Hey Good Lookin' What Ya Got Cookin'

I was on such a cooking kick the other night..... I think it is because I am obsessed with coupons and putting lots of meals together at Kroger and seeing how much I can SAVE! I am so into the Houston Chronicle coupons now. I literally run to the street when I wake up on Sundays to get the paper like I have won the lotto, it's pathetic really! I even take it with me on the way to church (like I have time...) with my scissors and sexy wallet (this is my Sunday School's version of the Dave Ramsey envelope system, my friends and I have come up with). I always cut coupons on th eway home from church and start my grocery list, followed by going to http://www.shortcuts.com/ and adding anything extra to my Kroger Card.

This past week I saved over 33% on doubling coupons and taking mulitple coupons for the same item. Our super expensive Hypo-allergenic Formula I used 2 5.00 off coupons and saved 10.00 bucks, that is so rewarding to me, I never thought I would be so into coupons,

but I look at it as free Cash Baby!

Here are a few recipes I made the other night I would like to share.

Creamy Stuffed Chicken Roll-Ups

"Yumm-O"

What You Need!
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce
3 Tbsp. apricot preserves
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, chopped

Make It!
HEAT oven to 375ºF.
POUND chicken to 1/4-inch thickness; place, top-sides down, on work surface. Mix cream cheese, onions, parsley and garlic; spread down centers of chicken breasts. Roll up, starting at one short end of each. Place, seam-sides down, in single layer in shallow pan.
MIX barbecue sauce, preserves and hot pepper sauce; brush 1/4 cup evenly onto chicken.
BAKE 35 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF), brushing with remaining barbecue sauce mixture the last 5 min. Top with bacon.

Sun Dried Tomato Pinwheels

Ingredients :

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup basil leaves
8 ounces cream cheese

Directions

1. Chop sun-dried tomatoes, Chop Basil and blend. Add cream cheese; process until well-mixed. Transfer to a serving bowl or storage container.

2. Spread onto tortillas and roll up, cut desired bite size pieces.

This pinwheel is a similar version to a treat at my sister in laws baby shower a few weeks back, it was soooo good I had to tru to make it.

The Pullen ladies are pretty mean in the kitchen, we are never dissapointed!

I think it tasted the exact same, I must have found the exact recipe or close enough to not tell the difference.

Derric and I loved both of these recipes, I threw together a "Suddenly Salad" to go with it and it was pretty amazing with our frosty milk glasses!

We will definetly make these again.

Gig Em' Aggies

Well, for those of you who don't know.... my husband is a die hard Aggie! He literally bleeds maroon. I made fun of it for the longest time but decided since I didn't have any school spirit from Ole' SFA (who would) that I would join in because this wasn't going away.


At Hank's Silent Auction at the Helping Hank Crop Noni (Derric's Mom) won 5 OU vs. A&M baseball tickets. The original plan was for Derric, Hank, , Noni, Lee, Jennifer, and I to all go as a family. Well Jennifer is on bedrest and couldn't come and Hank had just gotten his 4 month shots and had a little fever so..... we sent him to Grandpa's and had invited The Hayter's to join us.
Guess Hank and Hayes might go to their first A&M game together after all.

Derric's middle brother Lee (preggers pic) was a catcher for A&M for a couple of years and his little brother Matt Jack (#4) played for OU last year, now on the White Sox farm league team the Voyagers. So needless to say it was a great game to watch, we still knew some of the boys form last years games at OU. Noni wore and A&M jersey and OU hat, she's so funny!
She didn't want to be partial to her boys! So sweet.

Lee and Jenn's A&M Baseball Pic (too cute!)
Matt Jack #4

So here are a few pictures from us at the game.

Derric, Me and Noni... after the game
Us with The Hayters

I had to throw together a little something together because I went out to buy a new aggie shirt from Academy and came home with the wrong one, ugh!

So I made a brooch instead, inspired by Joy's Hope the Messy flower!

Cupcakes in a Mason Jar

My sister in law Jennifer is 33 weeks pregnant and has been in the hopsital the last few days with contractions..... She really wanted to come home so they dismissed her and she is on strict bedrest. I wanted to make her some meals so she could just stay home and kick her feet up! I ran across a similar recipe yesterday so I thought I could throw it together with my own twist. This cake recipe is the one I ate all the time during my pregnancy.

I LOVE IT, and have the "Love Handles" to prove it!

"Pregnancy Heaven"
Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

I then cut half the cupcakes in half.

I placed half of the cupcake on the bottom of the jar.

Okay so I cheated on the icing, sue me!

Then I put the icing in a ziplock and snipped the end and piped in coconut pecan icing on top of the bottom part of cupcake. I then took the top of the cupcake and layered on top of the icing, then topped off with more icing. I cut a piece of fabric and ribbon and VIOLA!

Loretta Machann and I put these together along with King Rach Chicken, Cornbread Casserole, Pasta Salad, and Taco Soup. Hopefully Lee and Jennifer will be set for a few days!

Sweet Lil Man'

So we had a pretty exciting weekend... Derric had a birthday last week and so did Hank. We even went to a 6 month birthday for Taylor Mae. Here are a few pictures.

So I guess you could say the food is going pretty good! Haha, he loves it. When I start to mix the bowl he gets so excited and starts kicking his legs and talking to me about it, and he also starts talking to me as soon as I take the spoon out of his mouth to refill it.

• This is a picture from Derric's birthday dinner of Derric's Mom, my Mom, and sister taking care of Hank all at the same time. Noni is the holder, Gramm's is the bottle feeder and Stevi is the burper. Too funny!
  
  
  
  This is Taylor and Hank at Taylor's 6 month birthday party, she was trying to touch him and he was just eyeing the cake.
  
  Taylor Mae 6 months old!
  
  

  
  
  Loretta (Taylor's Mom) made the cake as a suprise, she knew I hadn't made Hank's 4 month one yet so she made it for us. It was so sweet.
  
  Happy 4 month birthday baby boy!
  Love you
  

  
  

It's A Family Tradition

When you live in Texas.... it's a rule to take pictures in the bluebonnets!

Here are a few more, it was hard to get Hank's attention off the bluebonnets...

" Lady stop shaking the keys already."

Hank is saying that flower is sooooo cool.

On Easter Sunday I ran into Dr. Edralin at church and told him I was excited to see him soon for our 4 month check up and excited to start Hank on solids. He said you can start now, just buy rice or oatmeal cereal and be sure to only feed him in a spoon. He is learning how to sit at the table, open his mouth, and swallow. This is all a developmental process for him and a great start to learning to eat with the family. I was so excited that my family would be able to watch him eat for the first time. Here are a few pictures and the story!

Getting the bib on and his mouth dirty

Doesn't look like he is liking it too much!

Doing a little better with the taste?

Okay so now we will spit it all out...

What is that???

Now I just need a break to rub my head....

We decided he wouldn't have to work so hard to sit up and eat if we would just put him in the bouncer... This all went well until he threw it all up! I had as thick as my own oatmeal, and we did this right after a bottle. Both BIG no no's.... Hey I am learning. Hank didn't mind at all he got a bath lots of attention and sympathy. I think he would like to do it again!

It is going great a week later. He opens his mouth to the spoon and eats it really well, and we haven't overfed him since, haha!

He is Risen!

This Easter was super special to our hearts because my dad was able to have us over for lunch like we do every year. This is the one holiday that he really enjoys cooking out and even though he wasn't able to stand on two feet and cook that long, he was able to have his grandchildren and family over for a cookout. Here are a few pictures..
My dad and his heart pillow (his blankie)

Hank's First Easter Basket
)
The watches I gave the girls.
Me and Derric

Hank wearing my dad's visor with fuzzy hair (he thought it was hilarious)

Gramms reading Hank a book

Paxton and Reid's Easter Basket (their first easter not to hunt eggs)

More Books


His favorite egg.... of course it had cash!

Gramms wsa pretty much in love with the talking eggs!


We also got to take Hank to his first Easter Egg Hunt at The Brown's house. Hank hadn't been able to be around any kiddos yet that are in any type of childcare but since this was outside we went ahead and just used the proper precautions. Everyone enjoyed seeing him and a few of the moms even got to hold him.

Matthew 28-The Resurrection

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."