Where have we been.....

If you were to looking into my window this morning.... this is what you would find.

Benjamin Cash is currently sleeping in his bed.  Poor little bug is teething and it sure takes it out of him. Plus he's a full time walker now, almost running and that of course takes a lot of effort when you're chasing after your older brother.

Jackson David is playing in the playroom.  This week's fascinating idea?  Stacking and "making room". What exactly does this mean??  Oh just the typical moving one stack of pillows, books, cars, (you get the picture) into another stack of the same but on the other side of the room.  He is such an intelligent little man.  He is quickly one of those kiddos, where you need to be VERY specific with what you need him to do.  He likes it all laid out for him.  Does that sound like anyone to you?? LOL

As for me, I'm standing in my kitchen, listen to Jason Mraz, "I Won't Give Up".... One of my favorite songs.  There is a cold cup of coffee sitting on my right, a list of "To Do's" on my left and my beautiful patio in front of me.

A few minutes ago, while standing out back and watering all of my colorful flowers, I had this overwhelming sense of PEACE!  This is MY life and I couldn't be more thrilled with the path God laid before me.
He gave me a second chance at love.... My amazing husband is my rock!  He believes in me in ways I can't always see or understand.  He makes me stop what I'm doing to dance in the kitchen,  challenges me and can make me do the silly things. He is my partner in the crazy, hectic world and I thank God for him everyday.
He gave me two incredible young men to help raise.  To be their momma in this world.  What an amazing gift! They are just wonderfully loving and often, 'crazy little humans'.... but they are ours!  Nothing could replace this amazing love!

So where have we been..... All over the place!  Life seems to be going full speed ahead.  I can't even believe my 'first born' will be 3 in three months.  And my 'second born'.... I swear life is going faster with him.  I cried the day if fully figured out how to walk.  My last baby boy, isn't a baby any more. Now, this does open us up for a ton of fun this summer, but still I wish I could freeze time, something I know all of us wish at times.

Where are we going.... Forward!  It has so much to offer us!  And with these 3 guys in my life.... I promises to be a blast!!  Full of bumps, bruises, laughter, tears, more laughter and tons of adventure.

So, like I said..... PEACE!  BLESSED!

Below is our most current Family Pic. (Once again my hubs goofy side kicked in and convinced me to sit for this in SF on Fathers Day!)

Crock Pot Turkey Chili

One of the greatest things I've learned in the kitchen is having confidence.  Confidence in my cooking, in my flavor pallet, confidence in stepping out of the lines... (this is my most rewarding feat, I'm such a rule follower by nature) and adapting the recipe to my family needs or what's in my cupboards and fridge.

This Chili Recipe is a bit basic and our of the cookbook that came with my Crock Pot (my first one I think).  It calls for red meat, (but we are watching our intake these days and usually have more ground turkey then beef) and it didn't call for corn, but in my opinion chili always looks better with corn.

The beauty of cooking is really making it work for you and your family.  From supplies to flavor favorites..... Its what you choose to make it.

Homemade Split Pea Soup #3

The great thing about having a meal plan is that you know what your having for dinner and you don't have to think about it.  One less decision to make in the world of decisions.  It some how makes the other decisions easier to make.

One of my mom's favorite says is... "Life happens after we've made plans".  I know she is quoting someone (I probably should look up who it is) but either way its a very true statement.  What it always reminds me is that we have to be flexible with life, meal plans included.

On Thursday, (yes, life happened and I'm late on this) my mom came into town to bring a bed Jackson is getting for Christmas (yes, my big boy is now sleeping in a twin! Exciting) and also brought a yummy bowl of Homemade Split Pea Soup.

So dinner plans changed!!

All I had to do was reheat and make a few grilled cheese sandwiches.... Dinner is Served!

Turkey Burgers (Leftover Night) #2

Tonight was "leftover" night in our home.  A few nights ago we had Turkey Burgers, but we didn't use all of the ground turkey, so tonight it was time to pull it back out.

So I had the base... but what else..... We had a few mushrooms and some asparagus, so those came out too.  I did a light EVOO saute on the mushroom and asparagus and once the turkey was cooked added it to the veggies.

Even though we have veggies in the tacos I wanted a bit more green on our plates.  So I happened to have some frozen broccoli so after a bit of "doctoring" dinner was ready.

The great part of this meal...
Quick, Easy and you can use whatever you have....

Shredded BBQ Chicken Sliders #1

Sunday's during the Fall and Winter always feel like Crock Pot Meal Days.  There's something amazing about being home and smelling yummy food cooking all day.  The way the aroma fills the house...

Then you add Football on the TV... its all about comfort food on Sunday's.

So this Sunday I made BBQ Chicken in the Crock Pot.
I let it cook a good chunk of the day, then shredded it and let it continue to simmer in the yummy BBQ sauce.
Sliced up a few mushrooms and sauteed them in a little olive oil for on top of the shredded chicken and added a small square of Pepper Jack Cheese.

To make dinner a bit more "Jackson Friendly" we added some tots and then some fresh fruit for us all to enjoy.

December Monthly Meals

Okay, so the weirdest thing happened.....

I've ALWAYS enjoyed cooking and being in kitchen, but my love for it got stronger when Matthew and I started cooking together.  Drop the iphone in the dock, turn on Pandora and start collaborating.  This partnership has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone, try new things and give new flare to old favorites.

Last month, in hopes to lower our month grocery bill, I decided that I would sit down and make a Monthly Meal Plan.  Throughout the month I took pictures of random meals and posted them on Facebook and Instagram.  I was surprised by the feedback.

Today, I sat down once again to make my Monthly Meal Plan (last month was so successful, so why not) and grocery list.  I took my picture and like last month the feedback was strong, stronger this time.

So, now Im going to start a new venture....

I'm going to blog and give you all an insight on our meals.

My approach is simple....

Easy, Yummy and Cost Effective Meals.  Using fresh ingredients and those every day items we already have.  This is a financial tough time we are living in and making the dollar and the meal stretch is important.  So from Crock Pot, to Casseroles to every day favorites, you will find them all here.....

Enjoy!

Living with Boys

Life is so crazy these days! How did it happen that my (now) oldest is 2 (I still need to work on that blog) and my youngest is almost 6 months!
People aren't kidding when they say it goes by quickly! And truthfully I think when you add another into the mix it seems to move even more quickly.

Well, I'm sorry faithful followers, I've dropped the ball. Hopefully I can catch you all up and maybe share some laughs.

Benjamin is officially a "chunky monkey"! We started him on cereal back on September 22. He ended up not doing well on the rice so we give him oatmeal and he can't get enough. As of today he has tried and enjoyed... Sweet Potatoes, Pears, Peas, Prunes, Mangos and Avacado. He's a funny little eater and watches everyone with a very close eye at meal times.

Also, as of today, he is on his third night in a row of sleeping thru and not needing a bottle! I have a feeling he will be transferring into "the boys" room before we know it! This bit brings Matthew and I great excitement! And if I'm being truly honest (which I always aim for through these blogs) the idea if Benjamin moving to "the boys" room makes me just a tad misty. He's our last, so the idea of how fast he's growing.... It makes me sad! But oh so happy.... You all know what I mean.

Now as for Jackson! He's in love with his "baby bean"! And the more active Benjamin gets the more thrilled bear gets. Bean has been rolling and getting up in all fours these last few days and bear can't help but push for more. I have a feeling these two are going to be pushing each other, cheering each other on for many years to come.

Boys are both starting to wake so I better move.... But hopefully this has given a small insight into their growth. Enjoy the pics and I promise November will be better!

Mickey Time

Little Brothers Make Great Pillows

Loves to Eat

Our new Favorite... This Pic says so Much.... lol

Our Handsome Boys