Outside time

I am seeing a pattern while looking thru my phone pictures:













Always outside. I can't keep this kid inside.

Recipes that have worked for us...

I always struggle with some of the crap I feed Ash. Sometimes he’s hard to feed because he’s picky… and other times it’s because I’m lazy (um… spaghetti-o’s and top ramen are our lunch staples… yikes!).

My cousin Jackie also posted about her cute boy not eating many things. I’ve been meaning to post some good recipes as I find them, but her post prompted me to finally do it. I’ll try to share some I’ve found that Ash likes… and others that Tom likes (my health conscious hubby is sometimes just as hard to feed… )(love ya pumpkin!). I love new recipes… so anyone who wants to reciprocate by blogging or emailing me recipes is awesome.

Below are a bunch of crock pot ones (my Friday favorite).

Recipe - Shredded Cafe Rio Pork (k&hf)

Shredded Café Rio Sweet Pork (kid and hubby friendly)

2-3 pound Pork Roast
1 cup Pace’s salsa (I use medium)
1 cup brown sugar
1 can Dr. Pepper

Mix the salsa, sugar, and dr. pepper in a bowl. Pour 2/3rds in crock pot with pork roast (defrosted if frozen). Cook 6 hours on low. Add remaining sauce and shred pork. Let cook on low for another hour before serving.

These are awesome as nachos… Tom and I’s favorite way to eat it. I also forgot and poured all the sauce in at once and it turned out fine. Ash likes it all by itself.

Recipe - Italian Cheesy Chicken (k&hf)

Italian Cheesy Chicken (kid and hubby friendly)

3 chicken breasts (could probably add more if needed) (frozen is ok)
1 block cream cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 packet of dry Italian dressing mix

Mix everything and pour over chicken in crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours.

I usually use frozen chicken and after 3-4 hours I cut the breasts in 1/4ths.

We eat this over rice. I shred Ash’s chicken so it’s harder for him to pull out and he always eats it!

Recipe - Cheesy Taco Chicken (hf)

Cheesy Taco Chicken (hubby friendly)

3 chicken breasts (frozen is ok)
Packet of taco seasoning
Salsa (I use medium and it’s mildly spicy)
1 block of cream cheese (recipe I got said sour cream, but we like cream cheese better)

Put chicken in crockpot. Sprinkle enough taco seasoning to coat each piece of chicken (about half of packet). Pour salsa over the top of chicken. (uses about a whole bottle of salsa). Cook on low for six hours. (I also cut my frozen chicken in 1/3rds or so after a few hours to make sure chicken cooks through).

Before serving… add the cream cheese to crock pot and stir in.

Shred chicken. I pull out the biggest pieces, scrape off the top and then get some of the inside (with no salsa on it) and set it aside for Ash. I put the rest in a big bowl and shred it. Then I pour the salsa mixture into the bowl of shredded chicken until I’m happy with how much is in there (not using all of it).

Our favorite way to eat this is over rice. In tortillas is also good. I give Ash his plain chicken, shredded cheese and whatever else I can find.

WARNING! This will look pink and nasty, but it really is so yummy!

Sadness with a little slice of heaven

Last night was Tom's aunt Leslie's wake. Very sad. Death is such a weird thing.

To cheer us all up we decided to stop at in and out burger. I dream of the animal style burger. It reminds me of our last trip to Cali. So yummy. We stopped after the beach and got them. I've wondered if it tasted so good because I was starving after a day playing in the sun, or if it was really that good.

I figured it out last night... it's really just that good. Except I smelled like onions all night. Totally worth it.




So nice to enjoy it with our great family!

Asher story

He and his friend Ella had been dumping water bottles in the yard. This is how he explained it later:

We got in the boats (sleds)
And then we dumped the water.
And then we got out.
And then WE TALKED ABOUT IT.
And then we dumped some more.
And then we run to get more water.

He is in funniest stage. So hilarious.

Asher conversations

Ash: are you sad I'm growing big?
Me: no. I'm excited for you to get big so I can teach you things like how to drive a car and see you get married.
Ash: and like how to use scissors?
Me: yes and how to use scissors.

Asher conversations

Oh. My. Gosh.

One of Ash's new favorite sayings. He actually told me:

Oh. My. Gosh. You are driving me crazy.

*blush* Can't imagine where he got that from :)

Sometimes he mixes words up and it ends up being pretty funny:

Frisbee = roast beef (you like this roast beef?)
Yetty = wedding (I smell like a wedding)

He's so funny. I just laugh.

Scooter bowling...

Is awesome.
Need I say more?




Thank you rachie for showing ash so many fun games. Ash is so lucky to have you!

It snowed...

And I was ok with it.

Really I was sad. I had been hoping to ride my bike for days.

But ash looks at the glass half full side of things, and dragged me out at eight thirty this morning to play.

For weeks he has been bugging me to go sledding, but there has been no snow. He woke up with excitement at the view of our snow covered yard.

We bundled up and headed out:







And it was actually fun!

Neighborhood kids...

We've been out and playing more with the neighborhood kids.

I'm not sure I love it.

Maddie across the street is BOSSY.

Ella from down the street is ADORABLE.

Little girl I can't remember her name was STRANGE.

I do it for Ash.

He's still learning how to jump in and make friends.

So I show him how it's done.

Then I get stuck playing with kids for an hour.

And while they are actually very sweet and I shouldn't make fun...

BUT then I get stuck playing with them for hours. AND...

I see the little lightbulb in their head clicking... like they are going to start hanging out at my house.

Is it to late to get rid of the trampoline?

I kid.

{Some what.}

me @ work and photo editing...

We took some pictures at work for our web site. Since I was messing around with my picture I took the opportunity to try out some photoshop actions I found.

If you have photoshop and want to try them out... they are actually pretty good. You can get them at the Pioneer Woman.

My normal picture:


With a boost:


Soft and Ethereal:


In the seventies:


Vintage photo:


Old and worn (Heartland):


And then just for fun...

2 Peas in a Pod...

Best of Friends...

We love Ellee...

Or Ellee Ellee as Ash calls her.

I call her Hells Bells... or Ellee Belly Boo...

They are both little spitfires and get along VERY well.




She got to come hang out with us on Friday and we were so glad!