The Pumpkin Shirt

This morning I found myself longing for the days before Caden could talk.....I did not want him to have an opinion unless it agreed with mine! I admit, it was not my finest hour.
All I wanted was for Caden to wear the pumpkin shirt that I made him last year to school today. We talked about it all week and set the shirt (it's long-sleeved) out for today since it was supposed to be getting cold. He LOVED wearing the shirts I appliqued for him last year, but apparently they aren't cool anymore. Or he just didn't want to wear it to school today, I'm not sure. He told me that he could wear it on "Mommy/Caden day".
For those of you wondering what Mommy/Caden day is, it's Monday.
I'm off so Caden gets to stay home or do whatever I'm doing. It's just the two of us, hence the name "Mommy/Caden day". Anyway, I told him that he was wearing the pumpkin shirt, that he got to pick his clothes every day and Mommy wanted to have a turn today. That didn't work! He started crying big tears and I got mad. I'm slamming around the kitchen fuming to myself while fixing my coffee, and he's laying on the couch crying. I eventually yell at him to stop and dry it up. Then I'm even more mad because now not only am I mad at him, I'm mad at myself. Please tell me I'm not the only one who's done this!? Anyone?
I mumbled to myself, "It's just a stupid shirt! Give me a break and just wear the d*** thing!" And then I felt shamed. Yes, it is just a stupid shirt and he's three! Get over yourself, Arsella and put on your big girl panties!  I was being convicted. Okay Lord...
So I called him into the kitchen apologized for yelling and then made him a deal. He had to let me take some pictures of him in the pumpkin shirt to show everyone and then he could take it off and pick another shirt for school. So here he is, my sweet albeit rotten boy in his pumpkin shirt...and his dog, "Slimy".

Robot party favors

Caden has a halloween party at his day care on Monday. Everyone has to sign up to bring something for the party. I'm making slimy wormy jello cups....more on that later.
This time last year I learned that most of the kids brought little goodie bags or something to send home with each kid in the class after holiday parities. I was pretty upset when I realized that. I didn't make anything for Caden to give out because I didn't know I was supposed to. I felt like a horrible mom. Caden was two; he didn't know that he was the only one without goodie bags, but that didn't happen again! After several holidays, I realized that I really don't like the average goodie bag. It usually includes cheap toys that break or don't get played with and too much candy. Lots of times it's bad candy at that. Okay some of the candy is good, but it almost always has stuff in it that I don't let Caden have like gum or hard candies.
I decided that this year I wanted to do something different, something neat. I want to be the cool mom...the "gosh she's so creative" mom. Sometimes I succeed in living up to my inner crafty genius, but usually I don't. However this year, at least for Caden's school party, you can just call me "Martha". :)
Here's the robots I made for Caden to give to his friends instead of the average goodie bag.

 Adorable, right? Caden is very proud and ready to take these to school. Too bad he has to wait until Monday. :) 

They were actually really easy to make. Here's the breakdown: : 2 "googaly eyes", 2 Hershey's Nuggets, juice box, 2 airheads, 4 starbursts. Hot glue together. 

PS. If you are a teacher at Nana's house, or if your child in the "big kid class" please pretend that you didn't' see this post until after the party, okay? Thanks!

Taco Seasoning Mix

Is anybody else tired of buying packets of taco seasoning? Do you use it as much as I do? I love mexican food, and tacos are just an easy meal after a long day. Now I just make my own seasoning....bye bye little packets that get lost in my pantry. I love anything that I can make myself and anything that saves me money. This is easy and you'll be so glad you did it. 

Taco Seasoning Mix

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chili powder

1/4 cup onion powder

1/8 cup ground cumin

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp paprika

1 Tbsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a sealable container....tupperware, mason jar, whatever you have on hand will work. Shake the container to mix all of the spices together. I would recommend shaking before each use.

3 Tbsp = 1 packet of taco seasoning

Mexican Chicken Casserole

I looked at several different mexican casseroles online and I combined the best of them all into my own recipe. Jamie and Lynn said that the sauce reminded them of the sauce on the chicken quesadilla at Taco Bell. I eat mexican pizzas or crunch wrap supremes at Taco Bell so I wouldn't know about the sauce...All I know is that it tastes good!

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1 can rotel

1 1/2 c sour cream

2 1/2 Tbsp taco seasoning mix

1 bag flour tortillas

shredded cheddar cheese

Combine soups and sour cream in a large bowl. Add rotel and taco seasoning. Mix in chicken. 

In a greased 9x13 dish layer tortilla and chicken mixture starting and ending with tortillas. 

I did four layers of tortillas and three layers of chicken mixture.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese over the top.

Bake five more minutes or until cheese is melted.

It was pretty messy, but it may help if you let it rest for a little while before cutting. It was late and we were hungry so it only sat for about five minutes before I cut into it. :) Not the best for presentation, but it sure does taste good.

Spicy Chicken Lasagna Rolls

Lasagna is one of Jamie's favorite foods. It's not one of mine. This recipe appealed to me because it's different. It has chicken which is not something you normally find in lasagna, and I like chicken better than italian sausage. Everyone liked it so it's going into the recipe file to be used again and I'm going to share it with you. I hope your family likes it too.
I got the original recipe from an email from allrecipes.com, but I can't find it online now...sorry! Here's my version:

Spicy Chicken Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients:
2 jars spaghetti sauce
2 tsp italian seasoning
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
14 rinsed cooked lasagna noodles

I took this picture before I made everything and I realized after putting everything together that it needed more sauce so there's only one bottle pictured. The ingredient list is correct. 

This is about 2 cups of chicken which equates to two chicken breasts. I put a pack of four chicken breasts in my crock pot with a can of chicken broth to cook while I was at work. I shredded it when I got home and put half in the fridge for another meal. 

Boil noodles to al dente. You want them to be tender and flexible, but not mushy. Rinse the noodles in cool water after boiling and lay them out on wax paper or tin foil so they don't stick together.

Mix the spaghetti sauce, italian seasoning, and red pepper together in a bowl. 

In a separate bowl mix chicken, eggs, parmesan, ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of sauce mixture together.

Spoon mixture onto lasagna and roll up.

Put 1/2-1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 dish. I'm using Pampered Chef Stoneware. It's not really dirty...it just looks like that after it's been used as much as mine has. :) Place lasagna rolls seam side down on top of the sauce.

Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until heated through.

Sorry I don't have a picture of the finished product. Things got a little crazy around our house. I'll add one next time I make it, I promise.

what's for supper? leftover veggie soup

Jamie eats at Quarter Back Club on Monday nights so I try to cook something that he won't be sad to miss. I have chicken lasagna roll ups and mexican chicken casserole on the menu for this week, but I didn't want to make either of those without him. So I was standing in front of the fridge/freezer trying to come up with a good meal idea and it came to me....leftover veggie soup.
I was reading a blog or Facebook or something several moths ago and saw a clever idea. It was one of those moments where I thought, "Duh! Why have I not thought of this before?" It said to freeze leftover vegetables to make veggie soup. We have leftover veggies a lot at our house. I can't get Caden to eat vegetables for anything and Jamie isn't fond of much more than corn and green beans. I, on the other hand, am a veggie lover, but I'm not always a leftover veggie lover. So in the past most of the leftover veggies sat in the fridge until I threw them away. Now, they go into a freezer bag instead of into the fridge.
I started a gallon size bag, but I only filled about a third of it. I think a quart sized bag would be plenty for our family. I started my bag with leftover hormel pork roast. I bought one that was roast flavored when they were BOGO at Winn Dixie. I cooked it in the crock pot with some chicken broth and it was super salty!! It was a definite fail, but I figured it might be salvageable in some soup. I added green beans, corn, and butter peas to the bag from several different suppers. Tonight I used that bag. I started with a sautéed onion then dumped in the leftovers. I added a few things from the pantry: diced tomatoes, mushrooms, and beef broth. I added a couple cups of water and some tony chachere's creole seasoning. I added a little pepper too. Bring it all to a boil then simmer for a little bit (20 min at least). It turned out really good! I can't wait to have this again. I served it with 7up Biscuits. Yummy!

Homecoming 2011

Last night was Homecoming in Selmatown at Morgan and Meadowview. I hate when they plan things on the same night. It sure does make life difficult if you have somebody you love at both schools. 

I split up the night and went to Meadowview's game and then headed to be with Kendall and take a few photos while she was getting ready for the dance. 

It was really cold outside, but there's nothing like football, sweaters, scarves, toboggans, and hot chocolate.

Caden absolutely loves sports and is thrilled anytime he gets to go to a game. He actually watches the games and cheers louder than most adults. I love to watch him when he gets excited. He was so happy when we got there and his friend Grace was there with her family. He loves her big sisters just as much, but Grace is his running buddy. Their presence just made his night even more special. We love the Stulls!!

It was also Senior recognition night at MCS so I got to see Kelli, Wil, and DeVante give roses to their parents. This is My Uncle Matt, cousin Kelli, and Aunt Jennifer. 

Kelsey and Kelli were in homecoming court. I'm so proud of you both!! You are beautiful inside and out. These gorgeous girls are being escorted by their daddies, who were dressed in their finest too.

After half time we went to see the girls and take a few family photos. Kelli is one of Caden's favorite "big girls" and she happens to be one of my favorites too. I love you Kel!!! 

I bribed Caden with a drink for this gorgeous smile. Don't judge....he responds well to bribery and sometimes you just have to do what works.

After the third quarter I headed down the road to see Kendall. She's not blood related, but she's family none the less. I work with her Mom and she's a lot like a sister to me. I did miss seeing K's brother Hunter, but boys aren't as interested in having their mom or "their other mom" around. :) I know he had a great time and I'll get to see plenty of pics that his girlfriend's mom took. Here's Kendall begin silly....I guess she got tired of posing.

This was Kendall's first real dance. She's in 9th grade, but is often mistaken as being much older than she is. I want to lock her in a closet and keep her away from all the boys knocking on her door. :) I think her daddy will agree with me on that one.

She got ready at her friend's house with eight other girls. It was a whirlwind. Imagine....nine girls straight from a football game changing clothes while trying to get makeup and hair done, sisters and friends in and out trying to help as much as possible, and all the mommas running around with cameras and hairspray. It was wild, but I guess that's part of the fun. We did some pictures of the girls before their boys got there.

It's a tradition at Morgan that 9th graders rent a limo to take them to and from the Homecoming dance. I guess it's because they can't drive yet and nobody wants their momma to drop them off. I remember my 9th grade homecoming. I went with my childhood friend, Nathan. Wow, has it really been thirteen years?! Where does the time go?

Seven of these pretty girls left in the limo with their dates. Kendall and one other girl stayed behind because they were going with older boys who could drive. I know Kendall and Trevor were feeling like they were posing for the paparazzi since there were three of us snapping pictures at their every move. Here's my best posed shot of the two of them. Isn't she pretty? :) I love that girl!

I left Kendall at about 10:30. It was a twenty minute drive to where my sweet cousins, Kelli and Kristian, were getting ready for the Meadowview dance so I missed getting to see them since their lead out started at 11:30. I'm anxious to see pictures of them and their boyfriends. 

All in all it was a great night!

Today has been filled with cleaning, and tomorrow holds more of the same. We are in the process of getting all the junk out of our house and rearranging our bonus room into a part man cave, part craft room. Wish me luck!!

Mexican Chicken Soup

I am a fan of anything that can be cooked in a crockpot. I work full time and it's great when I can come home after a long day and not have to cook a full meal.

This soup is a new favorite in the Tellier household. I got this recipe in an email from all recipes. I've adapted it a little bit. You can find the original recipe here.

I started this recipe with leftover salsa chicken I had cooked in the crock pot. What is salsa chicken? It's really easy....chicken and salsa. Yep, that's it. Clever right? I usually do four chicken breasts with about one small jar of salsa. I tend to buy different kinds of salsa to see if I can find the perfect one, so every time I make this it tastes a little different. In this photo I used half black bean and corn salsa and half mild pace picante. Cook 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. After cooking, shred the chicken with a fork. Four chicken breasts makes enough for two pots of soup. So put half in the freezer for next time or use it to make chicken burritos or chicken taco salads. Both would be really yummy with this.

Mexican Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
salsa chicken
1 10oz bag of frozen corn
1 can of tomatoes
1 can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can chopped green chile peppers
1 can chicken broth
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of water
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice
a few dashes of texas pete

Okay so basically all you do is dump everything into a crock pot, but I'll walk you through what I did.
Jamie has a aversion to onions so I have to be sure that the onions are small enough that he doesn't notice them....shhh don't tell :) So I use my electric chopper to mince the onions after I roughly chop them.

As you can see from the ingredients picture, I used a can of whole plum tomatoes. I got them on clearance at my grocery store. You can use whatever you like. If I had not had those, I probably would've used petite diced tomatoes and just dumped them in. Jamie is also not a huge fan of tomatoes so just mashing the whole tomatoes was out of the question. I went back to my handy chopper and did the tomatoes in there also.

That was the hard part. All of the other cans can just be dumped in as is. Measure out the spices and add those too. Don't let this picture deceive you, add the corn in now too. I realized that I didn't have any frozen corn or canned corn so I had to add mine in later after I made a grocery store run on my lunch break. I would recommend checking to be sure you have all of the ingredients before you start....Learn from my mistakes :)

Easy Peasy, right? Here's what it looks like after everything's all mixed together and has been cooking all day.

The original recipe gives instructions on how to make your own tortilla strips to add to this soup. That's too much trouble for me. I don't think it would be worth my time so I just cheat a little. I just crunched up these and put them on the counter for everyone to add as much as they wanted to their bowl. Tortilla chips are a good option too.

Do what works for you though. That's what I love about cooking. It's adaptable to each individual cook and family. I've eaten this soup with and without the taco shells and it's great either way. Tonight I left the chips out and added cheese and sour cream. Yummy!!

the end of a chapter...

Today I have mixed emotions. Jamie and I have been the youth leaders at our church for the past four years. We officially stepped down on Sunday morning, and tonight will be the first Wednesday night youth group with the new leader. The new leader happens to be my good friend, Kristen. I know she will do a great job and she will definitely be in our prayers. We have walked through this journey and know how to pray for her. Jamie and I are going to stick around and help as needed, but our time "being in charge" is up.
We thought and really prayed about it and felt like this was the right thing to do....for us and for the youth. I had to really examine my feelings when Jamie and I discussed stepping down because I wasn't sure I wanted to let these guys go. We have put so much of ourselves into them and I struggled with feeling like I was being cheated. I even had a few moments when I felt like we were being kicked out. I know that's not the case but sometimes my pride swells up and gets in the way. My flesh was coming out in full force. I realized that I had a lot of repenting to do.... Now I can move on with a "happy heart." After taking a step back and really praying about things, I feel kind of like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I realized that I was feeling stressed about not giving our youth the time they deserved, and then getting mad because I didn't have the time I longed for. I had not been "giving it to God" and that is no way to live!
This time that God has had us being youth leaders has been quite a ride! We've learned a lot about ourselves, each other, and the teenagers in our care. Youth ministry is challenging stuff! I have so much more respect for those called to this ministry than I did before. There are good times and bad times, but this is different than anything I've ever been involved with.
Youth group is fun and difficult. We learned we needed to involve the kids in our lessons with a game, demonstration, or lively discussion for them to pay attention and get the point. You plan and prepare, and more times than not those plans get changed. One question or comment can take your carefully prepared lesson in an entirely different direction. A increase or decrease in expected attendance can render a game useless. We had a pretty small group of about 10-15 kids, and encouraged them to participate. Sometimes we could not get them to be quiet, but sometimes it was like pulling teeth to get them to answer questions.
Teen agers are remarkable! I've gotten to know our core group of kids pretty well. They can be so awesome one minute and then be full of attitude the next. They are emotional, but love so strongly. They are territorial, but loyal. They are always looking for something to do, and constantly on the go. They are ruled by their emotions. They evoke strong emotions in us as well. I am so encouraged by them sometimes and so frustrated by them at other times. Through it all, however, I have grown to love each one of them! One of the coolest parts of youth ministry is seeing the changes that take place in the kids. You get to watch them grow into adults and help shape their lives. It's as rewarding as it is challenging!!!

This photo is from the March for Life 2010 trip to Washington DC. 

We are going to miss "our kids" but we are looking forward to what God has for us in this next chapter of our lives! 

Fair Time

I loved taking Caden to the fair this year! He's old enough now to really enjoy the rides and he gets so excited about everything. Jamie and I took him to the Selma fair the first week of October. We had a lot of fun and enjoyed the fried oreos and "cozy dawgs". If you are from Selma, then you know the significance of "cozy dawgs", and if not then let's just say it's the best corn dog you'll ever eat. I really don't even like corn dogs but I always eat a "cozy dawg".

This past Saturday we went to the Alabama National Fair in Montgomery with my Dad. My brother, Johnathan, and his family met us there. Caden and their first born, Hannah, were born two months apart and are the best of friends. I think they were as excited to be together as they were to go to the fair. We were there for a good six hours and those kids rode and rode and rode.

          

Caden's favorite part was the pony ride. He was just beside himself when he saw "real live horsies" and was determined to ride them. Of course we agreed and he had a smile from ear to ear. He thought he was so big. He's all into cowboys right now. He wants to be a cowboy for his day care halloween party. He's so into it that I recorded Hey Dude on the DVR for him and he loves it. Do any of you 90's children remember that nickelodeon show?

We had a great time at the fair this year and can't wait until next year for some more fair food and fun.
Thanks Dad for the wonderful day in Montgomery!!

Six years!

My hubby and I had our sixth anniversary on Saturday. There are times when I feel like it was just yesterday that I was making plans and getting married....and there are other times when it feels like a lifetime ago.
I woke up to a dozen red roses and a very sweet card. I made nutella filled crescent rolls for breakfast...so yummy!! At noon we went to Foster's (our friends' little man) first birthday party. Caden loves Foster and says that he is going to teach him how to do "big boy things like baseball." They are nursery buddies at church. The party was a Curious George themed outside affair. The kiddos played and the grown ups got to visit. It was great! Kristen rocks...she is so creative and all the party decor was amazing. I'm sure she'll have pictures posted soon. Check out her blog here.
After the party we took little man home and went to Pratville for date night. We ate my favorite...sushi. Well, Jamie doesn't eat sushi, but he loves the habachi chicken and shrimp. It was delicious!
After supper we made a trip to Home Depot. Our house needs some updating, but we are having to take baby steps in that direction. Since our downstairs bathroom floor is falling apart and needs to be replaced we have been forced to start there. We picked up some ceramic tile for a great price, but I'm still thinking about paint colors. (I'll do my best to get before and after pictures of the bathroom.)  I also picked up some magnetic paint for a craft project/ Christmas present....I got started on that yesterday.
We saw the movie Courageous to round out our date night. It was a GREAT movie! I would highly recommend it, especially to all of the daddies out there. All in all our anniversary was a wonderful day!

It's fall y'all!

I LOVE FALL!! It's my favorite time of year. I love the leaves changing colors and the cooler weather. I love the smell in the air. I love boots and cardigans and jackets and sweaters and scarves. I love that it's "holiday season". I love seeing my boys in bluejeans and long sleeve button up shirts. I love pumpkins and pumpkin flavored things....especially pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks. Speaking of which my awesome hubby brought me the afore mentioned treat to work today. I love him! We'll be married 6 years tomorrow....more on that later. :) back to fall loving...This morning I decided that since it is officially fall I was breaking out the boots. Who cares that it's going to be in the upper 80's outside?! Ha! So boots it is :) All of you fall loving people will understand the need for fall even when it still feels a little summerish outside.
Happy Fall Everyone!