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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Crockpot Potato Soup

The most delicious thing ever. Okay, maybe not ever, but it's pretty freakin' tasty. And relatively easy. Minimal chopping and the only outside cooking is if you want bacon. And let's be real, we want the bacon. I don't have any of my own pictures for you so I have a couple I borrowed from other people. Plus, their pictures make it look more appetizing.

Ingredients
3 14 oz cans of chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup (reduced fat works fine)
half an onion, roughly chopped
30 oz bag of frozen hash browns
1 block of cream cheese (regular, nonfat doesn't melt well and won't incorporate)
2-3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (depending on how cheesy you like your soup)
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional Ingredients
Bacon
Shredded chicken
Green Onions
Sour cream dollop


So like I said, super simple.


Add broth and cream of chicken to the crock pot, whisk together so you don't end up with chunks of the cream of chicken. Add chopped onion and bag of hash browns.
Let it cook for 3-5 hours on high or 5-7 hours on low. It's going to look a little liquidy and runny but the cream cheese thickens it upThe last half hour add the cheddar and cream cheeses, I find the cream cheese melts better if you cut it into small cubes and stir it in.

Add whatever additional ingredients you want and serve! It's delicious on a cold with a side of French bread!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Solids

So I'll try and keep this short and sweet, he's officially eating real people food. And by real people food I mean sweet potatoes, bananas, pears, blueberries, and apples. All in mushy gushy form. He has his days when he absolutely digs it, then we have our moments where everything that goes in comes right back out. He recognizes the baby food jar and gets super excited, and also knows if the Bumbo is on the table it's nomming time.  He has done a few entertaining things when he is all done or doesn't want to eat; he's pulled off his bib and tried handing it to us and he will vigorously shake his head no. I don't think he realized what either of those things mean, but the thought of him knowing makes me smile. When he's ready for another bite he opens wide but then starts smiling making his mouth super thin and difficult to maneuver the awkward rubber spoon through his gums (which are still completely toothless). Through all the spoon grabbing attempts and arm waving we've managed to keep mealtime relatively clean thus far and I'm hoping to keep it this way, although I'm not holding my breath. We're so excited for Thanksgiving, I've decided he's going to have a little turkey, a little sweet potato and a little green bean, out of his happy little jars, so he can experience the amazingness that is Thanksgiving dinner!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

5 Months


                                       Monster, Monster! He's 5 months!!
                                                  He's getting so big!

Favorites
So Noah's love for his excersaucer has grown immensely. Soo much love for the excersaucer. He's finally learned how to make it sing, and which button makes it sing. He also super digs his Clifford stuffed animal. I'm not sure if it's because it's bigger than him and he can manipulate it, or because it's big and red and easy to grab by the ears. He also loves to stand on everyone and everything.  He held himself up for a little bit, holding onto Auntie's bed frame.  Another love of his? Animals. He loves to look at the dogs and the chickens. I swear he could stare at them all day if we let him. I can't wait for him to discover the fish and the turtles.
Daddy's beard. He's going to be crushed when Jesse's six weeks are up and he goes back to work and has to shave. He loves grabbing it and holding onto his daddy. He checks everyone for a beard and nobody has come close to what Daddy has:)

Not so Favorites
Going to bed/the bedroom. He knows once he's in the bedroom it's time to wind down for the night and he just is not a fan.  Completely freaks out when we try to settle down and only mellows out with a bottle and rocking(but only if he's ready).  If this is any indication of what future bedtimes are going to be like, we're screwed, lol. 
Toys connected to the excersaucer that don't bend. He hates when he can't get one of the toys in his mouth, he doesn't understand that plastic doesn't really bend. I'm waiting for him to pull so hard it snaps in half one of these days!

 Trips We've Taken
Pumpkin patch! We took a lovely trip to Uesugi Farms, he loved seeing all the pumpkins!
We've tried a few more football games and it just didn't happen. Every time Jesse got excited and cheered, Noah freaked out and thought he was angry. Me and The Babes watch by ourselves from the fence when we go.
There was also a mini trip to the farm park, that was cut short due to heat and car troubles. We got to see geese, peacocks, piggies, goats, sheep and chickens(because we don't see enough of those at home). Oh, and a shit ton of squirrels. I'm talking 30+ squirrels, jumping from bush to bush, and dashing up and down trees.

Milestones
WE HAVE A SITTER! And no not a babysitter, a sitting baby:) He can sit gorilla style forever and is starting to be able to sit hands free for about 15-20 seconds.
He's also turned into a feet grabber. He first found them in the car seat and hasn't left them alone since!

I know I probably have tons more to share and just can't think of it right now, but Halloween is coming so there should be plenty of fun pictures to share!