Emma's Birthday

Christmas Dresses

Fri-Chik and Tomato Risotto

Ingredients:
3 cups hot water
3 tsp. McKay's chicken seasoning
1 can Fri-Chik, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 oz. can mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbls butter
1 cup uncooked arborio rice
1 cup Ragu six cheese spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Add McKay's chicken seasoning to water; set aside. In a large skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and garlic in butter until crisp-tender. Add rice; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Carefully stir in 1 cup warm broth. Cook and stir until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow the liquid to absorb between additions. Cook until risotto is creamy and rice is almost tender. (Cooking time is about 20 minutes.)

Stir in the spaghetti sauce, cheese and Fri-Chik; cook and stir until thickened. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

Apple Pancakes with Cider Syrup

I decided after 5 years of blogging about the kids, I would add some recipes to the site! These are just good ones we've found over the years. This is what we had this morning.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup applesauce
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1 whole egg
4 tsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Syrup:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
2/3 cup apple juice
1 cinnamon stick
dash gound nutmeg

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients; set aside. Combine the buttermilk, egg, butter applesauce and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients.

Pour by heaping 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot griddle coated with cooking spray; turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until the second side is lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and cider until smooth; add cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Discard cinnamon stick. Stir nutmeg into syrup. Serve pancakes with warm syrup and additional butter if desired.

More Snow

He just loves me taking pictures of him! :)










Check out the leaf for a nose!

Happy New Year!

Family Time

We've enjoyed Christmas, spending special time with loved ones. The girls love dressing up, regardless of the weather, or holiday!

Christmas Time is Here

Christmas Eve we let them open one present.





Bitty Twins!



Emma's favorite present was her Ariel doll and horse from Uncle Jason and Aunt Su.






Lily's favorite present was this obnoxious laughing dog from Uncle Matthew.

Portraits of Sledding

Sledding Time Is Here

This is Emma and Lily sledding with their friends Aidan and Mica. Let me just say it's hard to video sledding--and I thought more than once that I was going to get run into! Luckily we all made it unscathed! :)

Sledding

Crafts

Crafty Emma made an Emma snow-woman and a Lily snow-woman.
Crafty Lily made a Lily penguin.

Silly Girls

Ready for church

Silly Lily