Pictures Galore!

I haven't posted any pics in forever. I finally got a bunch pulled off my camera and I have quite a few to post of the happenings I have caught on camera over the last several months.....How would you feel about 40 pics or so in one post?! I think it'd be awesome!! Whose in it for the long haul?

Man, I've felt guilty since January for never posting anything from Myer's 3rd birthday. So, to maybe make me feel a little better, here he is with his birthday cupcakes. He helped me make them and ate a few for an early lunch even! What a nice mom he has!

Blowing out the candles.

Happenings that day included making cupcakes, getting Kenner out of school early to go to an indoor play place and eating lunch there, Dinner at Olive Garden (so glad my kids like that place as much as we do) and opening presents!

These boys can sure play great sometimes. They have also shown me just how not so great they can play together as well over the last few months. But these times are the best!!

So flexible!

The first part of April we had a fun visit from Wayne's family. Some of those pics are on my phone and other camera I think. But Grandma kindly helped give Fischer his first haircut!

Before. He mostly just has this big bush of hair on top!

Snip, snip. There it goes!

Handsome boy!

Starting solids

Myer really wanted to help and kept giving him bites. It was cute.

Some sprinkler fun!

Assisting Fischer in sitting up

Kenner begged and begged for months for this pool to be brought out but it hadn't got quite hot enough. Until this day, I finally got it out!

Easter egg hunt in the backyard on Saturday.

Fischer enjoyed the egg hunt from here!

Forgot to get an Easter pics of all the boys together after church, darn.

I've never really filled the kids baskets for Easter with anything but when your at the store late crazy things happen! I all of a sudden got excited and wanted to buy some fun things for their baskets besides the candy they got from the egg hunt. So, here is what they got to find from the Easter Bunny.

Funny thing, is we have never really done the Easter Bunny before. So, it was kinda random but Kenner was getting into it and I had told Myer to put his basket on the couch before he went to bed. Well, before Kenner was heading to bed he asked me to put his basket outside in the grass. When I asked why he said, "so the Easter Bunny can find it!" He he, I thought that was so funny and made perfect sense really. I told him to go ask dad about it, mostly because I thought it was so funny and wanted Wayne to hear it. So, he went and asked Dad if he could put his basket outside so the bunny could find it. So, I decided to put their baskets by the door. Since it was coming from outside of course!

This little guy is sure growing up and is such a sweetie!

First time sitting in the grass. He enjoyed it and looked so darn cute I couldn't help but snap a ton of pictures. This isn't even half of it!

Recipes

So, I occasionally get in the mood to share a good recipe I've come across on here. We've used these two recipes I'm going to share several times and enjoyed them alot! I couldn't remember where I had actually found the recipes but after a little searching I have found the site so I can give proper credit. I probably came across the blog from a friends blog and anytime I see a recipe in someones feeds of updates I often go check it out. Especially if I'm on the look out for new meals to try.

So, here we go. From www.melskitchencafe.com I found these two little gems! Let me know if you try them out and what you think. And hey, I'm on the lookout for new meals again so if you want to pass any of your favorites on to me I wouldn't mind a bit!

Also, check out this blog: http://jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com/ (linked up to if from Jill, thanks Jill!) I wanted to eat everything on her blog! She makes alot of desserts. I'm not so much into that, well making them that is, but they sure looked good. I did find some good meal ideas we are still in the process of trying from here though.

Anyways, on to the recipes!

The Best Chicken Fajitas
*Serves 4-5

*Note: liquid smoke may seem like an unnecessary, optional ingredient but I promise it adds an irreplaceable flavor and smokiness – I keep a bottle of liquid smoke on hand in the refrigerator just to make these fajitas.

Marinade:
¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 3-4 limes)
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons apple cider or red wine vinegar
2 easpoons soy sauce
½ teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder

Fajitas:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (about 3 large chicken breasts)
1 yellow onion, cut into thin strips
1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red (or orange) pepper, cut into thin strips
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon fresh lime juice (a quick squeeze of a cut lime)
dash of salt and pepper

Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour the marinade ingredients over the top. Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator and let marinate for 2-3 hours.

After marinading, take chicken out of the bag and discard the marinade. Grill or broil the chicken 4-5 minutes per side (I use my indoor grill pan usually). Remove from pan and tent with foil to keep warm.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat and add the onion, mushrooms and peppers. Stir fry until softened but still crisp tender. Add soy sauce, water, lime juice and salt and pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Slice chicken thinly on the diagonal and toss with the vegetables in the skillet. Serve immediately with flour tortillas and top with tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole, cheese, sour cream…the options are endless!

Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe/originally from Erin W.

Just a few notes from myself on this recipe. We like to marinade the chicken longer then 2-3 hours. It needs more time to soak up some good flavor and my husband is very picky about flavor! So, I recommend more time maybe 6 hours. And I have found these chicken breasts that are sliced in half already that I like to use and poke them with a fork and I think that helps more flavor get in since the breast is thinner.

Chicken Sauce for Hawaiian Haystacks

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks (or leftover cooked chicken, cubed)
3 tablespoons butter
½ onion (about ½ cup), finely chopped
3 cloves garlic; finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion and raw chicken (if using leftover cooked chicken, don’t add it to the skillet now, you’ll add it later). Saute the onion and chicken, if using, until the onions are soft and translucent and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about one minute, stirring, until fragrant.

Sprinkle the flour over the onions and chicken and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for one minute - this helps get rid of the starchy, flour taste. Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat. Add the salt and pepper. If you are using leftover cooked chicken, add it now. Continue simmering, stirring the sauce frequently, until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Serve the chicken sauce over rice with your toppings of choice, such as olives, tomatoes, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, green onions, mandarin oranges and chow mein noodles.

Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe

I was so excited to find this recipe. I was tired of using Teriyaki sauce on our Hawaiian haystacks and wanted a creamy sauce but hated to use cream of chicken. Now with this recipe I get the creamy I want and feel it is healthier to eat and it has made me expand the toppings we use which has also been so yummy!

Now, I have to admit me and Myer are the only ones that eat this sauce on ours, the other two still prefer Teriyaki. They are just missing out! We like to use chicken, cheese, green onion, green pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, pineapple, and chow mein noodles as our toppings.

Since it is just for two of us I half the recipe and it has been plenty for me and Myer to use and also have on our leftovers the 2nd day. And since we don't all like this sauce I don't cook my chicken in the sauce so the others can have it too.

Hope you enjoy!!

New Look

If Wayne and I really looked like this,
Maybe our offspring would've looked more like this,

Just another take on Fischer, no we don't have four kids!

Hehe, I get a big kick out of these!

Those Ears!

I'm terribly lacking the enthusiasm to get pictures posted on here. I'm mostly behind on posting pictures from Myer's third birthday that was, oh the middle of January. Slightly behind, oops. Poor middle child!

But I've been wanting to find this scan of one of my baby pictures my parents sent awhile back and compare it to Fischer. Sometimes the boy reminds me of me in this picture. If nothing else the poor kid got my Lowder Ears! It makes me laugh! I don't notice it as much until I see someone else holding him or look at a picture of him. But I think I grew into my ears quite nicely so hopefully he will do the same!

I guess I was quite a bit older in this picture. Fischer is around 4 1/2 months and I'm more like 11 months. But there's something similar in the face, definitely the ears, don't you think?!

Love this boy!!

And Finally Part 1!

The kids are very lucky and get to open Christmas gifts before most kids. We always have our family Christmas early before we leave to Utah so we don't have to cart gifts around and we aren't usually back until after Christmas so they get them early.

Helping put up the tree.

He was so excited!

Come on, open the gift already!

Myer was excited about everything!

Kenner seemed harder to impress!

Kenner was more then happy to help Fischer open his gifts!

And the favorite toy of the night and the next few days was this firetruck and ambulance complete with noises and moving parts (daddy's favorite, wink wink) that Great Grandma/pa Hartman sent.

The gifts I thought I had got that they'd be ecstatic about hardly compared to these. Made me wonder why I had waited in line 2 hours after Thanksgiving for those big Tonka trucks. They did however like the Toy Story figures I got them but these trucks were a favorite for awhile.

The boys got spoiled and had a great Christmas. And I only managed to forget one gift I had bought that was hiding in a different closet then the other gifts. Don't think I've done that before. I think it'll get wrapped and given to Myer for his birthday here in a few weeks. I can't think of much else to give him since they have it all now!