Cheddar Broccoli Soup - A Pioneer Woman Recipe

I love soup.  Especially velvety, creamy soups loaded with cheese.  I didn't have half & half so I used 6 cups of whole milk, versus the 4 cups of whole milk and 2 cups of half & half.  You will need the following:

• 1 whole Onion, Diced
• 1 stick 1/2 Cup Butter
• 1/3 cup Flour
• 4 cups Whole Milk
• 2 cups Half-and-half
• 4 heads Broccoli Cut Into Florets
• 1 pinch Nutmeg
• 3 cups Grated Cheese (mild Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Jack, Etc.)
• Small Dash Of Salt (more If Needed)
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Chicken Broth If Needed For Thinning (I didn't need it)

This is definitely not a soup for you health-nuts

I love the smell of onions sautéing in butter!

 It took about  40 minutes on low for my broccoli to get to the proper tenderness.

When a recipe calls for three cups of sharp cheddar cheese, 
you really can't go wrong!

I forgot to take a final picture of it before we devoured it.  Let's just say, it was delicious!  I did use my immersion blender after adding the cheese and blended it down so there wasn't huge chunks of broccoli.

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes, then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute or so, then pour in milk and half-and-half. Add nutmeg, then add broccoli, a small dash of salt, and plenty of black pepper.

Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Stir in cheese and allow to melt.

Taste seasonings and adjust if needed. Then either serve as is, or mash it with a potato masher to break up the broccoli a bit, or transfer to a blender in two batches and puree completely. (If you puree it in a blender, return it to the heat and allow to heat up. Splash in chicken broth if needed for thinning.)

I served it with fresh french bread and it made the perfect cozy dinner on a cool night!

Easy Peasy Salsa

About 12 years ago my hubby and I were out on a houseboat with my brother and their friends on Lake Shasta.  His friend Chad made this delicious salsa and when I saw how easy it was, it became my go to recipe.  In fact, I've never made another salsa.

All you need is a food processor and the following ingredients:
7-9 Roma Tomatoes (remove the inside meat & seeds)
Cilantro (varied amount depending on your taste preference)
1 Jalapeno or Serrano Chili (with or without seeds depending on your heat preference)
1/2 Yellow Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Can of Mexican Stewed Tomatoes
Salt and lime to taste

Cut and deseed jalapeno, cut into quarters

Add Cilantro (I use about a half of a bunch without the stems)

Add roughly chopped onion

 Cut tomatoes in half, removing the inside "meat"

Roughly chop two cloves of garlic

Add can of stewed tomatoes, slightly drained

Add the juice of a half a lime

Add a pinch or two of sea salt

Pulse the ingredients in your food processor to the desired consistency.

Ta-da! Serve with your favorite tortilla chips!

Thanks Pinterest....

What happens when you are a stay at home mom and realize that your twins' first birthday is just over 4 months away?  Prior to Pinterest, you'd probably start thinking about a theme or just file it away in the back of your brain that it's coming up and know you'll need to start planning something in a couple months.  But no, now, thanks to Pinterest, I've turned into a crazy person looking up ideas, planning and scheming.  Yes, I've already picked a date, now let's hope the weather cooperates because let's face it, my house isn't big enough if it decides to rain. It's going to be a Boots & Bows BBQ to celebrate these little munchkins.  Is it crazy that I've already picked a date and a theme? I don't think so.  Crazy would be waiting til the last minute to pull something together.

Look at these eyes! No, I did not alter them.

On another note, I mentioned that I pretty much idolize The Pioneer Woman recently.  I made a few of her recipes this week (both desserts).  The first was her peanut butter pie.  I cut the recipe back from 1 and 1/4 cups of powdered sugar to 1 cup and it was still incredibly sweet.  I think I will attempt it again but will be the powdered sugar back even further.  The second one was a non-traditional blackberry cobbler.  This one was a keeper for sure.  My hubby said it was the best dessert I've made.  I personally cannot wait to make it next summer with fresh peaches.  Sorry I don't have pictures of either, I spaced on taking photos of them in all the chaos of Christmas.

Happy Friday!

Our First Christmas

I've had to hold back tears several times over the past few days.  This year though, it's tears of joy, excitement and pride.  Every time I have looked at our gorgeous family photo or watched my rapidly growing babies play, I've had a huge smile cross my face and tears well up in my eyes.

I love this photo of our family.  I think I may have already shared one very similar to it from our photo shoot, but this one was on our Christmas card.
 

I love Waterford Crystal and I love Mumm Champagne.  Add the two together in front of a Christmas tree on December 23rd after all the presents are finally purchased and wrapped and it's a thing of beauty!

Some people (like my husband) say I went overboard for the babies only being 7 months old, but truth is, if they weren't here there would still be this many gifts under the tree.  There would be just a few differences.  For one, my world would not be complete and the toy quads and rocking horses would not be there.

 This little girl finally cut her first tooth and has been a trooper through it all.  With her second one on the way, you can tell she's uncomfortable, but she's still as sweet as can be.

 This picture sums up my little man lately.  He is fully on the move, already pulling himself up to a stand while holding onto things and trying so hard to stand and walk on his own! I wish he could understand me when I tell him 7 months is too early and to slow down.

I had hoped the fight over presents wouldn't start for a few more years, but as you can see, they are already at each other.  It was more about the bows and paper though than the gifts inside.

We took the babies to Christmas morning mass.  I wasn't sure how they would handle it, especially with Peyton teething and Lukas wanting to be exploring everything on his own.  Unless he is tired, he really isn't interested in being held much lately. They did surprisingly well.  We made it through 45 minutes of the hour long service.

Isn't she the cutest??

I know I'm getting older and officially a mom now because honestly, I was as excited about the La Creuset cookware that my wonderful husband got me and the newest cookbook from my idol Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman as I was the day I got my Louis Vuitton handbag a few years ago.  At least twice a week I make one of her recipes that I've seen by recording her show on Food Network.  If you had asked me what "famous' person I wanted to have dinner with a couple years ago, it would have been Kobe Bryant (go ahead insert inappropriate comments here).  Now, hands down, it would be Ree.  She has actually inspired me to start photographing the world around me and blogging more.

This is the aftermath on Christmas night.  Makes me tired just looking at it!  You should have seen the kitchen, boy o boy, that was a disaster.  Luckily for me, my sweet sweet hubby did ALL of the dishes while I got the babies down for the night.

Less than 12 hours later, the tree is gone, laundry is started and the decorations are packed up until next year.   I hope everyone had a beautiful holiday, surrounded by family, love and traditions!

Tis the Season

Last week one of my greatest dreams came true.  I got to order Christmas cards with MY family on them.  I didn't go to the store and pick up two boxes of ho-hum cards like I have in the years past.  I got online, spent hours looking through templets and ordered cards with my gorgeous family on them.  The anticipation of waiting for the UPS man today, makes it almost feel like today is Christmas.

One of my dearest friends is a fabulous photographer and we were blessed with snow fall a few days before our pictures were taken.  I knew I wanted them taken at a tree farm and the snow was a total bonus that living on the coast, I never really thought would be possible.  I anxiously kept an eye on the weather the days leading up to the day we had our pictures done.  I honestly wasn't sure how the babies were going to handle being outside while it was 30 degrees. Luckily for us, they were total troopers!

We've come to expect this look from my little Moose, 

but I absolutely LOVE this photo of him.  

I sat next to Shannon as she edited this photo

 and she really didn't have to do much to it.  

She is that good and he is this cute!

I'm pretty sure his eyes get bluer every day

I searched and searched for something for Peyton to wear that was cute and girly but

nothing I found was warm enough for the conditions we were working with.

  I also could not find a headband for her that fit her head.  

They were either all too tight or too big.  

Oh well, she's cute no matter what!

This picture captures our family perfectly.

Since the day we brought the twins home, 

I've seen this true and honest smile on my husbands face 

more than I have in the 12 years before they were born.  

This man was destined to be a father and a husband.  He excels at both.

He is my best friend, my rock 

and gives me the strength I need to raise two rapidly growing babies.

I can't imagine a life without him and wake up every day thanking God for him.  

He works his butt off for us so I can stay home with the babies 

and attempt to be a stellar stay at home mom and wife.

I've been struggling a lot lately with grasping the fact that we won't be spending Christmas with my family back in California.  A friend of mine texted me this morning reminding me that THIS is my family now.  It's time to think about what traditions I want to carry on from my childhood and which ones we want to start with our kids.  For now, I know for sure I will carry on my grandma Marge's Swedish Meatballs and Chex Mix and overflowing stockings from grandma and grandpa Rasmusen.  

Thanksgiving

As night falls on our first Thanksgiving with our little family, I can't help but reflect on this past year and how much life has changed in such a short amount of time.  I always wondered if I'd have my turn to host Thanksgiving dinner in my own home with a family of my own and this year that dream came true.  The only thing that could have made it absolutely perfect, would have been for my entire family to be together  Crazy as it may seem, I've loved every moment of being awake since 6am today.  I found myself on more than one occasion today with tears in my eyes while staring at my beautiful babies.  They amaze me more and more every day.  Luke has started crawling and has decided he needs to try standing up already.  Peyton lays on her belly and does the superman, flapping and waving her arms and legs in her attempt to crawl.  She is my talker and he is my mover.  I am truly in awe of them, from their beautiful and perfect features to their budding personalities.  God blessed us with two of the most perfect little humans and I couldn't ask for more

Do turkey's come any cuter? NO!

(Thank you Shannon Mae Photography!)

I've spent the last 24 hours thinking a lot about my grandpa.  Last year we had just found out that he had terminal cancer and our family rallied to be with him for what would be his last Thanksgiving.  I was still in my first trimester and my pregnancy was still so surreal to me.  He promised me that night that he would live to meet my babies.  I held his hand at the dinner that night as we said our prayers and silently cried.  He kept his promise to me, but as you all know he lost his battle just about a month after meeting them.  He would have been 76 yesterday.  Grandpa, I hope you, Uncle Brit and Uncle Dean enjoyed smiling down on all of us today.

Time Flies

Six months ago I was running errands with my dad and step mom at this exact moment.  We had gone to the DMV, the grocery store and lunch.  We were headed back to our house and I was planning out that nights dinner menu.  I made crab enchiladas (with real crab, none of that canned crap) that night. A typical day by normal standards, but this was no typical day. I was 37 weeks and 6 days pregnant with the twins and that would be my last hot meal for many months to come. I'm still waiting for the day to come that I can enjoy a meal while it's still piping hot.

It doesn't seem possible that six months have gone by since our lives were changed (for the better) forever.

I never thought I would have a picture like this one.  They were just hours old here.

This photo pretty much says it all about their personalities.  She is sweet as can be and mellow, just like her daddy.  He is sweet as can be but has his mommies temper.

They are so incredible and watching them grow right before my eyes is astonishing.  My little bug has gone from a tiny little 5lb 10oz newborn to this 15lb stunning baby with blue eyes and a smile that can light up the darkest of rooms.

I can't even tell you how many times people have asked me the age difference between them.  I know he's big, but come on, he's obviously not a year older than his sister.  This "little" guy has never been tiny and continues to grow at rapid speed!  He warms my heart and challenges my patience every single day but I wouldn't change a single thing about him. He is ticklish beyond belief and has a laugh that can make anyone smile!

As we enter the holiday season, there are so many things I am looking forward to. Creating our own traditions while carrying on some from our families, sending out  family photo Christmas cards and cutting down our first tree as a family just to name a few. 2013 has been a year of firsts and I cannot wait for all the other firsts we have yet to experience! 

Life Comes at You Fast

My life has started to feel like one of those "Life Comes at You Fast" insurance commercials.  It feels like it was just yesterday that we were getting in the car to head to the hospital.  In their first five months of life, they've already been to California four (or is it five) times and on their first camping trip. Luke has two teeth and Peyton has her first cold.  They now interact with each other, laughing, giggling, eye gouging and hair pulling.  I can only imagine the mischief they'll be getting into before I know it.

The other night as Jake was holding both of them, Lukas proceeded to grab two handfuls of his sisters hair and would not let go.  I couldn't help but to think back to last week as she tried to take his eye out with her little tiny fingers while they were playing in their pack-n-play and wonder if he was looking for paybacks. 

We took them to the beach for the first time last week while we were camping.  It was a bit windy, but it was a beautiful sunset and the highlight of my week.  I've decided vacations with babies, are not so much fun (yet).  With Luke teething and being away from our routine, it was a very long week.  I'm sure the massive storm that rolled in the day we got there didn't help set the tone for the week.  We usually come home with a mountain of crab and a couple of salmon, this year we came home empty handed.  

 Moments like these were worth the trip though.

This is his "mean muggin'" face

This is her "Yes I know I'm cute" face

"Mom, it's a little windy out here"

I've had a few rough mornings lately.  I've been feeling like I've lost the person I was and am not sure how to move forward to find my purpose in life.  I know these two are my main purpose but I've been feeling guilty for not contributing financially to our household.  I suppose I just need to remember this is God's greatest gift and I need to embrace life as a stay at home mom.  I'm sure if I was working 40 hours a week, I'd be feeling guilty about not being home with my babies, so this is definitely the better side of the coin!

This is one of my favorite spots on the coast.  The Coquille River Lighthouse.

End of an Era

Monday afternoon as we drove away from my grandparents property in Trinity County, I had an overwhelming sense of sadness.  I had made it through the entire weekend without any tears, but pulling away from the property for quite possibly the last time was just too much for me to handle.  We had just spent the weekend helping my grandma with a massive yard sale in an attempt to downsize for her move back to our hometown.  We pulled out onto that dirt road and I was flooded with emotions and memories.

This was the property where we learned how to play 31 (yes 31, not 21), Aggravation (the reason the crying towel was born, thank you Uncle Kyle) and Cribbage.  Essentially, we all learned to gamble on this property by the time we were 7.  This is the very property where I shot my cousin's tooth out with a BB gun (true story!).  We spent countless summers shooting rapids on inner-tubes and chasing blue belly lizards here.  This was the place I drank my first cup of coffee!

My dad teaching my nephew how to cast on the Trinity River

I told Jake that it felt like it was the end of an era.  He reminded me that it was just the closing of a chapter and time to start a new chapter with our own children.  We talked about visiting the area often so Lukas and Peyton could experience this gorgeous area my grandparents called home for so many years.  I can't imagine my kids not getting the chance to explore this gorgeous area. There's something about being on this river that makes you feel like you are a million miles away from civilization. There's a calm peacefulness to the air. When the sun sets for the night, the sky is taken over by the brightest stars I've ever seen.  It feels as if you could just reach out and touch them.  This is where my love for the outdoors was born and it will forever hold a very special place in my heart.

Mama Bragging Moment

We all know I'm not shy about bragging about my kids and my husband, but I am really going to brag now.  

My perfectly gorgeous baby girl won a "Model Search" for a boutique clothing designer.  When I opened my Facebook and had a message from Carole at Nana Peaches Baby letting me know Peyton had won her model search contest, I was so excited.  If you know me, you know I am definitely not a "Toddlers and Tiaras" kind of mom, but I figured what the heck it was a simple submit your picture to our Facebook page kind of contest. As I was communicating back and forth with Carole, she emailed me asking if in addition to her gift certificate she also gave her a pink and white chevron day gown, would we be interested in having photos taken of her wearing it and allow them to be used on their website.  It didn't take me long to think about that one.  I love the dress she was referring to and we have an amazing photographer in my dear friend Shannon Mae.  I, of course, think my babies are absolutely gorgeous, but to know that someone wants to use my little pumpkin on their website just tickles me. 

This is the photo we submitted.  

I mean really, I think it was a no brainer!

This little girl melts my heart over and over again, day in and day out.  Her smile is infectious, her eyes sparkle and she's quickly gone from my almost 6lb newborn to an 11lb baby with loads of personality.  I can't imagine a life without her or her brother (who I'll have to feature in my next post!).  We recently had to take the hammock/sling out of their bath tub (they've sadly outgrown it already) and her first bath without it was so adorable! Note to self: never leave my phone in the kitchen during bath time now!  This was her first experience with sitting directly in the water with her hands and feet free to splash.  Her first little kick and splash startled her for a brief moment, but after that she couldn't contain herself! She wiggled, kicked and squealed with excitement.  I sat there and just watched, thanking God (and Dr. Hesla) for the precious gifts he has given us.

What perfection looks like through my eyes!

I'll have to do a freezer meal update in the near future.  So far, I think all the recipes I've tried have actually been a success!  Guess it's time to start keeping track of the recipes, photographing them and sharing them with you!  But for now, I've got ribs on the smoker and babies waking up, so that will have to wait until next time!  Happy Saturday!

Mom's Weekend Away

I made the mistake of going to the Oregon Jamboree this past weekend and not taking my camera.  I'm not going to lie, it's probably a good thing I didn't have it with me Friday or Saturday, as I'm sure I would have lost it, but as we sat a mere thirty rows back from Luke Bryan on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, I was so sad to not have it along with my zoom lens.  Let me tell you, the weather wasn't the only HOT thing that afternoon!  I had my trusty iPhone with me, but it's just not the same! 

I'm definitely not a fan of skinny jeans, especially on guys, but WOW!

If you aren't familiar with the Oregon Jamboree, it's an amazing three day weekend full of great country music in Sweet Home.  This was my first year going, but it definitely won't be my last.  While there are some things I might have done a little different (like actually sit in the seats we paid for, for more than two shows), there's not a moment I'd give up to do it differently.  I met some great people that I can now call new friends, listened to some incredible music and came home with a great tan (for the most part).

This was my first time ever leaving my babies for more than a quick run into town to the farmers market or grocery store and I handled it pretty well, but when Jamie mentioned we could head home a night early, there was no complaint from this mama!  We broke down camp before hitting the final show of the weekend (The above mentioned Luke Bryan) and high tailed it home to surprise my hubby.  I held no expectations of what shape the house was going to be in given this was his first time experiencing the role of "Stay at Home Dad", but I should have known he was going to deliver and in a big way.  Not only were the babies tucked in but the house was clean and the laundry and dishes were all done.  

Now I've said it before, but my goodness, I am a lucky girl.  I don't know many husbands that would insist on their wife taking off for a girls weekend of camping, beer and country music, let alone stay home with their three month old twins in the process but that's exactly what Jake did and it's just another one of the many, many reasons I love him and am so incredibly thankful for him and the love that we have for each other.  Everyone should be able to experience true happiness and the unconditional love of a significant other.  I could go on and on all day about what an amazing man, husband and father he is but I'll spare you the mushy stuff.

In short, this past weekend was an epic adventure and I can't wait to do it again next year, but I was so ready to come home to Jake and my little pumpkins.  For now, it's time to let my liver recover, the few sun burnt spots mellow out and get back on track with eating properly (as I just took fresh, from scratch brownies out of the oven, shhhh... don't tell. I swear they are a thank you for Jake).

A big thank you also goes out to my best friend, Nicole, for watching these

 two on Friday while Jake was at work. I was able to leave town

knowing they were in amazing hands.

Happy Monday everyone! Hope ya'll have a great week!

Finding the Time

Trying to find the time to work on "projects" is seemingly impossible these days!  There's all these wonderful things that I want to do and I swear as soon as I pull out all my scrap-booking stuff or get all the gardening tools out, the babies wake up.  Although I can't seem to find the time to work on these things, I am wanting to add more things to that list of things to do.  After losing my grandfather a couple weeks ago, I was reminded that I need to not only break the camera out more often, but I also want to dive into some of the history of our family through food.  How fun would it be to create a family cookbook, complete with photos of the prep and finished products.  Years ago I took some of these recipes and just printed them out on computer paper and threw them into a binder.  I now want to take it a step further with more detail, organization and photos.  I want something that I can break out and share with Peyton and Lukas as they are growing up and helping me in the kitchen.

It amazes me that they are already 9 weeks old! They are definitely developing personalities and are beginning to be awake and more alert during the day (hence the lack of time to work on anything). They now smile at us and Lukas has even chuckled at his Meema (my mom). 

We spent four days back in California with my family for my grandpa's funeral.  I stood at the sink in my dads kitchen on a sunny Saturday afternoon and couldn't help but smile.  I watched my mom & step dad laughing with my brother and his girlfriend, my dad snuggling two of his grand babies and my grandma cuddling with Lukas.  It made me want to move home more than ever.  I want my kids to grow up with their cousins like I did.  I know realistically it's not really an option, but perhaps being a 5 hour drive instead of a 10 hour drive is in the future.  For the time being though, I am so thankful for FaceTime!  It allows us to feel like we aren't as far away as we really are.

Here is a picture of my nephew Tosh with the twins!