Changing

Taylor is at the age where young girls seem to change overnight. I didn't realize how much she had changed in just 6 months until I was looking at these pictures of her just 6 months ago:

This is her now:

WOW!


She does still like to wear black and white stripes though. :)

Recipe - No Peek Chicken

I'm always looking for recipes for main dishes that are easy. This is one of our favorites, so I thought I would share.

No Peek Chicken

1 cup raw rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
lipton onion soup mix (I use almost one full pouch - we like lots of flavor)
1/2 cup water
poultry seasoning (I have done it with and without this, and couldn't tell a difference)
1 to 4 lbs chicken, cut up (I use chicken breasts, but you can use a whole chicken and cut it up, chicken legs, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
mix rice, soup, and water
Pour into greased 9 X 13 pan. (I use a baking dish that is oval and slightly smaller)
season chicken and lay on top
Sprinkle on soup mix

Cover with foil and bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours

Christmas 2010

This year we had a WONDERFUL WHITE CHRISTMAS! The last time we had a white Christmas here (other than a dusting) was 1989!

We had a great time playing in the snow. Jonathan, the girls and I played in it on Saturday - we even made sleds from cardboard boxes and found a little hill to slide down. The girls had never done this and it was a big hit! I even slid down the hill once (after falling on my behind trying to do it)! I had fun, but I didn't do it again! I just kept thinking that it wouldn't do for me to get injured! Jonathan fell several times sliding and pushing the girls down the hill! I wish I had my video camera at the time! Megan made a snowman. Here he is:

We also had a great Christmas with family! Here is a picture of my girls and my nieces and nephew at Nana's house:

My favorite part was spending time with my husband and daughters. This year Taylor got a cell phone, a music stand, a straightening iron, and a makeup case full of makeup. Megan got a nintendo DSi, Bratz dolls, a stuffed monster, and a new purse (these are just a few of the things they got). I think the favorites were the phone and the DSi. We saved these two gifts for last and made the girls think that they had opened all of their gifts. Then I "found" two gifts behind the Christmas tree. While both of them were very surprised and had a great reaction, Taylor's reaction was priceless! You can watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwuPtehbDUE

I hope you all had as great a Christmas Holiday as we did!

Kaycee's Easy Cheesy Potatoes, Beef, and Green Bean Casserole

This is one of my family's favorites. It's one of my favorites because it's so easy to make. I got the recipe off a box, but I have tweaked it.

One box of Au Gratin Potatoes (I buy Kroger brand)
1 lb ground beef
1 can french style green beans, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
shredded casserole cheese

Brown your ground beef, drain

Prepare your au gratin potatoes according to the oven directions on the box. Mix in soup, green beans, and ground beef.

Sprinkle cheese on top for the last 5 minutes of cooking time. I add about a cup of cheese - that's where the "cheesy" comes in. :)

I'm sure this is supposed to serve 6 or 8, but we rarely have leftovers.

Christmas Festivities and Band Christmas Concert

Well, the Christmas festivities are in full swing. We have had the Church Holiday Party and the youth Holiday Party. My work has had their holiday party and we are having a party for the kids at Happy Times on Friday. This Saturday is our first family Christmas Party - then it's to Lena's on Christmas Eve, my Mom's on Christmas day, and My Grandmother, Dad, Sister and her family, and brother and his wife are coming to my house on Sunday afternoon the day after Christmas. Hopefully we will all be well in time for Christmas. Seems like Megan has spent more than half of her Christmases sick.

I finally finished all of my Christmas decorating. I have most of my Christmas shopping done. I just have to pick up a few stocking stuffers and last minute items. And, I have TONS of wrapping to do! I think that might be one of the girl's jobs this year. I'm really excited about Christmas this year. I can't wait till Christmas morning! I love to watch the girls open their gifts! I think I get just as excited as they do.

We have also had the pleasure of attending Taylor's first band concert! The Riverton Intermediate School has 70 kids in their band -and that's only 6Th graders! They played Jingle Bells, Up on the House Top, and Santa's Noisy work shop. They have only had one of the pieces of music for 2 1/2 weeks and I thought they did a great job! These kids just picked up their instruments less than 4 months ago! Then, the Buckhorn Middle School bands played (they have 3 bands) and Buckhorn High School played. I really enjoyed it! I'm not sure that Jonathan and Megan enjoyed it is much as I did though. It was unbearably hot in the school gym and Megan wasn't feeling well. So, much to my disappointment we left before getting to hear the Buckhorn High School Band. We ordered a recording of it all so I will get to listen to them when that comes in. We also got Taylor a neat trumpet ornament. It looks just like her silver trumpet! But, I'm making her wait till Christmas.

Recipe for Chess Cake

I have already made one batch of Chess Cake so far this season. Only 2 more to go! It seems that this is the item that I get requested to make the most, so I thought I would post the recipe.


CHESS CAKE

1 stick butter melted
1 egg
1 box yellow cake mix

Mix together and press into cake pan. You will have to get your hands dirty on this one!

8 oz cream cheese softened
16 oz powdered sugar
2 eggs

Pour over first part.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 or 45 mins. You'll want to let it brown a bit so that it won't be too gooey. I have a 10 inch Pampered Chef stone baking dish that works really well for this because it tends to get too done on bottom and not done enough on top.

Halloween Candy

This morning the first words that Megan said to me were "STAY OUT OF MY CANDY!!!" in a very nasty voice. Apparently, the reason she jumped out of bed so quickly was to check her bucket of candy to see if anyone had eaten any while she was asleep. I proceeded to tell her that is was my duty as a mother to get into her Halloween candy. (Insert evil look from Megan) Then I asked her who bought the candy to hand out, who took her to the store to pick out a costume, and who helped her get ready on that night. (Insert a silent child)

I am a firm believer in letting my children eat as much Halloween candy as they want for snack when they get home from school. That way, all of the candy that they like is gone within a week, I can throw away the rest, and we can get on with the rest of our lives! ;-)