Parenting is so FUN!

I finally got to say one of those "parent sayings"...ya know, like "I walked to school in the snow, uphill BOTH ways!" My sweet girl is writing a paper comparing adoption and abortion and came to me and said, "Can I just finish this as I type it? Writing it out is taking soooo long." She was a little put out that I told her that she must continue to write it out on paper before typing her final draft. I informed her that when I was in school, we didn't get to type anything out on a computer, we had to actually WRITE~WITH A PEN~EVERYTHING. Imagine the torture I went through. Seriously, did they really expect that of us? How did I ever manage?

Spinach Artichoke Dip

ingredients:

8 oz pkg. cream cheese (softened)
14 oz frozen artichoke hearts(canned is fine)
1/2 C. spinach frozen, chopped, drained
1/2 C. mayo
1/2 C. parmesan cheese
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 C. mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 tsp garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Cream together mayo and cream cheese. Add parmesan, garlic, basil, and garlic salt. Mix well. Add the artichoke hearts and spinach. Mix until blended. Pour dip in pie plate(I use my Pampered Chef pie stone) and top with mozzarella. Bake for 25-30 minutes until top is browned. Serve with toasted bread or tortilla chips.

Stuffed Poblanos

Chicken Stuffed Poblanos

Cook 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast(seasoned with salt/pepper), dice. Saute onion(about half an onion) and two cloves of garlic in olive oil until tender. To diced chicken breast, add 1 cup monterrey jack cheese, 2 tbls cilantro, onion/garlic, and diced tomatoes.
Roast poblanos in broiler until blackened. Place peppers in a ziplock bag and steam for 5-10 minutes. Peel skin off. Cut open lengthwise and scoop seeds out. Stuff each pepper with chicken mixture and top with more cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. YUM!!

Making Grandpa Proud

My father-in-law passed away recently and his wife passed his rifle down to Jeff. Hatley has been itching to go out to the country to shoot it. We went to my parent's farm on Labor Day so that he could try out the gun. Jeff and Hatley went out in the woods to look for something to shoot. Jeff lifted up a piece of tin behind the cabin that is on the backside of my parent's land. They were surprised to find a nest of copperhead snakes!! They killed 8 total. I have never met anyone more afraid of snakes than Grandpa Riggins. He would jump if he saw one on TV. He would be very proud of Hatley for using his gun to rid the world of some snakes!!

Politics on the Farm

My dad has always followed politics very closely. His goat had babies a few months ago while the democratic party was still trying to pick a candidate. Naturally, their names had to reflect this...


Hilary and Obama- with their mother



My dad is quite the comedian and obviously NOT a democrat!

Peace and Chaos

I love the song Something Heavenly by Sanctus Real (see on my playlist). We've had this CD since it first came out and I love every song on it, but this song just stands out to me. I finally got to ride in the car ALONE (rare thing) and heard the words, I mean really heard them for the first time. I teared up, knowing this phrase so describes what God's been doing in me lately: "It feels like chaos, but somehow there's peace." WOW! He's been teaching me and stretching me in new ways and I fight it at times. Why do I do that? I know His way is best, yet I fight. In my mind there's this chaos because I don't know where I'm headed, but in my heart there's peace because I know the ONE I am following. So simple, but so complex at the same time. Chaos and peace don't sound like they belong together, yet they do.

GREAT DEALS tomorrow at Old Navy

Ya'll know how I like a bargain (and like to share the deals)...tomorrow at Old Navy, kids jeans are only $7 and adults $12. Those are GREAT prices!! Happy shopping!