Mommy Group 8/28/13

So, Stephanie copped out this week and just got a Papa Murphy's Pizza; the Big Murphy Stuffed Pizza.  Yum! Yum! Yummy!

So Lisa was so nice to take some great shots of the kids playing!  Check out these cuties!

So, this last one was a total accident.  :) Lisa meant to take a picture of Michael. Pretty sure Hayley didn't even know she was in the corner of the frame. Not a great picture of Michael, but love this one of Hayley! Love you guys!

Swimming Day! 8/24/13

We decided we ought or have at least one pool party before the summer ended!  It was a little overcast, raining a bit in the morning, but our time was lightly overcast and happily dry!

Learning to swim! Talia sure is a little fish. 

Loving Atticus' towel! What a cute little monkey!

Little Miss Glam! Looking good!

Had a lovely potluck lunch. For BBQ chicken recipe, check out Mommy Group 8/7/13.  

Finally, cold, tired, but happy, we came home. Literally just as we arrived, it started to rain! This is what we came home to:

Also, (silly me didn't think to take a picture of it) we had a bit of hail that was the size of dimes! It was an insane storm. Glad we decided to come home when we did!

What a fun day at the pool!

Baby Lovin'

Check out these cute kids! What a funny day hanging out on the porch. 

What nice hugs! They did this, laughing the whole time, for about 5 minutes. 

Upcoming Birthdays!

It's party time!

Take a look at these cute invites for our upcoming birthdays! 

Sorry, I missed Michael's actual birthday by a few days, the party is not actually on his birthday, so it messed me up a little. 

Happy Birthday Michael & Evangeline!

What I Wish They Had Told Me...

What do you with you had been told before your baby was born? What new knowledge would you pass on to an expecting mother?

ON CARING FOR MOMMY
- You will have the worst "period" of your life! Imagine that you've been saving them up for 9 months and they all come at once. Be prepared! ~ Stephanie

- Sleep as much as you can! When the baby sleeps, you sleep, even if it's just for 5 minutes.  Take help when offered and allow others to serve you.  ~Hayley
- After breastfeeding, use a drop of breast milk instead of lanolin to sooth sore nipples and keep them from cracking.  Works great when you're out and you forget the lanolin or if you prefer a natural method! ~Stephanie
- You don't need to be mommy for everything.  Allow Daddy to take a turn.  He needs the bonding time, and you need the break.  Start early and allow him to establish as part of the team. ~Stephanie

ON SLEEPING

- I wish I had read "Baby Wise." ~Stephanie, Lisa
- "Never wake a sleeping baby" really only applies to Night Time sleep.  If the baby is going to sleep a nap so long they won't sleep at night, wake the sucker up!  ~Stephanie

ON FEEDING

- I wish I had been taught/read about the mechanics of breast feeding and the timing of the first feeding. ~Stephanie
- If a child is hungry, they will eat. No use fretting/worrying if they are not eating well one day.. ~Lisa

 ON DIAPERS

- Use the lip of the diaper as your first "wipe" for a poopy!  This will save you a lot of wipes in the end.  ~Stephanie
- Surprise! Baby girls can have a "period" as a newborn. Don't freak out!  ~Stephanie
- Don't stock up on diapers! You'll find that you like certain kinds more than others and babies fit different diapers.  On top of that, baby skin is sensitive and they can have reactions to the slightest perfume you hadn't even detected.  Instead, stock up on the wipes! ~Stephanie

OTHER
- "Never do anything you're not willing to continue" (Binky, sleeping with them, rocking to sleep, etc) ~Stephanie's Mom, Lisa and all wise women in my life.x
- Don't stress the small stuff. ~Nikki
- Don't plan on doing or going anywhere that first year after having the baby. ~Amelia's Mom
- If you don't like the newborn stage, that's okay.  Stick in there.  Take breaks.  They get a lot more involved the older they get.  Don't get too wrapped up in what the "Best Moms" do; it changes frequently.  Do what you feel best doing and don't feel guilty. ~Abby

- Remember, every child is different, every mother is different, and every moment is different.  It's a learning experience.  Not everything that worked for one person will work for you!  Be the best Mommy YOU can be and love it! ~Stephanie's Mother-in-love

Got something you would like to add to our list?  Comment below!  We would love to hear from you!

Mommy Group 8/14/13

Here's to another great night!

Swiss Chicken Casserole

7-8 chicken patties, cooked to packaging instructions and chopped into bite-size pieces. (Note, I used chicken nuggets since I couldn't find the chicken patties. It worked just as well)

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

1 cup of sour cream

2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

2 boxes chicken stuffing, cooked to packaging instructions 

Grease 9x13 pan. Spread chopped chicken on the bottom. Mix soup, sour cream, and 1 1/2 cups of Swiss cheese. Spread over chicken. Spoon stuffing on the top of that. Sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese (I like it cheesey, so I add extra). Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Talia & Evangeline:

(July 2013)

Mommy Group 8/7/13

Sorry for the late post. It was my anniversary yesterday and didn't feel much like blogging. :)

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

View the original pin here

We absolutely love this recipe at my house because it's more than a regular BBQ Chicken. So sweet and tasty!

1 1/2 lb chicken

18 oz bottle BBQ sauce

1/1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup Italian dressing (actual salad dressing, not the dry mix, unless you prep it)

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Place chicken in crockpot. Cover with rest of ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred the chicken after around 4 hours or when chicken is tender. Serve on rolls as sliders or on rice, Hawaiian style. 

Blender Rolls

View the original pin here

This was an interesting recipe. I think next time I do the BBQ Chicken I would be brave and make a potato roll, but on their own, these rolls were scrumptious!

1 cup WARM milk

1 pkg yeast (1 Tbsp)

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup oil

Blend 30 seconds on low

Combine 3 1/4 cup flour and 1 tsp salt

Add wet ingredients to dry, stir till combined. (Note, this dough is VERY sticky. Use a wooden spoon and be aware of the stickiness)

DON'T kneed. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. 

Divide into muffin tins (Obviously, I didn't do that. I placed them straight onto a sprayed cookie sheet. With how sticky it is, I really recommend trying the sprayed muffin tin next time.) Cover and let raise 30 minutes. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until golden. Cool and serve. 

Homemade Baked Wedge Fries

4-6 potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt, pepper, seasoning salt or seasoning of your choice

Cut potatoes to desired size (I like thinner because it takes less time to cook to my desired texture. If you like them thicker, just realizes that they will take much longer to cook). 

Place on foiled (and Pam sprayed. Trust me, even on the foil, these are hard to get off) cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until fork tender. 

And this is how good the fries were... 

They took a long time to cook, but they went like hot cakes!

Maria was so nice and brought dessert for all of us as well.

Sugar Cookie Bars

View the original pin here

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda and stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan). Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean (they won't look done so do the toothpick test). Cool completely and frost.  

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 of an 8 oz block) softened
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used almond extract for half of the frosting)
¼ teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 Tablespoons milk
food coloring (if desired)

Combine butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk a little at a time and mix until smooth and spreading consistency. You may not need all the milk! Spread over cooled cookie bars.

Little Rosie was so tuckered out by all the fun we had, she just went right to sleep! What a little cutie!

Day at the Park March 2013

Mommy Group 7/31/13

A new one for dinner tonight.

Saucy Chicken and Asparagus

1 1/2 lb fresh asparagus spears, halved

(I third them because I like them a little shorter)

Wash and place asparagus in a 9 inch square dish. (Note: to fill a 9x13 like I did, just double the whole recipe. Asparagus should e enough to put a nice layer on the bottom of the dish.)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cup cheddar cheese

In a skillet on medium heat, cook chicken in a Tb or two of oil (I always use olive) until lightly brown on the outside. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange chicks. Over asparagus. 

In a bowl, mix together soup, mayo, an lemon juice. Pour over chicken. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and let stand 5 min before serving (to melt the cheese, pretty much). 

Note, I didn't try this, but my mom says that this recipient works really well in the crockpot too. Just don't cook the chicken before hand, later as usual, and cook on low for 5 hours (great idea for frozen chicken breasts). 

Well, another fantabulous night!

Moving Day

James, Evangeline, and Zoe (not pictured) came to help. 

Miss Em, happy as anything!

Getting full!

Now... To get the trailer onto the truck...

Yeah for buff men! Way to go guys!

Relaxing... Almost done!

We will sure miss you guys!  Have a safe drive!