Halloween Popcorn

     These are SO YUMMY! Full of chocolate, and stuffed with total sweetness. My husband, however, believes popcorn should never be sweet. But, I would suggest you make this and taste it yourself before making an executive decision on that.

     I was watching "Giada at Home", one of my favorite cooking shows. She made these! So I may have made a few adjustments to the recipe, but this really is a great treat for parties or to hand out to neighbors and friends for the holiday.

     Ingredients: 

1 package of mini marshmallows               

1 package of plain popcorn                         

3 T butter

1 t vanilla extract                                     

6 fun sized Snickers

3 Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies

a handful of chopped salted almonds

a nice big handful of M&Ms (orange and black for Halloween)

     Directions:

  Heat 1 bag of plain popcorn in the microwave. Place in a 4 Qt bowl sprayed with cooking spray, and let cool while you make the marshmallow mixture.

  In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over low heat. Add vanilla extract and marshmallows. Stir CONSTANTLY over low/ medium heat until marshmallows have melted into a smooth mixture. 

  Pour over popcorn and stir with a spatula until popcorn is coated evenly. 

  Place popcorn on a baking sheet either sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper (I just had saran wrap and sprayed it with cooking spray and it worked just fine too :)) try to get the popcorn as even as possible over the entire baking sheet.

  Sprinkle chopped up almonds, crumbled cookies, crumbled snickers, and M&Ms over popcorn. Let sit for an hour uncovered. 

     ENJOY! :) And remember you can also make these for Christmas with red and green M&Ms! :)

Peach Cobbler

     For the past 2 1/2 years that I have been married, I have cooked - a lot. Many woman at home seem to either hate, or absolutely lovely cooking. I, thank goodness, have fallen into the "Chef Mama" mode (as I have previously referred to). While being in Wyoming - with Austyn going to school, and me at home with Maci - we are obviously on a tighter budget than before. One thing I always try to ensure when I go to the grocery store is to stick to a budget, as well as make room for goodies.
     I love having fresh fruit and veggies around the house, but the one thing that truly makes me feel accomplished each day is cooking or baking some unbelievable meal or dessert! So, the other day my in laws came to visit and brought us some fresh peaches. I had never made anything with peaches in it, but the one thing I knew off the top of my head was peach cobbler. I've had a few different recipes of peach cobbler, but none that I absolutely loved... until I found this recipe online.
     Delicious!!!
     I will be happy to share this recipe with you. It is truly amazing! So ladies, put on your aprons, and whip out your kitchen aids, "Chef Mama's" in the house! :)
     Ingredients:
6-8 fresh peaches               1 C flour                                 Mix Together:
1/4 C white sugar               1/4 C white sugar
1/4 C brown sugar             1/4 C brown sugar                          11/2 T white sugar
1/4 t ground cinnamon       1 t baking powder                                          &
1/8 t ground nutmeg           1/2 t salt                                          1/4 t ground cinnamon
1 t fresh lemon juice           6 T cubed butter
2 t cornstarch                      1/4 C boiling water

     Directions:                   Preheat oven to 425* F

• In large bowl, combine peaches, sugar, brown sugar, 1/4 t ground cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly and pour into a 2-2.5 Qt baking dish. Bake 10 minutes.
• While baking the peaches, in a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Blend in butter with finger tips or your kitchen aid, or any pastry blender, :) Stir in water until all is completely combined.
• Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. sprinkle entire cobbler with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Pop it back in the oven for about another 30 minutes. 

                                                                  Bon appetit! :)

Busy Weeks

     Well, it's been 2 weeks since we moved to Laramie and things are pretty good! I figured we'd be living on pizza for the past while but I have managed to get right back into my "Chef Mama" mode. :)
     We were lucky enough to get a job offer last Monday with Ace and Austyn has been working there since... I'm hoping his schedule will be better than what it was right before we moved here; working nearly 17 hours a day and hardly ever seeing him - even on the weekends.
     But I have high hopes. His first day of school at the "UW" was today and it went better than I could have imagined! He only has 4 classes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and 1 if not 2 on Tuesday and Thursday. So I think all will work out perfect! (this semester anyway). Although I can almost guarantee by the time this part of our lives is past, it will be bittersweet to look back on it. Truth is I believe that the White's are really going to enjoy Laramie. But we know that beyond here is a bright and promising future in a career that will be both timely and financially beneficial.
     Although our home is quaint and humble, we have made it homey and inviting... at least we think so, and I guess that's all that truly matters... but I am loving having my own place again. Maci has warmed up rather quickly and is most definitely not a baby any more. But a toddler, possibly going through her terrible two's at 15 months... "Is that even possible?" you may ask... Yes. Yes indeed it is. But patiently I am reminding myself that eventually they all grow out of it. Right?
     Anywho, left overs for dinner. :)
   

Soccer Game

     Austyn loves soccer. He has been playing it since he was in high school and has since been playing on some rec. league teams for the past couple years that we've been married. Last night was (I believe) his last game before we leave to Laramie. It was early enough (thank goodness) so I was able to bring Maci with me to watch him play. But, of course, my daughter is an adventurous soul. We lasted maybe 3 minutes, if that, and quickly headed over to the park.
     (Mommy moment); she is SO adorable! The first thing she runs to is the swings, and I cannot tell you how many pictures and videos I have taken of her at the park, let alone on the swings! Our next adventure (and practically the only other one a 14 month old can embark on at a park) took us to the slides! We went down a few of the big ones which required her to be placed on my lap to go down. But then, we discovered it...
     The PERFECT little slide for toddlers! It was maybe 4-5 feet tall and had some nice easy stairs to go up. I helped her the first few times, but once she got the hang of it, it wasn't long before she was doing it all on her own! Is this another sign of independence next to learning how to walk??? Well, it definitely goes down as a milestone in my book. She was having such a blast! I think that slide alone occupied her attention for an entire half of Austyn's game.
     And how did the game go you may ask?? Well, I did see my sweetheart score a goal! And his team won... All in a days work for this family. :)

Looking Outside

 

     Little did we know nearly two and a half years ago that we'd be here...

A 14 month old baby girl, a town home, two (semi-reliable) vehicles, and an acceptance letter into the University of Wyoming. Austyn and I began to literally count our blessings the other night and everything has always worked out just fine! We are mindful of the blessings we have received, but are still humbled and absolutely stunned as to the impeccable timing and overabundance of mercy extended toward us from our Heavenly Father.

     Now, I am not trying be boastful, or unmindful of other's trials and hardships. I am simply stating that I know and have seen (personally in my own life) that He is always watching over us. We are never given something in life that we can't handle. It is thrown our way to help us learn and make us grow stronger.

Write of Passage

     Being raised in the gospel, and attending church nearly every Sunday since I was born, I guess I would be labeled as your average LDS gal... So I want to take you back to 11; when you're the oldest in Primary, ready to be in YM (or in my case YW) and have very little interest in participating in singing and sharing time. Well that pattern has not changed in this next generation.
     I have had the opportunity to be involved with the Primary in our past two wards, and recently I was called to be a counselor in our Primary Presidency. I get to be in both junior and senior primary and look over all the kids. Believe me, you can see the exact expressions on those 11 year old kids faces that you had back in your day. The funny thing is it doesn't stop in Primary, it continues on through your Beehive days, then Mia Maids. Once you hit the age of a Laurel you are literally counting down the hours until you graduate and are in the Singles Ward.
     In my case, you skip the Singles Ward altogether, get married, and attend a family ward. Once you get there, you've finally entered into Relief Society! Success! But wait, don't breathe yet. Much like the pride cycle, within 3 months of being newlyweds, you are more likely than not to be called as Primary teachers. It starts all over again! ;)
     I cannot begin to tell you how much I have enjoyed serving in Primary though. Being able to teach these children just a portion of the principles of the gospel that may lead them to great eternal blessings such as baptism and entering into the Temple.
     Our last day in our ward here in Vernal was yesterday. Each ward we go to just gets better and even more difficult to leave. Its crazy to think that we'll be in Laramie for probably 5 years.
     5 years in one ward? Now that will be hard goodbye!
     But that is the one thing I am always grateful for when I move to a new place; I always have members around and a welcoming ward. Whether they be few or many, its nice to have a group of people that you share a common bond with; people you can call family.

Officailly A Homemaker

     Well, I have finally accomplished the one thing I know every modern day 'stay at home mom' to do with her free time... I have created a blog. I am hoping (due to my lack of desire to "Facebook" often) that this blog will keep our family and friends, from all over, updated and informed of important family milestones and events that are and will be taking place in our lives.

     I will be "blogging" monthly, possibly weekly, depending on what the season holds in store for the White's! :)