Soles4Souls

http://www.soles4souls.org/index.html

http://soles4souls.blogspot.com/

The kids out grow their shoes often. At least more than I would like them too. I was browsing online and saw this great site. I just put all of the kids gently worn shoes into a flat rate box and ship it. If you go through Piperlime.com, they provide a label you can just print up. It is a worthy cause. At work, we did a program called "Sharing the Warmth" that collected kids coats. This is very similar, instead for shoes. They collect both adult and kid shoes. They even mail you a tax deductible receipt in a few weeks. So I'll be seeing that soon enough before tax season. So clean out your closets and donate to a good cause!

Christmas Morning.

We got up around 6 am to start up the gift opening festivities.

It was good morning with the kids... and Ben. We got Marq on of those gaming chairs so as you can see we put a small Christmas Tree on top of the box. Our big tree has a little matching friend now. Ben also has ornaments for a Green Bay tree and a Star Wars tree...(also mini ones, btw) I think everyone got some great goodies and gifts this year. Toys, games, and more Green Bay stuff, how can you ask for anything more? Mommy got some Dallas Cowboys stuff too.

Merry Christmas to all and have a safe New Year!

Homemade Gifts

We tried this craft from Sallie's blog. Marq helped me make these. I gave them out as gifts for co-workers and neighbors. I got a lot of great comments on them too. Thanks for the idea!

Christmas at Grandma's House

We went to mom's house Christmas afternoon. Of course, we had some good eats with Chef Allen on site. Marq and Liam also got to exchange gifts with mom and Beej. Here are a few photos from mom's house.

Green Bay Baby

Liam had to try out some of daddy's gifts.

Liam's 2nd Birthday

Crazy Liam playing with his new hat.

Liam playing with some of his new presents.

Liam celebrated his 2nd birthday. We had a little party for him at home. It was fun and he had a little help from Kuya to open his presents. We got him a Handy Manny Birthday Cake. He got a kick out of it. Of course, he got more Little Einsteins toys and some clothes. We also got him a Paul Frank Chair. It is adorable. It is a perfect addition to his monkey collection.

Another Dinner Favorite!

I guess working for a Pepsico branch, I should advertise some of these recipes. Rice-A-Roni is a Pepsico Brand, btw. This is one of our favorites. I just not make it with celery. Ben is not a big fan of them. It takes about 30 mins. to make. It is actually being featured on our company website this month. I us these rice mixes quite a bit for a fast dinner. With Liam I sometimes have to add regular Jasmine rice with the mix, to dilute with flavors. I usually only do this with the Spanish or Teriyaki Rice. I only add about 1/4 cup of rice and 1/2 cup of water to the mix. Just a little hint for those with little ones who are not big on that extra spice.


Turkey & Wild Rice Risotto -

Ingredients:

3/4 pound ground turkey

1-2/3 cup water

1 tablespoon margarine, butter or spread with no trans fat

1 package (4.3 ounces) RICE-A-RONI® Long Grain & Wild Rice

1 can (10 ¾ ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup

1-1/2 cups fresh mushroom slices (when in a bind, use canned)

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper


Preparation Steps:

In large skillet, brown ground turkey until thoroughly cooked; drain. In same skillet, combine 1 2/3 cups water, 1 Tbsp. margarine, rice mix, seasonings and turkey. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low.

Cover; simmer 20 minutes. Stir in soup, mushrooms, celery and bell pepper; return to a simmer. Cover; simmer 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Let stand 3 minutes. Stir before serving.

Check out the site.
http://www.ricearoni.com/

They have tons of recipes that can stretch your budget for dinners at home.

Marq's Christmas Concert

Marq is on the right hand side 2nd row. 5th from the end. Alto Sax.

Marq had his 1st concert with his class last week. It was all the 6th grad classes combined. Sorry no video. I'll post it once I get myself together. This is just going to be a crazy end of the year. He did really well. I just wished I took more photos. I was trying to play photographer and cameraman at the same time. Ben was chasing Liam all over the Balcony.

Outback Steakhouse's Alice Springs Chicken Recipe

This marinated chicken breast is covered with honey mustard and bacon. The entree is baked until the cheese on top is all melted and dippy. From Top Secret Recipes. Prep and Cook times are guesses and do not include the 3-4 hours for the marinading.

My husband makes this recipe for us. This is yummy and simple according to Ben. This is one of his "special dinners." We all love this even Liam. He serves this with Garlic mash potatoes.

SERVES 4 (change servings and units)


Ingredients :

4 skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/2 cup honey
8 slices turkey bacon
salt
ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups shredded reduced-fat colby-monterey jack cheese
paprika
2 cups sliced mushrooms (10-12 mushrooms)
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

Directions :

1) Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. 2 cups water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon paprika.

2) Add all 4 chicken breast to the marinade in a covered container or resealable plastic bag, and chill for 3 to 4 hours.

3) Combine the mayonnaise, honey, Dijon mustard, and vinegar in a small bowl. Stir well until smooth. Chill.

4) When chicken has marinated, preheat barbecue grill to high heat.

5) As barbecue preheats, prepare turkey bacon by frying it in a skillet over medium heat until done. Remove the bacon from the skillet to a plate lined with paper, which helps soak up the excess fat. The bacon can sit here until it is time to assemble the dish.

6) Spray a light coating of nonstick oil cooking spray over the surface of each chicken breast. Sprinkle both sides of each chicken breast with salt, pepper, and paprika, and then grill for 7 to 10 minutes on each side. Preheat oven to 375°F.

7) As chicken grills, prepare mushrooms by heating up a medium skillet over medium/high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms along with a little salt and pepper. saute the mushrooms for 10-15 minutes or until the become cooked through and light brown. If the mushrooms finish before the chicken, just turn the heat to the lowest setting until you are ready to assemble the dish.

8) When chicken is cooked, transfer the chicken breast fillets to a large baking dish. Slather the top surface of each breast with a generous portion of the honey mustard sauce. Stack two slices of bacon, crosswise, on top of each breast.

9) Quarter the mushrooms and stack a portion on top of the bacon on each chicken breast. Carefully pour about 1/2 cup of the Colby/Monterrey Jack cheese blend over each of the chicken breasts.

10) Bake chicken in the preheated oven for 7 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted.

11) Sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon of fresh minced parsley.

12) Serve with addition honey mustard sauce on the side.

Holiday Questions and Answers

Tis the season! I found these and they were really cute. I hope some of these Questions & Answers will put a SMILE on your face like they did to us.


Q: What do elves learn in school?
A: The Elf-abet
Q: What's the most popular wine at Christmas?
A: "I don't like sprouts" !
Q: If athletes get athletes foot, what do astronauts get?
A: Missletoe!
Q: What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
A: Frostbite.
Q: Why was Santa's little helper depressed?
A: Because he had low elf esteem.
Q: Why does Santa have 3 gardens?
A: So he can ho-ho-ho.
Q: Where do polar bears vote?
A: The North Poll.
Q: What do you get when you cross an archer with a gift-wrapper?
A: Ribbon hood.
Q: What kind of bird can write?
A: A PENguin.
Q: What do you call a cat on the beach at Christmas time?
A: Sandy Claus!
Q: How do sheep in Mexico say Merry Christmas?
A: Fleece Navidad!
Q: What nationality is Santa Claus?
A: North Polish.
Q: What do you call a bunch of grandmasters of chess bragging about their games in a hotel lobby?
A: Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer!
Q: What do you get if you deep fry Santa Claus?
A: Crisp Cringle.
Q: What did the ghosts say to Santa Claus?
A: We'll have a boo Christmas without you.
Q: What did Santa shout to his toys on Christmas Eve?
A: Okay everyone, sack time!!
Q: What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
A: Snowflakes.
Q: If Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus had a child, what would he be called?
A: A subordinate claus.
Q: Why did Santa spell Christmas N-O-E?
A: Because the angel had said, "No L!"
Q: What goes Ho, Ho, Swoosh, Ho, Ho, Swoosh?
A: Santa caught in a revolving door!
Q: Why does Santa Claus go down the chimney on Christmas Eve?
A: Because it " soots " him!
Q: Did you hear that one of Santa's reindeer now works for Proctor and Gambel?
A: Its true . . . Comet cleans sinks!
Q: What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus?
A: Claustrophobic.
Q: Why does Scrooge love Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?
A: Because every buck is dear to him.
Q: How come you never hear anything about the 10th reindeer "Olive" ?
A: Yeah, you know, "Olive the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names"
Q: Why is Christmas just like a day at the office?
A: You do all the work and the fat guy with the suit gets all the credit.
Q: What's a good holiday tip?
A: Never catch snowflakes with your tongue until all the birds have gone south for the winter.

Christmas Wish List

A little late for some, but Marq asked if I could give a list out.

Marq William's List



1) Star Wars Figures

2) Webkinz

3) More shirts from Hot Topic (Gaming themes)

4) Gift certificates to Game Stop or Best Buy (He has all the current games he wanted, but several come out soon.)



Liam Marek's List



1) Micky Mouse Clubhouse toys

2) Handy Manny tool box

3) Geo Trax sets

4) V Smile V Motion

1st Snow of the Season

Let it snow! Let it snow! It was a beautiful morning with all the winter white snow.

Today we woke up to snow! 1st snow of the winter and holiday season. The kids went out to see just how much had stuck to the ground. Marq of course is hoping for a snow day tomorrow at school. No such luck! Snow was not sticking but it was still falling steadily. Marq even started to clean off the car. Liam had to see if he could help as well. It is defiantly winter now. The weather has been still pretty warm. So hopefully this will be a light winter. Last year was pretty bad. We even bought a generator this year, just in case... :(

Auntie Mona

Auntie Mona came to visit for Thanksgiving. It was nice to see one of the sisters during the holidays. It has been a slow year for any of us to see each other. It was nice to have her up to hang out with. Liam was being camera shy with Auntie Mona but it was a fun visit. Liam will now ask for Uncle Beej and Auntie Moma... :) Of curse he had to play with his buddy Kasu. He is Beej's new Husky. He is still a puppy but a beautiful dog that acts just like his master. We hung out and watched movies and Mona's boyfriend, Chris cooked us a Gumbo made of the turkey left overs. Awesome idea, huh?

Best of The Best

The boys discovered Uncle Beej's souvenirs from his trip over the summer. They had this funny sword fight. Liam was chasing his brother round like he was actually winning. Of course in the end, Kuya won the battle. It was fun to watch the 2 of them duke it out. This was during Thanksgiving at Grandma's house. The kids are taking advantage of Grandma's new open space.

Bubby's visit

Ben's mom came to visit this last weekend. She has not seen the kids since Liam was a few months old. I was really glad she got to come into town for the Holidays. She lives out in Washington state so it is not that often we see her. I even got the wrap all the Holiday gifts I had for the kids and my niece and nephew. So all the Christmas and Hanukkah gifts are all stacked up in the corner waiting for the tree....lol. We did some major shopping the 1st day she was here for the kids. Worked out for her since she did not have to worry about shipping anything. And we got to pick out our gifts! :) Ben and I got a date night out of it too. Liam has been talking to her on the phone for the past few months so it was great for him to hang out with her. Marq got beat by her too playing Wii Boxing. It was a nice visit. We hung out in Tulsa the day she left. The photos were taken in front of the Cheesecake Factory. We had to cheat on our diets for that day. Yummy! It was sad to see her go though. Liam was even asking for her this morning. Till the next visit. We hope Grandpa will join her next time.

Christmas Decorations

We started early this year with the decorations. I wanted to take advantage of being on vacation. I got this idea from a Pottery Barn catalog last year. I bought the stocking from last year as well. Of course Marq had to add his own touch with his Webkins. This is a new thing he started collecting. He has 5 so far. Bubby bought him 2 more for Hanukkah. As you can see there are 3 of them there. Since we do not have a fireplace this was a better option for the stocking vs. the window sill. We already have some stuffers in there too!

Toys R Us Rewards

https://rewardsrus.toysrus.com/index.cfm

This is a great idea for the holidays. I buy my diapers here. And I know I will be doing some shopping for the holidays. I'm already on my way to the 1st $5.00 gift card with my purchases from yesterday. By the time I go there again, I'm sure I'll get the 1st GC. Register now and you can even register older receipts as long as it is between Oct 15th - Dec. 24th.

Happy Birthday Mommy

I finally got a copy of Photoshop Elements! Ben got it for me for my birthday. It is Elements 7. I is sooo much nicer than the old Picture it! copy I had. I can work with my layers and delete what need be without starting over again. This is the 1st page I made with the program. I will definitely need more practice but I'm pleased so far. I also got new speakers for the computer. Yup I'm still a dork. If it is not a Dallas Cowboys Item, it's a computer thingy.

Election Day

Yup, I voted. Hope everyone voted today or prior. This was the sticker they gave out in the Joplin area. I was voter 11029 at my location.

The Frito Corrections Facility

Ben made comment I do not have any photos of me on the blog. Well here is one.... As a funny, we dressed as prisoners at work for Halloween... haha get it? Our boss got it but I do not think he thought it was that funny. We love our jobs but trust me we get a few calls on our days off. This is not the greatest photo of me (One size fits all costumes are not the best ya know...lol) but I do not have very many of me.

Bruno, I am your father...

Here at a few photo's from grandma's house from Trick or Treating. I am so horrible! I did not take as many photos as I thought. Here are some of the ones of Liam playing with Bruno on Halloween night.

Harley Davidson Halloween Fun Day

The Harley Davidson Shop sponsored a big Halloween Fun Day here in Joplin. It was pretty fun. It was the 1st time we went so we did not know what to expect. The kids got to play a game and ride a mini Harley. We watch the Halloween costume contest. We toured the show room and the custom choppers. It was all and all pretty fun. There was a bounce house. (The tallest one I have ever seen) But the line was so long, Marq did not get to go. At least we know that next year we should go earlier. Of course, we had to take a photo of Ben's dream bike the Buell. FYI, The photo Marq is solo in is with a 2005 Custom Built 127" El Burto w/ a 6 Speed Paul Yaffe Exhaust.

The Chase

Liam likes to chase his Kuya at the park. Or at least he thinks he is. His big brother is a good sport when getting captured. I love to watch them play. Liam's favorite spot is the tunnel since he can fit perfectly and Marq has to crawl into it to get out. Well we can only assume....

My Personal Bounce House

Liam has found his own personal Bounce House at home. He does it so much now, he'll take a go at me when I am on the sofa. I took a photos of him and Ben when they were playing in the living room. Of couse, it is nice when the Bounce House gets hugs as payment.

Got Milk!

I thought the photo was too funny to resists. Ben and I have been watching Project Runway for the last 4 seasons. This was the last year for it to be on the Bravo Channel. So too perfect. I Myself have been reminded to drink milk everyday. I had to see a Chiropractor the other month when my back went out. I was picking up one of Liam's sippy cups and OMG this pain up my back. I was even bending my knees when I was doing that! Well the doc told me I have arthritis in my lower back. I need to drink more milk and take calcium pills and do back exercises more. Do not get me wrong I drank milk but I guess not enough. When they say 3 servings, they mean 3 servings! So drink your milk ladies! It's not just for your kids. I also found a good recipe for the kids on the milk site for Halloween. Kinda reminds me of Champorado from the Philippines. Just a tad more stuff....lol.

Gobblin-Good Rice Pudding

Lots of healthful goodies are buried inside this rice pudding: chocolate milk, yogurt and, if you choose, even cranberries

Serves 6 (1/2 cup per serving)
Ingredients

3 3/4 cups - 1% lowfat chocolate milk

1/2 teaspoon - salt

2/3 cup - uncooked Jasmine rice or other long-grain rice

1 tablespoon - granulated sugar

1 tablespoon - unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup - dried tart cranberries or golden raisins, coarsely chopped (optional)

1 teaspoon - vanilla extract

1/4 cup -vanilla-flavored nonfat light yogurt

1 tablespoon -dried tart cranberries or golden raisins, coarsely chopped (optional)

Directions Heat 3 cups chocolate milk and the salt over medium-high heat in heavy medium saucepan just until bubbles begin to form around edge of saucepan. Set aside remaining 3/4 cup of chocolate milk. Stir in rice, sugar and cocoa powder. Cover and gently simmer over medium-low or low heat for 30 to 40 minutes or just until rice is tender and most of the chocolate milk is absorbed. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/3 cup cranberries, if desired, and the vanilla. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in yogurt and spoon pudding into small dessert dishes. Pour 2 tablespoons remaining chocolate milk over each serving. If desired, garnish each with 1/2 teaspoon chopped cranberries.

Marq's Birthday Party

Happy Birthday to my baby boy! OK, well not my baby anymore. He had a few friends over the bowling ally. And the top score was from the birthday boy too. 76 points. Of course the were being goofy most of the time. He had a couple of strikes too.

Family Day @ Conway

We went to family day for Conway Truckload. Ben's work had it at The Bridge. As you can see the kids had all the fun. Marq was inside playing on the Mac computers online with a friend. There was hover bowling and Wii systems set up inside as well.

No Red What?

So Ben went to the Doc again for a follow up. He was told to eliminate as much red meat as possible from his diet. No problem! We actually have started doing that 2 weeks ago. We replaced ground beef with ground turkey. Spaghetti to Swedish meatballs... they are all turkey meat. We need to eat more fish and lower his rice intake. He can eat brown rice at least. So we have been mixing that up. He made it into the 1st half of the Police Dept program. (They told him he was part of the 41 out of the 90 that passed the written test. They have to prioritize the kids in the academy 1st but as long as there is still a spot Ben should get in. - Cross Fingers) This is one of the reasons we have changed the diet at home. So the doc asking was not a big deal. Ben needs more B12 so that will mean more liver too and fish. So I need to come up with more fish recipes that what I already have. Grilled fish or sauteing it in olive oil with garlic will get old fast.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!

Well, we have settled that we are going to head to Tulsa in February for the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! We have been talking about it for a few months and saw that the tour is heading to Tulsa. A 2 hour drive trip but I think it will be a lot of fun. Marq is even excited about going. We are getting the tickets this week... Some of the sections are sold out already. Crazy! It will be a mad house with all those little kids but Liam is such a trip to watch him playing and dancing to all those shows it will be worth the trip. I just hope the weather holds up. Liam will even tell Mickey when he is all done with Toodles. Too Funny! It is a great show for kids to interact with. Liam will sit there and try to answer the questions. It is the cutest thing to watch.

Our wicked window

We set up our Halloween window over the weekend. We will set up the yard the week before Halloween. Most of the items were purchased from Michael's over the last 2 years. The ghouls are from Target. We have a strobe light but you can't see it in the photos. We have webs all over the porch columns and I can't wait till the actual day. We put the fog machine out too. We are definitely a Halloween family. Wait till Christmas! We have trees for every window....