Sledding - Day After Christmas

Some of us went to the park.


Reece

Josie

Grandma Moody and Luke

Luke doesn't really like the cold.

Some of us went to the mountains.

Moody Boys

Dallin and Crew

Day 7 - Mandarin Orange Salad

This salad reminds me a lot of Frog Eye Salad, without the frog eyes. It is a kid's dream with whipped topping, marshmallows and fruit. It is more like a dessert than a side-dish.

Day 6 - Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

I used my food processor for this recipe!!!!!! You may ask yourself why this is so exciting? Well, many years ago, nine to be exact, my husband, then fiance went to register at Target. One thing that I was sure that I needed as a new bride was a food processor. I made sure that I scanned that one right away. Who cares about that full body chair massager that Jerry wanted?!! I needed a food processor. Lucky us, we received not one, but three food processors. We returned two and used the money for our computer fund. Little did we know, we really could have returned three, because in the last nine years, I have only used my food processor five times. But thanks to my new cookbook, that's all about to change.

Anyway, back to the recipe. It calls for shredded apples, thus the food processor. This makes the cake extremely moist. I loved it! Of course, I haven't met a cake that I didn't like!! It calls for a caramel sauce to be drizzled over the top, but it really doesn't need it. It is absolutely delicious without it, not to mention less fat and calories.

Dallin liked it, and he even knew it had apples in it. Amazing!!

Day 5 - Pizza Fondue

Today I made Pizza Fondue.

It was warm, cheesy, deliciousness. Served with breadstick bites or tortilla chips. Tried by many, loved by all. It is listed as an appetizer, but my kids thought it would be great for an entire meal. I will definitely take this to my next party.

Happy New Year

I am trying to organize my day better so that I can do other things besides take care of kids and clean the house. I haven't been very successful thus far, but every day is a work in progress. I will let you know if I ever make it.

Things that I would like to do......eventually:

-Read a good book (any suggestions?) every month
-Sew an apron for Josie's birthday
-Sew at least 3 new headbands for my website on etsy everyday
-Sell at least 20 headbands on my website every month
-Send letters to my friends in Colorado to let them know I now live in Utah
-Send letters to my friends to Utah to let them know I now live in Utah
-Call friends at least once a month
-Read my scriptures everyday
-Plan a preschool lesson for the girls three times a week
-Do my dishes every night
-Do two batches of laundry everyday
-Send thank-you notes for Reece's birthday (last November, too late?)
-Try at least 1 new healthy recipe a week (again, any suggestions?)
-Go to the temple once a month
-Go on a date, besides the temple, once a month
-Plan family home evening every week before Monday at 7pm (I think I have this one covered now thanks to Allyson)
-Visit my grandparents once a month
-Call my grandma once a week
-Finish my Christmas present for Scott and Vanessa before next Christmas
-Exercise 1 hour everyday
-Finish the kids' Christmas scrapbooks by February
-Finish the kids' Christmas jammies by March
-Have friends or family over for dinner once a month
-Try one new recipe a day from my Christmas Cookbook (so far, so good)

Lettuce Eat Cake

I am joining a nutrional improvement contest that I am very excited about. My best buddy Julie came up with the plan and I think it is a great idea. She developed a website at http://www.lettuceeatcake.weebly.com/. All the contestants can post pics/journal entries and share recipes. I love it because it is a network of people trying to improve their health. We can all support and learn from each other!! Wish me luck!!

Day 4 - Tortilla Soup

I made Tortilla Soup tonight for dinner. It was wonderful! I loved this recipe because it was really easy and contained many of the foods I love: chicken, avocados, tomatoes, green onions, tortilla chips, cheese.

The recipe also recommended that you season to taste with cumin and pepper. I liked that because you can make it as mild or spicy as you prefer. I like spicy, but I made it mild for the little ones. Very tasty!!

Day 3 - Stuffed French Toast

Breakfast is my children's favorite meal. They pretty much love everything associated with breakfast food. They will even eat the dreaded fruit if it is pulverized into a breakfast smoothie. So I wasn't too surprised that they love today's recipe, Stuffed French Toast. Me, on the other hand liked it, but not loved it. For some reason I love bread and cream cheese, but the added element of eggs does not excite me that much. I really just don't like eggs a whole lot. I will eat them, but I don't request them. As far as stuffed french toast goes, this recipe is easy and kid approved.

Day 2 - Dilled Chicken Salad

Today I definitely didn't lose any weight, thanks to my mother-in-laws heavenly cinnamon rolls. I did make a very delicious Dilled Chicken Salad for Girls Craft Day with my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. We had a great time talking and laughing, but didn't do a lot of crafting. At least I didn't. I am starting an apron for Josie's birthday. I saw an apron I liked, and I'm trying to copy it. I'll post the results.

Back to the Dilled Chicken Salad. It was creamy and crunchy with a really great flavor. I will be making it again for sure. It's on page 157 for anyone who wants to try it. Even the kids liked it. All except for those pesky green things, ie: vegetables. This recipe calls for frozen peas, which I was nervous about, but I think that's because I relate any peas to tasting like canned peas. YUCK!! Frozen peas, on the other hand, are sweet and yummy. Perfect in this salad!

Day 1 - Pumpkin Cobbler

So I am really, really bad with computers and while I was trying to make my blog look all fancy I ended up erasing all my links to my friends and family. Getting those back will be a project for another day. Tonight, I have about 19 minutes left of Jan 1st to officially begin my New Years challenge.

I'm sure that you have all watched Julie and Julia by now, or at least you know the story line. Well, I love to cook and I got a new cook book for Christmas, so I have decided to make 1 recipe a day for the entire year from my Worldwide Ward Christmas Cookbook. (By the way, if you would like any recipes mentioned, please refer to this wonderful book.) It is a Christmas cookbook, but many of the recipes can be made anytime. I am excited about this cookbook, because there are recipes from all over the world. Many of the recipes I wouldn't normally try, but I am vowing to try every single one. Even the pickled fish.

Tonight I started with a very safe bet. It is Pumpkin Cobbler. Very easy and very delicious. Something like pumpkin pie with a crumb topping. I tried some while it was still warm, but the recipe said it is better the next morning, which I'm sure is true. I will let you know. This recipe received 4 thumbs up. (Jerry, Mom, Dad, and Me.) The kids didn't try it because they wouldn't eat their dinner. :(

I have been told that I am bound to gain 50 lbs by the end of the year, because the recipes are not exactly the most nutritious. I plan to do just the opposite. My other goal is to lose 35 lbs. I am hoping it won't take a year, though. I'll keep you posted.

Now I'm off to bed because it is very close to Jan 2nd and I need to get a few hours of sleep before Luke wakes up. By the way, Luke is very, very close to crawling. Yeahhhhhh!!!