Ringing in the new year

Happy new years eve! It is a blistery -3 degrees outside- which is expected to be the high for today. Sigh. We've had an exceptionally cold December, and I'm really hoping January will be a bit warmer. I can only dream, right? As we ring in the new year, I have some New Year's Resolutions that I would like to share:
1. Eat healthier!!! This is the big one. I cook every night anyways, so we might as well make them healthy. I've done some research online, and I found a ton of good, healthy filling recipes. Filling is the big one. Sometimes Chad and I eat something healthy and we're hungry a half-hour later. That's where the snacks come out- a recipe for disaster. I went grocery shopping for the next week and bought all sorts of healthy snacks and ingredients and I only spent $45! Whoever says that eating healthy costs more money- I'm gonna have to call them on that one! Also, I got a wok for Christmas, so I definitely want to do more stir fry and wok cooking. Can't go wrong with veggies, meat and a little sauce!
2. Get my life organized. Some days I feel like I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Step 1: Buy a planner. I have a calendar at home, but I need something more than that. I am in the process of getting a new job (fingers crossed!) and that requires more organization as well.
3. Communicate better. This one has to do with an unfortunate incident that occurred over the Christmas season that I'd rather not get into. I need to make sure everyone is on the same page.




Finally, here is a picture of Emily on Christmas day, playing with a few of her new toys!:

Merry Christmas!

She is getting really good at coloring!

Doesn't she kind of look like a starfish here!?

Her new cozy coop!!

All the great-grandchildren on my mom's side! This was the best picture anyone could get! (From left): Grace, Carter, Emily, Paul, Emma, Parker, Izzy, and Wyatt.

Emily's Fall Photo Shoot

Emily had pictures taken in October and they turned out so adorable! Thank you to Kathryn Rose Images for taking them! I had a great experience with her and I would highly recommend her! Here they are:

Creamy Garlic Pasta

So anyone who has ever lived with me knows that I have my favorite meals and I pretty much stick to them. As of about a year ago, I have a new favorite dish to prepare, and I'd love to share! This recipe is from Pinterest, via a blog called The Cheese Pusher. Warning: it has a lot of garlic, but that is the point! Keep in mind that in the pictures, I am making a half batch. Also, adding chicken to the mix doesn't hurt!

Creamy Garlic Pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 tea salt, 1/2 tea pepper
3 Cups chicken stock
angel hair pasta or spaghetti
1 c grated parmesan cheese
3/4 c heavy cream
2 Tbsp parsley

In a pot, bring olive oil to med-low heat- add garlic. Cook 1-2 mins.

Add butter. Mix until melted. Add salt, pepper, and stock. Bring to a boil. Add pasta and let cook.

Turn heat to medium and add parmesan- let melt. Turn off heat and stir in cream and parsley.

Serve immediately. 

Enjoy!!

Photo Dump

I think the time has come. I have a ton of miscellaneous pics that I'm ready to share ;) But first, a few tidbits:
Emily has been talking! A little. She has a vocabulary of approximately 5 words ;) Her first 2 words were (surprise!) "mama" and "dad" (pronounced like dawd). Her word for grandma changes daily from "ga" to "ma", and her word for Auntie Jess is "Ah Jish". She can also say "doggie"... pronounced like "doggay". Also she says "ish" for fish (she has a betta and loves "The Little Mermaid")  How these words came about is we have a little photo album for her with pics of all the family, and I point them out to her. She now takes my finger and points for me! Super cute!
Secondly, Emily will be joining a play group! It is through the Family Resource Center here in Eau Claire. We stopped in the other day, and what a cool place! The playroom is absolutely amazing. Emily jumped right in and went crazy. I asked the lady who runs it what the minimum age group is for the play group, and she said, "well, we recommend 18 months or older, but I'm looking at her right now and how she's playing, and she'll do just fine!" Thats my girl! The funny thing is that she always finds the most random things to play with. The first thing she grabbed was a stethoscope and put it around the back of her neck (that sounds bad, but I promise, its harmless how she does it!) and then pushed around a mini baby cradle.
Also, I thought that I might update you on my 26 Acts of Kindness that I had started almost a year ago to honor the Newtown victims. Just an fyi: I finished all the acts. Truth is, I forgot that I was posting them on here. But I promise, I did finish them.
Ok, now to the pictures. First. about a month ago, we went to a Fall Festival at a local apple orchard. It was freezing cold and was misting the whole time, but we were determined to make it fun! It was right around my birthday, so that was what I wanted to do to celebrate. Emily loved the animals, and sat (relatively) still for the hayride!:

Next on the list is our anniversary pics. We started a tradition where we trade off planning our anniversary, so I take the odd years and Chad takes the even years. Last year, Chad really knocked it out of the park and took us to Frankenmuth, a small town in Michigan that had a Bavarian feel. So I knew that this year, I had to go big or go home. After deciding via my pharmacy co-workers that there was nothing to that scale here in Eau Claire, I decided on Stillwater! Good call, Annie! (I would like to add that we save the trips as a surprise. We don't tell each other where we are going. I'm very bad at secrets, though, and usually end up letting a few things slip!) We went to a brewery cave tour called Luna Rossa, which was very cool, and then had an Italian dinner. After that, we enjoyed the sights of the town! Here are some pics: 

Lastly, these are some more pics from Jess and Eric's wedding (these are from the rehearsal dinner):

Oh my gosh, I think that might be it! Also, we are looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving this year. We make a big dinner regardless if we have people to share it with, so we might as well share! My parents and my sister will be joining us for our turkey festivities! 

Am I famous now? ;)

So I was on the news yesterday, which is pretty cool. I was interviewed about vasospasms that I had after I had a ruptured aneurysm in 2009. Although the interview was 5-10 minutes long, they only included a little bit of it (classic journalism, right!?) Here is the link:

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/video?clipId=9522125&topVideoCatNo=237345&autoStart=true

Later that night, I asked Chad to get me a water, and he told me (politely) to get it myself. I responded with, "but...I'm a celebrity!" He didn't buy it. Darn. ;)

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Annie, Chad and SIMBA:

I couldn't help but buy this outfit when I found out it had a tail. We're only doing a few houses tonight, but she's still having fun being a lion today!
Yesterday, however, was a different story. I had been under the weather earlier this week, and she seemed to have caught my "bug". She had a runny nose, cough, etc. After taking a 4-HOUR nap, she woke up out of sorts. As I picked her up, she looked woozy, her eyes were glass, and she was super pale. Then she proceeded to throw up all over herself and me. I've always been afraid of how I'd react if that happened, but I went into full-on mommy mode. The poor girl had no idea what had just happened, and she seemed very scared- totally understandable! We spent the rest of the day cuddling and in the tub. Chad picked up meds on the way home- Pedialyte, Tylenol, Vicks Vapor Rub- the whole bit! But, in true Emily style, she woke up this morning smiling! Whew! Moral of the story: you know you're a mother when you get thrown up on but don't shower until your baby is OK.

Just a few cute pics to share...

New Disney Princess PJ's!

Waiting for their dad to come home!

Emy watching grandpa work

Emy's first sucker! (Don't worry: the car's not moving!)

Safety

I had previously posted pictures of Emily in her new front-facing carseat, since she was one year old and she weighed at least 20 pounds. I had also posted it on Instagram. After I posted it, I received numerous comments, most of them from people who I didn't know, saying that I was putting Emily in danger by being forward-facing at such a young age. One mother even accused me of not installing the carseat correctly. Needless to say, it was quite the wake-up call. I cannot believe how quickly things change when it comes to baby gear!

It's Soup Season!

For those of you who went to our wedding, you should know that Fall is my favorite season! The changing colors, the lower temperature, the pumpkin-scented everything, and best of all...soup! Soup is seriously the best thing in the world, and once fall hits, it is acceptable to pull out the recipes again! I am going to share a few of my favorites:

Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup

The nice thing about this recipe, other than its simplicity, is that it can be made so many different ways. You can add veggies to it if you'd like (I usually add carrots, celery and onion), you can make it with however much sour cream you want, or you can make it with or without chicken. It is seriously my favorite!! This is originally from the Taste of Home Big Book of Soup.

2 Quarts Water
8 chicken bouillon cubes
6 ½ cups uncooked wide egg noodles
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup sour cream (I usually only put in a few spoonfuls)
Minced fresh parsley

In a large saucepan, bring water and bouillon to a boil. Add noodles; cook, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Do not drain.
Add soup and chicken; heat through. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream. Sprinkle with parsley.

Perfection!

Wild Rice Soup

This is a family recipe that is always a big hit! I always add ham to it, and skip the almonds!

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

4 cups chicken broth

1 Tbsp minced onion

2 cups cooked wild rice

½ tsp salt

1 cup half-and-half

Options to add:

1/3 cup chopped ham or chicken

1/3 cup grated carrots

3 Tbsp slivered almonds

Melt butter in large pot, saute onion. Blend in flour; gradually add broth. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens slightly. Stir in rice, salt, and options. Simmer 5 minutes. Blend in half-and-half. Heat to serving temp. 

 

Yummy!!!