Exciting News!!

Yep! This is happening! We're pregnant! I'm 9 weeks tomorrow, so we're hoping our baby can have fireworks for their birthday ;) We're super excited! And I'm glad I got this chance to practice my photoshop skills.

Apple Turkeys

If you haven't ever done these, you've gotta do them in the next few days! They were so fun to make when I was little, and are even funner to eat now! ;) It's a good excuse to buy swedish fish! They're super simple too. And maybe you can require your kids to eat the apple before the candy (yeah, right).

All you need is a big red apple for each person who's making one, a whole bunch of toothpicks, and various candy that should include gumdrops and swedish fish. In these pictures you can see how our turkeys have evolved. Sometimes we got candy that looked like wings, gummy worms for gobblers, and such. So, please just be creative and use what you can find! It's so much more fun if everyone makes it there own.

Really all you need to know is that the swedish fish are meant to be turkey feathers. So stick them with a toothpick and poke them into the apple where you'd like the feathers to be. The gumdrops are meant to be the head and the feet, so again, do it the same as the fish. Have at it! Hope you enjoy!

Thanksgiving Indian Vests

 If you can't tell from all the pictures, this is a tradition that has stuck in our family! I remember doing it as a kid every year and loved it so much that I did it with my friends later on. So, if you want to enjoy your Thanksgiving season as much as I enjoy mine, you should definitely join in the fun and make an Indian Vest of your own! :)

My brother and I! Looks like we used markers this first time.

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Quick Chicken Noodle Soup

This is one of those recipes I can make over and over again! As soon as I smell it cooking on the stove I feel all comfy and at home. It's perfect for a cold fall/winter day or a day when you're not feeling well. It's got a perfect blend of flavors and nothing strong. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do and feel at home when you taste the deliciousness. :)

Quick Chicken Noodle Soup
Adapted from: My mom's kitchen

1/2 onion chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup margarine or butter
3 quarts of water (I usually end up adding another cup or two)
4 Tbsp. chicken bouillon (if you add more water add a tsp. more of bouillon per cup)
2-3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
6 carrots, diced
1 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 cups medium egg noodles

Cook celery and onion in margarine until tender-crisp. Add water, bouillon, carrots, chicken, pepper, and parsley. Boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to noodle package directions. Stir occasionally. Serve and devour!

Enjoy! -Allie

A Little Love from the Husband

Hey All - I just got home from class and Chandler had written a blog post for me to post because life's been hectic and he wanted to help me out. He's so sweet. Anyway, if any of you are men reading this, what he did is a dang good way to make your wife happy! :) I'm a little embarrassed to be posting this because of all the cutesy stuff he says about me, but here you go! I hope you enjoy  ~Allie

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Crock Pot Chili

This chili is perfect for a blustery fall day like this one! It's super delicious with crackers, in a bread bowl, or on top of a scone. It's one of the easiest recipes ever which is an extra awesome bonus! :) We made this two weeks ago for a ward Halloween party and it was a favorite for many. Whenever I get lots of compliments on something I make I feel super awesome because I don't cook much - and this got me plenty of feel-goods for hardly any work. :)

Crock Pot Chili
Recipe from: My mom's kitchen

1-2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green pepper (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (16 oz) cans tomatoes, cut up
2 (16 oz) cans dark red kidney beans, drained
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce3
4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

In a large pan brown hamburger, onion, green pepper, and garlic together. Drain the fat out of the pan once it's all cooked. Dump the contents of the pan into the crock pot and stir in un-drained tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer on low for 8-10 hours. (You can also add all of this into the pan if you want to cook it faster on the stove. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.)

Failed Failure Friday: A good thing?

Well this is pretty sad. I failed Failure Friday! I was sick most of this week so I didn't have time to make anything to put up on here. Last week was midterms and a whole lot of other craziness so I guess I worked myself almost to death. It's always good to have a slow down and heal week though. There's a lot that I should have/could have done this week while I was laying around the house but I didn't. I think that even though I "failed" at getting things done this week that I should have, I also "succeeded" at something else... We ALL need to take a break and slow down from time to time to keep ourselves healthy. If we don't take care of ourselves, we can't take care of others.

One of my favorite books is by Jeffrey R. and Patricia T. Holland. In this book (On Earth as it is in Heaven) Patricia says this:

"Anyone who reads a newspaper or magazine is constantly reminded that proper diet, appropriate exercise, and plenty of rest increase our daily capacities as well as our life span. But all too many of us put off even these minimal efforts, thinking our family, our neighbors, and our many other responsibilities come first. Yet in doing so, we put at risk the thing that people need most from us: our healthiest, happiest, heartiest self."

Isn't that such a great quote?? I love it because it reminds me of how important it is to take care of myself and make sure I'm healthy physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This week felt like a detoxing week for me. I was sick and tired and needed some time off. There was so much that I just needed a break from and hopefully after this slower week I can hop back up and have more motivation and energy to finish out this semester strong! So this is my challenge for you: Take some time for yourself this weekend. Eat something healthy and do something you love. Take time to work out. Watch a movie or take a nap! Take care of yourself so you can take care of others.

Don't look at not getting things done as a failure, look at it as a triumph for yourself because you took time for yourself - and that in turn will help you do more for others.