Matthias Fisher Leonard, age 4

thank you, thank you for your recipe ideas! i am so inspired. tonight we are having white chili for dinner–recipe courtesy of Heather. Here’s the scoop…

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

No kidding, this recipe is dump and heat, so it takes no more than 5 minutes! and it’s oh.so.good

In a large pot, empty:
a 48 oz. jar of Great Northern Beans-undrained (I use Randall brand),
1 jar of salsa (your favorite brand),
4 cups of sharp cheddar cheese;shredded,
chicken (I use 2 cans of chicken breast, drained, and break up the chunks with my fingers) or you can use some pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded.

Heat all ingredients over medium-high heat until cheese is melted completely. I never thin this out because it’s a great consistency as is, but you can always add a bit of water or broth if you’d like it thinner.
I serve with green onions and sour cream as condiments and also love to scoop this up with fritos!

I’ll let you know what the family thinks!

And winners for the kisses and hugs necklace!! I loved reading your comments. I seriously wish I could give each of you a necklace. I think we all agree, Traci in Virginia deserves a kiss and hug. So Traci, send me your address and we’ll get your necklace out. The other two winners were randomly chosen at random.org

Drum roll, please!!

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2009-01-12 00:33:43 UTC

And those numbers translate to…

Katherine who said
I need a kiss and hug to cheer me up. I’m just having one of those off weeks, know what I mean?

and Alicia Cornell who said
Sick kids, lots of extra laundry. But, I agree that my struggles are nothing compared to Traci in Virginia. Please give her one. And Traci, if you’re reading, my prayers are with you.
Blessings
Alicia

Yay winners! Send me your address and we’ll get your necklaces in the mail! Happy Monday!!

i’m trying to get better about taking a weekend and working less. I need to let my brain rest. This weekend I had two bridal showers and one great date. I also managed to squeeze in some chocolate chip pancakes, a couple loads of laundry and a few great conversations. So refreshing!!

These pics are of our sweet friend, Ashlynn learning to skate. Monday I’ll post the winners for the ‘Hugs & Kisses Necklace’. Hope you’re taking time to enjoy yourself!!

Now that the holidays are over, I need to start making regular dinners again. Steve was willing to eat takeout in December, but the man needs some good home cooking now! Matty’s offered to help, but most of the ingredients are plastic (it’s just as filling!). So I’m looking for some easy recipes. Emphasis on the easy!!

toast with jam. cool air. bright sun. warm scarf. giggling boys. puzzles on the floor. keyboard solos. avoiding dirty dishes. creating something beautiful instead.

what does your wednesday look like??

i’m not actually planning to kiss you. well, unless you’re my husband reading this. or maybe daniel craig. but anyway…

this new necklace is sweet and so beautiful. one charm is round, one is square and each are stamped with an ‘X’ or an ‘O’. hmmm…this might be just the thing for valentine’s day!!

and we are giving two away! so leave us a comment and make your case for why YOU deserve a kiss and a hug.

and of course, you can shop HERE.

we had such a wonderful holiday. first family came to visit at our home, then we drove down to southern california for some time with my brother and his sweet girls (the ones eating the ice cream cone). in between we squeezed in a quick trip to fresno for some time with nana and papa. they boys had so.much.fun. they could hardly stand it!!

today is our first monday morning of the new year. back to school and our regular routine. feels good to have a fresh start! we’ve got a something new for tomorrow so check back!!

we took the cousins tubing in the snow yesterday. it was so fun!! they had a ball. unfortunately our car died going down the mountain (luckily we were right near a pullout). 9 hours, two tow trucks, one very expensive cab ride and two tired kids later we arrived home!!
safe and sound thankfully!