Our New House Guest...

Well, probably one of the best things about Christmas this year is having little kids, so I can get as giddy as a kid myself and go Christmas crazy....

So this year we've started the "Elf on the Shelf" tradition... he come from the North Pole, sent by Santa to spy on the kids and report back each night on if they've been Naughty or Nice, great leverage as Sophie and Avery get older... lol

Every morning when the Elf returns from the North Pole, he lands somewhere else and your kids are supposed to find him, there are a tonne of great ideas online as to where your can land and funny little things he can do...

Our Elf came tonight and we've named him Maxwell the Magnificent...

Tomorrow morning Sophie will come downstairs to find the following (see below picture). Max has returned from the North Pole with Christmas PJs for Sophie and Avery!

I LOVE...

The way you play with your baby sister! It is so adorable how you two giggle together and make each other laugh!

xoxo,
mom

My New Go To

Last week I went to my Sister In Laws for a lunch/playdate, the kids had Sandwiches and this is what Amanda made for us... Doesn't it look delicious? She found the recipe in the latest Sobeys Magazine and I had to make it again this week, it was just SO GOOD!

Honey-Mint Fruit Salad

2 Honeycrisp Apples (I used Jonagold)
1 Fresh Mango, peeled and cubed, (Amanda used pears instead and I liked it better)
1 Cup Blueberries of Blackberries
1 Cup Strawberries Quartered
1 Lime (juiced)
1 TBSP Honey
1 TBSP Medium Shredded Coconut (I used 2 TBSP)

1. In a large bowl, combine Apples, Mango and Berries
2. In a small microwaveable bowl mix lime juice and honey, microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, to soften honey. Pour mixture over fruit, add mint and gently toss to combine
3. In a dry skillet, toss coconut over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until lightly toasted (I didn't do this, and the salad still tasted great!). Sprinkle over fruit right before serving.

Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Avery is teething and we're not getting much sleep, so I thought I'd document a few recipes I've tried in the last little while and get caught up on blogging...

The First being Cilantro Lime Chicken:

I found this recipe on pinterest a few days ago and had to try it pretty much immediately, as I love crock pot recipes, especially in the winter and it sounded so easy! I love days where dinner is already cooking at 10am for some reason dinner time always feels really hectic, trying to keep tired kids happy and get everyone fed, bathed and to sleep in a short amount of time, so a crock pot is the perfect solution! Here's the link to the original: http://www.pipandebby.com/pip-ebby/2011/11/18/slow-cooker-cilantro-lime-chicken.html (my photos aren't as great) and I've made a few changes, so I'll post mine below:


In a slow cooker, mix together:
One 600ml jar medium or mild salsa
Juice from one lime
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
One package taco seasoning
One 340 ml can of corn niblets
2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (optional)
Add 4-6 fully thawed chicken breasts, halved
Cook on low for 6 hours

This chicken was so tender and juicy once cooked! They suggested serving it with taco chips or sour cream. I served it over rice... Next time I might use it as a taco filling!

It was time...

As if it's not evident from previous photos... My children have hair, and lots of it! So we decided it was time for Sophie's first official haircut (only because the first one we got at Beaners was a total disaster). It was a bit of a challenge keeping her still, but we got through it... And Avery got a little trim too :-)
Here are some photos from our haircut adventure!


                                         The Morning Of!

                                                         

                                          The Finished Products!

                                                            

My Favorite...

My Little Girls,

I need to remember this as I wake each night to soothe one of you back to sleep, cuddling, pacing the hallway, or rocking in a chair... Although I groan occasionally when I'm lured out of bed at 2 am by someone crying and needing comfort - You are my favorite reasons to lose sleep.

I hope you both have a lovely slumber tonight!

xoxoxo,
Mom

*Poster found on Etsy

Photos...

Last week one of my friends came over to take some photos of the girls, and they were just to cute not to post a few :-) Soon we'll do family photos, I can hardly wait, as we desperately need a recent one for our Gallery Wall.... BUT until then these will have to do! (As you can see, Sophie was sporting the newest addition to her closet, a pair of Hot Pink satin skinnies that are far from practical... and this maybe the only time she wears them!)

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies...

Jeff has been asking for some Oatmeal Raisin cookies for a few days now... So while I was playing around with a bread recipe waiting for the dough to rise... I found a recipe online (it's got 4.5 stars from 900+ reviews so I figured it would be pretty good) and gave it a try. They were delicious... AND the best part, only 3 weight watchers points!

So: Here's the recipe and a picture of the finished product!

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in oats and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool slightly, remove from sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Enjoy!

I should add, that I made to cookies a second time one day later (they were that good!) However I reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup and increased the cinnamon to 1 tsp. I thought they were even better once this was done! Monday I'm going to use chocolate chips instead of raisins!
(Recipe found on allrecipes.com)

Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens...

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,
Brown paper packages tied up with strings,
These are a few of my favorite things....

It seems like it's taken forever for me to get this blog going... I've been thinking about starting one for months, then I sit down and start to create one but never really get it the way I want it in the short time that I have so I've decided to just start with the basics and add as I go along...

This is my favorite time of year - things cooling down, thoughts of baking, making, decorating and shopping... If I could decorate for Christmas before Halloween and not be given a hard time about it I totally would. Instead it has to wait another week... Just one week and the wreath can go up! This week however, I'm starting to bake... We'll see how things turn out as I experiment with recipes and try to form a staple baking list when it comes to Christmas goodies. I'll take pictures and share recipes as I go.

For now... Here's a picture of my two MOST favorite things!