Sun-Dried Tomato and Chicken Pasta

Here is a meal I got from my friend, Ashley. This is some Good Eats! I could not stop eating it! I love ANYTHING with heavy whipping cream though:) If you don't like Sun-dried tomatoes, still put them in and then pick them out. It gives everything a really good flavor. I love them... This served a family of 4: me, hubby, 2 boys.

Thanks for another great meal Ashley!!


Sun-Dried Tomato and Chicken Pasta


1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes cut into pieces(dried or in oil) easy to find
1 cup chicken broth divided
1 cup cream
2 chicken breasts (shredded or chopped)
1 tablespoon exta virgin olive oil
4 leaves basil chopped(or dried to your liking)
1 1/2 cups bowtie or penne pasta
Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta , drain and set aside. Meanwhile melt butter, add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and 3/4 cup chicken broth. Turn heat to medium and boil. Reduce heat after boiling and simmer for 10 minutes until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil, stirring until thickens up. Season chicken with salt and pepper and warm the oil and saute the chicken until cooked and brown. Set chicken aside. In the same pan used for the chicken, bring the other 1/4 cup chicken broth to a boil and scrap the pan juices from chicken. Add this to the cream sauce and stir in the basil. Toss the pasta, sauce and chicken together. Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese on top.

Noah's Field Day!!

Noah had field day at his pre-school last week. It was so cute to see them run around and do their thing. Noah's class had the blue tye dye shirts.
Here he is playing jump the ring.
Playing baseball.
Getting his gold medal from his teacher, Ms. Bethany.
Noah and his class.
It was a very, VERY hot and muggy day...luckily they gave everyone a snow cone. YUM!

Princess Cake

First of all...sorry the pic is turned wierd...it won't let me change it:)  Caden's teacher's Birthday was on Friday and the Room Mom put me in charge of the cake...ok, so maybe I really wanted to make it.  Either way...this is what I did.  Cupcakes for the kiddos and the teacher got to take this cake home.  I love making cakes!  I haven't been able to make one for an occasion, so this gave me an opportunity to test my skills after all the cake decorating classes from my friend, Tanya.  Just don't look too close and find my mistakes:)

Smore's Galore

I have to thank my friend, Ashley, for these amazing bars!  I made some for YW since we were doing camp stuff and thought they would be perfect for the night!  Wow!!  They were a huge success!  Several adults and youth have asked for the recipe...I told them I would blog it.  It has just taken awhile!!  Thanks Ashley!
Smore's Galore

20 graham crackers
6 hershey chocolate bars or 2 1/2 cups chocolate chips (divided)
1 pkg. small marshmellows
6 tbs. butter
3 tbs. milk

Preheat oven to 350. Lay 12 long graham crackers and fill cookie sheet. Fill any holes with small pieces of graham crackers. Toast for 2 minutes in oven. Let cool. In bowl combine 3 cups marshmellows, 3 tbs butter, and 3 tbs milk. Melt in microwave for 1 minute. Stir and add 1 c. chocolate. Wisk really good. Spread mixture onto graham crackers. 

In another bowl break up rest of the 20 graham crackers into small pieces (size of a quarter or nickel). Melt 3 tbs. butter in microwave. Pour over graham crackers and stir with your hands. Add the rest of the bag of marshmellows. Spread over chocolate mixture. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups choc. chips over top. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. cut with a pizza cutter. Enjoy.

Ink's Lake...Swimming

Ink's Lake has several places where you can swim...we chose a place where there weren't 100 people there.  But there is clif diving and what not.  Thankfully Curt and Whitney took the boys swimming!  Thanks guys!!
Lots of waterfalls and rocks everywhere.


I had to share this picture.  This is what the naughty squirrls did to my tupperware container...which had all our food.  Those squirrls are little buggers.  My sweet brother made me some rice krispy treats for my birthday (thanks babe!!)  and 2 squirrls somehow knocked it off the table, took the lid off and started to eat them.  This was during our hike.  They also tried to get some other food.  On the first night we had some racoons who stole some other food...like eat all our candy, ate the tortillas for the breakfast burritos, etc.  Yeah, we learned our lesson:)  PUT THE FOOD AWAY!!

Anyway, thanks for a great time family!  Glad we got to spend time with you all!!! 

Ink's Lake...Caves

On Saturday we went to some really cool caves in the area.  I wish a camera could really capture how the caves looked...this is the best I could do.  On a side note...at these caves, people have weddings still!  The people invited to go to the wedding have to be lowered in a made up elevator type thing and lowered down!  

Mimi, Caden and Noah...in the background is a piece of stone in the shape of a dog.  Apparantly this was shaped by water and the elements...not man.  However, the tour guide did not sound too positive of that:)

How cool is this?  Just past all of this there is a little lake and our tour guide discovered some albino catfish with no eyes.  Creepy.  Very cool caves, would definately suggest going!!

Ink's Lake...Hike

Last week (May 1-3) we went to Ink's Lake with my parents and Curt (my brother) and Whitney (newest sis-in-law).  We had a blast!  It didn't even bother us too much that it was in the high 80's the whole time and probably 100% humidity.  I'm just grateful my hubby thought to bring a HUGE garage fan that pretty much made us cold the whole time:)  

If you have never been to Ink's Lake, it is in Burnett, TX...close to Austin.  It is BEAUTIFUL!  We had a great camp site that was close to the bathroom (very important for me:)  and next to the Lake and to the hiking trails.  We went on lots of hikes and explored all the "mountains" (my kids haven't really seen mountains, so that's what they thought they were...how sad).  So here are some pics of our hikes:
The boys climbing some rocks.
Mimi and Noah.
My cute boys.

The fam...
Crossing over some dangerous terrain:)

Happy 9 Years Babe!

Ben and I have been married for 9 years today!  I can't believe how quickly the years have flown by!  We have been through so much together over those years and I love you more and more everyday!
Yeah...we were young!  I had just turned 20...2 days before.  Ben was 22.  We got married in the Dallas Temple in 2000.
Happy Anniversary Babe!  

Strawberry Jam

So...what do you do when the whole Swine Flu has ruined everything for a non-sick child???  (see post below)...why make jam of course!!

While Noah was at school Caden and I went out and got all the stuff we needed to make Homemade Strawberry Jam.  Then I made a million batches.  Approx. 18 pints of it.  And let me tell you...it was worth the mess!  I could eat it by the spoonful!  Hopefully this will last me a year:)

I {HATE} Swine Flu and "Underwear" Shopping

Today I had to go and get some new brazere's because I'm prego and it happens...UNFORTUNATELY I had to take the boys with me.  Why???  I"ll get to that later.  So the whole time this cute little old lady is helping me the boys are covering their mouths and giggling hysterically, pointing and laughing at me saying, "Mom has to get new bra's!!!" (this is in a sing song tone)  {giggle} {giggle}.  Yeah...fun.  

So...why did I have to take them on this fun adventure?  Well, Swine flu of course!!  This is why I {Hate} Swine flu.  On Friday morning...aprox. 1 am, Caden woke up with a 102.9 temp.  HOT.  We were leaving Friday morning to go camping with my family.  We needed to know what was up.  So I took him to the Minute Clinic at our CVS since I could get him in right away.  Turns out he has STREP and TYPE B FLU.  Double wammy.  The Dr. seeing him said he has to stay out of school 7-10 days.  

What Swine Flu has done to me:

1.  The school will not let kids back to school w/o a Dr. note.  The note said May 11.  That is 10 days.  He has been FEVER FREE for the last 72 hours.  (Normally the Dr. tells you to send your kid back when they have been fever free for 24 hours.)

2.  Even though he has been FEVER FREE for 72 hours, he is stuck with me, bored out of his mind.  I called his regular Dr. to see if she can see him and clear him sooner...yeah, not allowed. Because of Swine Flu, anyone with ANY FLU has to stay home for 7-10 days.  NO MATTER WHAT.  She said the only thing I can do is go back to the Minute Clinic and beg them to go for 7 days instead of 10.  Best case scenario...he might get to go back on Friday.  We will see. 

Oh...did I mention that he has not acted sick...AT ALL??  That he has been more hyper and obnoxious since being "sick".  This makes it so much more fun, let me tell you.  And NO, I don't feel guilty for going camping anyway.  I'm glad I went.  Prego, on my BIRTHDAY, and 85 degrees outside.  I didn't even get cankels.  GO ME:)  Pic's of the trip are coming:)

OK, that's all the complaining I am doing.  I'm not expecting anyone to read this.  I feel beeter now:)