Christmas Recap

It's hard to believe that the whirlwind that is December is almost over! In a month's time we have 3 birthdays, Christmas and our anniversary. It's always crazy, but we love it and have enjoyed every minute of it! We had a wonderful Christmas here in Indy and for the first time in a long time, it was just the four of us. Since Christmas Eve and Christmas fell on the weekend I had both days off-WOO HOO! I spent Christmas Eve morning cooking and then we took the girls to see Chipwrecked. We finished the evening with our traditional Italian dinner and the girls opened their Christmas Eve jammies. Then the reindeer food was sprinkled on the lawn, treats put out for Santa, the reindeer, Santa Mouse and good-bye treats for our scout elf Elfie. Everyone "slept in" until 7:34 and we spent the morning opening gifts, eating yummy breakfast treats and watching movies. The hubby and I were even blessed with great weather and went for a run.

Without a doubt the BEST DAY EVER!

Santa is always so thoughtful and always leaves his gifts unwrapped and out of their packages, ready to play. Both girls were very excited to see the toys from their lists. Logan was EXTREMELY surprised to see the girl nutcracker she desperately wanted, but never told Santa about. We decided that Elfie must have told Santa she was extra good and really, REALLY wanted it.

Santa was pretty lucky this year. Each girl had a small and reasonable list.

NoJo: Lalaloopsy Doll, pink stroller for her baby and a snow globe

Lo: Zhu Zhu Pet bunny and a Lalaloopsy Doll

...and then the opening began...

Lo had been eyeing this huge present all month!

She was beyond excited to find an "American Girl Doll" and horse set from Nana and Poppa!

She quickly gave it to Daddy and requested he open it for her! It didn't take long for Lily Anna to be set free!

This was the gift Noa couldn't wait to open. She kept moving it around the Christmas tree all week and kept confirming that the big red present with the "H" and "O" on it was really for her!

I wish we had taken video of her opening her gift because it was hilarious! She was so genuinely surprised and excited. She LOVED her new car seat for her baby Caroline from Grandma!

...and Daddy is still trying to open the rest of Lo's first gift...

Another HUGE hit?....The Wuggle Pets from Nana and Poppa. Logan kept saying over and over (and over and over and over), "I asked Santa for them and he didn't bring them but that's okay because Nana and Poppa got them for us!!!!" (It's important that you read that sentence really, really fast and in an high pitched squeal.) I think the look on Noa's face says it all!

...and Daddy is still going...

Something that was really special this year were the handmade gifts Lo made for the family. She did this all completely on her own and wrapped each one. She was so proud to hand them out.

...and how's Daddy doing? FINALLY she is free!!! Now if you can just get the accessories out too...

Since Daddy literally spent most of Christmas morning "freeing" toys from their plastic packaging we decided to let him open a gift.

It's true what they say about kids and their gifts...they like playing with the packaging more than the gift itself!

He was beyond excited for not one, but TWO bottles of his favorite hot sauce Cholua.

Two bottles of Chulula...that should last him about a month...

It was a wonderful morning! The girls spent the rest of the day playing with their new things and doing lots and lots of art projects! 

We forgot to take a family picture this year, but this one of the girls is my favorite from the day! Everyone is happy and actually looking at the camera at the same time!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season with your family and that many memories were created and shared! 

Thanks for checking in,

K

Angela's Awesome Enchiladas

As you know, earlier this week we celebrated the hubby's bday. We love quite a few of the same things and Mexican food is definitely at the top of that list. When I saw Angela's Awesome Enchiladas on AllRecipes I knew I had to try it! I'm so glad I did. It was a HUGE hit with the family, and you can bet we won't be waiting for another birthday to make them again!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat, cut into chunks
• 1 (10.75oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies, drained
• 1 (1.25oz) package mild taco seasoning mix
• 1 bunch green onion, chopped, divided
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 5 (12 inch) flour tortillas **I used 9 in tortillas and they fit perfectly in my 9x13 dish**
• 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
• 1 (10oz) can Enchilada sauce **I used two so the enchiladas wouldn't dry out**
• 1 (6oz) can sliced black olives

Directions

Place the chicken in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the chicken pieces are no longer pink, about 10 minutes. (**I cooked my chicken breasts in the oven. If you do this just make sure not to over cook because you will be cooking the enchiladas in the oven, you don't want dry chicken**)Shred chicken by placing two forks back to back and pulling meat apart. Set the shredded chicken aside. Meanwhile, combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and chili powder in a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, then turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, chopped green chilies, taco seasoning, half of the green onion and water. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, onion powder, and garlic powder; simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stir 1 cup of the soup mixture into the skillet with the chicken mixture. Spread the remaining soup mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Fill each tortilla with the chicken mixture. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the chicken filling before folding the tortillas, reserving half of the shredded cheese for topping the enchiladas. Fold tortillas over the filling and place seam-side down in the prepared pan.                                   

Pour enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Cover with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the reserved chopped green onions and the sliced olives on top of the cheese. 

Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 25 minutes. 

Enjoy! We served them with homemade corn tortilla chips (stay tuned for the how-to) and sour cream. The recipe made 7 ENORMOUS enchiladas, leaving plenty for left-overs the next day.

i ♥ iBeani

Even though Christmas is right around the corner, it's not too late to find that perfect gift for the runner in your life. I was super excited when I heard about the iBeani when watching Kathie Lee and Hoda a few weeks ago. I knew it would be the most awesome birthday gift for the hubby!!!

The concept is simple, hats and headbands with built in headphones. The headphones are flat so no more discomfort or earbuds poking out. They are easy to put in and take out, and, according to the hubby, the sound quality is great!

I chose the 13.1 dry-fit beani. It's very form fitting, but you still can't see the headphones. It's going to be perfect for cold morning runs.

Not all their products are designed for outdoor sports. They have a few (The Boarder is my fav) that are super stylish. 

All the hats and headbands are plain and can be customized with iron-on patches and designs that you can purchase at your local craft store. They make the perfect stocking stuffer! Anyone would be excited to find an iBeani under the tree!

Happy shopping and thanks for checking in!

Stuff Your Stockings

Stuffing stockings is one of my favorite Christmas traditions. For us it's usually trinkets that you totally don't need, but love to have. I always find nail polish, lip gloss, fuzzy socks and my favorite candy in mine. The hubby and I L-O-V-E spicy foods so there is usually a bottle of Cholula in there too. Before the hubby found out he was allergic to peanuts he could always count on a delicious jar of gourmet peanut butter from Peanut Butter & Co.

Their products used to only be available on-line but now you can usually find them at your local grocery store (check out their store locator to find them near you).

They have awesome flavors like White Chocolate Wonderful and Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, but our absolute favorite is this one:

So de-lish and oh so spicy! I used to use it as a marinade for chicken a lot-YUM! I miss it's wonderfulness! 

They make jellies and Fluff too and have a few different package for the peanut-butter-lover in your life!

Quick Trick

I just learned the coolest trick. It's totally exciting and it's going to change your life. If you happen to already know this, than shame on you for not telling me about it because water boiling over is the bane of my existence.

I came across this trick when lost in Bloggerland:

(Say hi to Buddha, he watches over me while I cook)

I have no idea where it came from so I can't give them credit, but the point is I did not come up with this on my own. Who knew that putting a wooden spoon over a pot of water will keep it from boiling over?!?!?!

Ya know what? It TOTALLY works!!!

No more cleaning up watery messes!!! It's like Christmas came early!

Ranch Oyster Crackers

For most people the holiday season signals the time to start baking. Not me. I think I've mentioned it before, I am NOT a baker. You need to be precise and exact. I'm more the "throw stuff in" kind of cook. I do have a few favorites that I "bake" each Christmas and I'll be sharing them with you as we start making them here.

Today I'm sharing a recipe from one of my favorite food groups, SNACKS! I could seriously live-off of snacks and appetizers. This one is super quick and easy to make. It's loved by grown-ups and kids making it perfect for any holiday get-together. You might want to make two batches because they go quick!

There are a ton of versions out there, I used {THIS} one. Feel free to throw in your favorite dried herbs or spices.

Source

Here's what you need:

• 1/4 cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
• 1 Packet of Ranch Dressing Mix
• 1 Teaspoon Dried Dill Weed
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• Salt to Taste (I didn't add any, I think it's salty enough without it)
• Bag or Box of Oyster Crackers

Heat oven to 250 degrees.

Mix the first five ingredients in a large bowl. Then add the Oyster Crackers and stir to coat well.

Cook in oven for 15 minutes, gently stirring every 5 minutes or so. Allow to cool and store in a airtight container.

Make sure you have lots of holiday mints on hand...these give you FAB-U-LOUS breath...but it's totally worth it!!!

Where In The World Is Elfie?

We've had so much fun finding our little Elfie each morning. She has quite a sense of humor and has come up with some silly spots! I wanted to share a few of the highlights for the week.

Remember my Mason Jar Snow globes? The girls are still trying to figure out how she got in there!

She was very sweet and left Noa a special message on her birthday.

 The girls loved her beautiful swirly elf handwriting.

This may be their favorite Elfie sighting so far. She even put on a fancy Barbie dress for the occasion.

She really likes hiding in things.

Today she was found reading to her friends. That Elfie, she's so thoughtful!

It's been such a fun adventure and we can't wait to see where she'll pop up next!