The Easiest Salsa You Will Ever Make!

This salsa is so easy, my mother in law taught me how to make it.  Thanks Betsy!

1 large can of diced tomatoes or 2 regular cans

1 bunch of green onions, cut off and use just the white part at the end

Cilantro, as little or as much as you want.  I think a little goes a long way so I don't use much

1 small can of diced green chilis

Salt

Garlic Salt

Put it all in a blender and blend it up.  If you like chunkier salsa, get petite diced tomatoes and  you can just chop up the cilantro and just stir everything in a bowl. Sorry I don't have measurements for the salt and garlic salt.  If you don't have enough, you can always add more before you serve it.  Try to make it the night before or the morning that you are going to be serving it so that the flavors have time to incorporate. 

Easter

   
   
Yeah, I know I am a couple of weeks late but I thought I should still post some pictures of the kids.  I was pretty lucky because I bought the girls dresses two years ago and I was lucky that they fit.  By the end of the day Chloe destroyed the bottom of her dress so it's a good thing I only spent $6.99 on them!  I tried to get a pictures with all of my kids but Claire, who never turns down an opportunity to get her picture taken, was the only one that would cooperate.

 

We had a blast going and doing our annual Easter egg hunt at their favorite Great Aunt Barb's house.  They always have way too many eggs filled with candy and papers to trade in for prizes.  Needless to say, my kids love Easter at Aunt Barb's.

Lemon One Step Pound Cake

I finally am posting some more recipes.  Sorry, I haven't done any lately.  This picture isn't great because the top fell apart while turning it over so I'm sure it is supposed to be brown all over.  This recipe is a new found favorite.  My long time friend Michelle sent this to me, so thank you Michelle!  It is so easy to make and so delicious.  

2 1/4 cup flour

2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup plain yogurt

3 eggs

1 cup butter, softened

Combine all ingredients and beat on medium for 3 minutes.  Bake in bundt pan for 60-70 minutes at 325, or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center.  Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, then turn onto serving plate and glaze.

Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 T fresh lemon juice.  Glaze cake while warm, not hot.

NOTE:  The person who gave Michelle this recipe said this- I have used nonfat yogurt with great results, but I have discovered that the Straus brand from Trader Joe's , which is whole milk European style, works great with this recipe 

**Michelle has used lemon yogurt and that worked great too.

Happy Birthday Chloe

   
   
Our little baby is now two years old.  Usually by now we have another one so it's a little weird but nice at the same time.  Her birthday was the same day that we got back from Disneyland so I wasn't able to make her a cake but she doesn't know any better and I was perfectly happy having Baskin Robbins make her a cake.  She was so cute.  Right after we got her presents out we asked her if it was her birthday and she said, "Yeah! Look!"  and pointed to her presents.  She is growing up so fast and trying her best to talk.  She is definitely not laking in the personality department and loves trying to keep up with her big brother and sister.  She is a wonderful addition to our family and constantly keeps us on our toes, she has a lot of Cade in her.  

Disneyland The Happiest Place on Earth!

                                    

We had been looking forward to Disneyland for quite some time and this is a picture of the kids waiting anxiously for the time where we could go downstairs to get on the shuttle!  
   

What are the odds that we would get the same Belle two years in a row.  She hasn't changed but the girls have!

                                                      

It's rare that we get a family picture anywhere, I should rephrase that, one with me because I am usually the one taking the pictures.  This is as good as it got.
                                     

One of the best things about Disneyland is how tired everyone gets.  This was after day one so you can imagine what we looked like the night of day two.  It's so nice not to have to fight the kids to go to bed and even better when they get in bed themselves because they are so tired. 

Thank you to Betsy for coming with us! Chloe especially thanks you for taking her on rides while we took the older kids on the big kid rides.  

Advice for parents taking their kids to Disneyland

1.  Just because your kids like a ride the previous time, doesn't mean they will like it the next year.  Last year Claire LOVED the Matterhorn and couldn't wait to go on the Choo Choo train roller coaster (aka Thunder Mountain Railroad).  We got her convinced to get in line and the whole time we were in line she kept saying, "I don't want to go on this ride!"  The closer we got to getting on the more she started crying.  We probably looked like the worst parents dragging this poor kid on the ride but she loved it last year and we really thought that once we got on she would like it.  Nope, we were wrong.  She buried her head into me the whole time and once we stopped she tried hopping out but we hadn't gotten to the place we were supposed to get out so I had to hold her in.  This was also after she had gone on Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad and she didn't mind those and those are more scary.  

2.  When your kids are boarder line tall enough to go on a ride make sure they wear their tall shoes both days.  The first day we were there  Cade wore his tennis shoes and went on Indiana Jones with Casey.  The second day we got fast passes and Cade was wearing his crocs.  Cade and I were going to go on it while the rest went to get dinner.  We were all the way over by Finding Nemo and the Monorail and hoofed it all the way over to Indiana Jones.  You have to understand that this was about 6pm on a Friday night so it was crowded, we were all tired, my back hurt and the parade was about to start.  We got all the way over there, poor Cade was being dragged by me, and when we got there, they said he was just a little too short.  I was WAY to tired to argue with the guy and Cade was too tired to care.  Needless to say, I was not happy about walking that far for nothing.

3.  Even if you are tired, your kids are more tired and you just have to suck it up.  After the Indiana Jones fiasco we had to walk to Downtown Disney to eat dinner.  Everyone had gone before so we were without the stroller.  I dragged Cade through the crowded streets of Main Street where everyone was watching the parade and when we got outside of the gates, Cade was so tired.  Even though my back hurt, I knew we had to hurry so I got Cade on my back and walked all the way to the restaurant which was next door to the Disneyland Hotel, Casey had to pick the place that is the furthest away.  The whole time we were walking Cade kept calling out for his dad.  "Daddy!  Where are you?  Casey Cannon!"

4.  Take food and drinks!  Don't be afraid to bring in water bottles and food.  It's either that or spend a fortune on food.  We bought bottles of water on sale before we went, 24 for $2.99 and when we got there they were selling the same brand of water, 1 bottle for $3.00.  

5.  Just do it, go on the Tea Cups.   Yeah, you may get sick but your kids will love it.  They don't go as fast as they used to.  I remember going on them when I was younger with my Uncle Gary and he had us going so fast that we couldn't hold our heads up and when we tried our heads went crashing back down.  Hint: If you focus on the wheel, you won't get sick!

6.  Watch the parade.  I'm sure I was into parades when I was younger but all I remember is being  one of those that took advantage of going on rides while everyone was watching the parade but nothing beats the excitement of your kids watching the parade.  

Finally...

I'm finally getting around to some blogging.  We have done a lot and gone through a lot in the past week.  We went to Disneyland, celebrated Chloe's birthday and took a sad trip to Utah for a funeral.  It's been a physically and emotionally exhausting week and so I haven't had much motivation to blog but I think I am ready so here we go!

Time has flown by!

         

Today Casey and I have been married seven years.  I can truly say that I am married to my best friend and we enjoy every minute together.  He is my partner and we balance each other out so well. I'm so glad that he puts up with me!  Not only is he the best but his family is the greatest too.  I feel so blessed to have married into a wonderful, close-knit family.  They would do anything for me and I don't know if they know how much I appreciate them.  Marrying Casey is one of the best decisions I have ever made.  He has made me so happy and I look forward to many more years together.