Crawling at 8 months

As of Saturday my little boy has finally started crawling! He did the army crawl for maybe 5 days and then decided enough was enough and figured out the hands & knees crawling. Go Wesley!

Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled cheese croutons

Ok here it is. The amazing Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe.

Original Recipe from Family Fun

Ingredients

• 6 cups (3 pints) cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 cup milk

I made a few changes though. **I didn't use whipping cream like the original recipe called for. I used half n half but milk is a much better choice. Use what you have. **I also only had 1pint of cherry tomatoes, so I used 6 regular sized tomatoes instead and cut them into good sized chunks. **Added minced garlic instead of fresh and added a bit more pepper.

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°. On a baking sheet, combine the cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the salt and pepper. Toss the ingredients to coat evenly and spread them in a single layer. Roast the tomatoes until they are shriveled with brown spots, about 35 to 45 minutes.
   
2. In a large pot, heat the butter and the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, the broth, the thyme, and the roasted tomatoes, including any liquid on the baking sheet. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes.
   
3. Using a food processor or blender, puree the soup until it's smooth. Return it to the pot and stir in the cream. Without letting the soup boil, warm it over medium heat, stirring often, until steaming. Add salt and pepper, if necessary.
   
4. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with Grilled-Cheese Croutons. Makes about 10 cups. 
   
    

Grilled Cheese Croutons

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme

• 6 thin slices of bread
• 3 ounces Cheddar, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, combine the butter and thyme. Spread one side of each bread slice with the butter mixture. Place 3 slices in the pan, buttered side down. Top with the cheese, then with the remaining 3 bread slices, buttered side up. Cook, turning once, until toasted on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
   
2. Remove the sandwiches from the pan. Let them cool slightly, then cut them into 1-inch squares. Makes about 60 croutons.

If you make this let me know what you think!!

Kickin' Wyoming Turkey Chili

I made this amazing chili tonight. I got the idea originally from here, but I wanted to add my own twist to things. First of all we LOVE chili so I always make extra for later.

Kickin' Wyoming Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground turkey
• 8oz of tomato paste
• 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
• 12oz can beer
• 1 14.5 oz can water 
• 1 cup salsa
• 14.5oz can black beans
• 14.5oz can light kidney beans
• 28oz can diced tomatoes
• half an onion chopped
• 2 tbsp minced garlic 
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 4 stalks celery chopped
• 2 fresh jalapenos chopped
• 1 tsp EVOO 
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cayenne
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground mustard
• bunch of shakes of hot sauce (i used the stuff I gave out as my wedding favors)
  
• 1 tsp brown sugar

Directions:

1.  In a large pan brown ground turkey. Season with a little pepper and chili powder.
2. Add onion, garlic, celery, jalapenos, and bell pepper. Cook until soft or atleast almost soft.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well mixed.
4. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30-45min. Leave lid cracked a bit. 

Serve with sour cream and shredded cheese. Yum.

Serves 8 or more.

When I use spices I really don't like to measure. I add what I think is good but you can put as much or as little in as you want. I add the sugar because it helps with the tomato tartness. I love spicy but its not so much that I can't taste the greatness. I also only used the jalapeno seeds from 1 pepper not both.

**also the beer makes the chili extra tasty!!**

If you make this recipe, please let me know how you like it and any improvements that you made!

Any other awesome chili recipes?

A little bit of everything

I am finally obsessed with blogging. Actually I don't blog that much, and I wish I had more time to blog. But of course that will come when I'm finished with school...maybe..

I am subscribed to 138 blogs..and its still growing! LOL. I spend literally hours reading, getting craft ideas, find new sources of inspiration, etc. Its wonderful! I also need to network outside of cyberspace. I'm not very good at that.

But I have been thinking about Xmas ideas and how to give on a low budget..this is why these blogs are so important because they are showing me tricks on amazing gifts without spending a lot. Plus I love to make things even though buying something is easier, it doesn't mean as much. And with wesley I can use his little hands and feet for numerous projects! Hopefully I can start working on things soon!

Aside from me Wesley really surprises me everyday with new things he is learning. He loves to push doors closed, especially the office door. He is trying to pull himself up by the coffee table or atleast grab things on there. He still doesn't crawl but he will soon I just know it.

Some of the things he loves:

• Eating - anything mommy and daddy eat, Mum Mums, cheerios, bananas, any fruit or vegetable, yogurt melts.
• Dancing - rocking back and forth on hands & knees, while sitting, jumping up and down in bouncer or on anyones lap.
• Bathtime - splashing water, eating ducky
• Swinging - at the park
• Playing with doors and heater vents

Doesn't like:

• Bedtime: when mommy puts him to bed and leaves the room.
• Diaper changes (for the most part): would rather be moving around and doing something else
• Meat: doesn't eat the baby meats unless I trick him and mix it with a vegetable.
• Being told no: especially when biting mommy

• He gets impatient during meal times. Can't serve him fast enough! LOL. He will goof around and thrust himself backwards as hard as possible when he is in his high chair. I have to hold him to get him to stop. When I tell him to stop he laughs. When I'm even more serious he laughs more. He gags himself because he will rock back and forth without swallowing his food first.

• He is hesitant around other people. I need to get him out more.

• He has only had 1 temp since he was born and it was due to vaccinations and teething combined. He regurgitated in his sleep after his H1N1 shot, but otherwise he has not been sick at all and I am so thankful he is healthy! Yay for breastfed only babies.

Better go to sleep so I can be rested for tomorrow. I need to get homework done for my art class and start the 3rd and final section of political science.

I wanted to list a few of my favorite sites:

• Katherine Marie Photography Blog (she is an amazing crafter and photographer!)
  
• Not Martha (love!)_
• Deviant Art (i love art. so i love to look at everyone elses art)
  
• Wholesome Baby Food (so handy for diy babyfood)
  
• Family Fun (i love their craft and gift ideas.)

Oh and wesleys halloween costume! He was the cat in the hat. Next year I am making it! No more store bought costumes for me.

Happy Howl-o-ween

We finished up our pumpkins this morning. It was fun doing something other than a face. Kyle carved the wolf howling and I carved the panther.

Click the image to see it at full size

Wesley had fun playing with the seeds and stringy stuff. He didn't want to stick his hand in though. I'll post pics after the weekend is over.

Tomorrow is going to be fun. My grandma flew in before the 2ft of snow hit denver tuesday. Good timing! I haven't seen my sister since our wedding in May and she is now 25 or so weeks pregnant with a little boy. I'm excited to see her and for everyone to see how big Wesley has gotten. Were all having a turkey dinner at my dads.

Where did October go?!

I am definitely overdue for a post! I've been spending so much time on editing photos, and getting my company webpage together I've neglected an update.
Wesley is already 7-1/2 months old! Some of his favorite things to do is to get into everything. He can't crawl yet, but when he is on his belly he turns himself around and pushes himself to things he wants with his feet or hands. This has been something hes been doing for awhile now. He loves to bang on the keyboard. I have an extra one lying around and he yells at it and figures out different sounds he can make with it..so cute.
He is still a rocker..He dances to his music, or when I sing to him..rocking and jumping are ultimately his favorite activity!
Sleeping can sometimes be a struggle. He doesn't always take his naps and when he doesn't he a big crab the whole day. Whether or not he sleeps I still lay him down in his crib and put on his music, which usually works, but not always. Sometimes I think its due to his teething. He has 3 teeth in and 2 more close to coming in.

We went to visit Grandpa Jud on Tuesday. Wesley is a great traveler usually except for this time towards the end of the trip to Fort Collins he wanted to cry the whole time. Even with his binky in his mouth. He had already eaten and had a diaper change...the teething gets the best of him. I must say though he really is a trooper and a great baby. Food is never an issue. Hes an excellent eater. He will try anything I give him. Most of the time though he is impatient and won't wait for me to get it ready. When your hungry your hungry!
I did give him some chicken the other day. FUNNY...when he took a bite he didn't swallow it, or do anything. He let it sit in his mouth and gave me the "what the $@#* was that" look. I'm going to try again next week with a different meat.

There really isn't any other news. Both of our classes are going well and life is still pretty much the same. Very excited for Halloween next weekend. We didn't even carve pumpkins this year. We didn't last year either. Were so boring lol. Next year for sure when Wesley is older. But I'm going to take him downtown to trick or treat..mainly to show off his costume and to get out of the house, and go with a friend and her daughter that night trick or treating. I do have a cute picture of Wesley in his 1st Halloween outfit Grandma Kim got him. I'm going to take some pictures of him in the Cat in the Hat costume this week.

And as always please check out my website.
http://www.cmwdesign.weebly.com

I also forgot to add that we had a really big snow on Oct 10th and we took Wesley outside for the first time. He enjoyed it and can't wait to take him outside more this winter.

Photography and design business....

So I'm finally getting my photography and design blog put together. I still have to add my examples, but I'm working on it. Everything was on my old computer and with my new one I'm slowing moving everything over. I plan on getting my own server here soon so I can have my own personal website and get advertising and that sort of thing.

Plus I'm working on different logo designs. This one is just something I'm using for now. Its ok and the font I customized myself but it needs something more. Font size bigger and I'm not sure about the square. Or even the picture of my son. But once I get a few finished I'd like some feedback please =)

Check it out!