Film Debut

I just wanted to let you all know about a few things my brother Gabe has brewing today.  First of all he was featured in an article in our local paper, "The Missoulian".  Some of the facts are off, my Mom is not a pragmatist that tried to crush his dreams, my Dad was a teacher WAY before he was a preacher, and I was not a "regular" in MCT productions as a child (I did a few, but definitely wasn't a regular).  Oh, and also, we are not having a huge party with 200 people- so don't feel left out.  I'd also like to set the record straight that I did not drag my brother to play auditions.  The real story:

Cook kids in the 90's.  Hey, I think those sunglasses are back in fashion; thank goodness the hair isn't!

In sixth grade I desperately wanted to try out for the MCT production of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever".  At dinner one night I begged my parents to let me audition.  They said okay, and then my annoying little brother said he wanted to as well.  I was pretty sure he didn't even know what a play was, and he definitely didn't know how to act!  Besides, I didn't want my pesty little brother hanging around me & my cool (cool in 1992=scrunchies,permed haired, tapered jeans) friends.  But against my desires we both tried out.  Long story short, I got a minor role as a shepherd; and my brother Gabe, he got one of the lead roles.  Figures!  It all worked out in the end though because he's become an actor and I've become a herder (Of children, not sheep.  Although some days there really isn't much of a difference).


You can read the article in it entirety here (but don't believe everything you read).

The other thing I wanted to tell you about Gabe is he has a new movie coming out today, Triassic Attack.  You can check it out tonight at 7pm on the SyFy channel.  If you don't get the SyFy channel & you live in Missoula and want to see it, give me a call & you can come to our big rager of a party- I'll tell you the undisclosed location. Check it out & you can see Gabe be a good guy for once.

Butter Lovers

Last night for whatever reason the twins had too much energy & while I was trying to clean up after dinner (a big chore when you have no dishwasher) they asked me how butter was made.  I kind of wanted to get them out of my hair & it's always fun experimenting so I suggested we make our own butter.  We poured some heavy cream into a mason jar & I told them to start shaking.

Just sitting there shaking the jar got boring so I told them to hop around with the jar.  I figured this would not only get the butter made but also get rid of some of their extra energy.

So they jumped down the hall...

...very enthusiastically!

And then they started getting creative...

...or something like that.

Whoa girl, hang on to that jar!

And after a little more proper shaking by me while watching HGTV, a little salt, and a night in the fridge it was ready to...

...spread on toast and... (someone clean that girls fingernails!)

...devour!  And the taste verdict is...

...two thumbs up!  One of these cute girls is a real butter enthusiast, can you tell which one?

This project would be great "busy work" for kids tomorrow while your preparing your feast.  Happy eating!

Thanksgiving Busy Work

We only have three days until Thanksgiving... THREE DAYS PEOPLE!  Since I have four little ones running around me all the time, this can make fixing a Thanksgiving dinner (or any dinner, or breakfast, or my hair, or putting on my shoes) a challenge.  My solution to this is watching TV and art projects.  Having the arsenal of kid entertaining DVDs is your job.  But I will help you with the art project thing, that's what my six years of studying art education will get ya' (you lucky dogs)!  Now I realize not all of you have your own children, but if you are going to dinner somewhere children are you may want to take this with you.  Kids are impatient & they eat really fast, so they will have more down time than you.  The key is to keep them busy- that way everyone is smiling!

Last year we made these turkey hats.  We had kids ranging in ages from 18 months to four and they all seemed to enjoy it.  Older kids would like it as well, their's would probably look a lot prettier.  All you need is:
paper plate cut in half (the cheap kind with the ridges around the edge)
water colors (or any other paint, but I like watercolors for the clean up factor)
glue
crayons/markers
card stock (This is for the band to go around the head.  I've also used regular paper folded a few times or a paper bag)
this cute turkey cut out

Directions:
Paint the paper plate, try putting a different color stripe in each ridge, this will become the turkey's tail.  While the paint is drying have kids color the turkey cut out to their liking (not all turkeys are brown :).  Cut the cute little turkey bodies out & glue them to the paper plate.  Take the card stock (or whatever you're improvising with) and staple to one side of the paper plate/tail.  Now measure the child's head & staple the other side of card stock to the opposite side of the plate/tail.  Let the kids wear their turkey hats proudly!  You could also embellish this project with stickers, real or craft feathers, glitter, etc.  Be creative, and keep them busy!

I get a lot of my stuff off the web, so here is a link to one of my favorite sites for crafts and coloring pages for little ones:  Thanksgiving Day Art Projects

All right, now on to more important things like pies!  Can anyone say "love handles".

P.S. If you have a fun Thanksgiving craft or great website give us all the info in the comments section.  If it's too much info to "comment" one email it to me.

One More Joshyism & Shoe Mama

First I want to congratulate Becca Meek on becoming the new mama to my Danskos.  Thank you Becca for adopting them so I don't have to leave them on the doorstep of the thrift store!

I needed to add this little Joshyism to the list.  Instead of saying thank you JoJo tends to say "your welcome".  This usually ends up in him sounding very snoody & arrogant.  But he's not, he's just two & a little confused.  He does mean well... I think.

"Joshie, your getting really good at throwing a ball"
"Your welcome."

"Here's your jacket JoJo"
"Your welcome Mama"

"JoJo, did you just do that all by yourself?  Wow!"
"Your welcome."

Anyone ever seen "Date Night", remember the receptionist at the restaurant answering the phone?  "The Claw, your welcome."

Lastly, I need to add this to the "Twenty Minute" Joshyism.
"Joshie, how much do you love your Mama?"
"About twenty minutes."

Perfect!

Please Adopt My Shoes

Since we have recently moved I was afforded the opportunity to clean out my closet.  I got rid of a lot of stuff I didn't/couldn't wear anymore.  Except for these shoes.  I love these shoes, they are super comfortable, go with all kinds of outfits, and are a fun color.  The problem is since I've been pregnant three times my feet are not what they use to be.  They have grown about one full size!  I bought these shoes even before I was married, so they fit my pre-pregnant petite feet.  I keep trying to jam my new robust feet into them, but to no avail.  And I just can't bring myself to give them to a second hand store where they will sell for $5 (or less), about twenty times less than what I paid for them.

So please take these shoes off my hands, so I'm not forced to abandon them at the thrift store.  They'd be a great surprise for someone, even for yourself!  Here's the skinny:
Dansko
Size 38 (which is about a 7 1/2 US)
Freshly polished

Email me at j.yphotography@yahoo.com and I will ship/drop these babies off to you ASAP :)

Movie Quote Winner!

Congratulations Kylie, you were the first one to get the quote right.  Look for your own personal copy of "Elf" coming your way!  

Be watching for more Christmas movie quotes & contest, because everyone needs a good Christmas movie collection.  And it was fun for me.  And I like to buy presents... especially at Christmas time :)

Joshyisms

This JoJo, my little man.  He loves anything to do with hunting and camping.  If he can wear his belt & cowboy hat he's happy.  And if there's any way to avoid eating his vegetables & consuming sweets instead he's game.

One of his new sayings is "Twenty minutes".
"JoJo, when are you going to brush your teeth?"
"Twenty minutes."
"JoJo, when do you want to eat lunch?"
"Twenty minutes."
"JoJo, when did you get so big?"
"Twenty minutes."
"JoJo, when did you learn to do that?"
"Twenty minutes."

This pretty much sums him up... camo, gun, pantless, cowboy boots, pizza.

Joshie's other new saying is "because".  Yep, that's it, just "because" followed by a period, not an explanation.
"Mama, I don't want to take a nap because."
"I want some cake because."
"Mommy, I want to go to school because."
"I don't want to eat my food because."

Oh, and he really likes fake teeth- honestly.

Oh, Hello Winter!

 I couldn't have done my "Farewell to Fall" post any more timely; the very next day it snowed.  This was the scene yesterday at the ranch.

We had our friends Kylie, Asher & Cora out to play & enjoy a little ranch life- that included chores.

It was a haven of snow eating bliss.  But I told them they could only eat snow in the country and not in town. "Oh, and don't eat the yellow snow."  "Oh, I know that!"  (Be the first to name that movie in the comments section & I will send you your own personal copy.  Unless you already own it, then I'll give you a big pat on the back.)

It was Danica's first experience with snow while being self aware.  (Being a December baby she has encountered snow, but mostly in her sleep)

Gracie, stop eating the snow!  Maddie's eaten too much snow.  Asher is just thankful he has only one sister.

The snow/sun combo is almost too much for this pale child's baby blues.  But he'll tough it out & make a snowball anyway.

Overall a great first snow day of the season.

New School

The twins started at their new school today, Drummond Elementary.  It is quite a change from their last one, the largest elementary school in Missoula.  At their last school they were in different classes of 20 students each.  Now their are in the same class and the grand total of students is 10.  They still go to school all day, but only three days a week.  This is a nice change from the five full days they were doing.  It gives them a little more time to run around, build forts, ride horses, and do art projects.  Their first day was a success & they came out of school when the bell rang with big smiles.  Their teacher is great and very sweet.  They are especially pumped about the bathroom they have right in their classroom with a mini toilet.  Its a big change, but I think they will really like it.  What will stink is if we find a house soon & they have to change schools again.  My poor girls :(  Better now than when they're 13 though. 

Farewell Fall

The dusting of snow on the ground, the cold air, and cloudy skies are reminding me that winter is on it's way.  And from the looks of it he's not too far out.  So we will have to say good bye to one of my favorite seasons, fall.  I have posted some fall shots I took  to help pull you through the next 4-5 months of winter we will be enduring.  I will post some more later on today, so make sure to stop by.

  

Slumber Party

The other night the twins & I had a "Girl's Night".  This basically meant that after the JoJo & Danica were in bed we ditched Dad & hunkered down in my parent's master bedroom. (And the only reason I'm subjecting you to a picture of my feet is because I just got a pedicure)

  We painted nails, ate junk food (notice the huge bag of Halloween loot we're digging into), and watched the movie "Elf".  I know it's a little early for a Christmas movie, but that movie is good any time of year.

This pretty much sums up what a girls slumber party is all about, right down to the princess water bottle.

And yes there was a giggle fest.  I think it's ingrained in female DNA to love eating chocolate, sleeping in the same bed, and, of course, giggling.  

*See "Elf" in the background- that movie is so funny!  If you comment please tell us your favorite "Elf" line.  One of my tops is "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color" :)

The Best Way to Eat Corn

I am by no means a gourmet cook.  In fact I learned my culinary skills by feeding my two brothers, Dad, and whatever "ranch hands" (generally people my Dad somehow suckered into doing work on the ranch) were around.  As you can imagine these guys weren't too picky, as long as it was hearty, flavorful, and there were good portions they were happy.  So my cooking is very "country", meat & potatoes kind of style.  It's kind of ironic because my Mom is a wonderful gourmet cook, somehow I didn't glean enough from her in that arena.

The other night I pulled out a can of corn as the veggie for our dinner.  I was tired of just plain old corn that particular evening.  I wanted something a little different.  Plus I'm a fairly creative person and when I don't get to express that through artwork or home decor I'm afraid my poor family has to suffer with my creativity being poured out through my cooking.  Most of my cooking "creations" have something to do with butter and cheese.  This one is no different.  This really is a great way, all be it not the healthiest way, to eat canned corn.  You could do it with fresh corn, but who has the money for that.  Unless you grow your own corn, and as long as that corn crop isn't fed to the horses by your dear old dad (hmmm... who did that happen to).  So mix it up tonight.  Do yourself a favor and make this dish.  It's hearty, incorporates vegetables so I'm going to say semi-healthy, and it will make you say "mmmmmmm".

P.S. The picture does not do it justice.  I am definitely not a food photographer- I'll stick with weddings.  But I threw a picture up because blogs are always more fun with pixs :)

Jess' Cream Corn
1 can of corn drained
2 Tbls butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese (plus a little extra for sprinkling)
1/2 tsp parsley


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In medium saucepan melt the butter then add the corn & stir to coat.  Add cream cheese.  Stirring occasionally heat until cream cheese is melted and incorporated throughout.  Cook for another two minutes stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.  Pour into 8x8 baking dish & sprinkle lightly with Parmesan cheese & parsley.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Let sit for a few minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

If you have a great corn recipe enter it into the "comments" section below.  This will be a fun way for all of us to expand our corn recipe box (I'm sure your's isn't overflowing).  Happy cooking!

Class Clown

This little girl, our youngest, already makes us laugh so hard.  I didn't know someone so small could be so hilarious.  And I think she knows what she's doing and does it on purpose.  She is packed full of personality.  Such a strange mixture of chill & demanding, but mostly chill.  She is determined to do everything her older brother & sisters do, and when she wants something she will let you know.  Yet, she so content to play by herself or lay in her crib.  I'm so glad this little clown came along.

Birthday Weekend

Saturday was my birthday.  It was one of my best birthdays ever, despite the fact I'm diving deeper into my thirties.  I actually ended up with 2 days of birthday fun.  Friday night a couple of my close girlfriends & I went downtown to First Night & then ended the evening with dinner at the Red Bird Wine Bar.  The food was good (despite the fact they were out of what half of us wanted) & the company was even better!

Sorry the picture is a little fuzzy.  I wasn't planning on such an eventful evening & didn't have my camera.  My phone was my only source of moment capturing.

Then my awesome husband surprised me with my own hotel room for the evening, ALL BY MYSELF, late checkout included.  It was a great gift!  I need alone time to reboot myself and the timing couldn't have been better.  I took a bath with more bubbles than I could handle- & no one was screaming at the door & no one came into the bathroom.  I didn't even know that was possible.  I lounged in my pjs, didn't take care of anyone, and watched meaningless television.  It was awesome!

Ladies, don't wait for your birthday, just go get one of these now!

In the morning I did not even open my eyes until 9am, & then I didn't get out of bed until 10:45.  After check out I went to a bakery I'd been wanting to try, the Black Cat Bake Shop & got a mocha & breakfast.  I also purchased an individual mousse cake for myself.  And yes, it's as good as it looks.

After a little shopping I made my way to the salon where I used a gift certificate I got for my last birthday to get a pedicure & a massage.  It was perfect.  I did a little more shopping ALONE and then my wonderful husband & I went to the Blue Canyon for dinner.  If you get a chance to go to one of these restaurants do yourself a favor & get the potato chips with blue cheese sauce- perfection.  Unless you don't like blue cheese, in which case you have issues beyond my capabilities.  The night ended with cake at my parents house with them & my children (of whom I hadn't seen all day).  Next year's birthday will have a lot to live up to.

Did I Mention...

Good Bye House

I think I forgot to mention that we officially closed on our house & moved on October 27th.  We have not found another house that we really like yet.  So we're hunkering down at my parent's ranch.  It's at Bearmouth, about 30 minutes east of Missoula.  It is a really beautiful place!  Our new address is RR1 Box 968,  Clinton, MT  59825.  The search continues for a new house... can't wait to move again (groan).

Good Morning!

This is the view out the front of the ranch house in the mornings

It's simply the best way to wake up

All together now "Oh, what a beautiful morning..."
If you don't know what I'm talking about go rent Oklahoma right now!
Now if you really don't know what I'm talking about than you need to up your repertoire of musicals.

Have a great day!