A few new recipes, for me, and for you!!!

Breakfast cookies.


          I have been looking for something to eat for breakfast/snack that was healthy but having enough taste for me to want to eat it. When I came across this recipe, I knew I found something good. It's been revised for the health factor, and deliciousness. Once you understand the basic recipe, you can alter to your own taste. This is what worked for me.

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 cups oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 ground flax
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup raisins
1 cup craisins
1/3 cup coco powder
1 cup chopped walnuts or any other nuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1. Cream together margarine, peanut butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla.
2. Add in eggs and milk and cream
3. In a separate bowl Mix together flour, wheat flour, oats, wheat germ, ground flax, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, coco.
4. Mix dry ingredients into creamy mixture. 
5. Lastly, mix into batter by hand" raisins, craisins, nuts, seeds
6. Spoon onto greased cookie sheets.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.


They will last in a sealed container for around 2 weeks, and also freeze well.




Amish Breakfast Casserole


          Here is another recipe. Most breakfast casserole's have bread in them, so I was excited to find that this one does not. Again, I revised to add in more healthy ingredients :)

1/2 pound cooked bacon crumbled
1 onion, chopped
10 eggs, beaten
4 cups shredded, defrosted potatoes
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1  and 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 and 1/4 cup swiss cheese shredded
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
Ground black pepper to taste


1. Fry bacon, crumble
2. In bacon grease, cook onion.
3. In a large bowl, hand beat eggs.
4. Add to eggs: bacon, onion, cheeses, peppers and ground pepper and mix.
5. Grease a 9 by 13 pan, spread out potatoes.  Pour egg mixture on top.
6. Bake 350 uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes.
7. Let sit a few minutes before cutting.


Can be prepared the night before, but cooking time may increase.




Black Bean Burrito's


          Kelby has asked for awhile to have burrito's. So back to the internet I went, in search of an easy, healthy, cheap recipe. Here is what I found, again (do you sense a pattern here) with alternations. It was delicious, and made 6-8 large burrito's. 


1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 Tbsp minced garlic

2 cans black beans, drained

3 oz cream cheese

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 Tbsp chili powder

1 cup corn

flour tortillas

cheddar cheese

tomatoes

sour cream

salsa

Heat oil, add onion, peppers, garlic. Cook for a few minutes. Add beans, cumin, chili, corn and cook for 5 minutes. Mix in cream cheese. Heat tortillas, put bean mixture in the center. Add on top: cheddar cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa. A great left-over meal!

Life has been busy

Sorry for the lack of attention to the blog. I know some of you have consistently checked for new postings (hi mom) so I appreciate that you haven't given up on me. My time at home as been busy, which equates to less computer/internet/blog time.

Back in November, I decided to have a partial "DIY" Christmas. Instead of buying things as presents, we bought yarn and I made lots of scarves. Now, I love to crochet, but making that many scarves with time constraints was a challenge. I believe I made 8 scarves in all. Just a few days ago, Kelby asked why he hadn't received one. So back to the craft store we went, and he helped to pick out yarn. Now I am busy again :)

Another project I worked on for a few of our relatives, was taking this blog and turning it into a book. I didn't want to just send the whole blog off to be printed, as I wanted to revise the layout to make it more book-friendly. The website I found, and Love! is called Blurb, found here. What was most helpful with this website was that I downloaded a program to the computer, formated each page with the layout of text and pictures, and decided how long I wanted the book to be. Since the price jumped up at page 41, it stayed at exactly 40 pages (have to get the most for my money.) Once I formatted it to my liking, after 6 hours one Saturday in front of the computer, I uploaded it to their website, and ordered books. They came before promised, and look AWESOME. I couldn't believe it was my pictures, and my stories, in this book. The quality was impressive, and turning into great books. It was primarily to give to my Grandma, who doesn't have access to internet :)

And since it is Christmas, Kelby and I spent time decorating the apartment. When I moved to Texas, I promised myself that I would only use real Christmas trees, and not fake, plastic ones. No offense to those who use the plastic trees, as they are more economical in the long run, and much easier to find. This is one area where for me, money isn't the first consideration. The first few years in Texas, I was super tight on money, so no tree. Starting a job full-time helped, along with Kelby's encouragement. This year, we spent a Saturday afternoon driving to, finding, chopping down, driving home, and setting up the tree. Down here, there are not many Christmas tree farms, and the selection is nominal. But we found a tree, and it's pretty! Kelby has been out of school for a few weeks, and unable to work much due to his knee, so he spent a lot of time working on christmas lights for the front balcony. He was creative, and it says "The Reeds" along with a cross and tree.

I have been spending more time reading recipes and trying out new ones, while staying within our food budget. I had 1 flop, but some yummy ones!

Sophie, our puppy, was old enough to get spade a couple of weeks ago. She was tired and sleepy the first few days, but recovered fast. During this time, she wore a cone to keep her from messing with her stomach stitches. As well, one of her duclaw's was misformed, and would have caused issues in the future. So the vet went ahead and removed both of her duclaws (the 5th digit on the side of a leg). Even with a cone on, she could reach her front paws with the stitches, so she needed to watched. She gets these stitches out tomorrow, and should be good to go!

Oh, and how could I forget. We went down to Houston to visit some of Kelby's family. We got to meet his new niece, and exchanged a few Christmas presents. And then after Christmas, my parents flew in to spend a few days with us, and to meet Sophie. I wasn't sure how mom would do with her, but everyone did great. I enjoyed watching my mom and dad play with Sophie's toys with her.

I'll add pictures once I am on the other computer. :)

Fall pictures

This day was a beautiful fall day. In the morning, it was cool, in the 40's, and smelled like fall. There is that distinctive, sharp smell which is so much better than any perfume. By lunchtime, we decided to take the dogs on a walk. Given Kelby's knee issues, we kept it short. I used this opportunity with both of us, with the dogs, in the daytime to take some pictures. Sophie moves so fast! It was hard to get her into certain poses, but we were able to get cute ones. Enjoy

This is Sophie's typical position.

Trying to get Skipper to play!



I couldn’t decide on which pictures I liked best, so you are able to see more than expected.


I love when Sophie carries toys.
She is too cute!



    

  



Applesauce

Mom mailed me a box of apples. Probably one of the best packages I have received in the mail. In the box, were fresh, crisp, delicious apples. TX apples are just not the same, even the ones imported from other states. They were great to eat and cook with.

With the rest of the apples, I decided to make homemade applesauce. It is actually much easier than it sounds.Wash the apples, cut them into hunks. Place all the apples into a large pot, with a little water on the bottom. Turn on the heat, and let them cook for 30ish minutes with the lid on, stirring at times, until all the apples are soft and mushy.

Use this wonderful invention, a food press. Turn the crank, and applesauce falls out the bottom! Press the entire batch of apples, and then it is ready to eat.

I love it best as is, but it is also good with cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Deliciousness



What to cook when the fridge is empty...

Wow, food was expensive this month. As it is the end of the month, our budget for food refills on the first of November. So this weekend, I used my creativity in order to feed our stomachs.

1. I purposely bought these ingredients earlier this month, as there are no fresh items needed besides onion and half-and-half, both of which last a long time. The hardest part about this recipe is I cooked it at 8am today, since the apartment complex was turning off our water at 9am.

Corn Chowder Soup
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp margarine
1 tsp Italian Spices (parsley, oregano, basil)
salt
ground pepper
3 cups chicken broth (I used 3 bouillon cubes and 3 cups of water)
1 can diced white potatoes, drained
2 cans corn, cream style
1/2 cup cream/half-and-half (I used fat-free)

Melt margarine, add onion and sautee until soft. Add spices, salt and pepper to taste, chicken broth, potatoes, corn. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Add cream, bring to just under a boil.


2. I have made crepes probably 4 times in the past few months. They have tastes delicious, and use basic ingredients. Besides that, they are slightly time-consuming, but totally worth it!

Crepes
1.5 cups milk
4 eggs (beaten)
1 cup flour
1.5 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
margarine (for the pan)

Beat the eggs in a medium sized bowl. Add milk, mix together. Add in flour, sugar, salt and mix until most of the lumps are out. Place in fridge for an hour. Heat pan, melt a small dollop of margarine. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp of mixture at a time to the pan. Tilt the pan so your crepe is nice and thin. Cook around 30 seconds on the first side, and 15 seconds on the second side.
- I love these with a little margarine rolled in the middle. Also great with cream cheese, or anything else you can think of!

Pray for Kelby

We received some unfortunate news regarding Kelby's knee this past week. A surgeon told us that Kelby needs exploratory surgery on his left knee, as the MRI and X-rays showed a severe lateral torn meniscus. During the surgery, the doctor will decide if it can be fixed, or just cut out the torn pieces. The doctor was not very promising on the odds of being able to fix this kind of injury. The life-long implications are overwhelming, as many of our goals and dreams may need to be rewritten, depending on the outcome of the surgery.

Please pray that Kelby's surgery goes smoothly, and that the knee can be fully fixed. That his pain is minimal. That his recovery time will be short. A long recovery means that much more time off from work. Pray that Kelby is spared from having "old man knees" for the rest of his life.

His surgery is on November 17th.

Thank you!

New Crockpot Recipe

I made this for dinner the other night, and it was great coming home to a house that smelled so good. This is similar to Italian sauce, but one that doesn't need stirring all day long :)

Italian CrockPot Stew

1 clove garlic/1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage (we used hot, and chicken sausage)
28 oz can of whole tomatoes
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tsp basil
red pepper flakes (optional)
salt
pepper
pasta

In a pan, cook sausage. Place into Crockpot. Place garlic and onion in the pan, sautee until soft. Add to Crockpot. Cut up tomatoes, place into Crockpot. Add basil, salt and pepper to taste, along with red pepper flakes. If preparing the night before, save the peppers to add in the morning so they don't become too soft. Add peppers, and 1 cup water. Cook on low for 10-12 hours, or however long you are at work. Serve with pasta, top with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy. We have!

Sophie-ism's

I've been wanting to spend time writing down funny or interesting stories about Sophie, before she gets too big. These will be random, but hopefully entertaining.

Sophie loves to be outside. She has started to bark at dogs or people if she can't go and meet them. She is learning how to fix her leash if it is caught underneath her. She has not yet learned to stay away from Skipper while he pees or poops... she has almost gotten dirty more than once! She also does not know to stay away from other dog's poop. She has almost walked on it before. Yuck! Sophie loves to pick things up, and chew them. She will chew anything from leaves to rocks, to trash. If she grabs something with her mouth as we are walking, she will prance as she carries it. If she is jumping down from a wall, she hasn't yet figured out how to land on her feet; she will typically land on her head and back feet. Sophie gives kisses, but also likes to bite ears, noses and fingers. One day, she fell asleep with my finger still in her mouth. When she sleeps, she is so tired, that I can move her legs around and she doesn't wake up. When she is tired, Sophie digs to try and make her bed more comfortable. However, her bed can be on my stomach, legs, or doggie beds.

Skipper nudges Sophie to try and get her to play. When he is tired, he jumps up on the couch. Sophie puts her front paws on the couch, but isn't big enough to join him. Sophie and Skipper will play tug-and-war with different toys. I've watched Skipper go after a toy Sophie is playing with, just because she has it. Sophie plays fetch with any toy. But it is super cute to watch with her little tennis balls. We're still working on the release part of fetch. I tied a rope toy to the leg of the coffee table. Sophie will chew and pull on the toy. It helps to keep her self-entertained. Sophie has a very strong jaw - we can pick up a toy she has in her mouth, and she will continue to hold on to the toy, in the air.

Sophie wants to eat Skipper's food, and Skipper wants to eat Sophie's food. For the first week we had Sophie, I mixed their food together, and they ate out of the same bowl. But then the vet told me that Skipper gained a pound, so that ended that idea. They now each have their own bowl, and they only eat if Kelby or I are watching them. Skipper is eating so much food since Sophie has been here. I wonder if it is because he doesn't want Sophie to get it. We've taken Sophie to different events, in order to expose her to lots of people and situations. My goal is for her to become a therapy dog once she is old enough (she has to be over a year to take the tests). So for now, she is getting lots of socialization. Skipper is never happy when he watches us leave without him.

Sophie is small enough that when Skipper is standing, she can walk underneath him. I made Sophie a small fleece jacket. It is super cute. I'll make more as she keeps growing. Unfortunately, Sophie has stinky farts. I mean, clear the room, or hold your nose stinky. We've tried having her eat slower, and not giving her rawhide bones for now. Hopefully this improves shortly! We are working on commands. Sometimes she does 'sit', unless she is distracted. We have started having her learn 'down' and 'stay.' Also, I don't want her to jump up on people, so we will be working on that.

Pictures will come later!

Playtime

For your viewing pleasure... Sophie and Skipper playing. TOGETHER

Yumminess

I have been wanting Peach Cobbler for a long time. Yesterday, I decided to conduct some internet research to find a recipe that sounded good. Instead of just using one recipe, I combined a few different recipes, in order to meet flavor expectations, semi-healthy, and easy ingredients. Some recipe's called for buttermilk, unsalted butter, or tons of sugar. Here is the end ingredient list I compiled.

Peach Cobbler
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 cups sliced peaches
1 tsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp shortening
1 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat over to 400 degrees F.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, peaches, lemon juice in a pot. Cook until bubbling, then cook for 1 more minute (to thicken the juice). Pour into ungreased 9 x 9 pan.

In a bowl, place shortening, flour, 3 Tbsp sugar, baking powder, salt. Mix with a fork until everything is blended and there are tiny balls of dough. Add in milk and vanilla. Mix until the batter is even, but don't over mix (it will become too dense). Drop onto peach mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until topping is lightly browned. Good with vanilla ice cream, or as is.

Baby Shower Gift

Kelby's younger sister and brother-in-law are expecting their first child in November. I wasn't able to make it to the baby shower, but wanted to give them something personalized. So this is what I came up with. A Taggie Blanket with the baby's name (Aubrey) embroidered on one side. And three home-made balls to play with. I am really pleased with how the balls came out!

Meet our new family member

It started with just Kelby in one house, and Kristin in another.

Kristin added Skipper.

Kristin and Skipper added Kelby.

Kelby, Kristin, and Skipper added.... Sophie!

Sophie is a 4 month old Schnauser, weighing around 2 pounds for now. We are not sure if she is a Miniature or Standard. A friend of a friend bought/rescued her from a pet store. Our friend asked if we wanted a puppy, and how could we say no to this adorable face?



She met parts of what we were wanting in a second dog - non-shedding, female, and someone who Skipper will tolerate. Skipper is doing well so far, he even allowed her in his bed once. Can you just imagine what is going through his mind in this picture "fine, I will let her be here for a minute, but come-on, really? Do I have to?" Other times, she is playing with all his (now to be their) toys, as he sleeps on his blanket on the couch.

I, Kristin, was folding laundry this afternoon. Sophie decided to help, by climbing into a pair of pants. 

She is definitely in the chewing phase. Sophie will put everything and anything in her mouth. We are working on her just chewing appropriate things like toys, and not her leash. Sophie plays hard, and then sleeps soundly. Sometimes she is so tired we can move her and she doesn't wake up. She has learned in just a few days to go up and down the stairs to our place. We are practicing the command "sit" and her name.

AWANA

Wednesday evenings, I (Kristin) volunteer at my church. Our curriculum is AWANA [you can clink on the link for the webpage] - Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed. We have kids 3 years through middle school. I choose to work with the 3,4 and pre-kindergarden five-year-olds. We are called Cubbies, and we form great friendships with the kids! Last week, we passed out to our first year Cubbies their vests and bags and books - they were super excited to show their parents.

Our goal is to help children memorize bible verses, and to learn about God and The Bible. We sing songs, have a puppet (my portion!!!!), read stories, memorize bible verses, craft, and snack time. Lots of fun!

This week's memory verse is "God created the heavens and the earth" Genesis 1:1.

We love to read

At the beginning of Labor Day Weekend, I went to the library to check out a few books. Well, me and the library get along very well. Because instead of finding just a couple of books, I came away with 8. EIGHT!!!And now, a week and a half later, they are all finished, and enjoyed.

Four of the books were by Janette Oke, A Prairie Legacy. These are Christian Fiction, set around 100 years ago. I love this time period, where there was not a dependence on technology and life was part of nature, not separated.

Two books were on foster care children. I work with a lot of foster kids in my job, so I purposely looked for books to broaden my understanding of their circumstances.  Hope's Boy by Andrew Bridge is a non-fiction book. So very powerful and an intimate true story. I didn't want the story to end. The next book was Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury. This is a fiction book; however the emotions that course the book are real.

Now on to Autism, and the struggles families go through. Not My Boy! by Rodney Peete is another non-fiction book. This was an interesting, and unique perspective of raising a child on the Autism Spectrum. Rodney Peete was an NFL member. Reading how he tried to balance his job with his child was helpful. A Child's Journey Out Of Autism by Leeann Whiffen, a non-fiction book, described the lengths parents will travel in order to help their children. There was a large emphasis on ABA therapy, and the possible link between vaccines and Autism. However, research has shown there is no causal link. Still a good book written from a parent's perspective, along with the stress a diagnosis places on a family.

What's next, you ask? Wait and see :)

Dried Strawberries

So I absolutely love my food dehydrator. Every few days, I have used it again, since I eat the fruit so fast. Here is how I made dried strawberries. Almost like eating candy!

I started with 2 pounds of fresh strawberries. Clean the strawberries.

 Cut off the green tops, and slice very thin. Lay the strawberries in a single layer on each tray.

Cook at 135-140 degrees F, for 6-8 hours. The time probably depends on how hot and humid it is outside. The strawberries are done when you break a piece and it is dry throughout. The 2 pounds of fresh fruit turned into 3.5 ounces of dried fruit. It looks like a lot of work, but the deliciousness is worth it.

 

Awesome new appliances

We are slowly trying out some of new kitchen appliances. I made yummy lemonade with our citrus juicer. So far, we have made two loaves of bread in the bread maker. I think I enjoy bread the traditional way, in the oven better, but it is so easy in the bread maker. You just put all the ingredients in, and turn it on. The machine automatically mixes the dough, lets it rise, repeats this process a few times, and then cooks the loaf. How easy is that?

I absolutely LOVE the food dehydrator. I have already used it three times, and Kelby is concerned with what we may spend on food :)  haha. But anyways, here is a picture of the beef jerky we made. It is delicious, and I could eat a lot of this in one day. Making jerky is easy... cut up beef, marinate it for a few hours, then dehydrate it for around 6 hours, and then...... deliciousness!!!!

Here is myself taking a nap with Skipper. I know my arm looks awkward, but it was comfortable. And here is Kelby taking a nap. You would have to ask him why he is holding 2 pillows on his chest.



Huge hotel room

Our third hotel room was very impressive. We had an eating area, living room, table, bed area, and bathroom. Here is me on the couch, watching TV channels that we don't get at home.

I liked the reflection on the counter.

I absolutely loved the comforter on the bed. It was alternative down, and we may need to get one. The king size sure helped trying to figure out how to share space while sleeping :)

My sister, Laura and her fiance treated us to a dinner at The Melting Pot. When we arrived at our table, there was this bouquet of flowers. Near the end of the dinner, the manager came over and took our picture. The meal tasted amazing!!! Thank you!



Animals and Cave

Kelby and I both like nature and history, so we went to a cave that was discovered years ago. The cave has been forming for a long time, and the stalactites and stalagmites are really impressive.

Next door to the cave was an animal safari. The perfect kind for Texas weather, as we drove around in the car with airconditioning on. I really wanted this picture of the tree. It looks as though we are in the middle of no-where, and we kinda are!

The animals were about as hot, or hotter than us. We liked this picture,

as the hair matches the same colors as his neck.  

Some of the animals were still hungry, so we were able to feed a few of them.

This zebra wanted more food, and as Kelby drove slowly,

the zebra kept his head inside the car!!!!!



Honeymoon

Our honeymoon took us to San Antonio, just as hot as Dallas, but we were able to have fun nonetheless. We spent time on the riverwalk, and enjoyed taking pictures.

 Next stop, The Alamo. The interesting part is the history behind the story. The actual building is not that impressive. But we wanted to get a few good pictures for you :)  Make sure to notice Kelby waving at his reflection and the camera.

Here's two neat pictures of buildings

and flags. It's awesome being able to

stop the movement of the flag. I love

my camera!!!!!



Wedding

Our wedding was wonderful. A few stressful moments, but everything worked out great. I don't have many pictures, yet. But they will be coming. It amazed me how fast the day went by, compared to how much planning occured. The flowers were beautiful, cake delicious, food yummy, and my dress fit :) The music tied in perfectly, and the programs honored our loved ones.

We loved being able to spend time with our families. I am so appreciative of everyone who traveled to share in our day. Sorry it had to be one of the hottest summers in Texas.!!!

Getting ready...

Our wedding is just a week away. I believe I speak for both Kelby and myself, that we are ready for the day to arrive. Lots of decisions being made, both big and little. The program is done, just needs to be printed. Songs chosen, food picked out, relatives come into town soon. Trying to fit both his things and my things into one apartment is not an easy feat. Moving a desk by myself was interesting! Sometimes I wonder why we keep so much? Skipper is concerned with all the activity, but then he falls asleep as close to me as possible. The wedding planning has kept me from the computer, hopefully that will change soon! I am working on a great idea for all the cards we have received. Once it is finished, pictures will be posted.

We both are remembering that the wedding event is just a day, but our marriage will last forever. We read lots of books, talk through decisions, such as...... who is going to do which chores :)

Family Reunion

Third attempt for this post….

Kelby and I attended a family reunion on his mom's side of the family, near Houston. It was hot, humid, and yucky outside. But we were able to get some great pictures, and spend time with his family.

He took over the camera for a little while, and resulted in this picture of a sweaty me. Here, Kelby is concentrating on playing a game.

We were able to play with his niece. She is super cute, and it was a perfect time to take pictures.

Here are a few distant relatives of Kelby. The

boys enjoyed laughing and being scared by their

grandfather, and I was able to capture the moment.

Here is Kelby’s grandpa. He found a unique seat, in order to observe all the activity. Sorry the next picture is blurry, but I was able to “catch” all the candy falling out of the piñata.

At one point, I was looking for a subject for pictures. God gave me a very entertaining lizard. He was actually above me, by a couple of feet. When I looked at the picture later, it made me laugh out loud! The other picture just impressed me with the clarity and detail of the lizard.  

Catching Up

This month is flying by. Our wedding is in 6.5 weeks. Woohoo!!!!!

When mom was down last, we walked around the wedding site. Here is a picture from the garden outside. Being able to take pictures that day made me realize that I will want to take pictures on my wedding day. However, my attention will be elsewhere, such as on Kelby and all our guests.

 Kelby and I went to a friend's wedding over the weekend. As we waited for the ceremony to start, I took these pictures. I like the one on the right, with the two people looking at each other, and the piano player in the distance but still in focus, between them!

From the reception, comes the floating candles and flowers in water. And finally, the bride and groom, Calli and Zak Terry! Congratulations to both of you :)

Before the wedding, Kelby and I had time to spare, so we did a little sightseeing in Nacogdoches, TX, the oldest town in Texas. We went to a cemetery (is that weird going to a cemetery before a wedding?) with old graves. We both are facinated by history, so it was neat being able to read some of the old gravestones.