Teenie little super tree... and bakerama

Teenie little super tree...
(props to the first person to figure out what that is a reference too.
Give you a clue, it's old school, like from when we were little kids)

Yes, this tree is as skinny as it appears, no optical illusion. It's great for the front room we currently have because there is not much room in there; therefore, skinny tree. My brother tells me it looked a little... anorexic. Ba humbug to him. I like it and it works for now. There really are lights all the way to the bottom of the tree, but for some reason when I took this picture they don't show as lit... kids must have been playing with the outlet again. There was also a train around the base, but it's covered with presents...
Above, this is the face Ella makes when you tell her to say cheese, or if you tell her to close her eyes. I think I had told her to say cheese in this picture.

The boys are excited for their new wii games.

All in all, I didn't take enough pictures of Chrismas, but at least you get a sneak peek into what we were up to.

BAKERAMA
Worthy of it's own post, is my holiday baking. Another moment I didn't take enough pictures of. For all of you that did not receive some of these goodies... I apologize. I made enough, I was just sick all during the holidays and finally (yes, more than a month & 1/2 later) getting better.

Mint Oreo Truffles, dipped in white chocolate.

Oh so yummmmmy... if you haven't had one of these yet, let me know. I'll make you some. They are to die for. (and that's even coming from me, the non-chocolate lover)

Vanilla Fudge

I think it's better than reg. fudge, but then again, who am I kidding... fudge just has too much chocolate in it... vanilla fudge has just the right amount. (none)

I did other things, but didn't take pictures. Then of course there was the traditional making of my favorite "Christmas Cocoa" mix. There was nothing better through all those snow days then to play all day, then come inside and drink a nice steaming mug of minty deliciousness. Again, if you would like some, come on over... I still have plenty to share!

I have a confession to make...

I love to cook. Although, recently I asked my husband what he would like me to make and as usual, his response was "doesn't matter." I am lucky he is so easy to please, but I couldn't stop at that. "What do you want me to make? What's your favorite thing I make?" I inquire. "Everything you make is good, you just don't make a lot of things more than once... so I don't know what my favorite is because you are always trying something new" was his response. That's acceptable, and true I thought.

Although there are recipes that I know ARE favorites around our house, and I do make those, I am CONSTANTLY looking for new recipes. It's almost an obsession. I have cookbooks, recipe boxes, favorite websites that I turn to, all in hopes of adding a new dish to my array of family favorites.

Now, I feel that I am a decent cook. I can make just about anything, or at least give it a good try. The majority of the time I succeed. My family is grateful. Occasionally, I am not happy with my results, and this is my confession. I have a problem... a problem with slow cooking. Not any slow cooking mind you. I can whip up a heck of a pulled pork sandwich, saucy pork chops and white lighting chili... but my dilemma lies with chicken. Any cut of chicken that is not a whole chicken, I have problems with in a crock pot. I still try! I think I am the epitome of try, try again with the whole slow cooked chicken thing.

This week, I tried Caribbean Chicken with Mango salsa. Sounds good, right? I thought so. My kids loved it. My husband said it tasted good, and it did. The flavors were great, but the chicken, a little dry. That's my problem. dry = not that good. Slow cooking is supposed to = moist and tender. Although the kids were happy ant ate a good amount, I knew I was going to have leftovers (which we do love at my house) but dry on the first day means unpalatable on the second. I hate wasting food, so I'm not going to just throw it out... so what challenge am I faced with? Recreating this chicken into a delicious and NEW dish. The following was my solution, which turned out GREAT! I loved it, Devin loved it and the true test, the kids... I think after Anson's 4th serving I was convinced this was a keeper.

Southwestern Chicken & Rice Bake
2 C cooked rice (leftover from the previous night)
1 1/2 C cooked diced chicken (leftover from the previous night - I chopped this up more than a dice)
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can mexican corn (which I never have, so I used reg. sweet corn)
1 can tomatoes
1 T fresh cilantro
1 t cumin
1/2 t oregano
1 T chili powder (which I didn't have so I used a couple dashes of cayenne)
1/4 - 1/2 t ground red or chipotle pepper (I used red pepper flakes)
4 T butter
4 T flour
1 C milk
1/2 C chicken broth
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t salt
1/2 - 1 C cheddar or monterey jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine rice, chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, oregano, chili powder and ground red pepper in a bowl.
2. Make sauce by melting butter in pan over med heat. Add flour and combine well. Add salt & pepper, then add milk and broth whisking well until combined and smooth. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Stir into rice mixture.
3. Pour into 2 qt casserole dish topping with shredded cheese. Bake for about 20 - 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
4. Serve with a dallop of sour cream, chopped tomatoes, avocados, green onions, etc.
SERVES 6

2 days before Christmas and all through the yard...

we were still playing in snow! We built a mini sledding hill. I would have attempted a larger hill, but after piling up this much I was ready to stop shoveling for awhile.

We could get at least 6 feet or more from the mini hill. Not much, but enough to keep them occupied for quite awhile.

Beautifully white...

This was the view out our front window

snow fair!

because it's s'no fair the snows gone!
okay, terrible joke... but it makes my kids laugh.

Tanner wanted to be buried in snow. He didn't want to ever come out.

snow more fun...

okay, it should really be labeled MORE snow fun, but it sounds funnier the other way. I just didn't get enough of the snow, and neither did my kids. Here's another adventurous day of snow play.

Anson Shumate Photography

I often find it interesting what my kids take pictures of when they get their hands on my camera. Frequently I won't even know the boys had the camera until I go to upload pics onto my computer... this session of photos were courtesy of Anson.