it'd beginning to look a lot like christmas

well, i've finally have gotten around to decorating. i didn't put up as much as i normally do, just bits and pieces. and we decided not to put up a tree because aidan will just pull it down and i don't want to stress about it.

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here is one of my navtivities, on the bookshelf in the entry way.

here are my multi-colored sparkley christmas trees on my mantle.

here is our sad little christmas tree next to our nativity. it's driving aidan nuts, he wants to touch it so badly. every once in a while he crawls over to it and throws a tantrum! its sad but really cute!

and since i could not put my normal ornaments on my big tree i decided to put them into vases and decorate the piano. i love the colors of these ornaments, and usually they are intermixed with all of our other random crazy ornaments, but this year they stand alone.

it's not much, but everything that i've put up i LOVE, sometimes i wish i could leave my christmas decorations up all year long. they make me so happy. i should have put them up earlier, but i had to dig them out from behind a giant fishtank in our garage (i'll explain more in another post about the aquarium that we live in!!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

merry christmas

my friend whitney did this meme on her blog, and it looked like fun, so here you go!!

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1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? i love the look or crisply wrapped presents, but i am *horrible* at it, so i do a lot of bags.
2. Real tree or Artificial? artificial, i can't stand the mess of real ones or the stress of keeping it watered
3. When do you put up the tree? we're supposed to have a set time? i'll do it whenever robby gets the stuff out like i asked him to 1 week ago
4. When do you take the tree down? last year i think it came down towards the end of january, it just made me too happy i didn't want to ever take it down
5. Do you like eggnog? yup, i could drink gallons of the stuff -- i need to put it on my shopping list
6. Favorite gift received as a child? my barbie ferrari (although it was actually a corvette) and my american girl doll
7. Do you have a nativity scene? yup, i have a couple.
8. Hardest person to buy for? all of the men in my family, brother, dad and brothers in law!
9. Easiest person to buy for? aidan - he'll like anything i'm sure
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? none, am i supposed to do that now? most likely i'll be blogging it
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? hmmmmmm ... i don't know but i'm sure it was from my grandparents
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? christmas vacation
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? when i feel like it, usually in october or november
14. Ever recycled a Christmas present? not yet
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? egg nog and english toffee
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? i light clear lights and robby likes colored
17. Favorite Christmas song? hmmm, i'm generally bah humbug about christmas music, i think they start playing it WAY too early
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? anywhere where my family is, usually close by.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? yup: dasher, dancer, prancer, vixen, comet, cupid, donder and blitzen, and of course rudolf (and yes, it's DONDER, not donner, it drives me crazy when people say donner)
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? giant bright red star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? christmas morning, but we open presents at every place we visit
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? way too much christmas music, i get burnt out on it
23. Favorite ornament, theme, or color? no themes or colors, some matching ornaments and tons of random ones.
24. What do you want for Christmas this year? a serger

an ode to robby

my friend tricia, who blogs at swift stuff, just did this meme and i figured since i was just robby's birthday i would do it as well, so here you go!

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1. What is his name? robert (robby) allen baird
2. How long have you been married? 4.5 years
3. How long did you date? 4 months dating, 2 month engagement ... although i've known him since i was 13!!
4. Who eats more? definiately him
5. Who said 'I love you' first? i can't remember, but probably him
6. Who sings better? me (which isn't saying much -- i'm sure he has a nice voice if he ever tried to do is seriously)
7. Who is taller? him (he's 6'1" and i'm only 5'4")
8. Whose temper is worse? him, but get me riled up and you'll see mine come out too!
9. Who does the laundry? both of us, almost even actaully
10. Who does the dishes? me -- all the time. he's only done them once since we've moved into the house (yeah that was 7 months ago!!)
11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? me, giving him plenty of room for kicking people in the chest if need be!!
12. Who does the cooking? me ... he's only ever made me eggs and i can probably count the number of times on one hand.
13. Who is more stubborn? both of us, but i'm probably more so
14. Who proposed? him, may 5, 2003, on the mark twain at disneyland
15. Who is more likely to admit when they are wrong? him
16. Whose parents do you see the most? mine, every sunday, thank you mom for the best meals EVER!!!
17. Who pays the bills? me
18. Who wears the pants in the family? both of us
19. Why do you love your husband? because he loves me, and he loves our son. he's the best hubby i could have asked for.
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Ok, now I tag nicole and jen. (Copy and paste and reply in your own blog....) Enjoy!

the golden compass

i urge you all not to go and support this film in the box office.

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The Golden Compass - Off Course

By Kathy Rappleye

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The Golden Compass, which is opening today (December 7, 2007), has all the trappings of a major Hollywood success - big name stars (Nicole Kidman, Ian McCellan), a huge budget ($200,000,000), and a trailer that looks fantastical and inviting. A rich, sumptuous offering for the holiday season.Its creators are looking for the beginning of a blockbuster series like Lord of the Rings, with increased book sales to follow.

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But wait a minute. This movie comes with a warning from Christian groups that might make you stop before rushing to the theater with your children in hand, because it is a watered down version of the first book in Phillip Pullman's dark trilogy His Dark Materials. This author, according to one Christian group who sent out an alarm "has been very straightforward about his agenda to indoctrinate children against God and religion. He does not try to hide his disdain for Christianity nor his desire to convert as many young people as he can to atheism."

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With good reason, Christian groups are claiming that this is a pro-atheist stealth campaign, disguised as a fantasy film.Pullman himself has always been open about his beliefs, or I should say non-beliefs, and his reasons for writing the children's novels. He has said in press interviews that "His Dark Materials" books are in response to C. S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" written by Lewis to teach Christian ideals to children: "I loathe the 'Narnia' books; I hate them with a deep and bitter passion..." He has called the series "one of the most ugly and poisonous things" he has ever read. (As quoted in FoxNews.com article of Oct. 29, 2007 by Catherine Donaldson-Evans)

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The film is the story of a girl named Lyra from Oxford, England, who travels to the edge of another universe and becomes caught in a battle between good and evil. But the evil organization in the book is the church, and in the movie it is the Magisterium, a term for Roman Catholic authority to teach doctrine. While director Chris Weitz said he had to cut some controversial religious material from the first film for commercial reasons, he plans to be truer to the books in upcoming films.

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In the third book of the Pullman series, the children essentially kill God. The worry that permeates parents who are concerned about The Golden Compass is that the film is insidious, that while the director cleansed the first film to lure viewers, children will want to read the books, which are overtly hostile to religion.

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Young minds are vulnerable, and Pullman seems to have an aggressive idea about how to affect the rising generation.

happy birthday robby!

happy birthday baby!!! i LOVE you! (even though you don't ever read my blog)

HUZZAH!!!!

HUZZAH!!!! my sister, who blogs over at moments & milestones just made a huge announcement over at her blog. seriously, i'm so excited. i'm going to be an aunt again. HUZZAH!!!! another shelby kid is gonna be around to call me aunt hemi. that just makes my day. so go over and wish her some congratulations, and stick around and read some of her other posts. she has the cutest kids and is the most incredibly talented "life artist" (aka scrapbooking to those of us who aren't as talented). seriously, and takes the most beautiful photos. i love this girl, and i love her kids, and i love her husband. i LOVE the shelby family, and i'm so excited to have another one join this crazy wonderful bunch! congrats sis! i love you. ... and hopefully you'll get over feeling vomitocious and go back to just being sexilicious!

recipe wednesday - gracie allen's roast beef

ingredients:
1 large roast of beef
1 small roast of beef
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directions:
take the two roasts and put them in the oven.
when the little one burns, the big one is done.

aidan loves to eat

i couldn't help but share with you what aidan ate for thanksgiving, on the saturday after thanksgiving we went to my mother-in-law's apartment to share the holiday with her and robby's sister. well while we were eating our ham and potatoes, etc., this is what aidan was eating...in case you can't read what the jar says it's vegetable turkey dinner (i thought it appropriate to eat turkey). he's never eaten so much in one sitting. 6 ounces, holy moley. i guess the kid knows what this holiday is really about: eating as much as you can stomach.

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while i was getting ready to go to my MIL's aidan was playing in the living room, when i came out, this is what i found...

aidan was crawling and playing with his rattle in his mouth. the whole thing, like it was a giant pacifier. this kid is crazy.
i know this picture is blurry, but look at how big that circle is ... and he had the whole thing in his mouth!!
he wasn't very happy when i took the rattle away, and he growled at me!

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he used to be good about eating a variety of things, fruits, veggies you name it. recently he's been spitting just about everything in my face, no matter what. tonight i decided he needed some protein so i gave him a jar of vegetable beef (6 ounces again, and he's never had it before). he ate the whole thing soooooo fast. this boy likes his meat!
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on a related note, i've been working on sewing a blessing outfit for my friend's little boy, and i thought i had put all of my sewing supplies out of reach for aidan, apparently not. yesterday i heard him playing around over there so i went to investigate and he had about 3 or 4 straight pins in each hand. after further investigation i saw that he had something in his mouth ... 5 straight pins!!! apparently he wasn't hurt because he wasn't crying or anything, but sheesh! that boy will put just about anything in his mouth!

aidan thinks it's cool to wear sunglasses inside, especially after gorging on 6 ounces of vegetable turkey.

growing growing - UPDATED

aidan had a well baby check up on november 26th, he's now 29 inches long and weighs in at 22 pounds. on november 28th he finally got his fourth tooth that he's been working on. the other fun trick he figured out on the 28th was waving. robby came home for lunch and aidan and i walked outside with him. while robby was getting into his truck aidan started waving. (neither i nor robby were waving or had waved earlier). we've tried getting him to wave previously, but he had never done it. needless to say both of us were overly excited about his trick and try to get him to do it constantly. when i get a video of it, i'll post.

supporting the grieving process

my friend jen over at lord of the manor wrote a beautiful post that i think more people should read, so i'm passing you all over to her. she's such a smart, witty, strong woman and i admire her strength. i know not many people would be willing to discuss a topic like this is such a public forum as a blog, so jen i bow down to you. i'm not worthy, and you are amazing!!
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if you've ever had questions on how you should react to someone who is grieving for any reason, please read this post. it's amazing.
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head on over and read: supporting the grieving process
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amazing right? now you know.

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and jen, i don't know what to say, other than you are amazing!

5 things again

my sister over at moments and milestones tagged me, and even though this is similar to what i tagged her on ages ago i figure i better comply, because she's new to this whole blogging world.

5 Things I was Doing 10 Years Ago: (hmmm…I’d be 15...)
1) hanging out at chaffey high school
2) breaking all the boys hearts
3) going to youth dances every saturday
4) tormenting my siblings
5) wishing i could date

5 Things on my To-Do List:
1) do the dishes -- seriously one of my least favorite things to do
2) plan out christmas presents
3) do another run of jocole shirts, revamp website, start advertising again
4) go through some of the boxes in the garage and give it all to D.I.
5) make some friends in our new ward -- invite some people over for a game night

5 Things I Would Do If I Were A Millionaire:
1) buy the house that is still up for sale next to the andersons
2) take a year off and travel the world
3) invest for our future
4) expand my business jocole
5) pay off all of our debt

5 Things I Would Never Wear Again:
1) bikini -- dang stretch marks ... and a little thing called "modesty"
2) anything "acid-washed" or "tapered"
3) short shorts/shirts
4) anything oversized
5) size 2 -- sigh

5 Favorite Toys:
1) my hubby
2) my son
3) my laptop
4) my dvr
5) my ipod

5 People to Tag:
if you read this blog consider yourself tagged, unless you've already done it.

couch climbing

on november 16th aidan figured out he can climb on top of the couch and the coffee table. he was very proud of his new accomplishment. needless to say he now climbs up whenever he gets the chance, the only problem is he hasn't figured out how to get down yet!

i love technology

i love technology. i love that in this ever changing and evolving world i have a religion that has adapted to technology. the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints has a wonderful website that is beyond helpful.
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my new favorite find on the website is you can download mp3s of all your favorite conference talks, the scriptures, hymns, the ensign. it's amazing. seriously ... you should check it out.
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to download:
1. place the cursor over the mp3 icon.
2. click the right mouse button.
3. select "save target as..." from the menu.
4. rename and save the file.
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to listen:
click the mp3 icon.
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did you know that you can also download free in mp3 format from BYU Broadcasting. Under "find a talk," type in the speaker's name and do a search. A list of talks by that speaker will be displayed, plus the various formats in which each talk is available. If you see the "speaker" icon, showing a talk is available in mp3 format--left click on the icon to listen to the talk over your computer--or right click and a menu will appear. Choose "save link target as" and choose the location on your hard drive where you want the talk saved.
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some of my favorites include: John Bytheway:"Righteous Warriors: Lessons from the War Chapters in the Book of Mormon" "The Best 3 Hours of the Week: Getting the Most From Your Sunday Meetings." and "Gospel Values for Youth"
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now go and fill up your ipods and computers with conference, hymns and things from education week! huzzah!

birthday buddies

robby's sister susie finally had her baby ... and she had her on my birthday -- november 20th.

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here is jolee marie and her mommy.

here is jolee marie -- look at all that dark black hair!

and here i am holding jolee marie ... we're birthday buddies now!

aidan's trying to walk

this is aidan's other newest trick, he is trying to walk -- no wait scratch that, he's trying to RUN. he holds onto the couch, turns around and runs at me until he falls flat on his face -- it's hillarious. (please excuse my behind which keeps getting in the way of the camera, i'm sorry!) also, please note after he spots the camera, and then is more interested in the camera instead of momma. crazy kid. he's been doing this for about 2 weeks now. the funny thing is he doesn't want help (you know how kids like to learn to walk while holding their parents' hands) nope, not this kid. he's independent, he'll pull himself up on anything, turn around and let go. and when he does he smiles so big. he's completely loving that he's getting to be a big boy. i think the most steps he's taken so far is around 6 or 7 ... but he's getting better.

pushing daisies

it's about time i wrote about my absolute new favorite show: pushing daisies.

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here is the synopsis from abc.com

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Grown up Ned (Lee Pace) puts his talent to good use by touching dead fruit and making it ripe with everlasting flavor. He opens a pie shop. But his gift leaves him wary of becoming close to anyone, as beautiful waitress Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth) finds out. His life as a pie maker gets more complicated when private investigator Emerson Cod (Chi McBride) finds out about Ned's secret. Emerson convinces the cash-strapped Ned to help him solve murder cases (and collect the hefty reward fees) by raising the dead and getting them to name their killers.

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Then Ned is handed the case that changes his life forever. His childhood sweetheart, Charlotte "Chuck" Charles (Anna Friel), is murdered on a cruise ship under strange circumstances. Her death brings him back to his hometown of Coeur d' Coeurs to bring Chuck back to life, albeit briefly, and solve the crime. But once reunited with Chuck, Ned can't bring himself to send her back. He helps her escape after her grieving aunts, Lily and Vivian (Swoosie Kurtz, Ellen Greene), former synchronized swimmers Darling Mermaid Darlings, think they've buried her forever.

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Chuck becomes the third partner in Ned and Emerson's PI enterprise, but she encourages them to use their skills for good, not just for profit. Ned is overjoyed to be reunited with Chuck, the only girl he's ever loved. Life would be perfect, except for one cruel twist -- if he ever touches her again, she'll go back to being dead, this time for good.

ned

chuck

olive

emerson

seriously, i LOVE this show. it quirky and really well written. it airs on wednesday nights, or you could always watch it online. i love how colorful and arty it is. love love love it. watch an episode and i bet you'll be hooked as well.

aidan's new funny face

this is aidan's newest smiley face, it cracks me up every single time he does it. it reminds me of the scrunched-nose faces of the vampires on buffy.

recipe wednesday - sweet potato baby food

Yams/Sweet Potato (4)6 months+

Vitamins: A (24,877 mg ), C, Folate

Minerals: Potassium, Sodium, Selenium, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Calcium

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Directions:

1. Wash and poke holes in sweet potato with fork then wrap sweet potatoes in tin foil - do not peel for baking/microwaving. (you can also do this in the microwave - only use plastic wrap and cook for 8 minutes on high or until tender)

2. Place in a 400 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes or until soft

3. OR

4. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into small chunks

5. Place chunks into a pan with just enough water to slightly cover potato

6. "Steam" boil until tender, be sure to check on the water level.

7. Reserve any left over water to use for thinning out the sweet potatoes

8. If you have baked your sweet potato, remove skins and use liquid from your preferred source

9. Place sweet potato into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.

10. Add the reserved water or other liquid as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin consistency

Freezing Homemade Baby Food - The Ice Cube Tray/Freezer Bag Method:
Using this method, you spoon or pour your purees into regular ice cube trays and then cover with plastic wrap. Prior to using your ice cube trays, you want to thoroughly cleanse them with warm soapy water and/or run them through the dishwasher on the sanitize setting.

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The ice cube tray method offers you many advantages.
-- Each cube is approximately 1+ ounces, allowing you to have an idea of the amount of food your baby is consuming.
-- There is minimal waste as you use only 1 cube at a time and will not have to toss away much food; such as you toss away when using commercial foods.

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You may transfer the baby food cubes into freezer bags, freeing up your trays for the next batch of food as well as freeing up some freezer space. If using the freezer bag method for your food cubes, be sure to label the bags with the type of food and also date the bags. This will help you to quickly grab a cube from a bag of veggie and a bag of fruit without having to guess what you have in the bags. It also allows you to keep track of the length of time the food cubes have been in the freezer.

aidan's new trick

this is aidan's newest trick, he can take the lid off of the apple cinnamon puff container. he uses his teeth for leverage -- which is up to three now. his third tooth (the top right one) broke through yesterday.

recipe wednesday - dill potatoes

dill potatoes
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ingredients:
6 medium russet potatoes
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 stick butter
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp celery salt
2 tsp dill
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directions:
slice unpeeled, scrubbed potatoes in 3/4" slices and then quarter. boil potatoes until soft, drain well. melt butter in a large frying pan. saute garlic then add potatoes and seasonings. pan fry until lightly brown.

recipe wednesday - balsamic pork chops

balsamic pork chops

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ingredients:

pork chops

1 tablespoon olive oil per pork chop

1 tablespoon lemon juice per pork chop

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar per pork chops

salt and pepper

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directions:

arrange pork chops in a dish and generously salt and pepper each side of each chop. pour olive oil, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar over each chop, and turn to coat. marinate and allow to sit at room temperature for at least a half hour. turning periodically. saute chops over medium high heat for 7 minutes on the first side, add remaining marinade and saute chops for 4 minutes on the other side.

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i made these the other night and totally winged the recipe, my mom had just given me some balsamic vinegar and i wanted to find something to use it for. honestly the best pork chops i've ever had -- EVER!!!

happy halloween

relaxing weekend

we had a relaxing weekend chilling at my parent's house with my sister and her two kids. here is aidan and i enjoying the sun. nicole came up to get out of the smoke that is accumulating over san diego. we're sad about the fires roaring all over southern california, but boy was is fun to play with my sister and my neice and nephew. she has more pictures over at her blog.

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when we don't know what to do we go out shopping (which can be bad for my bank account) but on the bright side i got the outfit i'm wearing in the picture for less than $10. you can't beat that. aeropostal (spelling?) was having a massive 75% sale. love love love clearance sales. and now you're all jealous. i hope everyone else had a relaxing weekend as well!

recipe wednesday - ranch chicken

ranch chicken
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ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1/4 C Ranch Dressing (prepared)
1 sleeve ritz crackers - crushed
1 packet of ranch dressing mix
1 Tbsp dried parsely flakes
1/4 C butter, cut into pieces
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directions:

1. preheat over to 400 degrees.

2. marinate the chicken in the ranch dressing, at least for a half hour.

3. in a shallow bowl combine the crushed crackers, parsley and the ranch dressing mix.

4. dip the marinated chicken into the cracker mixture to coat.

5. arrange chicken in a 9x13 baking dish, and place the pieces of butter on top of each piece of chicken.

6. bake in preheated over for 25 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and the juice run clear.

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the chicken is so tender and flavorful, it is my husbands absolute favorite chicken recipe.

clean out your closets

go head on over to the jocole blog today for some tips on cleaning out your closets. stay tuned for more tips on getting rid of specific categories.

recipe wednesday - chicken adobo

chicken adobo
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ingredients:
2 chicken breasts - cubed
1/2 C vinegar (or 1/4 C vinegar and 1/4 C lemon juice)
1/2 C soy sauce
1 C water
4 garlic cloves - minced (or 4 tsp minced garlic - you know the kind in the jar)
1/2 onion - chopped
1/2 tsp ginger
2 bay leaves
pepper
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directions:
combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. cover and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes. uncover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. serve over white rice.
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i served it with steamed peas, and then mixed it all up. it was absolutly delicious! yum, enjoy! absolutely one of my favorite recipes.

WFMW - Closet Cleanout

it's wednesday, and every wednesday shannon at rocks in my dryer hosts a carnival called "works for me wednesday" where people blog about tips that work for them.

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i'm slowly trying to weed out all of my clothing (i'm a clothes horse). i have entirely way too much. in order to help me see what i actually wear and what i can bear to get rid of i turned my hangers backwards. after i wear it and want to put it back into my closet then i hang it properly. after give amount of time (i'm gonna do 3 months) i'm giving away everything that is still hung backwards!! see for yourself what you're really wearing. it works for me!

pearly whites

here they are ... aidan's teeth! huzzah! i've been trying to get a decent picture for 2 weeks now. and they all are blurry, dang kid never stops moving. he wasn't very happy about this picture, but his momma was. finally i have digital proof that when he bites me it sure hurts a heck of a lot more!

sleep training, part 2

well, i tried the crying it out method, and he cried for an hour. i started at 8:38 and went in every 5 minutes, his last whimper was around 9:32. from everything i've heard it takes 3 days and it gets easier after the first day, but you have to be consistent.

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there in lies my problem. i was ready to be consistent. i talked about it with my hubby and i thought we were on the same page. he said he was going to support me. unfortunately for me, he lied. as soon as aidan woke up this morning at 1:17 and hubby realized that i wasn't going in there (i needed to give him 5 minutes, right?) he went in there and picked him up. i asked him to lay aidan back down, and to let him cry for 5 minutes. after 3 minutes hubby couldn't take it and went back in. then we had a "discussion".

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i wont go into the details, but he says he cannot support me in this sleep training method because he thinks it will permanently "hurt" aidan. (of course he didn't phrase it like that). i told him that this was what i had decided to do after a lot of reseach (i wonder how much research he's done) and that if he didn't want to do it my way, HE could do it his way. which means everytime aidan wakes up hubby has to get up with him and rock him. (it's now 1:55 and aidan is crying in hubby's arms, what's the difference? arg!!!)

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i'm at my wits end. i can no longer function well when i'm not getting a decent night's sleep. how i train aidan to sleep when my hubby doesn't support me? what in the world can i do now? am i doomed to have to rock aidan asleep forever? arg, i guess i should be sleeping now that hubby thinks he can do it better than me, goodnight!

recipe wednesday - chicken pockets & egg rolls

i haven't done a recipe wednesday in a while, so here are some for you.

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i use poached chicken in both of these recipes, but you could use any cooked chicken you like.

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poached chicken

put chicken in a pan, cover with water (at least an inch) and season to taste (salt and pepper, etc.) Cover pan and boil. When it comes to a boil, turn off the flame, leave lid on and don't touch it for 45 mins.

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this makes the most moist and juicy chicken. i do it in large batches and freeze it, or use it that day. i generally freeze it by cubing it, and put the equivalent of 2 cooked chicken breasts in 1 ziplock freezer bag. when i'm ready to cook with it i defrost it in the microwave and add it to whatever i'm cooking.

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chicken pockets

makes: 8 pockets

ready in: 30 mins (if you pre-cook the chicken)

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ingredients:

2 chicken breasts - cooked and cubed

1 tsp lemon pepper

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup mushrooms (optional)

2 package crescent rolls

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directions:

combine cream cheese and butter (you can soften in the microwave, although i find that if i add the chicken thats been defrosted and is still warm it softens it). stir in chicken and muchrooms. roll out cresent rolls and cut into 4ths. (i generally pull off one square - 2 triangles, and pinch the triangle seams together, roll it just a little - you don't want to work the dough too much, just enough to widen it a little) Put 1/4 cup chicken mix on and seal edges (i put the mix on one side and fold the other side over to make a rectangle and pinch the edges - like a hot pocket). place on ungreased cooking sheet. brush with melted butter to make golden brown (i generally just spray with some butter cooking spray). bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. can be frozen and reheated at 375 degrees for 5-7 mins - the toaster oven is perfect for this.

this is a fun recipe to play around with, change the seasonings, add some shredded cheddar, chopped green onion, or some spinach. have fun and play around. the pockets pictured above were made with 16oz frozen spinach -- i would not recommend that much spinach to only 1 8oz package of cream cheese -- YUCK! just thought you should know that

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egg rolls

makes: 20 rolls

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ingredients:

3 carrots - shredded

1/3 head of cabbage - shredded

or you could do the shortcut way and use a 1 pound (16 oz) bag of cole slaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)

2 chicken breasts - cooked and cubed

1 1/2 tsp micnced garlic

1 tbsp seasame oil

once around the bowl with soy sauce

season to your taste: ginger, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes (if you like them spicy)

1 package pasta wrappers/egg roll wrappers (not wonton wrappers, they are too small)

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directions:

in a medium bowl mix together the carrots, cabbage, chicken, and seasonings. taste and add more seasonings if needed. place 1 heaping tablespoon of mixture in the center of the wrapper, roll wrapper and seal edges by brushing with water or beaten egg whites.

shallow fry in oil over medium-high heat on each side. drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil. or for a healthier alternative, arrange rolls on a baking sheet and brush with oil (or spray with cooking spray) and bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees. turn after 10 minutes and brush or spray again. eat and enjoy! these can be frozen and reheated in the toaster oven - but we never have any that stick around for long.

tooth #2

aidan got his second tooth today!!!

sleep training tips?

well ... we've been trying to get aidan to sleep through the night again. he used to ... and ever since the move he stopped. i think it coincided with him learning to crawl as well. regardless of the reason ... i'm tired (literally) of getting up every 3-4 hours when he used to sleep 8 hours straight.

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i tried the crying it out method, but it just made me way too sad. i tried the "keep on laying him down" method (who knows what its called) but if i'm standing up, he seems to think he needs to stand up as well. so to get him to lay down, i've been laying down next to the crib. he'll lay down next to me and want to hold my hand. it works ... but sometimes i have to lay there from anywere from 20 mins to 1hr 30 mins. i hoping to get to a point where i can lay there for like 5, and once he's calm leave. but so far, it hasn't been working too well. i just can't keep nursing him or rocking him to sleep.

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all you moms out there i need your advice on getting him to sleep. HELP! i cant keep working on no sleep.

he has a tooth!

so aidan has been drooling forver ... and everyone always asks me if he is teething ... to which i reply "no"! well today he was chewing on my finger and i can feel a tiny tip of a tooth poking through his gums. it's the bottom one on the left.

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i tried getting a picture of it, but aidan is very stubborn (hmmm, i wonder where he gets that from) so instead i searched the internet and found a picture. just pretend that baby has aidan's eyes. hehe. as soon as i get a picture i'll post a real one. come to think of it that's why i haven't been posting. robby got me a new computer and i haven't transfered anything from my old one to the new one. and i hate posting without pictures, just words is boring to me. so hopefully new videos and pictures coming soon.

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i've also been busy with church. my new ward finally gave me a calling, i'm the secretary in the relief society presidency. soo i've been going to lots of meetings.