Bellevue

Last weekend we went to Bellevue for there winter wonderland shopping extravaganza. We ended up leaving late b/c Jordan had to work till one on Saturday. Kohen fell asleep in the car on the way down. We got to the Hyatt (which is an amazing hotel and if you're looking for a good deal they have a holiday package available in December. Its $149 dollars plus a $50 Gift certificate to Bellevue square and free buffet breakfast) we then headed over to Bellevue square. It was packed and we spent a lot of time just looking around. We then went to Red Robin for dinner and headed back to the hotel to bundle up for snowflake lane. Theirs fake snow, big snow animals, drummers and loud Christmas music. Kohen loved it, though he was a little tired. Next year we hope to hit up the Christmas carousel, ice skating and the lighted botanical gardens. I would recommend heading to Bellevue during the holiday season to anyone! We did all our Christmas shopping on Sunday and then came home! It was a very fun packed weekend!

Turkey Time

This year I did my first turkey. It was a small Turkey and I figured if I can cook a whole chicken then it should be a piece of cake to do a turkey. I started out by brining it the night before. I used the Pioneer woman recipe (I love her and if you haven't checked out her recipes-you should www.pioneerwoman.com ). I then took it out of the brine washed it off with cold water, rubbed butter and herbs all over it, put stripes of bacon over the top, and placed it in an oven bag. I cooked it 10min per pound. It was AMAZING! So moist! Here is the Brine recipe-

Ingredients

• 3 cups Apple Juice Or Apple Cider
• 2 gallons Cold Water
• 4 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1-½ cup Kosher Salt
• 2 cups Brown Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Peppercorns
• 5 whole Bay Leaves
• Peel Of Three Large Oranges

Thanksgiving 2010

We have so much to be Thankful for this year! Our faith, our family, our baby boy, our little blessing, our friends and SO much more.

Our Thanksgiving day was full of laughter and good fellowship. We started off the day by waking to snow and A LOT of it! We took full advantage of the snow and pulled out my four wheeler. Kohen loved the bikeo (I think its a combination of cycle and bike). He look like a cute marsh mellow dressed in all his snow gear, and if he bent over he could not get back up by himself. It was pretty hilarious. We played before his morning nap and before his afternoon nap. I loved it b/c I felt like a little kid again....I love snow for the reason.

We then made our way to the Van Werven Thanksgiving. Ate a lot and then went to my Aunt Jennies for dessert. It was a great LONG day! We are so amazingly blessed by our families and we love you all!

Baby #2 nursery

So we decided that we are going to re-model the third bedroom. Even though we know that once we re-model the whole house, this room probably wont be there anymore. It would be nice to have a cute room to show off our new baby in. So today I took off all the trim and ripped up most of the carpet. The carpets going to stay in the room till we scrape off the popcorn ceiling into it....which is surprisingly easy. I thought it was going to be a pain, but I watched a youtube video and its going to be a piece of cake.

We're going to buy a piece of remnant carpet. Were hoping to find a cream or light grey. Were painting the walls a dark grey with black curtains and furniture. If its a boy the room will be grey, black, light green and a bright blue. If its a girl it will be grey, black, light green and pink! I'm also re-vamping my dresser when I was younger to be a black changing table. I have a few craft ideas for the wall but those wont get put up till the baby is born. I did make a Alphabet canvas(suppose to look like a little kid painted it) for one of the wall. Here some before pictures!

Kohen 17 months

So its been a while since I posted an update on Kohen. Its mainly b/c not much has really changed in his life or schedule. He learns new words everyday and is obsessed with Elmo at the moment. He also loves animals. As were driving he's in the back seat saying, see Horses or see cows-mooooo. Its pretty darn cute and brings a smile to my face every time. We go for a walk just about everyday to see the horses and chickens down the road from our house. Which he loves to do.

He has started asking to go nigh night. We walk to his room, he turn on his music and then wants up to be held. He has also started telling me when he has a poop in his diaper, and when he wants his milk. Kohen also says, ' Thank You ' very well but we're having a hard time learning, ' please '. He will say it some times, but others he just whines until he gets it. Were still working on please! =)

Hes getting better with independent playtime but still loves being were ever I am.

Kohen is still a great eater and will try just about anything.

Kohen has yet to start throwing mini-fits but he is quite the whiner and will stand or sit and whine until he gets my attention.

Kohen still takes two naps a day and I really don't see it changing for some time. I think around 18 months I will start weaning him down to one nap. Kohen has always gone by the book on naps-I have done babywise with him since he was born.

Kohens Schedule at 17 months-

7:30-wake, breakfast, bath

independent playtime or leaning time

9:30-nap

11:00-wake, lunch

errands with mom or walk

1:30-nap

3:00-wake, snack

Outside time or time in the playroom

5:30-dinner

7:00-books

7:15- 7:30-goodnight

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Made these this morning and let me tell you.....they are AMAZING!!!!

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Muffins:
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon each nutmeg, allspice and cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray top of a muffin tin with cooking spray and line the 12 cups with liners.

Prepare filling. Beat together cream cheese and sugar, then stir in egg and vanilla. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly stir together flour, both sugars, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and spices.

In another mixing bowl, blend oil, egg, pumpkin and vanilla. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir until combined.

Fill muffin cups about 1/3 of the way full with pumpkin mixture. Spoon cream cheese mixture over pumpkin, dividing evenly between all 12 cups. Spoon a drop of pumpkin batter on top of cream cheese. Pumpkin batter will be thick and will not cover entire top, so the appearance will be similar to a bulls eye.

Bake for 23-25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Announcement

We are very excited to announce I am pregnant with baby #2. We feel so incredibly blessed. God is so good.

I have to say that Im a little sad about the thought of it not being just the three of us anymore. I lately go in late at night and pick Kohen up and rock him while hes sleeping. I stare at him and just can't believe he's going to be an older brother. I know that I will just cherish the one on one time I get with him later on in life more, but its still a sad thought to me. We're trying to do as much as we can with the little man before his life changes forever. Im also spending more time hugging, kissing and pay attention to him. I love him more then anything in the whole world!

Apple Pressing

Saturday we went to our annual apple pressing party at a friends house. We do it every year and I look forward to it every year. Fall is my FAVORITE season. I love the big cozy sweaters, cool crisp walks in the morning with the boy all bundled up, pumpkin spice lattes, wood fires and warm apple cider. Its just the best season all around and the apple pressing party kicks it off for me. So today to further enjoy the season I thought.... I'm going to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies-yum!! This weekend we also finished "phase 2" of the fence. Pictures to come once the concrete and gates are put on. It looks so good!

Jake apple pressing

The girls undercover with the kids

Kohen loving on Jakes lazy dog. Such a good dog for kids.

Sean and Kohen playing with the tractors

Kohen just being Kohen-Love that boy

playground/fence

We recently purchased a used playground off craigslist. We don't plan on setting it up till next year, so for now its in our shop. In the meanwhile we plan on getting a new fence put in around the backyard. We want to extended the backyard and put in a campfire-playground/trampoline/sandbox area for the little man. We started on the fence this weekend and its coming together nicely. I can't wait to get it all done...though I know its going to be a slow process! Heres a few pics....

Kohen always loves "helping"

New playground

Silly boy!

He wanted to get REALLY close to the camera !

Curry Chicken Pot Pie

Tuesday my cousin and I had a cook off. Last year we did three different recipes and made a total of 9 dinners. This year we decided to just do 8 dinners of our favorite Curry chicken pot pie. It freezes really well and its a good fall/winter meal to pull out of the freezer. I also like to have some meals around for friends that have babies, etc. In december were going to do another cook off, maybe with a different dinner casserole....will see. Heres the recipe. Enjoy!!

1 cup cooked cubed chicken
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 chopped onion
1 cup corn
3/4 c milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp curry
1 tsp oregano
1/2 hot water
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour

I combine all ingredients and stir constantly until its boiling and thick. I find that I sometimes need to add a little more flour to thicken it a bit and I also add more curry b/c we really like it. Pour into a pie crust ( I buy the package pie crusts at safeway), put foil over the top- bake @ 400 for 10 mins and then take the foil off and bake 350 for 25 mins.

Projects

This past week Jordan and I had a couple to project we were trying to accomplish. Jordans being putting modern case lights on the front of the house. Mine being re-vamping a old gold mirror into a jewelry holder.

It was very easy to re-vamp this old mirror. I just spray painted it. Put a yard of fabric around the wood backing and placed hooks for earrings and necklaces all over the board. I loved how it turned out and the cost was only $3.50. It goes perfect in our bedroom and Im hoping to get a bedding set to some what match.

Monkey Bread

Today was a good baking day. I decided to bake a little monkey bread and it didn't disappoint. Heres the recipe. So easy and so good!

INGREDIENTS

1/2

cup granulated sugar

1

teaspoon cinnamon

2

cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1/2

cup chopped walnuts, if desired

1/2

cup raisins, if desired

1

cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4

cup butter or margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS

• 1Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan with shortening or cooking spray. In large -storage plastic food bag, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon.
• 2Separate dough into 16 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Shake in bag to coat. Arrange in pan, adding walnuts and raisins among the biscuit pieces.
• 3In small bowl, mix brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces.
• 4Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/grands-monkey-bread/7a1e41b1-4708-4028-8ce6-fcb5baebbc19/

Moses Lake

My mom and I decided that it would probably be a good idea if we went and saw my grandparents this summer with Kohen. They are unable to drive across the pass anymore b/c of their age and eye sight and they hadn't seen Kohen since he was about 4 months old. So Mom, Kohen and I packed up and headed to Moses Lake. It was beautiful there. Sunny, in the 90's everday. We went to dinner one night at a place called, Point Moses. Such good food. Kohen loved seeing his great grandparents and the grandparents loved seeing him. They think he's about the smartest/cutest boy they have ever seen. Id have to agree...=) My grandparents also have a cat and so while we were there he learned the word, kitty cat. He loved waking up to that cat.

Poets Cove

We got home from Chelan on a Thursday and I left early Saturday morning for Kristin's bachlorette party. We left at 8 and went and got on the DeHaan's yacht in Bellingham bay. It took 3 hours to get to Poets cove (which is in Canada). It was amazing! Everything about the whole trip. We had townhouses, a yacht, amazing food and great friends to share it all with.

Zucchini Bread

I have been making zucchini bread like crazy b/c I have so many growing in my garden. I thought I would share the recipe with you. Im also planing on make pineapple zucchini bread so I will share that, as well.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

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Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions

1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, mix oil, eggs, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend in pineapple and zucchini. Stir flour mixture into zucchini mixture. Pour batter into two greased and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour. Cool on wire racks.