Anyway, we drove home from Oregon ALL day on the 30th. It had snowed in Oregon, so it was slow (like 40mph) going and took much longer than the drive there. BUT we made it home safe and sound and that's what counts. Right??? My seester Mel and her hubster Brad got to our house around midnight that night. We spent New Year's together! It was so fun. I loved having them with us. Let it be admitted that we barely stayed awake until midnight. We were all pretty exhausted from our travels, but we persevered. We played Bananagrams, Guesstures (in which Ian and I got our trash kicked), and watched some random shows. There was also lots of fried foods and sweets involved. It was awesome.
New Year's Day we got ourselves all ready and went to the bookstore to get our 2010 (twenty ten is the correct pronunciation I am told) calendar. Then we went to the new In N Out. No better way to start the new year than that.
yes I am aware that Davin looks drugged. thank you.
Today is life back to normal. I have to admit I kind of missed the routine of it all. I am weird like that. Weston was excited to go back to school and told me that school is more fun than home. Sad. I will have to work on that. We are a few days into our (not committed to paper or even necessarily spoken aloud) New Year's Resolutions. Let's just say we are making use of our new Family Book of Mormon. We love all the pictures and definitions it has!
Weston had his first day of Sunbeams yesterday. He was so excited. He wore a new burgundy church shirt and tie and marched into the primary exuding confidence. I wish I had taken a picture. He cracks me up, but really I am just so proud of him for being such a brave, smart little kid. He didn't sing much and I could tell that he was getting antsy/bored/tired by the end, but he did great and seemed to have fun. I am also loving Primary! Just sitting and playing the piano is so fun. I get to observe my kids from a distance too.
I am finally making progress with the Christmas returns and exchanges. I only have 2 things left to take care of. Whew! Next step: thank you notes. They seem so daunting this year for some reason. I think I just need to get out the stuff and start writing. Maybe while the kids are asleep.
Finally I am feeling stuck in a rut with my winter meals.
Please please leave a good/easy/cheap dinner recipe for me!!!
I will love you forever.
I will love you forever.
Thanks! And Happy New Year!
12 comments:
Drat...I came (from google reader) to read everyone else's good/easy/cheap dinner ideas... and no one else had commented yet! Looks like I'll have to be the first to comply. Why is it that good/easy/cheap can be such a terribly impossible combination some nights? This was in my Simple and Delicious Jan/Feb 2010 magazine, and I tried it last week with success. It turned out feeling like a fancy dinner but only took 30 minutes!
Mushroom chicken with mashed red potatoes:
1-1/2 lbs red potatoes, diced
1/4 cup flour
1-1/4 tsp salt, divided
1-1/4 tsp sage, divided
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
4 chicken breasts
2 T olive oil
3/4 lb sliced mushrooms (I used about a cup or so)
1 pkg cream cheese, divided
1-1/4 cups chick broth
Place potatoes in large sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, in a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sage, thyme, and pepper. Add chicken, one piece at a time, and shake to coat. IN a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 5-8 minutes on each side (or until juices run clear). Remove and keep warm
In the same skillet, saute mushrooms until tender. Reduce heat; add 6 oz cream cheese, 1 cup broth, and remaining salt and sage. Cook and stir until cheese is melted (10+ minutes). Drain potatoes; mash with remaining cream cheese and broth. Serve with chicken and sauce mixture.
It was so good I debated making it again tonight!
Sounds like you had a busy New Years. I personally like two thousand ten so I will have to be a rebel and say that. :)
I love soups in the winter.
This is cheap (well mostly because I have a case of canned black beans from macey's case lot sale) and fairly quick (takes like 45 minutes total if you have a chopper or food processor) :
http://therecipevillage.blogspot.com/2009/08/black-bean-soup-this-is.html
Plus it is a nice meatless meal if you feel like you have had meat overload...say after the holidays. :)It is Owen's favorite.
I also love Clam Chowder. THis is the recipe I always use:
1 c. onion, finely chopped
1 c. celery, finely diced
2c. potatoes finely diced (about 3 med. potatoes)
2 cans (6.5 oz. each) minced clams and juice
3/4 c. butter
3/4 c. flour
1 qt. half and half
1.5 tsp. salt
pepper
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar (I prefer balsamic)
Draine juice from clams and pour juice over veggies in very small saucepan; add one cup water. Simmer, covered, over medium heat until barely tender (or microwave in large glass dish on high power 15 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes).
Meanwhile, melt butter; add flour and whisk. Add half and half and whisk until very smooth and very thick.Add undrained veggies, clams you set aside, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and heat through.
8 servings. Recipe may be halved. Leftovers can be frozen.
I like to add a little bit more water when cooking the vegetables so that the soup is not quite so thick. The soup is almost always super thick the second day and needs some more water when warming it up. Enjoy!
I've made this recipe twice and Eli raves about it. It's fairly simple. Best of all, it makes a ton so I freeze a bunch and have tons of leftovers in the fridge afterwards.
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/11/minestrone-soup.html
Speaking of recipes that freeze well, I have a zip file of 25 easy (SUPER easy) freezer meal recipes that I can pass on to ya. They have hooked me up for both days when I want to cook something quick and days when I don't want to cook at all and just use a frozen meal(which is most days). I don't know your email address, so email me at lanawren@gmail.com and I'll give you the goods if you're interested.
Mmmm in & out. Glad you guys got to spend the new year with your sis, and I'm sorry about all that driving, I know that wasn't fun. But at least it was in a sweet new vehicle right?
I think my favorite cheap & easy recipe is tostadas. We always have corn tortillas so I just fry some up and throw refried beans, seasoned meat, & all the fresh taco toppings on top (tomato, onion, guac, cilantro, sometimes lettuce, salsa, sour cream- anything & everything we have). We love those.
K hopefully we'll see you soon!
shannon... TACO SOUP
Super easy and delicious. It saves me on nights mom and dad are gone.
Brown one pound of hamburger beef and drain grease. Cook beef with one small onion chopped.
3 cans of Beans (i suggest using 3 different kinds of beans)
2 cans of corn
2 cans of petite diced tomatos
1 package of taco seasoning.
Just add all the cans and meat together and heat up, dont need to add water, just use the water from the cans. Add Cheese, sour cream, avacado, and tortilla chips when you serve. super yummy.
p.s. i miss you guys! i love you!
Jules really got that recipe from her cousin Jessica who gave it to me. We made it when Joy and family were here over Christmas weekend. Yummy!! I, of course, have no ideas except toasted cheese sandwiches and tuna burgers!! Good luck with going back to your routines!! Love ya!
P.S. Davin's still cute even when he looks drugged!
I don't know what you would want but Brad suggests Buffalo Wings, but that's his go to meal anytime! ha so not much help. But we had a blast hanging out! The whole way home we just talked about the good time we had! Can't wait to see you guys again!
I can vouch for the taco soup!! Thanks for posting it Jules. Mom sent the leftovers home with us. We finished those and then I made chicken noodle soup with leftover rotisserie chicken. I thought Jim would be bummed about soup again, but he was actually thrilled. It tasted super good. I just threw together some carrots, onion, celery, barley, noodles and chicken with some chicken stock.
Easy chicken enchiladas! I just melt a package of cream cheese with a cup of salsa, then mix in a can or corn, a can of black beans and as much shredded chicken as you want (I probably use about two cups.) Mix this all together, then fill up your tortillas, assembling them in a greased 9x13 pan. Cover with enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover with foil and cook 350 degrees, 35 minutes. Super easy and tasty!
Wow, it sounds like all has been well with you guys :) That makes me happy. We have sickness at my house and now I am starting to not feel so well. I really hope I do not get it because it involves throwing up. UGG! Glad you had a good new years!! Yea for family and fun
Kim has some really good and easy soup recipes well recipes in general that I could pass along since she's in the process of moving. There's a Hawaiian Haystack, a soup or two, a dish Mike calls Mexican fiesta. I also have a really easy hamburger/beef enchilada recipe but I don't know if that's really winter or not. I'll email you if you want. Just let me know.
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