This One is for you!

Kelsey thats right...come on down! Found the blog button to the right just for you! You don't ever seem to post on our family blog...but thought you should be represented! I am sure you can figure out which is for you!

Rockin Corn bread

Daniel loves corn bread and I must say that I eat it with him but I have never found a recipe that I really love. Ladies and Gentlemen...I now have! Check it out...I adapted it from the test kitchen cookbook.
2 c. ground popcorn (about 1 c. finer ground and 1 c. a little more coarse ground)
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 c. sour cream
2/3 c. rapidly boiling water
1 1/2 c. buttermilk (yes Lindsey you can make your own on this one! I did 1 1/2 c. milk and 1 tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar)
2 eggs
So super easy...Take 1 1/3 c. of the ground popcorn and add all the dry ingredients to it into a bowl. In a second bowl combine the remaining popcorn and the boiling water. Stir until it makes a mush and then add the eggs and incorporate. Add the sour cream and then slowly start to add the buttermilk a little at a time and then add your dry ingredients a little at a time so it doesn't make a mess! Spray a 9x13 dish and cook at 450 for 20 minutes! Fantastic! You've got to try this!

I got a New Phone

You all are really going to appreciate these photos!! I know you will. Hey, maybe it might inspire one of you to post pictures on the family blog as well. Anyway, I hope you enjoy....

Lex and her new Christmas present on Christmas morning.

Just a cute pic of Lex at the Coolidge Football Game.

Grandma doesn't like pictures of food on babies' faces but it

is still funny to me.

Had to post this one, Porter has a great face.

Nicole getting kisses from Cal

The Randalls at the Temple lights

Kelsey, Lex, and Lindsey posing for a picture while they adjust the camera.

We did break the rules and go over the lights and on to the field.

Shh, don't tell.

So I got a new phone and had to upload all my pictures from my phone, so I decided I would share a few of them with you all.

The first meeting with Santa. No crying, more curiosity.

Um, just the cutest baby. This was the first time her hair was done

in her cute little ponytail. Check it out.

Happy Thanksgiving from Lexington!

Porter really climbed on the burro all by himself.

I saved the best for last.....

Had to post this picture. It really was on my phone and I would laugh every time!

Stinking Good!

Don't let the title confuse you...I guess there is less stink and more goodness to this recipe for Ricotta Gnocchi!

To make the gnocchi:
Mix 15-16 oz of ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 c. mozzarella shredded cheese
1/2 c. parmesean shredded cheese
2 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
2-3 c. flour

Mix above ingredients and add the flour to make the dough soft but not too sticky to work with. Divide dough into 6-8 balls and roll into a snake shape about 3/4 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut roll into 3/4 inch pieces and cook in a boiling pot of water with some salt. You will know that it is done when the gnocchi rises to the surface. I cooked mine in about 8 batches (so each snake)! Makes a lot of gnocchi! I added half to my sauce and froze the rest for a latter occasion!

Sauce:
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 onion finely chopped
2 15.5 oz canned tomatoes
dash of red pepper flakes (to your desired spiciness)
12 basil leaves finely chopped
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil and add onion till softened about 5 minutes and add garlic and peppers till fragrant. Add canned tomatoes basil and cheese. Then add your gnocchi and top with Parmesan if desired!
We served ours with zucchini! It was great! Daniel liked it more than tortellini! A fantastic vegetarian dish!

P.S. Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy Happy Birthday to Me! Love my birthday, just wish it didn't mean I have to add an extra year to my age!

My latest Sewing Project

So check out the cute quilt I made yesterday! It turned out better than I thought. I had the flowers, green stripes, and pink poka-dot on one side and the animals on the other...but it didn't look fun enough. I had a little bit of extra animal material so I cut it out and sewed individual squares to the green! Looks even better in person! Hope baby Lauren loves it!

Cal Brooks is Here!

Cal and Daddy...This is how I found them after I went to take a shower in the hospital. So cute I had to nab a picture!


































Friday I was feeling kind of crampy so I thought..."what the heck" and I took some caster oil (against my husband's professional recommendation mind you). Didn't have any of the "normal" (if you know what I mean) response to the caster oil but within 2 hours I was having irregular contractions. We had drove to Mesa to have dinner with the Abrahams and play games with the Randalls...so I brought the hospital bag and car seat just in case.
Good thing we did! I was feeling uncomfortable to say the least at the Randalls playing games so Daniel thought it would be a good idea to stay at my parent's house. I got maybe 3 hours of sleep before my contractions were strong and regular enough that I couldn't sleep. Kelsey aka "night owl" kept me company until 3:30 when I finally woke Daniel up to take me to the hospital. We got there about 4 AM and I was dialated to 5 cm and 70% effaced. They finally got me going on my antibiotics for by GBS at 6 AM...ps hurts like no other...Lindsey you were totally right!
I got a glorious epidural which helped to slow my contractions a little bit so I could get the other needed dose of antibiotics before Cal came. Thanks to Daniel, Marcie, Laurie and Lindsey...I stayed very entertained in my labor room and decided at a later date I need to invest in a cupcake shop after watching a marathon of "DC Cupcakes". Are you kidding me? $4 dollars for a cupcake? I poke fun but if they are good...I would buy one too!
Everything went pretty good until I started pushing. By this time I was just tired...had only gotten three hours of sleep and it was now 2:50 PM. So I was pushing so so and then my water broke...literally all over the place and then Cal was almost there before the Doctor came in. I had to breathe through three rounds of contractions before she was ready to delivery the baby. And WOW...what a difference in how it feels to deliver a 7 lb 7 oz baby compared to the beast Porter was at 8 lbs 14 oz. Daniel wanted to make sure they didn't make a switch-a-roo so when they took him to give him a bath...he went too...yup same baby!
It took over 24 hours of procrastination to decide on a name...but now it is official! Cal Brooks Hansen! And he is such a cutie, especially with his little unidimple like Lexi! Sorry Grandpa...no red hair...but dark hair and a lot of it for a Beames baby! And Porter just loves him...I will have to post more pics of Cal and Porter later!