FOOD FRENZY FRIDAY

This recipe is so easy to make and yummy.

Roast and Brown Gravy

flour
Beef Roast
1 pkg brown gravy
1 pkg onion soup mix
1 cup water

Put flour all over the roast and brown.Put the roast and remainder ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Its so tender and you have the gravy with it so you just have to make some mashed potatoes.
I hope everyone is having a great Friday!

Is there a Doctor in the house?

We put bandaids in the kids stockings this last year for Christmas. I know...really exciting eh. Well we never get the character bandaids (they are just more expensive) but the kids always ask for them. We are proud to say that Danika has used hers.....as you can see on her BARBIES! I'm sure she would be willing to help anybodys hurt doll, so if you have any feel free to call 1-888-DanikaMD. She also specializes in healing Baby Alive and polly pockets.

The Boys Break it Down!

Don't send a lame eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

We Dance so well with each other!

Don't send a lame eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

I HAVE THE POWER!

Both Andrew and Luke have gone through the HE-MAN phase. Please tell me you remember He-Man, if you don't then I am getting too old. They hold swords or pencils (whatever they find) and repeat I have the power over and over. Thankfully they have never asked to wear He-Mans clothes or lack of clothes I should say. Well since last week we have been having problems with the internet. I was going through withdrawls. I didn't realize how much I relied on the internet for things. I took a test on net addiction at netaddiction.com for fun and scored a 42.

20 - 49 points: You are an average on-line user. You may surf the Web a bit too long at times, but you have control over your usage.

I HAVE THE POWER to control my usage!

Whew thats good news! I guess I can delete that email to Dr. Phil.

EWWWWW!

So yesterday we were all downstairs in the office...why? I don't know, but we were all busy talking when I turn around and Jacob is sucking the water out of the rats bottle. YUCK! For those who don't know yes we have rats! Remi (gray and white) and George (Black and white). They are actually fun pets although they stink. They are headed into the garage as soon as it warms up. They are very intelligent too, they can come to their names and you can train them to do other tricks. Yep, there like little dogs. We bought leashes for them so we can take them for walks outside in the summer. Can you imagine someone walking rats down the street? I'm so pumped to see people's reaction. Danika did a science fair project on what rats like, we found some interesting things about them. Her favorite one is that you shouldn't give them pop because they can't burp.

COOKIES!

Speaking about food, cookies is on the bottom of the food pyramid right? I have always enjoyed making cookies and in all seriousness I usually make a batch a week. I was making them today and thought I would share a poem that my Grandma gave us with a cookie jar for Christmas.

A house should have a cookie jar

for when it's half past three

And children hurry home from school

as hungry as can be.

A house should have a mother

waiting with a hug,

No matter what a child brings home

a puppy or a bug.

For children only loiter

when the bell rings to dismiss

If no one's home to greet them

with a cookie and a kiss.

I remember my mom making cookies when we got home from school and the smell was wonderful. Maybe it was a happy time because we knew my Mom was in a good mood to be baking or that we were loved!

I have started a tradition of making a heart shaped cookie for Kevin everytime I bake. I told him he will know he's in trouble if he comes home and there isn't one for him. So far so good.

Food Frenzy Friday

I think I will start posting a recipe each Friday until I run out of my favorite recipies. We always want new recipies right? My first one will be Tiny Spicy Chicken. It's really not spicy, my kids would tell me if it was.....they would call it "Saucy"

Get how much chicken you want and cut it into bite size pieces

Coat in 5 Tb. Flour and 5 Tb. Cornstarch. (Shake it in a bag to coat)

Deep Fat Fry at 350 till browned. (I never want to get out my fry daddy to do this so I just heat oil in a pot on the stove.)

Combine these ingredients in a bowl- Depending on how much sauce you want you may want to double it.

2/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup vinegar

4 Tb. Ketchp

2 tsp. Soy sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth

and a few dashes of salt

Place the browned chicken in a casserole dish and Pour sauce over it. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Turn or stir every fifteen minutes. Sauce will thicken as it cooks. Serve over rice and enjoy. Let me know if you try it!

OOPS THEY DID IT AGAIN

OOPS They did it again, they played with the ball, and knocked down the frame ohh baby baby..... Okay thats enough of my Britney Spears impression. Yes it's been broken once more. My children were playing Monkey in the Middle......Luke was the monkey. Thankfully we hadn't got the glass for it since the last break which was LAST WEEK. But I completely freaked out still (Tina wasn't here) and got really upset. Now I don't believe in spanking so I refrained but ohhhh man I thought about it. So my question is what do you do when you are ready to beat the little tushes off of your children when something like that has happend. Maybe some of you already have, man Felicia sorry about the desitin and eggs WOW.

PS Does anyone know where I can get a tight red leather outfit? I think I would look HOT! HAHA (Please read with a lot of sarcasim. Reds not my color)

It's a dirty job but somebody has to do it!

Thanks for all your comments on the last post, we have been doing some things that were suggested. I got a book awhile ago called "Everyday Parents Raising Great Kids". Every Sunday we talk about a few of the questions asked in the book, it's our (FDT) Family Discussion Time. We talk about the needs of each child. I think it has helped our family but as you said Shauntae you loose yourselves in being a Mom and Dad. Everyone keep commenting I love to read them! So as I thought about being a mommy I thought of the top five reasons that being a Mother is the dirtiest job! If you can add to the list please do.

1. You have to clean throw up in the middle of the night..... multiple times.

2. You have to change diapers....dealing with blow outs, diarrhea, and small objects that have been accidentally swallowed.

3. Wiping snotty noses.....again multiple times

4. Potty training.....enough said

5. Constantly being wiped on, sneezed on, coughed on, and spit up on.

We are strange creatures!

We will glue a head on a cheap dollar store doll multiple times to appease a crying child.

We will dig through the garbage to find a small toy accidentally thrown away.

Then we cry over the amount of love we feel for these beautiful and wonderful gifts!

Marriage and Stale Bread

So this morning I got an email from LDS living....I'm not sure how or when I signed up for these but they randomly show up. The title for this email was Keeping Marriage Magic Alive. It seems like we have been having more Meetings and lessons about healthy marriages lately. As I was reading it, there was a part I had heard before: President Kimball counseled, “Many couples permit their marriages to become stale and their love to grow cold like old bread or worn-out jokes or cold gravy. . . .

I remember reading that with Kevin and we laughed about the cold gravy part. I sure hope our marriage doesn't become like that or molded leftovers or stinky wet fur for that matter. A question for all of you.....what do you do to keep your marriage from becoming stale?

Jalapeno Peppers

Saturday Kevin and I celebrated Valentines day. My sisters spoiled our kids and took them to Big J's then the dollar store. We went shopping, ate at La Tormenta and went to a movie (Enchanted) Danika's Teacher Miss Stoddard works there as a manager and was working the ticket office, she saw us and gave us some tickets and told us "It's on me" Thanks Miss Stoddard. Did we ever mention we think you're a great teacher he he. Anyway the worker at La Tormenta brought three little bowls in a stand over to our table. One bowl had radishes, another had a cilantro/tomato/green pepper mix and the last bowl had green jalapeno peppers. Halfway through eating Kevin dared me to try eating a jalapeno. I never pass a dare so I picked one up and took a small bite out of the end. Trying to keep composure I told him it tasted like it had been pickled. He (noticing no wincing or grabing my water in horror) grabbed one and took a big ol' junk out of it......Thats when I mentioned "oh... but it's still hot" Needless to say I had numb lips through part of the movie. Kevin told me he felt the burning as soon as he bit into it and instead of chewing just swallowed to save his mouth.

Alvin and the Chipmunks Movie Review

Kevin went on a cross country ski camp with the scouts so I asked my sisters if they wanted to go to the movies with me. I wanted to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks and knew my kids would enjoy it. I found a babysitter for Jacob so I could take the oldest three. It was a funny movie, there was some potty humor though. There was one part when Dave caught a chipmunk by putting a bowl on top of it. When Dave lifted the bowl the chipmunk farted in his face. Now you would think a mothers response would be, "How revolting!" but I laughed harder than all my kids combined. Sometimes it's funner to be irresponsible don't you think?

For example a responsible parent would say

Mom: Danika, that was inappropriate and probably hurt Daves feelings.

Danika: Oh....okay Mom. (Sigh of disappointment)

Irresponsible Parent

Mom: Danika, wasn't that so stinkin' funny when the chipmunk farted in Daves face? Ha ha

Danika: Ya, ha ha ha ha ha ha (Happy)

Yep irresponsible parent wins!

Common phrases heard at the Westwoods

Whats in your mouth?
Where did that come from?
Why did you think it would make him happy if you sat on him?
Luke.. your old enough to wipe your own butt.
WHAT DID YOU DO?
Move away from the TV
Stop licking me!
Get off your brother
Danika, make sure Jacob's not in the toilet again.

Just a little insight into our humble abode

Happy Valentines Day

Sometimes I feel like this girl. I'm such a nerd when it comes
to cheesy teenage flicks. My wonderful, cute hubby made me breakfast in bed and gave me the soundtrack to High School Musical 2. I like the music in them and they are clean so my kids can watch them. Plus I think it relates so much to real life; I burst into song every 3.5 seconds don't you?

Happy Valentines Day Sandra!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY SANDRA! I love you with all my heart! You are the most wonderful, not to mention beautiful, woman in the world! Thanks for being mine.

Grandpa, Grandma and Uncle Matt with Kids

Kevins brother just recently came back from his mission.
This is the most recent picture we took of the kids, I know you wanted to see them Amy. We went bowling which was great fun except running after the crazy two year old. Does anyone have a small cage that can fit in a diaper bag? ummm......maybe I should create one.

The other day while running errands I noticed a car infront of me with an elderly couple. I had to giggle a little when I saw the stuffed animal in the back window. Why is it that older couples put stuffed animals in the back windows of their car? I know my Grandma Argyle did it. There was also a box of tissues, another common item. If anyone has any insights as to why this is I would love to know. My idea that they are in some kind of cult, that gets together in a circle holding hands while sacrificing a small chicken just doesn't seem right.

So this evening as Tina was over with Bridget we were having a nice conversation when CRASH......We heard the picture hit the floor and shatter. This was a picture Kevin had framed of our family for Christmas. Luke came down the stairs looking as guilty as ever. If Tina hadn't been here I would have opened a can of WOOP BUTT on him. But of course I can't go all balistic while we have guests over, good thing you were here Tina, you saved Lukes butt.

Yesterday I cleaned the highchair. I haven't cleaned it for awhile....so maybe a year or so anyway it was time for it. I didn't think it was this bad. It's amazing what you can get through with a little elbow grease, packing tape and gag reflex.

TV/GAME TIME

So Kevin and I have been worried about Andrews obbsession with gamecube. He always wants to play and he always talks about it. Whats hard is it's easy to let him when I have other things to do. We talked about making cards he can redeem for time. Each card is worth 15 minutes. I'm printing them up now and we will give him all of them at the beginning of the week. When he runs out he runs out. I hope this will teach him how to allot his time. We can also use it as a tool for behavior as he can earn more cards the more he behaves. We will post how it turns out.

HERE WE ARE!

WOO HOO we jumped on the bandwagon and now have a blog....Yaa for us (high five myself) I'm excited to start blogging, it's totally the "in" thing. We are sooo cool!he he.