Great Deal on Chex Mix

I like to have snacks in the house that I can pull out to tie the kids over till dinner or Joshua and I can snack on in the evenings when we are relaxing. So I keep my eye open for some good deals. This week at Walgreens there is a great deal on chex mix. So in Sunday's paper there was a coupon for $.50/2 for chex mix or you can print them off in the following links. Walgreens has them on sale for 4/$6 and when you combine the $2 off coupons they wind up being only $1 a piece and if you buy 4 it also prints off a $2 register reward that you can use on your next purchase...pretty sweet huh? Walgreens $1/4  Chex Mix $.50/2 and Chex mix $.50/2

To recap: Sale is 4/$6-$2 coupons=$4 a piece plus $2 on your next purchase at Walgreens

Our Christmas Stockings

My mother-in-law is very talented. Her family has always had homemade stockings and she has kept up the tradition for all of her daughter-in-laws and her grandchildren. She cross stitches each stocking and let me tell you that has not been an easy task the past three years. In 2009 she had two new daughter-in-laws and a grandson, then in 2010 and 2011 she had to start working on another daughter-in-law and two more grandchildren so in all she has made 6 stockings with all the beautiful detail in the last couple years! She lets us pick the design and she does all the work. I love how they look on our mantlepiece. Joshua's is actually done by his aunt when he was little but the rest are done by Michelle. Aren't they darling?

Three Amazing Years

Joshua and I have been married for 3 years as of last Tuesday...we had plans to celebrate that night but we were both feeling under the weather and had a toddler who was sick with a stomach bug...so we decided that was one of the "in sickness and in health" days! So we celebrated on Saturday and went to a Japanese steakhouse for the first time. It was quite a nice experience, we had an entertaining chef and the food was delicious! We are still more in love than when we got married three years ago and our love keeps growing!

Easy Recipe for Delicious Pizza Pockets

I love having some easy meals in the freezer that I can pull out for breakfast or lunch or that I can send along with Joshua to school so he can have something delicious to heat up for lunch. I stumbled upon a recipe for Ham and Cheese pockets that was very simple and they are quite tasty. I make those as well as Pizza pockets frequently and then freeze them. I thought I would share the recipe with you in case you are interested in having an easy meal for on the go.  This is by far the best dough recipe I've found for pockets, it's a little time consuming but it's very tasty.

Pizza Pocket Dough:

• 1 T. (or 1 packet) yeast
• 1 c. warm water, divided
• 1 t. sugar
• 1/4 c. melted butter, cooled to room temperature
• 2 1/2 – 3 c. flour
• 1 1/2 t. salt

1. In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 warm water. Stir in the sugar and let sit to proof for 5 minutes. Pour in the melted and cooled butter and the remaining warm water.
2. Add 2 c. flour and the salt. Mix for two minutes. Work in as much remaining flour as needed to make a dough that is smooth but not sticky. Knead on a floured surface or continue beating for about 10 minutes. Add a bit more flour if the dough starts to get sticky while kneading.
3. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let rise for 1 hour. Punch down dough, cover and let rise for at least another 30 minutes.
4. Then divide the dough into 10-12 balls.

Then I get out my different fillings: I have pepperoni I cut up smaller, I made up some sausage as well, pasta sauce, chopped green peppers and onions and mozzarella cheese. I roll out my balls into an oval and start to put my filling ingredients.

I also sprinkle some garlic, pizza seasonings and sometimes some Parmesan cheese on my pockets.

S

 Pop them in the oven and cook on 350 for about 20 minutes or until they start to brown. As you can see some of my pockets started to pop open. They don't usually do this but I kind of over loaded them this time trying to get too much yummy goodness inside. You can always just put chunks of ham and cheese inside as well instead of making pizza pockets. I enjoy having two different things to choose from.

Remember this picture? (My Dad always thought Gideon would choke)...well...like brother...

  Like Sister....

There is just something about that little turtle and it's head sticking out of their mouth...it just cracks me up...and don't worry, I do watch them!

Christmas Family Reunion

For Christmas we spent the week with Joshua's extended family on his Dad's side. They meet every other year for a family reunion. As you can see below it is quite a group! Cousins and their spouses and now little cousins...it was fun as we all stayed in cabins and came together for meals and games and talking and movies. I'll have a few more pictures soon...when we took the group pictures Gideon was not having a very good day...thus they had to retake the great grandchildren picture later when my battery was dead...

A full family picture

Great Grandchildren with Grandmother the matriarch!

All the grandkids and their wives--7 are married

A Girl and Her Phone...

I know, I know, starting her young but it's just in her, tonight I kept having to make sure she wasn't using our home phone to dial Japan. She puts it on her shoulder and talks...just like her older brother. They seem to like calling one another.