Yummy!

Andrew and I did the Thanksgiving Day cooking this year at our house for our families.
Hence the picture above, the table before all the craziness began, and not a picture of the whole family eating together. Eating a hot, flavorful meal took precedence over picture taking-all do better next year. 

We tried to update some old favorites with some new recipes.
Plus we were trying to test our new culinary abilities since cooking class.

All went very well and the timing of the food came together extremely well. 

Our Menu:

Smoked Turkey
(pre bought from Rudy's-I'm not Martha Stewart, although I did watch her on T.V prep one and cook it with a cheese cloth-sooooo Martha!!!!!!)

Ham
(brought to Austin from Houston-Thanks GeeGee)

Apple Sweet Potato Saute
(see recipe below)

French Bean Casserole with Toasted Almonds

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Two of the new recipes we absolutely LOVED!
They will definitely be making an appearance throughout the year, not just on Thanksgiving.
If you don't know about "The Pioneer Woman" you need to visit her blog regularly. She did a Throwdown with Bobby Flay at her ranch in Oklahoma-that's where we learned of the cream cheese mashed potatoes. Her blog his hilarious on so many levels...plus she gives away free stuff from Kitchen Aid mixers to Nikon Cameras...I'm still waiting to be a WINNER!

In the meantime here is the Apple Sweet Potato Saute...

On a cold night this is a perfect side dish.

Serving Size (4)

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Golden Delicious Apples-Diced

1 Medium Onion-diced

2 (15oz) Cans of Sweet Potatoes-drained and diced

1/2 c. Apple Juice

1 1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 tsp. Cider Vinegar

1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt

In a skillet melt butter over medium-high heat. Add apples and onions to skillet; cook and stir about 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in diced sweet potatoes, apple juice, pumpkin pie spice, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer about 10 minutes.

Our Sweet Chip...

Chip lives in our house all year long (shhh, don't tell Taylor that),
He was named after a PokerChip (don't ask, that was 2 years ago),

He's about 12 inches long from his toes to the tip of his hat,

He's dressed in red and white,

He happens to be a very special house guest for the next month...

He traveled many long hours and a great distance to get to our house last night,

He was summoned by Santa,

And a little boy with a Christmas Wish List.

A list was written last night with close supervision from one very curious little boy,

And placed with great care in front of the fireplace (Taylor's idea),

With hopes and dreams that Santa would be by later that night.

Chip arrived on time the very next morning...with story book in hand.
A surprised look was given to the old friend who had returned.
After the story was told our little boy was ready to put it away until next year...
"Wait, I said, Chip can stay until Christmas Day",
"Okay Momma, but you don't have to read me the book again".
Strangely, I fear he knows his task at hand...
Naughty or Nice this holiday season?

If you don't have The Elf on the Shelf -start a new holiday tradition this year.
 You won't regret it!
Thanks Aunt Vikki for sharing it with us!

Taylor's Pop Quiz Christmas Wish List

Green Hot Wheels Bike
Car Ramp With Garage
Bubble Mower (based on the days earlier events at a friends Birthday Party)
Roller Skates (???)
Clock
Fake Turkey (we were watching Martha Stewart on T.V. stuff a real turkey at the time-very random I know)
Drum Set (a real one this time Momma-???)
Table & Chairs (my size but you can get that for my birthday not Christmas-oh, okay???)

Renewed BathTime!

Over the last several months Taylor has moved away from taking baths. He just became bored with the same-old toys in the tub, the same process he has been doing since he was old enough to sit in the tub, and more interested in showers (which go a lot faster anyways). Not to mention that he managed to break the bath faucet in our master bath because he would turn the water on-and-off constantly. 

So a trip to Home Depot to finally buy the new bath faucet also ended up with buying this new little addition.

Need I say more...

I'll let the video speak for Taylor's renewed excitement for ShowerTime. Excuse the "potty language" towards the end of the video. The rule in our house is that he can say those words in the bathroom...and well he's in the bathroom and totally hamming it up for the camera because he loves to watch himself on the playback.

The only down side we have found about this product is that it doesn't want to stick to our shower walls. It has two suction cups attached to the hose so that it doesn't move around, but they don't seem to work. Nonetheless, Taylor definitely doesn't mind at all-HE LOVES IT!

Another great product that I've recently found while Christmas shopping is this:

I can't wait to try this one out after Christmas! 

Then it truly will be a renewed BathTime!!!!

Lucky 7

I was born in the 7th month of the year...

My first name has 7 letters in it...

I've been teaching for 7 years (or is it 8 years, I'm starting to loose count) and...
I've been married for 7 beautiful years...

Happy 7th Wedding Anniversary!

When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
Oh you know, you know, you know
Id never ask you to change
If perfect is what you're searching for
Then just stay the same...

Bruno Mars-Just The Way You Are

Oh Yah, Halloween too!

Where did the time go?

Halloween has already come and gone?

Having Jury Duty threw a kink into my holiday blogging...
Plus I've been having a lot of fun with our new family pictures if you hadn't noticed.

So on that note...
We did have a fun filled Halloween Weekend with Family and Friends!

We enjoyed our first ever "Booing"
I guess once the Booing fever begins it spreads like wildfire-
We were Boo-ed 4 times even with the Boo sign up!

Surprise-We Boo-ed you!!
That is if you recognize this doorstep...

Taylor took in his first ever UT Football game.
Boy, did he really take it ALL in!

The beginning of a Santa Beard!

I'm READY!
My little green 3-eyed alien.

I found my Princess for the night!
She has a wand and she can "poof" all the scary people away!
Really, just like that!

After an hour and a half of trick-or-treating, the loot was surveyed by everyone and favorites were quickly claimed!

Someone please come to my house and take-it-all-away!!!!
It's frightening and absurd how much a 3 1/2 year old can rake in on Halloween.

The Big Stick...

-So the story behind the "big stick"-

It's truly a random prop 

Picked up by a curious little boy out hiking before family pictures

It's in about a quarter of our pictures

After a weeks worth of fussy temper tantrums-nobody was about to ask him to put it down!

I guess when you shake off the little things (like big sticks in your professional pictures) wonderful unexpected things can happen like the picture above.

I love unexpected memories that will last forever!  

I need to shake of the little things more often...

Maybe that will be my New Years Resolution...

That is if I can remember it in two months!!!

Can you spot the other unexpected props...

Random big blue chair in Mayfield Park

Both of us were trying to conceal our coffee cups throughout the session-oops!

A fallen yellow gerber daisy became a nice little touch.

Photographs

Here are some other shots from our photography session a week ago.
We are so HAPPY with all the pictures.
We are also so HAPPY that our good friend Heather was able to take them!
She has such a beautiful talent and we're so excited for her new venture.  
It's so easy to have your photo taken when you know the photographer...
it's so natural.
Taylor felt the same way and did a great job of staying smiley the whole time.