HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

E-mealz.com

LOVE THIS!
For a nominal fee ($5/month) they let you download their weekly meal plans.These plans feed 4-6 people 7 meals for under $80. (They have other plans, too, like for 2 people and such.)
Their meal plans are store specific (such as Walmart) and they give you an aisle by aisle grocery list and the current price of each item.Why do I love this?Because $80/week for 6 people is pretty dang good!
AND, they've already compiled the plan and the lists for me.
WORTH EVERY PENNY!
This is a 'feed the family at minimal cost' philosophy. Efficient use of funds. LOVE THAT!
Of course, this doesn't include Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pot Roast that I'll be cooking AGAIN this Sunday.
Completely MOUTH MELTY!Jill says it is "the best roast she's ever had".LOVE that kind of talk.


Reusable Lunch Bags at Lunchskins.com

LOVE the idea. Since we use about a billion ziplock bags.
Save money. Save the planet.
$7.95 for one, though, seems a little steep. Haven't made the purchase yet.



The Old Testament Made Easier by David J. Ridges.
AWESOME BOOK!
Goes verse by verse.
It's even better than reading the scriptures by iphone where any footnote you want is just a tap away.


Settlers of Catan

Confession: Bry and I let the kids play the wii for hours on end so we can play this game to our hearts content.
This is the end result...


How jealous are you of my Mickey Mouse Pancakes?


James says he wants one...

Rainbow Cake

It's a posting spell... I can't stop posting because I can't let you go without showing you my cousin, Jodi June's Rainbow cake which is undoubtedly FAB.

She got the idea from... where else?... the Idea Room

They won't let me steal their picture and put it on my blog... how rude.

Cover to Cover

I was browsing my cousin Miranda's recipe blog, as I often do, and came across the Cowboy Calzones of which she found in the Pioneer Woman's new cookbook of which Miranda is of the distinct opinion that everyone must own.

Naturally I already knew that and naturally I share the same opinion but to that point I had not succumbed to the overwhelming impulse to buy.
3 Amazon clicks later and "The Pioneer Woman Cooks" was en-route to my house.

I received it day after next and started reading it post-haste.

I read that baby COVER TO COVER in 2 days.

It's a romantic cowboy thing.

Seriously, you must have it.

I CANNOT WAIT to try her...
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Fried Chicken
Perfect Pie Crust
Potato-Leek Pizza
Olive Cheese Bread
Perfect Pot Roast

I could go on.

I quickly turned my 'impulse to buy' switch off RIGHT AFTER I purchased this little treasure...

It could be here at any moment.

I'll read IT cover to cover after which I'll put it in my armour of treasured cookbooks.
Which will be right next to my armoire of Marcia Lynn McClure books.
Which will be right next to my armoire of Twilight.
Which will be right next to my mini armoire of miniature things.

What would life be without a mini armoire, seriously.

Sas 'n Spice

... and everything nice.

That's what we are.(Neeley, Randy, Megan, Elizabeth, Melora, Nicole)
I am taking the picture and Emily is there is spirit.
We missed you, Em, AND your avocados. ( :

This month's theme? Anything green.
In accordance, I went on a full fledged mission to find something with Pesto in it.
And with the help of Paula Dean I introduce you to...

The Pesto Cheese Blossom

Also present, were these other delectable dishes...

Lettuce Wraps by Nicole
Key Lime Bars by Elizabeth
Spinach Dip (with red peppers OR feta) by Melora
Green Fluffy Waffles with homemade strawberry syrup by Randy
Cream of Asparagus Soup by Neeley
Cucumber and Dill Salad by MeganAnd, dang-it-all, I didn't get a picture of Megan's stuffed Zucchini

I was particularly taken aback by this most fabulous drink server that had key lime lemonade in it...

I would design my entire kitchen after it.

It just so happens that I have a picture of my dream kitchen...
Courtesy of Candice Olsen of Divine Design (which is undoubtedly my latest obsession)

Watch it!

Note to Randy: I cannot get your fluffy waffles off my brain.
I must have that recipe... NOW!

The Big 5

O-Five

O-Six
O-Seven
O-Eight
O-Nine
and
TWENTY-TEN

A special introduction for...
Mr. Golf Cake

The fates were in our favor today as they left us a small portion of grass on the front lawn that we could play golf on...A perfect day to test out their new junior sized golf gloves.

The Big 3

The big day was January 7th, 2010.

My favorite part about this picture is that his shirt is tucked into his underwear.

Bryson with Great Grandma Rula.

Here comes the Yum Yum Express...

This kid has got PERS-ON-ALITY!

And this next picture is my FAVORITE because it shows how PLEASED he is with blowing out his candles.

I could eat that double chin right up.

Bryson and Bridger are 1 day apart.
Bryson's favorite present?... "Horton Hears a Who" of which they have watched 5 MILLION times.

Miranda's Recipes

The verdict is in...

They are GOSH DARN DANG GOOD!

Miranda is my cousin and a fabulous cook.

She has a recipe blog that I decided to immerse myself in as of late.

(mirandasrecipes.blogspot.com)

Made THIS tonight...

Italian Sausage Melt

My family was all up in my grill about how good it was!

I mean... bisquick, sausage, alfredo sauce, cheese?

Seriously!

The night before I made THIS...

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Bryan COULD NOT get enough of it.

And made pointedly sure that I put it in my regular rotation.

On tap for tomorrow...

Ravioli Bake

Scheduled for next week...

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

Bowtie Asparagus Pasta

Made the Moist Meatloaf months ago.

It was FAB and VERY MOIST!

I recommend it whole heartedly but suggest using one of those meatloaf pans where the fat drains out the bottom because it was swimming. (or use less fat meat but who wants to do that?)

Every single one of these recipes that I've tried so far are going into my 'little collection'. Meaning, I will make them again.

Thanks M

New Golf Clubs for Christmas

The old clubs...

(for some reason they just don't hit straight anymore)

The New Clubs.

Check out their golfing gloves.
Great form.

James needs to work on his form a little bit.

Recently

This is the conversation I overheard from the other room the other day...

And I quote...

Bo: "Bryson, I love you."
Bryson: "I love you, too, Bowen."

Heart melty!

Every day Bowen asks when the grass will be back so he can golf outside.

After waiting and waiting he decided to shovel the grass himself.
That idea lasted about 1 minute.

A Bowen original Recipe.
It's called Cheesy Fish sandwich.
Take 2 pieces of cheese and put a golfish cracker in between.
Delicious!
And so easy!

A proud Mormon Boy

(it is now Tuesday and he has since given up his CTR ways)

James sits up on his own...The boys think it's pretty dang funny that he can't actually STAY sitting up.

It happens to be a very fun game to fall down when James does.....

Depiction:

Income Property

I love love LOVE this show on HGTV.
It's called INCOME PROPERTY with Scott McGillivray.

In the most recent episode Scott turned this basement apartment (owned by a young, single grade school librarian)...

into THIS...

(for a mere $43K)

I could tell she wanted to marry him after that.

I'm thinking, I'm thinking.

I'm thinking about blogging again... alrighty then.

I'm going to say lots and lots just because I want to.

It has been determined that any home of mine at any future time MUST include the Master on the main floor AS WELL AS one other bedroom. (for the nursery since I will most likely have more children against my better judgment) ( ;

There are lots of things I have determined to be blissful in a new home...

• very large and chunky stark white molding around ALL the doors, windows and floors.
• VERY big windows ALL over the place.
• not an 8' ceiling in sight

Other things that have been on my mind...

A netbook would be of the upmost fabulousness right now since my computer is at the furthest away point in the house than where I spend most of my time. I think that's why I have a blogging problem, email problem, and overall dissattached from the online world problem. I do not like this problem.

For those who may not know (maybe nobody cares) but we are currently living in a fabulous one room suite in my parents basement. I first thought this would be a 3-month tops fix but have since been on a Dave Ramsey kick and have determined that we may be here for an unidentified amount of time.

Favorite Dave Ramsey quote: "HOPE YOU LIKE THE CAR!!!" obviously you have to hear it in context to get it.

Back to subject: for the first 3 months all I did was look at homes, plan out homes, dream about homes, you get it. I have subsided my silliness and channeled my energy into more appropriate avenues such as budgeting, financial planning, Dave Ramsey obsessment. I have down to the penny exactly how much money we are going to have in approximately 35+ years. It's about 12 million. kidding. But there is a part of me that thinks that is possible.

Are you still reading? Seriously?

I have read 130 pages of America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book and have loved every second of it. I DEFINITLY should have gone to chef's school. Why did someone not tell me this when I was 18? WHy was it not in my Patriarchal Blessing? I AM A FOOD SNOB. ANd I love it. Sometimes it's all I have, it seems, when my children (3 under 5!) and life in general pushes me into a corner (imagine nose to corner) and I have no idea what to do with myself.... I read a cookbook. And dream about steaming a lobster one day.

Which reminds me... I made Bahama Breeze's Lobster and Shrimp Pasta on New Years Eve. It was fabulous. Not TDF (dissapointing) but nevertheless... LOBSTER! It had SAFFRON in it. Oh ya, and Brandi.

Lobster Ravioli is probably my most absolute favorite dish.

I am IN LOVE with Dole's frozen sliced unsweetened strawberries. Defrost them in the microwave (accidently leave them in a little too long) and the subtle warmth makes them delectible. Ate them on a piece of wheat toast spread with crunchy PB this morning. Heavenly. An FBD meal (Flat Belly Diet). I'm all about it.

Pottery Barn magazines give me great joy.

Bowen and his CTR ring. I MUST blog about that later.
Must to bed now. I shall see you again, dear blog, in approximately 9 days as according to my current record.

Tiny

Why do I love Bakerella.
In true rhetorical fashion I shall now answer.

She likes TINY.

These are little teeny tiny Pioneer Woman cookbooks attached to cake balls.
LOVE IT!These are tiny pies... with tiny bows.
LOVE IT!
Next Christmas for sure.

ANd these are tiny trees with tiny presents...
I am more than just the teeniest bit in love with it.

On a side note... I think I shall need to purchase this Cookie Craft book at some future point...
And on another side note...
a bathroom with a corner vanity is pure bliss.