Banana Boats

Last night we made banana boats! It brings back many happy memories of nights around the campfire as a kid, but I'd never done it with the kids. It was raining most of yesterday, so we actually prepared them in the oven, but it was fun anyway!

I prepared the bananas, then set out chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, and marshmallows... everyone got to make their own and then wrap them in foil. Ten minutes later, voila! Josh didn't care for his as much, but the kids and I enjoyed our very much. It was a fun, fast, easy and yummy dessert!

Dinner, and Lessons Learned

I had planned for dinner to be a simple affair - burritos. But, I was home a little earlier than planned and decided to be ambitious. So, I made taquitos! I mixed the stuffing (ground beef, refried beans, cheese, and salsa), and then fried the corn tortillas for 15 seconds or so per side. Once fried, I put the stuffing in the middle and rolled them tightly, putting them in a 9x13 pan. Once the pan was filled, I topped them all with a little cheese and baked on 350 for 15 minutes.

While my taquitos were baking, I decided I would make my own chips. :) I cut my corn tortillas in triangles and dropped them in my hot oil already on the stove. I turned them after a few seconds, then took them out - lesson learned (or remembered)... things cooked in oil continue to cook after they are out of the oil! Some of my chips were too done to enjoy (aka, burned!), but most were pretty tasty.

All in all, a really great dinner. And, I'm feeling pretty great about my first attemp with taquitos and chips! Especially for a Wednesday meal. :)

Sister Weekend in Portland

I was lucky enough to be able to spend a wonderful weekend in Portland with my sister, Jenna... I "crashed" her husband's family reunion so I could see my sister and her family! First of all, she is a great mom. It was so fun to see her with Chase! Second of all, Chase is cute. :) And, SO BIG! I couldn't believe how much he had grown in the five weeks since I'd last seen him. What a cute little guy, who took a couple of days to warm up to me, but finally smiled at me on Sunday. :)

We did take a couple of pictures, but they are on my phone. I am not sure how to get them off of my phone and on to my computer. Jenna has some on her camera though, so I'll let her get some posted on her blog. :)

Thanks, Jen, for letting me come and visit you at Wayne's family reunion. It was a wonderful weekend!

Beef and Sausage Foldovers

These "foldovers" taste similar to tacos, but are a fun alternative. :)

Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound pork sausage
Taco seasoning packet
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can diced green chilies, undrained
4.5 cups Bisquick
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cheese
Sour cream
Salsa

Directions:
1. Cook beef and sausage until no longer pink. Drain.
2. Stir taco mix, diced tomatoes, and diced green chilies into meat mixture. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Mix Bisquick and boiling water. Knead at least twenty times.
4. Divide Bisquick mix into 6 balls.
5. Roll balls into approximately 7" circles.
6. Stir cheese into meat mixture.
7. Spoon 1/2 cup meat mixture onto the Bisquick rounds.
8. Fold the round over the meat mixture and seal the edges by pressing a fork along the entire edge.
9. Cut 3 small slits in the top of the foldover.
10. Bake on 400 for 20 minutes.
11. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Enjoy!

New Car!

We found my new car! It's a 2002 Mazda Tribute, and I love it!

White exterior, beige leather interior, AWD, AC, and a sun roof!

It's beautiful. :) And, it drives as nicely as it looks.

I'm very happy!

Treats and Fruit

Sunday is usually treat day... because I bake a treat for us! Today was simply too hot. So, we decided it was a great day to head to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and enjoy some caramel apples...

Audri with her "Double Dip" - caramel, white chocolate, and milk chocolate, and white chocolate drizzle.


Donovan with his nut free "Gold Rush" - caramel, peanut butter, white chocolate, and milk chocolate drizzle.

Josh ordered a "Gold Rush" with nuts. I ordered the "Apple Pie" - caramel, white chocolate, and cinnamon. :)

Of course, I then felt the need to do something healthy with our fruit... hence, a tropical fruit salad with pineapple, strawberries, and mandarin oranges. :) I'm pretty sure it'll balance out our fruit treats, right?

Hot Day!

Today was 104 degrees in Boise. HOT! So, we decided to float down the Boise River... we spent two hours out on the water (after lathering on the 50 SPF sunscreen) and had a great time. The river is running a little high right now, so it seemed like a quicker ride than usual... we just keep floating along!

Nothing goes better with a day on the river like BBQ... we enjoyed kabobs and grilled artichokes for dinner. Yum, yum! Now on to our family movie night... we just finished dinner, so no snacks or dessert yet... but I'm thinking hot cookies topped with ice cream just might be in our future. :)

Our hot day ended up being a good day after all!