Our Halloween Dinner

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I thought soup would be the perfect meal before venturing out to get candy. This was my first time making it and it was a winner. I will be making this often (my kids weren't so crazy about it but the adults in the house loved it) This was so easy and fast to make and it is so yummy (and healthy too)

saute the following together:

2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp olive oil

add:
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup chunky salsa
1 can corn, drained
1 large or 2 small cans green chilies
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 Tbs. lime juice
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Top with sour cream, tortilla chips, avacado, cheese, green onions.

Hope your Halloween was fun!

Ava and her daddy
Pirate James

Julia the good witch

Twins and their adorable friend Taylor

These girls can't believe their good luck,

candy at every house!

Halloween Party

Monday was Grandma Susan's (my mom) annual Halloween party. As always, there was a delicious dinner, cookie decorating and a craft for the kids and a glow in the dark treasure hunt complete with lots of treasures and toys! We topped it off with a most delicious Orange cake for dessert , yummy yummy. Thanks mom we had a ball! We had two flowers, Glinda the good witch, a pirate, a bear, Tinker Bella, a TO DIE FOR bat and a cute little bear.

Here are a few photos from the night:

Sunday afternoon

No friend like a sister

Nothing makes me happier than when my kids are happily playing together. This morning the house was very quiet and I started to wonder what everyone was up to (namely the babies) I was pleasantly surprised to find this:

Two recipes to share

Pumpkin bread

(Warning, this is so good, you may eat the entire loaf)

Beat well:
3 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup oil

add two cups pumpkin

Mix in separate bowl:

3 1/3 cup flour

1 Tbs. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cloves
1Tbs. Cinnamon

Add dry ingredients to wet. Grease two loaf tins and divide batter. 325 degrees 1 hour 15 min.

Cream Cheese frosting

1 package cream cheese

1/2 cup sofftened butter (REAL BUTTER- no margarine in this house)

2 teaspoons vanilla
4 1/2 to 4 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Oven French Fries

3 small to medium baking potato
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
Cut potato into wedges. Mix olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder and onion powder together. Coat potatoes with oil/spice mixture and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
Bake for 45 minutes in preheated oven.

Goodbye / Hello

This is what I planted this year, today it started to snow so we cut them.

Goodbye

Playing at the park, morning walks outside with friends, swimming and

sprinklers, enjoying the flowers and trees, riding bikes, sidewalk chalk, water fights

Hello

Cozy winter nights, beautiful white snow, hot chocolate, holidays, lower power bills =), warm snuggly jackets and scarfs.

And the winner is . . . . .

Thank you SO much for all your comments, it was so fun to read some of your favorite things and blogs, I have added them to my google reader. Thank you again and stay tuned for another give-a-way in the future that was just too fun!

There were a total of 55 entries I used a random generator on

random.org and the winner is:

Here are your random numbers:23
Timestamp: 2008-10-09 01:54:59 UTC

Jen (P.) !!

Congratulations Jen, I will bring the basket by soon.

Just us Girls

My sister Aileen came to town for a girls weekend, no kids.

Lots of shopping food and non stop laughter. The only thing that would have

made it more fun would be my sister Katie.

Are we the only ones that seem to revolve our fun around food?

We had:

So Cupcake

Kneaders

Setebellos (Authentic Italy Pizza)

Fresh Brigham City peaches

Village Baker sandwiches

chocolate caramel pretzels

chocolate Dunford donuts

We managed to shop too: Roberts, Bath & Body, Home Again, Black Goose,

TJ Maxx/ Home Goods, EmilyJane, Hip and Humble, Anthropologie, Target.

My personal favorite moments from the weekend that I want to remember:

Put the donuts in the trunk!, Dawn- leave the shirt hanging to the Target employees, SLN on PBS, Dawn screaming bloody murder when a cupcake started to fall (everyone in Setebello's heard that one). Am I missing any girls?

When you have out of town visitors where are your must go places and do you love to eat when you get together like we obviously do, what are your favorite local treats?

Grandma Susan's Halloween

Anyone who has been to my moms house knows of her incredible talent for decorating. Her halloween house is awesome and I wanted to share it. She throws the best halloween party for her grandchildren that live near. They look forward to it all month and love to come see her house all festive. You will love it too.

My 100th post give-a-way

I wanted to do a give a way for my 100th post, not only because I can't think of 100 interesting enough things about myself you would care to read, but also to thank you for reading my blog. I was hesitant to start a blog, but quickly became addicted. It is such a great way for me to document events in my life and my kids and has been a great way to reconnect with old friends. I am surprised how many friends I have found and have found me through blogging.

In this basket is some of my favorite things:

$5.00 Sonic gift card (my favorite afternoon treat = Diet Coke with extra ice)

$5.00 Target gift card, who doesn't love Target?

Peanut Butter M&M's and Red Vines

7 flower clips made by me =)

Avon moisture therapy hand cream, I am addicted

Apple Pie candle from For Every Body, yummy for FallTo enter this give-a-way just leave a comment on this post and tell me two of YOUR favorite things and also one of your favorite blogs to read (besides mine, of course =)) I will randomly choose the winner next Wednesday, October 8 at 5:00 pm and will announce the winner that evening. I want to know who reads my blog, so PLEASE comment and say hi. Thank you for reading my blog.