Heart Shaped Junior Mints

I am on a HUNT for these, I will track them down, because I need to have them, not only because Junior Mints are my favorite candy, but they are heart shaped and have red filling and I need to attach them to this cute poem.....

Me and You,

You and Me,

That's the Way,

It was "Mint" to be

Birthday Celebration!

We had a great dinner at Z tejas for Josh's birthday and ended the night opening gifts and eating Marble Bundt Cake.

Dinner at Z tejas

YUM-O marble cake

Birthday Boy opening presents

Lexi and Jared

Kell Bell

Lynn and his favorite bud JJ - NOT

Got some nice shirts

Birthday Boy got an X-Box

Getting wax all over the cake

Make a wish!!!

Happy Birthday Josh!

Its hard to believe that 22 years ago this cute adorable guy was born...

I haven't been able to spend the last two birthdays with Josh so this is a special one for me.. Josh is an amazing son, he has such a fun sense of humor and brings alot of joy and laughs into our home. He is a great entertainer to all his friends, he is the one that organizes the parties and activities (that get announced on facebook), what a great leader huh? He is going to school at Chandler Gilbert to be a Physical Therapist, which will be good for when I get old, he can work on my aching bones. We are very proud of of Josh and are very blessed to have him as our Son.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH

WE LOVE YOU!

Valentine Burlap Heart Wreath

I found this cute wreath at Craftaholics Anonymous and has all the instructions for you to make it HERE.

Rainy Days and Chicken Noodle Soup!

It has been raining all week, and when it rains here in Arizona I love to have soup for supper. This is my favorite recipe for homemade chicken noodle soup, so if it is raining (or snowing) wherever you are, make up a batch of this soup, you will love it. Nothing warms the body and soothes the soul more than a steaming hot bowl of chicken noodle soup.

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 stewing hen (4 to 5 pounds)

2 quarts water

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 chicken bouillon cubes (I use 6)

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced onion

3 potatoes peeled and diced

Homemade Noodles (recipe below)

Put chicken in large kettle and cover with cold water. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and skim off foam. Cover pan and simmer for 2 1/2 hours or until meat falls off the bone. Remove chicken; discard skin and bones. Cool broth slightly, and skim off the fat that rises to the top (I usually never do this). Cut chicken into pieces and return to broth. Bring broth to a boil and add chicken bouillon, carrots, celery, and onion. Simmer for ten minutes; then increase heat until soup is boiling. Add homemade noodles and boil until noodles rise to the surface and are tender. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Homemade Noodles

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1/4 cup half-and-half

Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Make well in center and add eggs and half-and-half. Stir with fork until well mixed. Form into a ball and turn out on lightly floured surface. Knead for about 15 minutes, adding flour as needed to make a soft dough. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into two portions, covering one portion until other portion has been rolled out. Roll out each portion until paper thin. Dust top with flour and fold dough over. With a sharp knife, cut into strips about 1/2 inch wide and 2 to 3 inches long. Separate noodles and add to chicken soup as directed above.

2010 Mutual Theme

I love the scripture this year for mutual "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest". Joshua 1:9. Last week when I gave the lesson and introduced it to the YW, we passed out these necklaces. I ordered them from a lady who sells them on Etsy, she was very kind enough to do a special order for me with it being Christmas and all. They turned out so cute and the girls love them, I love wearing mine and love when I see the other girls and leaders wearing theirs. It will always be a reminder to Be Strong and of Good Courage. I love people who are very creative for us who are not.

I Love Costco!

I love to go to Costco to see what I can find, when I was there the other day, I found these bottles of Panda Express Orange Sauce. I know how much my kids love Panda's Orange Chicken so I bought it and made it for dinner tonight. It was really good and worth buying. I used a recipe of another orange chicken recipe that I had but added this sauce. Give it a try!

Ingredients:

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

salt & pepper

1 cup cornstarch

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 bottle Panda Express Orange Sauce, from Costco

Directions:

1. Season chicken with salt & pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch, then in egg.

2. Fry battered chicken in hot canola oil over medium heat just until browned (not cooked through).

3. Place browned chicken in a single layer in a 9x13 baking dish.

4. Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 325 degrees for one hour, turning chicken every 15 minutes. Serve over rice. YUM-O

A Few of My Favorite Things!

It's been awhile since I have done a favorite things post, so I thought I would share some of the things that I have discovered or was introduced to or that was given to me this Holiday season.


This makes your face feel really clean after you use it.

Love my Ugg Button Boots, almost as much as my Ugg slippers.

I get alot of compliments when I wear this, especially from Lynn, It still doesn't take the place of my Heaven from VS but its close.

I was introduced to these amazing cakes on Christmas Eve at my sister-in-laws house, probably the best cake I've ever had.

First time I had these was when Jared gave me a taste of his he brought back from NY, when we went to NY I couldn't find any with the s'more's. Then during Christmas, I saw them at Deseret Book, bought one, then came home and got on line and ordered a bunch to put in the kids stockings.

For years I have bought my eye makeup from Mary-Kay, but when someone told me about these colors made for your eyes I tried it and love it, these colors are for Hazel eyes.

My Zebra purse Lynn bought me in NY.

Love this lip gloss from MAC, but it was only a limited product so can't get it anymore.

Kell told me to buy this ice cream so I did and it is really really good.

When in NY we had frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity, I brought some of these packets home and made some myself, it was really good.

Love, Love, Love my new Dyson Vacuum, this thing is amazing what it picks up, I feel my carpets are so much cleaner.

Sad Day!

For years I have been purchasing items from the catalog Gooseberry Patch. For many years I have turned to them for gifts for my friends, family and myself. I have loved all the quilts they offer, I have purchased many, and I love all the kitchen items.

Today they have announced they are doing away with the catalog and will only offer, online, cookbooks and calendars. BIG MISTAKE gooseberry patch, I do love my cookbooks, but how many of the gooseberry patch cookbooks can you have. I am very sad they are doing this and will now have to find a new place to buy my cute gifts. : (