Fun times

My two lumberjacks.

We were trying to get packed for our Christmas travels and Justin put Elijah in the suitcase so he could continue packing. 

4 Months

Elijah is 4 months old today. I know I say this all the time, but I really cannot believe how fast the time is going!

He wanted to sit up straight so bad!

Then he'd go too far and kept tumbling over.

He thought it was so funny.

We got out the Bumbo to contain him.

He has really started to enjoy laying on his tummy

and gets super excited!

Happy 4 Month Birthday Elijah!

He:

-loves chewing on his fingers

-has really started grabbing his toys and taking them to his mouth

-started cereal before bed (so far he's still not sleeping any longer:( )

-talks, talks, talks (very loudly)

-hardly eats when we are not at home because he's too busy checking everything out

-is super close to rolling over

-wants to be sitting up as much as possible

-giggles and screeches

-is still eating and then playing for about an hour before he takes a nap and repeats the process

-wants to be rocked to sleep

Elijah has brought many changes to our lives, but has been such a blessing.  We can't imagine life without him.

Taste of Our Home Tuesday: Chicken and Black Bean Soup

It's the time of year again when we love to eat lots of soup. We found this recipe in my Taste of Home magazine. It was different then the soup recipes that we've had in the past so we thought it was worth a try. I did not put in all the chili powder that it called for, but did everything else as stated in the recipe. It was not overly spicy and we both enjoyed it. I will be adding it to our list to make again. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

2 cups frozen corn

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

3 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon cornstarch

18 tortilla chips

Shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, optional

Directions:
Place a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 4-6 minutes or until no longer pink. Reserve 2 tablespoons broth; add remaining broth to pan. Stir in corn, beans, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.

Mix cornstarch and reserved broth until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Top servings with crushed chips and, if desired, cheese. Yield: 6

Cereal

We decided to start Elijah on some cereal last night in hopes that he will start sleeping longer.

Before the fun began

He really didn't make to many faces.

The hardest part was getting his little tongue to do what it was supposed to.

He was enjoying himself

He actually did a pretty good job.  By the end he was leaning forward waiting for me to spoon some more in.  We will see if it helps with our sleeping.

December

The beginning of this month Justin had his Christmas work party in Kansas City.  We headed up there for our first weekend away since Elijah has been born. (Besides Grandma's house)  He slept in his pack-in-play and was an excellent baby!

Yesterday I finally got the rest of my Christmas tree put up and the lights strung.  Elijah's contribution was laying in his bouncer so Mama could work. (Today hopefully I can get it decorated)

Elijah wanted some pictures in front of the tree since this is his first Christmas.

Emma was thrilled less than excited to join in on all the fun!

Taste of Our Home Tuesday: Cheesy Beefy Mac (Skillet Casserole)

I saw this photo on Pinterest and thought it looked so yummy!  Neither one of us are sure if we liked the dish or not.  The A1 sauce makes it very tangy and different.  There is a part of me that really enjoyed the dish and another part that thought the flavors were very weird.  I may make it again with a little less A1 and see how it tastes then.  The link at the very bottom will take you to where the original recipe was posted if you'd like a recipe to make your own cream of mushroom soup.  

Ingredients: 
1/2 Lb elbow macaroni, uncooked 
1 Lb ground sirloin 
1 sweet onion, diced 
1 cup ketchup 
1/4 cup A1 Steak Sauce 
1 can cream of mushroom soup 
salt and pepper, to taste 
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese *or Colby Jack Directions: 

Cook your macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, brown your ground sirloin and onion. (I like to use sirloin as opposed to a higher fat content beef, so that I really don't need to drain the fat. This way there's just a little bit of fat and the beef and onion can cook together without any draining and losing of flavor.) Cook until meat is crumbled and onion is soft. Add can of soup, ketchup, and steak sauce; stirring well. Cover with lid and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste to see if you would like to add some salt and pepper. (I usually add a dash of each.) Mix in macaroni, stirring to coat well. Top with shredded cheese. Cover with lid and let simmer on very low; just until cheese is melted and dish is gently bubbling on sides. Serve while piping hot.

You can find the original recipe here.

Taste of Our Home Tuesday: Pretzel Toffee Candy

I love English Toffee and had to try this recipe as soon as I saw it.  It is so yummy and perfect for the Christmas season!  I made a similar recipe before this one (it was exactly the same just without the pretzels) and I didn't cook the butter and sugar long enough.  I ended up with chewy toffee that was slightly grainy.  When I made this recipe I set the timer so I was sure to cook it for the full time.  It turned out perfectly and was delicious!  

Ingredients 
1 cup butter 
1 cup sugar 
2 cups pretzels (approximately) 
1 cup dark chocolate chips 

Instructions 
In a heavy saucepan, melt butter. Add sugar, and stir to dissolve. Continue cooking and stirring until it is the color of a brown paper bag, about 7-10 minutes. (The mixture may separate and look clumped or curdled, and this is fine. The color is a more important indicator than the texture.) 
Prepare a sheet pan (I recommend a quarter sheet pan) by lining with parchment paper or a silicone liner, or by generously buttering. 
Cover pan in a single layer of pretzels. Pour cooked candy onto pretzels as soon as it reaches the desired color. 
Immediately top with chocolate chips. Let chips melt for a few minutes, then use a knife to spread like frosting. Let candy cool by chilling in fridge for about an hour. Use a large knife to break into pieces. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

The original recipe came from here.

Thanksgiving

I am a tad bit behind, but better late then never I guess. We were at my parents for Thanksgiving this year.  Here are a few pictures of Elijah from the weekend.  

He really likes sitting in his Bumbo seat.

It's way more fun to be sitting up looking around than laying on a blanket.

When we are at Grandma's he gets to take a bath in the tub that Grandpa used to take baths in.  

He was enjoying himself.

Elijah likes to sit and watch Wyatt play.  It won't be long before they are both running around playing together and Wyatt's little brother or sister is the one sitting on Grandma's lap.