil, but watch so it doesn't burn. Continue to stir and cook for a few minutes until it thickens. Remove from heat and add in 1/3 cup Swiss cheese. Stir until it melts. Pour 3/4 cup of sauce on top of the crepes. Bake 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Heat remaining sauce and serve with crepes.

**note: These are delicious, and even my son devoured them. The cheese sauce was so good I was scraping the pan with a spoon as if it were cookie dough! I made the crepes the day before and kept them in the fridge between sheets of wax paper.

Crock Pot Mexi Pork

Made this last night (well, technically, let it cook all day in the crock pot) and then made burritos. (flour tortillas, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream) Made so much that we'll eat it again tonight on chips as nachos. Super easy and yummy!

(sorry, no pics this time!)

Mexi Pork

1~ 2 or 3 lb. pork tenderloin
1~ pint of salsa
1 medium bottle of A1 steak sauce
juice from one lime

Mix all ingredients and pour over tenderloin. Cook on low for 8 hours.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

I miss funny tv. Haven't seen a sitcom that makes me laugh out loud since "Friends" went off the air. There just aren't enough things in life that make you laugh.

Fun activity with the girls

They got these stepping stones for christmas, but we haven't had a chance to do them. (or rather, i was putting it off for a day that daddy could help!) So, we finally did them last Sunday and they turned out great! Now, lets have some warm weather so that we can actually put them outside and enjoy them!

Vegetable Frittata

Here's another one we (meaning, Brett and I, the girls-not so much!)really liked!!
Vegetable Frittata

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 medium red potatoes, cooked and cubed
1 small zucchini, cubed
6 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
pinch pepper

In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, saute onion, peppers and garlic in 2 Tbsp oil until the veggies are tender. Remove veggies with a slotted spoon; set aside. In the same skillet over medium heat, lightly brown potatoes in remaining oil. Add vegetable mixture and zucchini; simmer for 4 minutes. in a bowl, beat eggs, salt and pepper; pour over vegetables. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until eggs are nearly set. Broil 6 inches from the heat for 2 minutes or until eggs are set on top. Cut into wedges. Makes 4-6 servings.

**note: There is a variation on this recipe - omit zucchini and add 1/2 cup salsa. I also tossed some grated cheddar cheese on top at the end and it was great. We loved this recipe, so it will be added to my "regulars" recipe folder.

Kendra has hit the nasty "terrible two's" and as a result is spending a LOT of time in "time out". The rule according to "SuperNanny" is that after putting said child into time out for 1 minute per year that they are old, you then must get to the child's level, see eye-to-eye and the child must say they are sorry. She wouldn't do it! This is where we found her, exhausted and asleep on the bathroom floor after 30 minutes of trying to get her to say she was sorry. Never happened. We are doomed.

Tried this one.....loved it!

Creamy Rosemary Penne with Chicken


This is a wonderfully creamy pasta casserole with a buttery bread crumb topping. I will give recipes for a small family (4 servings in an 8-in square dish) and a large family (6-8 servings in a 9x13 dish). I find this recipe to be very forgiving, meaning that you can adjust the amount of chicken, cheese, and onion according to your taste - or according to what you have available in your kitchen!


To cook the chicken required, I tossed it in my crockpot with a few tablespoons of Italian salad dressing. 3 hours later (on high) it was done - I chopped it up and assembled the casserole.



Creamy Rosemary Penne with Chicken (small family)
(Andy Knowlton)
serves 4

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cooked and diced**
1/2 lb penne pasta
1/2 cup Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 of a medium onion, diced (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

** To cook my chicken, I tossed it in my crockpot with a few tablespoons of Italian salad dressing. 3 hours later it was done - I chopped it up and assembled the casserole.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook penne for about 5-7 minutes. Don't cook it completely - the pasta will continue to soften as it bakes in the oven. Drain pasta and return pasta to large pot.

To the pasta add: shredded cheese, diced onion, rosemary, salt, pepper, milk & soup. Stir to thoroughly combine. Spray an 8-in square dish, and pour in pasta mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine melted butter and dry bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top of casserole.

Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. If bread crumbs start to brown, cover with foil.

Recipe Website

WWW.DINNERSONME.BLOGSPOT.COM Here's a blog address to a website that looks pretty amazing. (thanks Nancy!) I have yet to try out any recipes, but she not only shares recipes and pics, but sample menu's for what she feeds her family. Bon appetite!

The following is a plug for my sister in law, Jen. She really does amazing work (this is from a photograph of my mom's parents) and my mom cried when she gave it to her. (suck up!) :) Love you Jen!

Cross-stitched Photographs

The following is a picture of Cameron's grandparents that I cross-stitched for my mother-in-law. I loved doing this project and am interested in taking on many more. If you or anyone you know is interested in having a special photograph turned into something that can be framed and displayed, I would love to do it for you. Email me at jennyhousley@yahoo.com, if you want information on pricing and other details.

"Annie"

We're going to go see this next time we're in St. George...anyone want to join us?

Mom, can I have a "late night"??

When Sydney had been invited to spend the night with her Grandma, Morgan wondered if she could have a "late night". (our solution to no sleepovers with friends) She didn't even want a friend over, just wanted to stay up later than usual. Here's a picture of her not even 5 minutes after we turned a movie on for her.....

I stole (and love!) this recipe from Jana, who stole (and loved!) it from Allrecipes.com. Enjoy!


Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

INGREDIENTS:
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 oz) can chili beans
1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth
2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 package taco seasoning
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded Cheddar cheese
sour cream
guacamole
crushed tortilla chips


DIRECTIONS:
1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.


2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and crushed tortilla chips.