soups on

I recently made a new soup recipe and although the recipe needs some altering it turned out great!

Here's the recipe.....
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili Mac

Here's the goods.  I got everything prepped and ready to go early that day.  Then when I went to put everything together later that afternoon it was kind of like being on my own little personal cooking show.......bubba was my audience.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 diced Anaheim Pepper  I used a couple of cans of diced green chili's
• 2 cups sliced zucchini - I used the mini's from TJ and then they could be in rounds.
• 3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken breast ( I just used a rotisserie chicken from the Costco)
• Three 15 ounce cans white beans
• 64 ounces reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 ounce package Ranch seasoning mix
• 3 limes, juiced
• 1/4 cup ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups small dry pasta (I used macaroni)
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 avocado, diced

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in Anaheim peppers, zucchini, green bell peppers, chicken and beans. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring often.
2. Transfer to a large crock pot over high heat. Add broth, Ranch seasoning, lime juice, cumin, garlic salt, salt, pepper and pasta. Close lid and let cook for 2 hours on high. Reduce heat to low or warm. Right before serving stir in cilantro and top each individual bowl with diced avocado.

Ok so like I said I love the recipe but I'm not sure how she thinks all the chicken broth (along with everything else) is going to fit in a normal crockpot.  Because guess what - it doesn't.   Which is totally fine.  You can get enough in there to cook everything.  I then I just added more later.  I made this on Sunday for dinners for the week.   It made enough for two meals, some for the freezer (which would of been great if I didn't leave the freezer door open- but that's another story for another time) and a quart to give the parentals.  I just put the whole thing in the fridge and then took parts of it out and added some chicken broth when I reheated it.   Parentals said it was good so it freezes fine.

Pictures you ask?  Well I took them with my phone - and will they are lost along the way somewhere......

truth.....

from this blog author

It's the great pumpkin!

Our first official trip to the pumpkin patch.....really too small last year

Good times at Lee Farms......

by the ferry.....

We took our first long road trip with the pickle.   The farthest we have gone is the beach.  So we packed up the rig, loaded in the furry one and the pickle and headed north.

Pickle loved the ferry - just like his momma - the day was perfect.

Our house was steps from the ferry......

This was the view from our front room......

The views at night were amazing.  I however should really learn how to use my fancy camera so I could take better pictures.  I think you can see a little bit of what we could see every night here though. We could even see the ferry when we were laying in bed.

Unfortunately the trips was cut a couple days short because.......well its a long story but the picture below gives a clue..............

All in all a great trip.   We had great meals at home as well as yummy meals out.   We went back to some favorites - Kiichilis Bagels, Pickles Deli (the best potato soup), Village Pizza (wonderful pizza, wonderful view) and we found a new favorite mexican place Patron Mexican where we learned J loves beans - he couldn't get enough of the beans the bring at the beginning with the chips.   We also walked down to the ferry one day and took it across to have lunch and look at the lighthouse.

Fun times and good memories....

One!

As hard as it is to believe my baby is no longer a baby and is officially a toddler!

We had a baby luau for him at the beginning of the month and we could not of asked for a better day!
We had it at the house which limited the amount of people we could invite.  I wish we could of invited more and had I'd known the day would be so wonderful we could of - as people were able to spill out on the back lanai.

Anyway I digress.....

These are the cupcake toppers I made!  I had the stickers that matched the invites.  I just purchased a round paper cutter some thicker card stock and some toothpicks and viola!  

G had to make and frost the cupcakes as I was actually very sick......was able to rally the day of but the day before I was down for the count

Here is the finished product!  I also made a smaller "smash" cake for J. 

He had a ton of fun and people were very generous with their gift giving as well.  From OSU gear to books, to stuffed friends to a little rocking chair with his name on it!

I also made this!   It is a grape vine wreath with cocktail umbrellas!  Thank you Pinterest!

Thank goodness for catering and housekeepers or this day would probably not of happened.   I figure if you are having over 12 people you should cater.   The food was raved about.   We did it simple - teri chicken, mac salad, steamed rice, and pineapple.   For drinks we had water, beer, hard lemonade, and wine.   And for the littles I had apple juice packets.  Also, for the littles I did take away gifts.  I ordered beach buckets and filled them with bubbles, a mini recorder,  and two mini beach balls.   Fun to be able to give them all a little something to take home.  I know it can be hard when you are younger to see one person get all the gifts.  The take away for the adults I was going to do - pineapple relish - did not however happen but I really don't think it was expected or missed.

G asked if we were going to do this every year.....uh no......

Next year I plan something small - just family.

And for the next couple of years I plan small.   As J gets older and wants to have a little friend or friends to do something we will.   But lets face it - this was more a celebration of surviving the first year........

More tricks than treats....

We've started a new daycare and things seem to be going pretty well for the most part.  I have been waiting however for the shoe to drop.  What shoe you ask?   The "these aren't germs we are used to" shoe.    And it did.........just in time for Halloween.  Pickle has pretty much been sleeping for the last two days.  He gets up to eat - a little, and play - a little, and love on the bubba.  Today was better than yesterday but he still is a puny pickle.  We were all set for the harvest party at daycare on Wednesday.   We were taking apple juice and mini pumpkins and Nana and Grampy were going to come up.   And we had our costume all ready.   But alas on Wednesday he pretty much slept on everyone at daycare until I could get there.   We went to the doctor that afternoon and got all checked and he checked out fine.   Ears, chest, throat all clear.   No fever.   Just puny and and tired.   The only thing we could think was some kind of stomach thing.  So we have spent the last two days trying to rest and get better.  

Good news?   Pickle doesn't really know when Halloween is.  So once we get better we will put on our costume play with our pumpkin and watch It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.  Also, mom is getting lots of good snuggles and hugs.   Nothing like a good snuggle with my pickle.......it makes up for the throw up.

Oh I failed to mention we have thrown up twice.   Once all over me and him and the family room and the kitchen.   Poor thing.   It scares them so bad at this age.   Bubba got to the kitchen floor before I did.     I know, I know, to much information.   The second bout was today right about the same time.   It was at this point I realized I wasn't going to Corvallis to watch SC play my Beavers.  A game I had been looking forward to all year that we had arranged for the babysitter a couple of months ago.   But just like there will be more harvest parties and Halloween trick or treating......there will be more games.  

So I sit here on the couch, watching the game on the big screen, and my sweet pickle sleeping on the small screen......

Here's hoping tomorrow is an even better day and that my sweet boys smile and giggle comes back......and we can see Linus disappoint poor Sally one more time......