Our visit 'Up North'

We couldn't have asked for a better weekend to see Santa. Our good friends, the Carlsons, generously invited us to join them in their timeshare weekend in Flagstaff with a visit to the North Pole on the Polar Express. On Friday, we ate a late Thanksgiving dinner, played peewee golf, drank hot chocolate and put together puzzles and played games. The highlight was seeing Joshua back home with his family, starting to enjoy many of the things he did before he entered the hospital that scary day 6 weeks ago.

Saturday had a magical feel, as snow was in the air and everyone around us was dressed in their pajamas. Once we were on the train, we ate cookies and drank hot chocolate and listened to the story of the Polar Express. Before long, Santa entered the train. It was difficult to get the right angle for the video and photos, but the sound captures perfectly how excited Stewart was to see Santa this year.



Casper has entered the stage of the skeptic, as you can tell by his vigilant stare to see if Santa knows him and whether he has a real beard or not. He was very attuned to the fact that this year's Santa was too busy to even ask him what he wanted for Christmas, so I can tell that ring of the bell is getting harder and harder for him to hear.

Whitney was so excited to see Santa, she was speechless as to what to ask for--suddenly saying, "A dog!" A dog? Isn't she terriried of dogs? Well, maybe she's warming up to the idea...

We loved that we were able to start out our Christmas season with such a fun activity and that we are all actually looking at the camera at the photo shoot with Santa.

A Day of Thanks

I hope this posts before Thanksgiving is over because it was a good one. Relaxing for the most part, full of good conversation, friends, and memories of the past year. I couldn't resist listing a few of the things I'm grateful for.

The week started out with the kindergarten field trip to the Wildlife World Zoo. It was a beautiful day and I spent the day with 7 cute girls and another fun mom, touring the zoo, watching the animals and eating snacks together. I love how they all take turns and hold hands.

I'm thankful that I'm able to be home and around my kids at their young ages and watch them take joy in the little things.

On Tuesday we had Casper's checkup at the CF Clinic and he had gained 4.5 pounds and 1 inch since August! His Celiac Panel came back NEGATIVE, so that means the gluten free diet is working and he is able to absorb food better! Needless to say, we were THRILLED!

I am so grateful that we are able to have the medical care we need to help Casper be as healthy as he can be. I am thankful for gluten free food that tastes good! :)

Wednesday was the school Turkey Trot and I was amazed to see my kids move faster than they ever have in their lives (except for the Turkey Trot last year!) The day ended with the best news we've heard all year: our friend, Joshua, was home from 6 long, scary weeks in the hospital. It is a true miracle that he is home with his family and recovering well. We can't wait to see them on the Polar Express in Williams, AZ on Friday!

We're thankful for our bodies and for our good health!

Today we spent the afternoon renewing our friendships with Bruce and Kathy Meyer, Matt's cousin's family and some of their friends. One family brought their five children and they hit it off with our kids. I was overjoyed to see Casper holding hands with their 3 year old to comfort her. When he told their 10 year old that he was cool, the boy responded, "Really? Most people don't think I'm cool. Thanks!" I thought he was pretty cool for being so kind to Casper.

We're thankful for new friends and old ones, too!

I spent the morning cooking gluten free stuffing, chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin pie and sweet potato casserole. Matt went to the store TWICE for me for ingredients I'd forgotten.

I'm thankful for my patient and kind husband who is always willing to drop whatever he is doing to run an errand or help me in the kitchen.

Now, we enter my most favorite time of the year and my goal is to focus on the Savior for a moment each day and how He has blessed my life with his birth and His life.

I am thankful for a living Savior and for a Heavenly Father that listens to and answers my prayers.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I won the chili cookoff?

The only chili I know how to make is from my friend, Carla. In her honor, I made her yummy chili for the MOMS Club Annual Chili Cookoff today and won by a 'landslide.' I was embarrassed and felt a little guilty, too. Afterall, I'm not a good cook. I just know a good recipe when I see it.

So, here are two more recipes that got rave reviews at the cookoff and have been added to my recipe repertoire. Eat up!

Carla Carlson's White Bean Chicken Chili

32 oz. box of Swanson’s Chicken broth
1 – 16 oz. jar of Sadie’s Salsa: “Not as Hot” flavor
2- 16 oz. cans of Great Northern beans
1- 16 oz. can of Navy Beans
1- 16 oz. can of White Kidney Beans
3 chicken breasts
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
sour cream
green onions

Directions:
-salt and pepper pounded chicken breasts, grill, and then shred with two forks
-Drain and rinse all beans
-Set crock pot to high and add broth, salsa, all beans, chicken, chili seasoning and cream of tartar. Stir occasionally.
-After an hour (or when ingredients start to bubble) set crock pot to low
-If chili looks watery, remove lid for a short time (20-30 minutes)
-Cook all day or even overnight
-An hour or so before serving, add cheese into crock pot and let melt
-Add sour cream and onions to taste at serving time

NOTE: original recipe called for only ONE can of Great Northern Beans, BOILED chicken breasts, PACE instead of Sadie’s salsa, Cumin instead of Chili powder, and 1 cup each of Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses instead of Colby Jack combo. It seems to be a “winner” either way!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
Cooks.com

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour*
¾ cup sugar
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup pumpkin
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the flour, sugar, pie spice, soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin and butter; whisk until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour over dry ingredients and fold in with spatula until moistened. Spoon batter into greased muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and springy to touch. Turn out onto rack and cool. Makes 12-14 muffins.

*Gluten free flour or baking mix can be substituted with yummy results!

I'm not a good cook.

I'm really not. I have good intentions, just not that intuitiveness that is key to consistently good meals. However, I DO have a few tried and true recipes that ALWAYS get me into trouble at parties: they give the impression that I'm a good cook. I just know a good recipe when I see one. So, I wanted to share two that we use at this time of year.

*Beware, if you make one of these, people will think you're a good cook, too!

*Ginger-Cranberry Chutney

1 package (12 oz.) cranberries
1 large tart apple, peeled, cored & diced
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened apple juice concentrate
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbls. grated orange peel
1 ts. ground allspice
1-1/2 ts. ground ginger
1/4 ts. ground cloves
1/4 ts. cayenne pepper
3 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese
Crackers

In a saucepan, combine cranberries, apple, sugar, apple juice, raisins, lemon juice, orange peel & spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 25 minutes or until thickened. Cool. Serve 1 cup of chutney over each package of cream cheese. Spread on crackers.

*Sweet Potato Bake

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yields: 7 servings

Ingredients:
(Main):
3 ½ cups mashed sweet potatoes
¼ cup milk
¼ cup orange juice
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup white sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, softened
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
(Topping):
¼ cup butter, softened
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup chopped pecans

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 2-quart casserole dish.
2. In a large bowl, blend together the sweet potatoes, milk, orange juice, eggs, vanilla, sugar, salt, butter, nutmeg and cinnamon.Pour into prepared casserole dish.
3. Mix together the ¼ cup butter, brown sugar, flour and pecans; sprinkle over sweet potatoe mixture.
4.Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

From Allrecipes.com

I saw the sweetest thing today...

...ICE CREAM. My three kids were sharing it. That's right. SHARING. Without encouragement from me. Granted, it WAS ice cream. They each had a different flavor and all eagerly wanted to try them all out. However, they were negotiating and licking and tasting without a referee. It was really SWEET!