Theresa Lauren is 18???

Yes, its true. My sweet, tiny little girl is now a lovely young lady of 18!!! Cant believe it. She has accomplished quite a bit in her years so far, and of course has gone above and beyond- her extra chromosone is just another small part of her makeup. Like her haircolor, or sweet smile, or stubborness.
Enough of me, here are some photos of her day. We had gone shopping like we always do after school, and she picked out some cd's and clothes. Then we went to eat out at Cracker Barrell. She loves the Sirloin Steak dinner there. Then we came home where a homemade chocolate cake was waiting for her.

Getting ready to make her wish!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

Dad needed to help her open some big packages. This one turned out to be a Conair Foot massager. She loves doing manicures, and now pedicures too~

This big package arrived the next day. None of us had any idea what was inside.

OMG!!! April sent her a life size Justin Bieber!! She was (and still is) beyond excited!! This is the perfect gift!

We stood him up right away and she and Michael posed with him.

After deciding that he would stand in our family room, where she could gaze at him all day long, she needed to give him a hug~ too adorable!

Many thanks for stopping by...
Next up will be the thank you cards Im making for her gifts.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

Hope you are all having a wonderful Valentines Day!!!
I baked this afternoon, and am now waiting for my Valentine to come home with dinner. He had to work late tonite, so we will be eating take out at home. Thats fine with me. Greek food is delicious!
I made these sugar cookies this afternoon, and had a lightbulb moment! I never knew that you could brush the baked and cooled cookie with a bit of corn syrup to make the sprinkles stick really well. Am I the only one that never knew this?? Duh....

Dont they look pretty on my vintage desert tray? It was my Grandmas. It has a sticker on the bottom that says its from Occupied Japan. This baby is old~

Next up- some brownies made from scratch. They are Caramel and Sea Salt Brownies. I have seen so many recipes with this combination, and being the salt-a-holic that I am, had to try it. Although there is just a very little bit sprinkled on. It looks like more in the closeups. They smell divine!

I had to leave 2 of them plain~ as my sweet girlie is a purist when it comes to her desserts! Ill let ya know how they taste after I eat my dinner.

Here is a photo of some of my Valentine creations. More on those tomorrow~ my dinner is here now!
Many thanks for stopping by...

ANOTHER YUMMY RECIPE

Then I will have some Valentines stuff~ I promise! But it is so cold outside, I thought this recipe would be perfect, and it is! Its for Chiken Taco Soup. And its so easy because it goes in a slow cooker. Not much for you to do!
Hers what to do:
Fist you need-
1/2 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
16 oz jar of salsa ( use your favorite kind)
32 oz chicken stock
2- 11 oz cans of mexicorn, drained
1  1/2 oz package of taco seasoning
6 oz tomato paste
1 tsp cumin
2 lbs of chicken breasts- boneless
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup of sour creme

In a large crockpot, combine all ingredients except cream cheese and sour creme. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Half an hour before serving, remove chicken, shred it, and return to pot. Stir in sour cream and cream cheese.
Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, torilla strips and guacamole, if desired.
This recipe makes a good amount of soup, so there will be plenty of leftovers for the next couple of chilly days- except in my house, where they loved it so much, there was not much to put away.
Hope you like it.
Many thanks for stopping by...

STUFFED PEPPERS FOR DINNER!

Growing up, my Mom would frequently make Stuffed Peppers for dinner. They were always so yummy, and it was a recipe I wanted to incorporate into my own cookbook as well. They are easy, nutricious, and perfect for a winters day meal.
There was only one problem. For a few months, we were redoing my kitchen island, and had trouble locating a replacement cooktop. So I went for a long time, (too long) with no stovetop. But they say invention is born from neccesity, so I learned to tweak some recipes where I could.
Lckily, Stuffed Peppers was one of them. Instead of simmering for 2 hours on the stovetop. I learned to make them in the oven. Recipe follows. Enjoy!!!!

Start with some nice fresh green Bell Peppers. The larger ones are best. My kids dont eat the actual pepper, so you dont have to have one pepper for each person, the flavor will spread thruout.

Wash, dry, and cut the top off. Cut out all the seeds and middle. Discard this part. Cut up the top part of the pepper,(that you cut off a minute ago) and place in baking dish. You need a baking dish big enough to fit your peppers, and it needs to have a lid. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Next, in a mixing bowl, mix together 1 pound of ground round, 1 egg, about 1 11/2 cups of rice (I dont measure this part), and some onion powder. I shake with a heavy hand. After its all blended, go ahead and stuff your peppers! You can stuff them pretty full. With the rest of the meat, I make large meatballs and place them around the peppers.

Cover with your favorite Pasta sauce, about half the jar. Cover and bake for one hour.

Dont forget to have some cute onlookers while you cook! It always makes it more fun!

This is how they look when done! I made mashed potatos and fresh carrots to accompany the peppers. They are also delicious as leftovers, just pop them in the microwave.
Enjoy, and let me know how yours came out~
Many thanks for stopping by...