Happy Birthday!!

Well my baby turned one today. She was so spoiled today!! She had her favorite breakfast, Yoplait yogurt and juice =) I know, so simple, I love that she is easy to please! Then fo lunch she had star soup, and a cookie!! Again, so simple, and she was in heaven. For dinner we had family come over and I made MAC AND CHEESE, 3 kinds. Simple you say? NO WAY!! This was no ordinary Mac and cheese, this was GUY FIERI and GIADA from the food network mac and cheese, it was amazing!! So not a everyday meal, but holy freaking schmoly... it was good. I will post the recips, dont you worry!!
Anyways, I have a awesome friend in my new neighborhood who makes cakes, and she made this AMAZING cake for Amelie. Amelie is OBSESSED with Yo Gabba gabba. Her first audible word was "FOOFA" (pink character from the show) Here are some pictures of the day. I just love this girl, I know I say it a lot, but its true. She is such a light in my life and I adore every chubby roll on her body. I love her silly smile, her hillbilly teeth, her love for food, her infectious laugh, and her sweeeeeeet little spirit. Everyone who meets Amelie is greeted with a "Hi baby" (sounds more like hiiii beeee beeeeeee) and a cute wave. I just love her.










Mac and cheese recipes


Mac daddy mac and cheese
Ingredients
2 shallots, peeled
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 pieces bacon, diced, cooked, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups heavy cream
3 dashes hot sauce
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound penne pasta, cooked
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp. melted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from foil and chop. In a large saute pan, reheat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add roasted shallot and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third. Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. Place in a 9X13 casserole dish. In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, bread crumbs, butter and parsley. Top Mac n Cheese with Panko mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.
*Note-I didnt roast the garlic and shallots, I just sauteed them in the same pan I crisped the bacon in. SO GOOD!! And in the Panko mixture, I grated 2 garlic cloves into it as well. YUMMERS!


Italian mac and cheese
Ingredients
Butter, for greasing dish
12 ounces wide egg noodles
2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (packed) grated Fontina
3/4 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan
3/4 cup (packed) grated mozzarella
4 ounces cooked ham, diced, optional
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Butter a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Drain well, but do not rinse.

Whisk the cream, milk, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup Fontina, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, ham, if using, and parsley. Add the noodles and toss to coat. Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Toss the remaining 1 cup Fontina, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup mozzarella in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the noodle mixture. Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

All about Amelie!

Well since this week is Amelie's first birthday I thought I would share some tid bits/pictures I just love of her. Also, some other random ones of the kids (check out my yard!!!)






Here are some others....

Oh Sweet Amelie...

I love this girl!! Everyday I fall more in love with her. Her crazy lonely top tooth makes her look like a hillbilly, her fun red hair makes me smile especially when she has a pony tail, her crazy PUCKER LIPS when she is mad are ever so cute, Her bright blue eyes shine and I swear you can see Heaven when you look into them. She is a doll, and I am SOOOOO lucky to be her mama!! I can not believe she turns ONE next week. Where did this year go? Oh Amelie, how I love you!!!

Name my baby

Ok, so for over 3 years we have had the name LINCOLN on our minds for another boy. Well, its just not going to happen. I had a step brother named Link, and well, I hated him. He was a nasty boy who beat up on us little kids. He was deaf and had mental issues. He was SOOOO MEAN! And the thought of my son being called Link for short makes me seriously want to puke. SO since my husband loves me and does everything I say, we are on a search for another name. Here is the list we have come up with so far, vote please!! or add your own suggestion!
1. Truman
2. Asher
3. Beckett
4. Preston
5. Jude
HELP!!

Crock Pot Chicken fajitas

Ok, so I love to cook, Duh. And I love trying new things. And lately I LOVE using the crock pot. Probably use it 3 times a week. Since our ward moved to 1 pm this year (nothing nice to say about that. blah!) I find it really hard to even want to cook dinner on sundays. And any other day by about 2 pm, I am ready for a nap, and seriously have no desire to even think about cooking dinner at 5 pm. This pregnancy has been FABULOUS, but man I am sooooo tired, and I am SOOOO anemic (yucky iron pills) The crock pot saves my life!! And keeps my kids eating a home cooked meal and less happy meals!! =)
So this morning when I was looking in the freezer trying to decide what to thaw, and what to make. I saw the boneless chicken thighs (my new favorite meat, so cheap and SOOO yummy!) Then I saw the bell peppers and onions in the fridge, the costco un cooked tortillas, and thought, MMMMM FAJITAS! Then I frowned when I thought of having to COOK the meat after church at 5 pm. I looked on the counter and literally heard my crock pot sing to me "croooock poooooooot fajiiiiiiiiiiitas!!" So before church, I sauteed the onions and bell peppers, put them in the fridge, then I put the FROZEN chicken in the crock pot, mixed 1 packet of chicken fajita mix with 1 1/2 cups of water, 1 can of green chilis and a few garlic cloves crushed. Put the crock pot on high, and went to church~!
Came home, and OH.MY.GOSH!! It smelled like PURE HEAVEN here! My kids even said "wow mommy, what is the yummy smell!!" AHHH I rock. So I then drained and rinsed some pinto beans, chopped a tomato, and some cilantro, drained the crock pot, keeping 1/2 cup of the liquid. And dumped everything in. let it sit on low for another 30 mins while I cooked the tortillas, and made the rice.
WOW. It was so good. I squeazed some limes over the meat, and served them up. This will for sure be a family favorite forever!!
When in doubt, CROCK POT!!
So if you werent keeping notes, here is the recipe again
about 2 pounds of chicken, thighs or breasts
1-2 packs fajita mix (I use the low salt one) dpending on how many you are feeding
1 can diced green chilis
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion
1 bell pepper
1 lime
hand full of cilantro
2 tomatoes
1 can pinto or black beans
tortillas

mix the fajita powder with 1 1/2 cups of water
put chicken in crock pot, pour sauce over, add green chilis
put on high for 4 hours.
Sautee onion and pepper until tender, then add cilantro and tomato
drain crock pot, keeping 1/2 cup of liquid.
dump beans, onion and pepper mix and let sit for 30 mins. Put in tortillas and YUM!!

One day at a time

As I nearly approach my half way mark of this pregnancy I have really had time to sit and think. I guess I dont take a lot of time for myself to just THINK. Because buhjeezus I had so many thoughts in my head. I have really come to realize that everything happens for a reason, we can ask a lot of WHY WHY WHY's but we already know the answer. I have come to realize that I am the luckiest person in MY world. Does that make sense? I am seriously so blessed with 4 almost 5 AWESOME children, a husband who is not only a husband, but he is a friend and a GREAT DAD. A roof over my head, a car to drive, and air to breathe. Why oh why do we complain about the big things, when in all reality those big things dont matter. Its the little things in life, the messy kisses you get from your 2 year old after he just ate a sticky waffle. Its the smile from a 10 month old showing off her 3 cute teeth. Its the simple "oh I love you mommy" from a 4 year old who has to act tough, but really, he is a sweet heart. Its seeing how proud your daughter is of herself when she gets a 100% on a spelling test and smiles with her toothless smile and her eyes glow! Its feeling your baby move for the first time and realizing that ther is a LIFE inside you. Cleaning up and daily schedules just dont matter all that much when it comes between you spending time with your blessings. Do I pick up after my kids, OF COURSE, do I make it a priority and ignore Porter when he needs something? no way. Not saying its OK to live in filth, EW EW EW! BUT, I am FINALLY realizing, what is MORE IMPORTANT. Playing with my kids and enjoying them when they are young. When we moved away from a "life" we lived in for over 3 years, it was HARD. There wasnt a day that went by that either Lily or I werent crying and upset about it. We have moved on and found that only we are in control of our happiness, and if we are lonely and need friends, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! So we did. We threw ourselves out there and now everyday Lily has someone to play with and I have someone to talk to. Hurt feelings and anger. Why do we dwell on things that really dont matter? I am really bad at this sometimes. When I announced I was pregnant, a lot of people gave their congrats and WOW, another baby!! But there was a comment made to my via face book that has BUGGED me for what, 5 months now. "You and your husband need to get a hobby". How mean was that!! I took it really hard and was in SHOCK that someone I know, and considered my friend would say that to me. But with a new year, I am making new choices. And I choose not to let people get to me. People will do and say things that plain and simply, piss you off. We are in control of our own happiness. ANYWAYS, that was my rant for the week. Here are some updates on the kiddos. Lily is loving school, making some really awesome friends, even has a little boy friend (oooooooh) She is starting Brownies soon, and is really excited about that. I am more excited about the cookies she will sell =) Jackson is AMAZING. He has adjusted so well, and is learning so much in school and is talking up a storm and loves to be silly and show his mad skills on the Wii. Porter is just as cute as ever. Loves to sing and dance. His new favorite thing is singing "Little bunny fu fu" over and over and over again. He also loves to hit Amelie in the head with toys, and push her down stairs, off the couch and throw food at her. I guess we need to work on some things haha! Amelie is crossing every milestone with strides. She is 10 1/2 months old and has 3 teeth, fun red hair is finally growing in, stands up, walks along furniture, climbs the stairs like a pro, and loves to play peek a boo, and IM GONNA GET YOU, and crawls like a speed demon!! She is a joy and just laughs over the silliest things. I love when she wakes up from naps or in the morning and sees me come in the room and she lights up. Stands up and YELLS MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!! Baby Lincoln is doing great. We are 18 1/2 weeks along, and I feel GREAT!! Oh I love being pregnant with boys. My doctor assures me all is well in the womb, and we are taking it week by week!! Its been fun shopping for new boy clothes and seeing the kids faces when they see a cute outfit at the store "Ohhh mommmmmmy that is the cutest thing i have ever seeeeen!" Jackson is the best shopper I must say. Well enjoy the pictures and until next time!! haha

ITS A........

BOY!!!! We are having a boy! Lincoln is due in June and we are so excited!! lets just hope he doesnt learn from Porter how to be a nut job!! haha!

All is well, all is well

Well needless to say moving was a good move, but a sad one. In moving I seemed to have lost 90% of my friends, and my daughter has suffered the same loss. I didnt know that changing my address changed who I am, but oh well! It became obvious who my true friends are, and I love them. Lily has made some new friends thanks to her tea party we had for her this weekend. It was SOOO fun! Her BFF Ruthie came alllllll the way down from South Jordan (20 mins away) just to support her friend. I heart Ruthie, and her mama!Lily's first grade teacher even came to her tea party! She has been amazing and Lily just adores her, along with everyone else in the class!! We had 26 little girls here, and it was AWESOME!! Life has been slow here, but all in all, GOOD. Things are getting better, neighbors are getting to know us, and we love it here. We have a yard, something we didnt have in Daybreak. We have a very friendly ward, and have felt very welcome by our ward leaders and members. It took some time to open up and let others into our lives since we created such great friendships up in Daybreak. But we are doing good!!
Baby June Bug is growing, as well as my tummy. We are 16 weeks pregnant, and find out what this baby is in a week! I have fallen in love with a new baby name, but am not sure it flows with the rest of my kids names. Ruby! Its my favorite stone (also my birth stone), my favorite color, and its a precious stone! I have no say in the name if its a boy, Jake has made that clear to me, it will be Lincoln. Well his full name will be Dwight Lincoln, after my dad, and brother and great uncle. But he will be Lincoln! I think Jake is warming up to the name Ruby, but we shall see. Every name I mention, he shoots down! UGH!
We are hosting Christmas this year at the new house, since we have so much for all the Stephens' fam! I am so excited! I have a new ham recipe I am making...SOOOO good. you buy a RAW ham, on the bone. put in a crock pot on high for 2 hours with some water, about 2 inches of water. Then put on low and add 2 liters of cherry 7 up, and cook for 5-7 hours depending on how big your ham is! IT will fall off the bone and taste like heaven!

Enjoy the pictures of Lily's tea party!!!! Merry Christmas everyone!!

I just love my kids

What have we been up to? Well, its been BUSY. We are all settle in the new house, and we love it. Lily started her new first grade class, and WOW, her teacher is AMAZING! Miss Crowton is my super hero. Lily has had a rough start this year in school and was a pretty sad little girl. Now she LOVES going to school, has made some cute friends and has been so proud of herself. 3 spelling tests with almost all right, 1 test with 100%! Way to go Lily! She is really such a sweet girl, I dont know what I would do with her cute toothless smile.
Jackson started pre school again down here, and he is doing great!! learning letters, numbers, all the normal pre school stuff. He also just LOVES going to school and he LOVES that the big yellow bus comes and picks him up. He is such a active little boy and just drives me nuts 90% of the day, but hey, he is 4!
Oh Porter, Porter is such a little booger sometimes, but I could just sit there and kiss his cute face all day. His dimples make me smile, his silly laugh, the way he mimicks me, and even does the finger tisk tisk tisk with one hand on his hip as he yells...."oh no you didnt!" He is such a spitfire and just runs CRAZINESS through the house. I wouldnt have it any other way!! Loves to say please and thanks, blows kisses and will randomly walk up to you and give you a kiss and a snuggle.
Amelie, oh sweet Amelie. She is almost 9 months old and a totally perfect baby. Smiley, happy, vocal, loves to sing, crawl, walk along the furniture, EAT, snuggle and be chased by her siblings. She can say Mama, Dada, no no, and BALL! What can I say, she is a genius! haha!I love going into her room when she is sleeping and just looking at her! She is such a angel! I also love hearing her sing every time she wakes up. And when I walk in the room and say her name, she stands up in her crib and yells MA MA MA MA MA MA!! And has the most adorable smile on her face. Oh how I love her!!
It has been a rough month, but we are surviving. Lots of things went wrong that we wish didnt, but what are you going to do? I really miss my old neighborhood, and my friends. Its just not the same here. People are way nice, that isnt the issue. Its just not as social, and for those who know me.... Uh, I am social! So I am freaking out sitting at home all alone most days =( Anyways, anyone who wants to come play, please do! I miss you!

I love this song,and how it makes me feel!