Christmas 2011

Christmas was wonderful as we had all four boys with us and were able to truly feel the spirit of Christmas.  We participated in the Angel Tree and took the boys shopping for a little 3 year old getting as many Spiderman items as could.  We also did a donation drive for the homeless shelter and hosted our Williams Family Christmas breakfast. We had a nativity that was very cute and smelled really strong as Bridger decided to spray the gift for baby Jesus on everyone which was my expensive perfume. 

We found out that our Nanny’s sister-in-law who was age 7 had to be removed from her mother’s home and was staying with them, so we pitched in and were able to buy lots of girl gifts all wrapped in shiny pink wrapping.  Something I don’t get to do having all boys, so loved each seeing the pile of pink presents.  I think were were able to make a big difference in her Christmas and was really fun for us and the boys.

We had Christmas Eve dinner at our house, the boys were gone to their dad’s for the evening but Eric, Boyd, Grandma Elisa, Grandma Williams and Grandpa Williams came over for a nice dinner.  Most of the topics of the evening were about the boys and how well they were doing in school and little items on how well they have done this year in piano, football, soccer, and little treasured moments like Zerik’s new little' ‘pumpkin pie’ move he does when he is naked shaking his bum back and forth as he says  “pun-kin pie, pun-kin' pie”. 

Christmas day was on Sunday this year which made a twist for our typical Christmas morning routine.  We woke up and all kids excitedly peaked out to see if Santa came this year which he did and then they hurried back to get on their Sunday clothes to go to church at 9am.  I can’t imagine how hard it was for them to restrain from opening presents and get ready!  They were very well behaved due to a discussion the night before about what our plans were for the morning, and that if they behaved we could immediately open presents after church.  They were able to open their stocking before we left as was the first time we were even a little early to church this year!

During church Jaden wanted to make sure that we were able to change back into our Pajamas and wanted to make sure I communicated this to the rest of the family on the way home.  He was very concerned that not everyone would get the message.  We got the plan set for our return home and everyone immediately changed back into their pajamas and got ready to start opening our gifts.  The whole process took about 2 1/2 hours!  Zerik was smothered in Star Wars toys, but his favorites were  a Nerf Sword and a live-action gun that he would carry in one hand and put the sword in his other and move into attack mode.

Eric got lots of Legos which we spent the late evening putting together his Ninjago set.  Bridger now has a whole army of Halo figures and playset.  Jaden received a whole set of SpyNet gear in order to spend his time spying on the household and neighbors.  The big toy that Jaden was really wanting was REEL STEEL robots and a fighting ring.  This was left to last and I think Jaden was feeling a little sad about not getting these robots, when he opened the ring he definitely lighted up! 

The big gifts this year was new computer desk, shelves and computer for the boys to do homework and play on which they each had their own fun profile setup and individual email to email their friends.  Also, we got a new Kinect for our XBOX and spent the day playing and having fun.  It was a blast!  The boys were able to get in a couple of hours of play time, and mom a short nap before leaving to Grandma Elisa’s for turkey dinner.  They boys then went to their dad’s and Eric, Boyd and Mom then traveled to Grandma and Grandpa Williams to see our family.  When we arrived they were in the middle of a “game” of tell me something that no one else knows about you.  Really, this ended up being tell everyone something you know Uncle Justin did in his youth.  It was interesting, and fun and great to spend time with my family for a little while. We then traveled back home and while putting together Eric’s Lego set, we watched “White Christmas” and snuggled on the couch. 

It was a wonderful day, and wish that we actually got 2 days of Christmas every year.  More than anything I was grateful for my boys and spending time with them.

The BEST Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich

I found this recipe the other day and decided to make it. I made a few changes to the original recipe and added them in below. Clint is a huge philly fan, and he said that this was in his top two favorites! That made me feel pretty good. He wouldn't shut up about them and had to tell everyone how amazing they were. I'd have to agree, I was full at half and continued to eat, it was way too good!

For 2 sandwiches you will need:

1/2 pound of roast beef sliced from the deli
1/2 package of fresh sliced mushrooms
1 small to medium onion
Approx. 1 Tbs. Soy Sauce
Approx. ½ Tbs. Brown Sugar
White Sugar (Just Sprinkle a light coat)
Green chili’s, enough to liking
Pepperoncini Peppers or Jalapeño Peppers, enough to liking
1 ½ inch slice of cream cheese (or more if you’d like)
4 slices of Swiss cheese
Steak sliced rolls (these look like sub sandwich bread)

Heat griddle to 400 degrees (these sandwiches work best with a griddle but you could make one at a time in a frying pan). While griddle is heating up cut up onions into straws no more then about 1 1/2 inch pieces. Spray griddle with cooking spray or use vegetable oil. Put onions and mushrooms on griddle and use a spatula to move onions and mushrooms so they don't burn. Wait until the onions are almost translucent and add soy sauce, brown sugar and white sugar, just sprinkle on some white sugar to coat lightly. Add in cream cheese in and let melt. Then add green chili’s and roast beef slices. It is easiest if you pull the roast beef slices apart into chunks before cooking. The roast beef doesn't need to be cooked so just wait until it turns a deeper brown then the pinkish color that it has. Mix it together with the onions and mushrooms and separate it into two equal rows. Place two slices of Swiss cheese on each sandwich and then put the steak roll on top like a tee pee. Hold the top like a hot dog bun and put a spatula under it. Gently turn over sandwich by trying to keep as much as you can inside the sandwich as you turn it. Anything left over scoop up and stuff inside. It doesn't have to be perfect. Then put whatever condiments you like on it, like Mayonnaise, tomatoes slices, red or green peppers and lettuce. (We just used mayo)

Bye..

Capri is growing up so fast! She is 20 months this month.

I have put her on the potty a few times and she has actually gone! It's so fun to know that she understands the concept. I'm sure it'll still be a while until she if fully potty trained, but it's a fun start.

We were downstairs visiting "Mama and Papa" the other day. Capri acted like she needed to poop, so Gram asked her if she needed to go potty. She said "Yes.", grabbed her pants and ran to the bathroom. I put her on the potty and I thought for sure she would sit there for a minute then try to hop off. She actually sat there and went poop on the potty! While I'm sitting there in my proud moment, Capri looks down, waves and says "Bye!". lol

That was one of those moments I wish I had my camera with me.

I'm glad she understands the concept of going buh-bye as well.

I love this little girla, she talks all the time and does so really well. Go figure, she has me and Clint as her parents.

Crunchy Asian Pasta Salad

1box Betty Crocker® Suddenly Salad® classic pasta salad mix (We have liked the Greek flavor the best, if you can find it... I have also used off brands)1package (3 oz) Oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix3tablespoons sugar3tablespoons vegetable oil2tablespoons white vinegar2tablespoons water1tablespoon soy sauce3cups coleslaw mix1cup snow pea pods, strings removed, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces1/2cup sliced almonds, toasted1can (15 oz) mandarin orange segments, drained (I leave these out & add sliced black olives)

Empty Pasta mix into 3-quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta; rinse with cold water. Shake to drain well.

In large bowl, stir together seasoning mixes from pasta mix and soup mix, sugar, oil, vinegar, water and soy sauce. Add pasta, coleslaw mix, pea pods, almonds and oranges; toss to combine.

Just before serving, coarsely crush dry noodles from soup mix; stir into pasta mixture. Serve immediately, or refrigerate.

So, I know I emailed most of you about this , but the non-profit The Academy for Creating Enterprise is one of the things I'm involved right now. It's been a lot of work but a lot of fun knowing that I'm helping others become self-sufficient. Our big fundraiser right now is a piano concert this Friday night (the 11th). I'm really excited to see Jason play and to see what the inside of the Masonic Temple is like. Maybe I'll see some of you there?!

Grown up, alright!

I am having to relearn how to use these functions, after a year away. But I saw this picture of Misty today and remembered her modeling for Amber doing hairstyles for contests and hair shows a few years ago. Do I recall you using wire to hold the hair up. . . .

So my lesson for today was get red-eye out and figure out where you stored something. Remember - I'm old.

Next lesson - figure out how to change the colors and text - at the moment I remember it is easy but I can't see it!

White Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

When we did our Mexican Dinner themed Christmas Party a few years ago, I made these enchiladas and took them. I had a few people ask me for the recipe and I am not sure if I ever gave it to who wanted it. Here it is if you are interested. We have really enjoyed them.

WHITE SAUCE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
½ Cup Sour Cream
2 oz. Diced Green Chilies
¼ Cup Onion, Chopped (sauté, if preferred cooked)
8 oz. Chicken Breast, Cooked (chopped or shredded)
5 ea. 6 inch Flour Tortillas
¼ Cup Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded (6 cheese blend is good too)
¼ Cup Black Olives

1. Heat oven to 400 F.
2. Mix soup, sour cream, chilies, and onions in a bowl.
3. Spread ¼ of mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish.
4. Divide chicken evenly between the tortillas and place down the center of the tortillas.
5. Spoon 2 T. of soup mixture over the chicken in each tortilla.
6. Roll up tortillas and place enchiladas edge side down in the casserole dish.
7. Spoon remaining sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and olives.
8. Bake 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

No Bake Cookies

Here is my recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies. They are the ones I took to Vauna's when we were visiting with Chris.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER NO BAKE COOKIES

1 STICK BUTTER 1 TBS. VANILLA

½ CUP CHOCOLATE CHIPS ½ CUP PEANUT BUTTER

½ CUP MILK 2 CUPS SUGAR

3 CUPS OATS

BOIL BUTTER, CHOCOLATE CHIPS, MILK, SUGAR, VANILLA AND PEANUT BUTTER FOR ONE MINUTE. ADD OATS AND MIX WELL. SPOON ON TO WAX PAPER AND LET COOL.

MAKES APPROX. 40 COOKIES.

Chicken California Recipe

I have come across so many recipes lately that I have been wanting to share with everyone! I have decided that this is where I will share them with you. I think everyone should share recipes that they love as well! We could all use more ideas on what to make for dinner, right?

I have been loving every minute of my new kitchen. I love cooking and I told Clint the other night that maybe I shouldn't have set the bar so high with me cooking almost every night for the past five months! lol I have spoiled him pretty good! Lucky guy. It's really helped us on not going out to eat so much for dinner or lunches. We actually very rarely go out to eat anymore. We still like our sushi nights every couple of months. We do have those rare nights where I pretty much refuse to cook and we head to Arctic Circle or Del Taco for a quick dinner. I think that it helps that we aren't near civilization anymore so we shop and eat out less. haha..

Although I am not the most healthy cook, I think it's still more healthy than going out to eat and getting all those sneaky ingredients mixed in our food. Right???

Our latest and most favorite is Chicken California. You can add in different vegetables and change it up each time and it's so simple to make. I definitely recommend it. I made it for mom and dad and they both really liked it as well. My favorite way to make them is with my "special" sautéed mushrooms and onions. Sauté your mushrooms with butter, soy sauce and brown sugar and you will get such a wonderful flavor. Ignore the fact that they aren't very healthy anymore and just enjoy them!

If you try the recipe, let me know how you made them. I'm always interested in different ideas. A co-worker tried it and she said she cooked her chicken in chicken broth and when the chicken was cooked, she threw in broccoli and onions and let it simmer for a minute then put it in the tortillas. I think that sounds really good too!

CHICKEN CALIFORNIA

4 TBS. BUTTER ¼-½ CUP VEGETABLES (ASPARAGUS, MUSHROOMS, ONIONS, BROCCOLI, ETC.)

4 TBS. FLOUR 2 CUPS CHICKEN, COOKED & SHREDDED

½ TSP. SALT 2 CUPS GRATED CHEESE

¼ TSP. PEPPER 8-12 FLOUR TORTILLAS

2 CUPS MILK 2 TBS. PARSLEY

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350*

MEASURE FLOUR, SALT & PEPPER IN TO SMALL BOWL. MELT BUTTER IN SAUCEPAN OVER LOW HEAT. ADD FLOUR MIXTURE; WHISK UNTIL MIXED WELL. COOK OVER LOW HEAT; STIRRING UNTIL MIXTURE IS SMOOTH AND BUBBLY. SLOWLY STIR IN MILK, WHISKING CONSTANTLY AND HEAT TO BOILING. CONTINUE STIRRING UNTIL SMOOTH AND THICKENED. PUT A SPOONFUL EACH OF CHICKEN, SAUCE, CHEESE AND VEGETABLE IN TORTILLA, THEN ROLL UP ENCHILADA STYLE. LAY SIDE BY SIDE IN 9X13 PAN. SPREAD REMAINING SAUCE OVER TOP AND SPRINKLE WITH CHEESE AND PARSLEY.

BAKE UNCOVERED 20-25 MINUTES.

Riding Family Blog

We now have a new family blog! Check it out at http://btjbez.blogspot.com

November 2009

Zerik seems to have a new bruise on his face almost daily.... even now he is climbing off my bed which most likely will end up in a fall... well, he got lucky. He is now 16 months old and is adorable... his only consistent word still is mom or "mum", but he has said "hi" a couple of times. He loves his brothers and loves to play with them but the feeling isn't always mutual.

Bridger is in Kindergarten and is doing well even though mom has forgotten to go through his backpack a few times and was reprimanded by his teacher.

Jaden is in 2nd grade and has a wonderful teacher, Mrs Reyes, which is fabulous since his 1st grade teacher, Mrs Barker, was a bust. He is behind in his reading and writing and because of this has started with a tutor, Mrs Hutchinson, who comes twice a week to assist.

We are excited for the thanksgiving holiday and the boys both have class plays tomorrow. We are also working on a little "skit" based on the book called, "My Favorite Book". We are trying to go get costumes but the boys are really taking their time in getting their lasagna and salad finished.

Hayden.

I was looking for pictures of Hayden, and the only ones I could find were at Tori and Justin's wedding last year; I am sure I have more, but can't seem to find them. I thought it would be a good time for anyone that has pictures of Hayden to post them for the family to share and enjoy. One good thing about sharing photos here, is that we can all post photos to share with each other, and we can also save any that have been posted by others, to our own computers. Just one more reason to share your pic's with the rest of the family!

Also, Mel told me that she didn't sign in to post because it said she had to have a google e-mail address. When I originally created my blog, I had to create a google sign-in, but could use my existing email account with hotmail. Has anyone else had problems with this? I would love to know. Thanks, family!

Keeping track of the un-trackable.

Welcome to the Williams family blog! You have been invited to blog things about you and your family so that the original 10 can keep track of each other all in one place. Any time you (or your children) want to add pictures, videos, or let us know what you are up to, just log in, and share your life or thoughts with the family. You can even post by cell phone, I believe. (Although I have never tried that, myself. You might have to give me a call to set that up, not really sure.)



For the first posting, I thought I would post a picture that makes me laugh every time I see it. Come on, admit it. You are amazed that I landed such a cute guy, aren't you? I'm so proud.