Gimme All Your Candy!!

Happy Halloween

Love, Zachary & Elison

What Did YOU Do Today?

Seeing as our day at the park was cut short due to Katelyn pooping her pants...here is what we did today.

After stocking our 72-hr kits with fresh (if you could call it that) MRE meals, we decided that Katelyn was ready for her first car.

We got her a pink Hummer.

I knew it had to be a big car because in the front window she drew pictures of "Daddy, Mommy, Zachary, Katelyn, Zachary, Katelyn, and Katelyn."

We decided to go used because they lose so much value the first year anyway.

And we were really excited that the "KATELYN" vanity plates were still available.

She insisted that Zachary ride with her, and for such a big car I was surprised by how hard it was to fit them both in.

Eventually, though, she was ready to ride solo, and insisted that we "drop Zachary off at the park."

Actually just his jumper.

That's what we did.

How about you?

FREE Event for a Good Cause

My friend Emily (http://www.gibsonfamilyof3.blogspot.com/) is putting on this FREE event in Salt Lake City to benefit Stephanie and Christian Nielson, who were badly injured in a personal plane crash over 2 months ago. Stephanie is an inspiration to mothers across the globe.

For a glimpse into her beautiful world visit her blog at:

http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/

For updates on their family and condition visit her sister's blog at:

http://blog.cjanerun.com/

If you can make it to this event, please do. You will be uplifted (face it, the guy's been on Oprah!) and it is for a good cause. Enjoy!

The Dump Cake of Dinners

I love to cook and try fancy new recipes and stuff, but let's just face the facts...I don't like to spend a lot on food when we don't have a lot to spend. So unless it's a special occasion or I'm caught in a moment of weakness I will usually forgo the fresh herbs, spices, fancy sauces and oils that will make your food taste that much better--even though the only person who might notice is you and (if you're lucky) your husband. I also tend to pass up those handy little kitchen gadgets that you can buy for an arm and a leg at Crate & Barrel. Sure, they make your job of separating the yolk from the egg white that much easier, but my kitchen is small and I just don't have room for all those luxuries. So I get creative.

With that said, I want to take the time to share with you one of my favorite recipes. Just a few basic ingredients that I always keep on hand for those days when I just don't know what to do about dinner. With minimal prep time, it's like the dump cake of dinners. It's so easy Katelyn can to it (with some supervision). I don't even know what to call it. We think it tastes like the tortilla soup from Islands restaurant, so let's call it Tortilla Soup. Here we go...

Start your soup shortly after you finish your lunch so it'll be ready by dinner time.

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 bag frozen bell pepper slices (from the frozen veggies aisle)

1 small can Campbell's Cheddar Cheese soup
3 Tbsp. chunky salsa

Throw it all in your crock pot and cook on low for 5 or 6 hours. It'll become kind of soupy.

We serve it topped with shredded cheddar, raw avocado chunks, and crushed Salsa Verde Doritos. Yum!

Try it next time you feel like something new and easy.

P.S. If you don't know what dump cake is, please let me know and I'll post that recipe, too. Because everyone should try it at least once in their lifetime. And I strongly believe that.

Happy 5 Months Littleman Zach!

He's just starting to get the hang of unassisted sitting today.

Here is the proof.