We had oven roasted veggies tonight and boy were they good! I think I will make this a lot this winter. I found the recipe here. I was planning to make the chicken bundles tonight too but a 5:20 appt at the dr for Tyler changed my mind! (Ty has a bad cold he caught from Luke but as of now it hasn't turned into RSV.) Instead we ate the chicken pot pie I had pulled down from the freezer. But I had really been looking forward to the veggies for dinner so I went ahead and made those. You've got to try this one! I modified the recipe to suit our tastes but you could really use any vegetables your family likes. (The recipe linked above used mushrooms, leeks, carrots, sweet potato and others).

Oven Roasted Veggies
Source: Danielle Deskins
1 whole head garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 red pepper
1 or 2 red potatoes
1/2 head of cauliflower
Handful of baby carrots
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 425. Remove a few of the paper layers from the garlic, but not enough that you expose the cloves. Cut off the very tip of the garlic so that you can barely see the tops of the cloves. Put the head in the middle of a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Bring the sides up like you're making a package. Put the whole thing in the oven for 30-45 minutes. You can cook this while you are cooking the veggies. Chop all the veggies into bite-size pieces (about 1 inch). Throw in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. Spread all the veggies on a single layer on a cookie sheet (line it with parchment paper for easy removal and clean up). Roast in oven for about 30 minutes, stirring about halfway through, or until vegetables are tender. Remove veggies and garlic. Let the garlic cool and put the veggies in a bowl. Once the garlic is cooled, squeeze the garlic on top of the veggies. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar on the veggies and toss to coat.

Wow. I made the Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from the recipe I found on Annie's Eats. They are so good. They are thick. They are chewy! They taste delicious! I made them last night after putting the boys to bed. Andy said several times how good they were. Today they are even better. This recipe will be repeated many times in my household!
*I told the boys who lost treats this morning due to fighting, wrestling, and generally not listening to their mama it was a shame b/c I made the best chocolate chip cookies ever!

Well the wonderful two week break is coming to an end. I'm wishing we still had more time off. I love being home with the boys and not having the stress of work on top of raising three boys! I actually had a little time each day to enjoy for myself since I didn't need to be in bed by 10. But that will end M-F starting tomorrow because there just isn't enough time in the day for 3 kids, 1 husband, a full day of teaching, making dinner, and getting ready to do it all over again the next day. So I'm a little down today, dreading the 5:15am alarm, the pumping in the bathroom, and missing my boys.

* We go to CCH on Tuesday. Tyler's appts are at 12:45 and 3pm. Hopefully we'll have some news about his birthmark then.

So I decided there was still some good name brand stuff in those bags I took to Once Upon a Child. I had also noticed they were already buying spring/summer clothes. So this morning I finished up my 0-9month clothes organizing by making 4 piles. Goodwill, spring consignment sale, fall consignment sale, and a pile for 1 more trip to the consignment store. I had two grocery bags this time and only name brand stuff. A winter bag (with clothes I took there yesterday!) and a spring bag. They bought most of it this time for $19!! The only things they didn't buy were pieces that didn't make an outfit. Ha! Showed them! I guess they didn't look at all the clothing I brought in yesterday. So here's my consignment store advice if you want them to buy your stuff:
- name brand
- outfits
- don't take too much at one time
And now I'm a step ahead for the consignment sales at our local churches! I've already got the stuff in the tubs. Will just have to hang, label, price etc.

Grrr...
So yesterday I went through our 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes and sorted them into piles. I was mainly searching for clothes I thought a local consignment store might purchase. I looked at their website, printed out "our favorite brands" and checked each and every tag. I also checked each outfit for stains and general wear & tear. I snapped all the snaps, zipped all the zippers, and folded them. Packed them neatly in my go green bags and was ready to take them in for cash. I had over 50 clothing items that were on the "our favorite brand list" without stains. I also took a diaper bag, play mat, and baby bathtub.
After 45 minutes in the store they bought 6 outfits, the diaper bag, and the play mat. I walked away with almost $22. I bought 2 shirts for Ty which cost me $8. The 6 outfits they bought included only name brands (GAP, Gymboree, Children's Place, Osh Kosh, and 2 Ralph Lauren). They didn't buy any Carter's even though it was listed as a favorite brand. All those fancy brands I had to sell were gifts! I'm a Carter's girl. I love their sleepers. I have to say, I was pretty dissapointed with how much they bought. Especially after spending 45 minutes perusing the store and seeing some of the not so nice clothing on the racks. There were some really cute things but then there were definitely lots of stuff that wasn't as nice as they stuff I brought in that THEY DIDN'T BUY. Maybe it's because teenage girls choose what gets bought and what doesn't. Aaarrgghh. I really wanted to say will you tell me what was wrong with all the other stuff?!! Why didn't you want it?? Oh, and they had TONS of Bumbo seats they were selling for $37.99 (which is $2 less than what Ty's Mimi payed at Toys-R-Us) and the bumbo trays for $12.99. Did you know you can get a bumbo tray at Target for only $9.99? I also saw a cute onesie that was $12 just because it was Gymboree. No thanks, not that cute! I could pay less than $12 and get something brand new at Target...or Old Navy!
Needless to say, I was frustrated. Are there any other consignment stores out there that buy children's clothes? Have you had any luck?

Wilson loves playing with his new Lego Police Station from Santa Claus. He has the prisoners break out of jail and then the police go catch the bad guys!
Luke is busy working on a masterpiece at his art table all the time! Oh, and by the way, he is fully potty trained now!! Woo-hoo! (Two down, 1 to go!)
Here is Tyler sitting in his Bumbo. He is just now able to sit in there for a few minutes at a time. He's got a big head to hold up. He's now wearing 6-9month clothes and is really begining to love toys! Tomorrow he'll be 16 weeks old. Time flies! His mommy didn't check the 6-9 month clothing tub until last night. It was then that I realized it was all summer clothes except for 3 things...we're going shopping today. Thankfully he did get several outfits for Christmas from family!

Before - the soffit and fascia were rotting. It was bad and ugly! Please ignore these ugly bushes. I've wanted to redo the landscaping on this side since we moved in.
During - they worked off and on for about a week. Now it is finished! Looks good, huh?!

Our siding has been complete for about 6 weeks, but I'm just now getting the pictures up! We're really happy with the end result. Now we just need to get matching paint for the garage door.

So...what do you think? This isn't real. It is photoshopped in...but I'm thinking about getting my nose pierced like this. Seriously. Of course it won't be this bright. Andy brightened it so you could see what I'm talking about. And I know I look rather glamorous here in my unshowered state. Hadn't even brushed my hair yet! I'm not joking! I think it is the looming 30th birthday. But I also think a small stud would be cute and tasteful - much to some family members dismay! No, not my parents or Andy. I have full support from Mom and Dad and Andy says hey, if you want it, do it! Be nice!

My happy helpers!
Notice Luke's facial expression - and it looks like Wilson's eating one!

Forgot to rotate this one! A plate of fluffy homemade marshmallows!

Yesterday the boys and I used my new stand mixer to make marshmallows. I didn't even know you could make them until I saw them on a food blog I read! They were easy to make (with a stand mixer- lots of mixing). Then they had to set overnight. This morning we got the powdered sugar out (and got it everywhere!) to cut them. One mistake I made is not oiling my 9x13 well enough. So it was rather difficult to get them out of the pan. The marshmallows were so fluffy! If you ever make these make sure to thoroughly oil your pan. I cut the marshmallows apart and the boys were in charge of rolling all the sticky cut sides in powdered sugar. Then they each ate one to test them out and I got a thumbs up from Wilson! We'll be dipping these in chocolate fondue tonight for our family New Year's Eve Party. We're staying home and making homemade pizza and chocolate fondue! We'll be dipping marshmallows, pretzels, graham crackers, strawberries, and bananas in our chocolate. I'm making a few changes the the recipe- omitting water and using coffee in place of the water and instant coffee. I'm cutting the recipe in 1/2 and I'm going to use chocolate chips instead of cutting up a chocolate bar...we'll see how it goes!
* If you use google reader click on my blog to see the picture Andy had framed for me for our anniversary. I just added it to the I Do post!

8 years ago today Andy and I were married! It was a cold snowy evening that I remember well. We were surrounded by our family and friends on a perfect evening! I married a great man and look forward to many, many more anniversaries! The memories we've shared in these short 8 years are amazing- especially the ones involving our 3 beautiful boys! This morning when I woke up, there was a large framed picture that Andy had taken outside this fall. It's a great picture! He not only took the picture but also matted it himself. I was surprised! It is now hanging on the wall in our bedroom over our bed. I love it! He is so sweet to have done that for me. Tonight we went out to dinner at Red Lobster (with Ty) while some friends of ours kept Will and Luke. It's been a great day! Happy Anniversary, Andy! I love you!

Here are a couple of good recipes I tried using my new cooking stuff! Chocolate Chip Cheesecake using my new springform pan and electric mixer! Soft Garlic Knots using my new mixer. I love my stand mixer! It is a-mazing! The first time I used it I couldn't stop smiling. No more will I turn on my hand mixer to mix-turn it off-set it down-crack the egg-pick up the mixer to mix- turn it off- set it down- etc! Stand mixers are glorious!! Both were pretty good recipes- that was my first real cheesecake to make using a springform pan and all. It turned out pretty good. I think I overmixed the garlic knots. Andy thought they were good as did the boys but they weren't light and fluffy. I'm still new to bread doughs! The new soup I tried was okay but not a recipe I'm going to keep. It had leeks in it- which I had always wanted to try in a recipe, but it wasn't our favorite! I enjoyed it but can live without it. Andy didn't care for the texture of the leeks which I think are like big green onions without the onion flavor. We also made fondue Sunday night in the new fondue pot Dan and Carol got me for Christmas. It was fun! The boys were so excited but as it turns out, they didn't care for the cheese fondue. Andy and I enjoyed it - though it was expensive to make! Here is the recipe for Three Cheese Fondue. I served it with a big platter of cut up baguette, potatoes, broccoli, zuchinni, carrots, and green apple. That was dinner! I was able to find 2 cheeses at Meijer and the 1 at Whole Foods. The fondue pot works fabulously- it is electric so you don't need a flame or anything. The boys really had fun adding the shredded cheese to the pot and watching it melt as we whisked it into the liquid. I promised them next time we'll do a chocolate fondue! I really want to make homemade marshmallows to dip into the fondue. I'll keep you posted! But I did find a good chocolate fondue recipe I want to try.

We're keeping busy around here! On the 26th we went back to my mom's to celebrate Christmas with Cara & Co since they were feeling better. Then that evening the women on my side of the family met at Panera. My cousin, Allison was in town from LA. It was great to see her! Cara and I stopped at Old Navy for a quick shopping trip on the way home. I got Wilson a new winter coat for $13! I also got an outfit for me and one for Ty that says "Don't let me size fool you!". It's cute. Yesterday we went bowling with Andy's family. It was Wilson and Luke's first time to bowl. They enjoyed it for about 5-6 frames! I broke in the new Le Creuset last night to make dinner. Yesterday afternoon I planned the boys birthday party and cleaned in the kitchen. Then last night Andy and I went birthday shopping for the boys! I'm trying 2-3 new recipes today (gotta use all my new cooking stuff!!) so if I find anything delicious I'll post it! Tomorrow I get to go to dinner with my fabulous team (our 2nd annual!) at PF Chang's. We decided to do this last year instead of exchanging gifts. I'm really looking forward to the food and time with my friends! Then Tuesday will be mine and Andy's 8th anniversary! This time of year brings so many celebrations for our family! I'm going to enjoy them all!

On Christmas Eve we hung out at home and had an enjoyable day. We let the boys open a gift from us around lunchtime. Wilson got a mail airplane Lego and Luke opened his discovery toys shovel. We went to my sister's around 3pm for appetizers and games. That was fun. I made the Cheese Queso from the Pioneer Woman Cook's website. It was good. I also took home made chex mix. We played Buzz Word which was a great game. We went to our church's Christmas Eve service and my parents, Cara, Madelyn, and Silas came too. Caroline was sick so Jason stayed home with her. Read about their not so Merry Christmas here. They all ended up with a stomach bug. After church we set out cookies and egg nog, sprinkled reindeer food on the yard, and put the boys to bed. Then Andy and I traded stockings and did the Santa thing! It was fun! In my stocking Andy gave me a silicone whisk, an apron, a label maker, ghiardelli dark chocolate with caramel, a new knife for cooking, and fuzzy socks. It was a great stocking! Andy's had 2 photography magazines, a gift card for netflix, itunes $, a chocolate orange, gum, and a 12 pk of moutain dew. I love stockings!

We had a wonderful Christmas Day! The boys woke up early, around 6:50 am. We let Tyler sleep in but the boys were ready to see what Santa brought. Wilson got the Police Station Lego set and Kung Fu panda movie plus several stocking stuffers. Luke got a basketball, a camera and stocking stuffers. They were both thrilled with the things they received. Then Andy and I opend gifts. Andy really spoiled me this year! He got me a set of Springform pans so I can finally make cheesecake, the movie 27 Dresses and a Le Creuset dutch oven. I've wanted one of those for a couple years and he was so clever in tricking me when he wrapped it! He used a DVD case (since I asked for 27 dresses) and inside the case it said "Gotcha! Go look in the oven...". There he had placed my new dutch oven! It is beautiful. It is Carribean blue (teal) and 5 1/2 qts. I love it! It is the exact one I wanted. Then in a bigger box he had wrapped the movie! I'm making dinner using my new dutch oven tonight! Andy got a Canon backpack for his camera, 2 long sleeved tshirts from Eddie Bauer, and a couple camera accessories he wanted. Ty woke up around 9 and we opened his stocking. He got a new winter hat, a baby book, new passies, and a couple small toys. We then went over to my mom's for brunch and presents. We ate delicious food but missed Cara & Co. who were all home sick. We opend gifts there and played on my mom's Wii. I got a Kitchen Aid Stand mixer!!! I've wanted one of these for a long time! It is black and I can't wait to use it. I'm using it tonight. I received so many cooking things (which I wanted!) and I can't wait to use them. When we left my mom's we went over to Danny and Stephanie's to hang out for a while. Then we came home and relaxed before going over to my Grandparent's for Christmas Dinner. We again had delicious food and fun with the family. It was a great day! I'll post a picture slide show later because there will be lots of pics I want to share!

Day 3 (Monday)
On Monday we went back to my mom's to decorate the Gingerbread Men cookies. Here is a sampling of what they look like! Silas enjoyed eating the icing instead of icing the cookies! They also made some Christmas crafts at Gamma's house. In the afternoon I tackled a few stores for my last few gifts/stocking stuffers. I finally found a stocking for Ty that would suffice. I had looked at Target, Hobby Lobby, Meijer, Walmart over the last several weeks. Ended up getting one at J.B. It doesn't coordinate with Wilson and Luke's but it was the best I could find. Monday night we hung out at home, I tried a new recipe which we weren't crazy about and made this gingerbread tree from a kit my mom had.
Day 4 (Tuesday)
We woke up and went to Panera for breakfast, thanks to a gift card from school! We sat by the fireplace and all enjoyed a bagel (except Lukie - he always gets a pumpkin muffie!). Three seperate people talked to Andy and I and told us the following: we have such a nice family (heard that twice!), you've got your hands full (twice too), you've got a great daddy, and I raised two sons, mine has done that too (in reference to Wilson crawling under the stall on the bathroom floor to get to me and Luke). People were so kind and friendly! Love the holidays. After Panera we drove around (hey, kids were buckled in, calm, quiet, and not fighting!) and explored in the country. After a while we turned our GPS on and told it to find our way home. Fun! We're loving the GPS. In the afternoon we went to Walmart and got groceries and some organizing tubs and new laundry baskets. Then came home and made chex mix (had to use crispix, Walmart was sold out of wheat, corn, and rice chex). Also made pepperoni rolls and soup for dinner. Here is a picture of Tyler when I was making dinner - he decided he loves Tarn now!
After dinner we got the kids ready for bed and drove around looking at Christmas lights. We picked my mom up and she went with us to see the lights downtown. Then we dropped her off and drove around a neighborhood. Wilson fell asleep in the car. But not Luke. Stubborn thing. He fought the sleep and stayed awake!

At 6:04pm Alyssa's missing hairbrush was found! Wilson, an almost 5 year old said "I found the hairbrush under the couch!" Alyssa was thrilled to hear the great news though she had gotten a new hairbrush 4 days ago. Alyssa also said she wishes she had thought to look under the couch last week.

On Sunday afternoon we headed over to my moms for some cookie baking. It was fun! Cara made sugar cookie dough and I made gingerbread cookie dough. My mom had tons of cookie cutters and cookie decorations. We rolled out the dough and let the kids cut and decorate. On the sugar cookies we used an egg wash to paint the icing on. That was super fun for the kids. Then mom and I cut out the gingerbread men and baked them. The kids were done with cookies by then so we didn't get them decorated until Monday. We all took turns playing my mom's Wii and Guitar Hero. Then we ate chili that my dad had made. On our way home we stopped by a local firestation to watch their light show. They had their garage door open and Santa was inside so Andy took Wilson and Luke in to see the trucks and Santa. They thought that was great!

Matt & Elise

The boys playing Guitar Hero!

Elise & Tyler
On Saturday we loaded up the van and went on a day trip! We were going to visit some friends who had a new baby! Matt and Olivia had sweet little Elise 4 weeks ago. We stayed and visited for a couple hours. Elise is precious! She has lots of hair and is so tiny! We couldn't believe only 4 weeks separated Ty and Elise. Olivia didn't think she was up to Ty's birth weight yet! We had lunch together, watched Wilson and Luke attempt Guitar Hero (soo cute!) and talked.

When we left their house we used our GPS to find the Masonic Home (nursing home) where my grandmother lives. It led us there and we surprised her with a visit. We were so close by we decided to stop. She was thrilled. She met Ty and held him in her lap. We went up to the dining room to see the Christmas tree and also the birds and fish that are near the dining room. She doesn't see hardly at all anymore but she navigated pretty well through the hallways. Luke even sat on her lap and she rolled him down the hall. Wilson and Luke don't remember going there even though they've been twice but they handled it nicely. They were a little afraid but warmed up quickly. They each chose a stuffed animal from her bed and had fun looking at the train with Daddy under the Christmas tree. It was great to see Grandma and to see how happy she was to have us visit. We should go back more often.

At this point we were all hungry. Andy had heard of Bluegrass Brewing Co. (they make their own root beer) and thought it would be fun if we could go there for a snack. So we looked in our GPS and it was less than 2 miles away! Score! So we went there to share a couple appetizers. Andy got a root beer and I tried an Altbeir. Then we had a big soft pretzel with beer cheese and a Chicken Quesadilla. Both were yummy. The boys ate most of the pretzel and Luke even liked the beer cheese! The restaurant was neat - they had a kids play area which looked like a small stage with toys out. They sat us near the play area and the boys were able to get up and go play. Great feature!

Tyler is growing so quickly! We can't believe how big he is getting. He was 14 weeks on Friday. He is alert a lot more often now. He loves to sit at the table with us in the high chair (with it leaning back) and see what the family is doing when we eat dinner! He is smiling and giggling a lot now. He loves to be tickled and given raspberries. He also loves to sit and stare at the Christmas tree. He is absolutely perfect and we are enjoying every minute! His big brothers are still doing well around him and usually love to help with TW. Look at those thighs in the picture - see the rolls?! This boy hasn't missed a meal yet! We are so blessed to have 3 precious boys.
*We go to Cincinnati Children's on January 6th. Pray for good news :)

*These take a long time to make but are very easy. They are delicious. I think they are worth the long prep time due to cooling!

Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
Ingredients:
For the crispy crust: (Andy and I thought it might be good to double the crispy layer next time)
1 ¾ cups crisped rice cereal
¼ cup water
¼ cup sugar
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
3 tbsp. butter, melted

For the chocolate peanut butter layer:
5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter

For the chocolate icing:
3 oz. dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ tsp. light corn syrup
4 tbsp. butter

Directions:
Lightly spray a paper towel with nonstick cooking spray and use it to rub the bottom and sides of an 8×8” square baking pan.

To make the crispy crust, pour the cereal into a large bowl and set aside. Pour the water into a small saucepan. Gently add the sugar and the corn syrup (do not let any sugar or corn syrup get on the sides of the pan) and use a small wooden spoon to stir the mixture until just combined. Put a candy thermometer in the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; cook until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 235° F.

Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, and pour the mixture over the cereal. Working quickly, stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated, then pour it into the prepared pan. Using your hands or a silicone spatula, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan (do not press up the sides). Let the crust cool to room temperature while you make the next layer.

To make the chocolate peanut butter layer, in a glass bowl set over a pot of boiling water, combine the chocolate and peanut butter. Cook, stirring with a spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust. Put the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the top layer hardens.

To make the chocolate icing, in a glass bowl set over boiling water, combine the chocolate, corn syrup and butter. Cook, stirring with a spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the chilled chocolate peanut butter layer and spread carefully into an even layer. Put the pan into the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the topping hardens.

Cut into 16 squares and serve. Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Caramel Corn
3 pkgs popped microwave popcorn
1 stick butter
2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
Pour popped popcorn in a large bowl. Discard unpopped kernals. Melt 1 stick butter in saucepan over medium high heat. Add sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Stir until boiling. Turn down heat and let mixture bowl for 5 minutes without stirring. Then add soda and vanilla - it will bubble up- and stir. Pour mixture over popcorn and stir to coat evenly. Put popcorn on two cookies sheets. Then bake 1 hour at 250, stirring every 15 minutes.

Peanut Butter Patties
Ritz crackers (reduced fat)
Jif Peanut Butter (reduced fat)
Chocolate Almond Bark
1 T shortening

Make peanut butter cracker sandwiches. Melt chocolate in a double boiler, adding 1 T shortening to thin the chocolate. Dip sandwiched crackers in chocolate completely, shaking excess chocolate off. Let cool on wax/parchment paper until chocolate is set. I usually throw them in the freezer on the cookie sheet for a few minutes to speed the process along.