Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Aiden is 4

Today my first born son turned four.  I can hardly believe that it has been 6 months, let alone 4 years since my sweet little boy entered this world. It has been a nonstop adventure and a wild ride being the mom of this sweet, rambunctious, wicked smart little boy. We celebrated his birthday this past Saturday, he insisted on an alien party and I think that his mommy delivered. He wanted an alien party because of a green light we saw in the sky several months ago at our friends house. Apparently, that stuck in his mind and he wanted some of that alien experience when he blew out his birthday candles.  Featured below are pictures from his party and a video of Aiden getting to see all his decorations for the first time.
















Friday, February 12, 2016

Fully Loaded Cookies


I stumbled across a magical cookie once that transported me to another dimension. Each bite was like experiencing a brand new cookie, it was fantastic! There are so many different flavors, it satisfies any kind of cookie craving you could be having. Today, I am going to share that recipe with you!

Fully Loaded Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup peanut butter chips
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup milk chocolate M'n'M's
1/3 cup Reese's pieces

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Stir in chips and candy.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets or silicone mats.
Bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned around edges.
Remove to wire racks to cool.

Makes about 2 dozen large cookies.


These cookies are Aiden Approved!

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Another Tuesday Post

Unfortunately, the boys are still sick and David has been claimed by the sickness as well. The boys are starting to feel better, coughs subsiding and noses running a little less but Dave was so sick that he missed school yesterday. Anyone who knows him, knows that is a big deal because he does not miss work for anything! Here's the thing about meal planning, you need to learn how to be flexible. If you run out of time on one day, you can switch it with a less time extensive meal or maybe just have leftovers from the previous dinner. Last week, I did not end up making the soup or the chorizo skillet because of time constraints and conflicting schedules. We did not eat out, so I still count it as a win, plus I am bumping the skillet to this week and it is one less day to plan for. Meal planning is supposed to make your life easier, not stress you out, so don't beat yourself up if you have to make changes to your plans!  We had a fun time for super bowl, I made a ton of food but did not take any pictures. :( This week is all about prepping for Aiden's birthday, I cannot believe that he is going to be 4 this month! My little boy is getting so darn big!

Some pics of last week:
Chicken Pot Pie

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken and Quinoa

Kalua Pig




Super Bowl Food 
(mine looked like these but I forgot to take pictures)

S'mores Dip ~ melted chocolate and toasty marshmallows bake up in a skillet; scoop up with graham crackers for a perfect party dessert! | FiveHeartHome.com:
Smore's Dip
If you love fried cream cheese or cheddar stuffed jalapenos, you'll love this dip! It's quick, easy, and addictive. Served with bagel...:
Jalapeno Popper Dip
Spinach and Artichoke Dip Stuffed Garlic Bread. This is everything you've ever wanted in an appetizer and more. | hostthetoast.com
Spinach Artichoke Garlic Bread
Dave made two kinds of salsa and I made "Fully Loaded Cookies." I will be posting about those later this week!

Meals for this week:

Monday: Apple Butter Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Tuesday: Pancakes & Bacon

Wednesday: Chorizo Rice Skillet Dinner

Thursday: Chili & Cornbread- The boys and I are leaving for California on Thursday but I plan on having dinner in the crockpot for Dave when he gets home. :)

Friday: Dinner at Grandma's!

Saturday: Aiden's Birthday Party!!! I will have a follow up post on the party and the food we have next week!

Sunday: We will be driving home, not sure if we will pick something up on the way or have something really simple when we get back. :)

Quote of the Week