Cute Hair Do's

I was so excited when I found out Ashlee was a girl because I couldn't wait to do her hair so cute. My dreams were dashed when #1, her hair took FOREVER to grow enough to do anything with besides a bow stuck to her head with Karo or KY and #2, she was a thumb sucker who played with her hair and pulled out anything I put in it. Then came another girl but with extremely thin, fragile hair that breaks when I put an elastic in it making her hair a million different lengths, and yet another thumb sucker! Add to that, my girls inherited my impatience and hate when it takes more than 2 minutes to do their hair. I always see such cute hairstyles and try to do them, but my girls just want their hair done quickly so it's always the same, old boring styles...usually a single pony tail (or maybe french braids if I work fast) for Ashlee or a clip for Brynlee. My friend told me about this blog, Hair Today (LOVE IT!), and since Ashlee's hair is really thick and long now, I decided to try some new things. She also decided since her ballet recital (they had to have their bangs all back) that she wants to grow her bangs out so we always have to have a clippie there to hold them back. I discovered sitting her in front of the TV takes her mind off what I am doing and she lasts a lot longer than standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom! What I love most about the blog is that it shows step by step what to do. Alot of times I see something I like but can't figure out how to do it. I know, call me a retard! There are so many cute styles and I can't wait to try some more! Here's how her hair turned out today. It was supposed to be "The Messy Bun"...okay so it doesn't look exactly like the instructions, but I think it's cute!

DO Pizza

We made deep dish Dutch Oven pizza recently. Often I'll just cook them in the DO inside the regular oven, but we made two kinds of pizza and wanted both done at the same time, so I cooked them with charcoal inside our old charcoal grill - it hasn't seen much action since we got the camp chef. The camp chef wasn't really an option in this case, however, since you need to put more heat on the top than on the bottom when cooking breads.

We made alfredo chicken pizza with Bertolli's sauce and barbecue chicken pizza with Sweet Baby Ray's. Behold, the single piece of barbecue chicken pizza left at the end of dinner:

For the dough, I used our favorite, Jay's Signature Pizza Crust and put a little vegetable oil in the DO right before putting in the dough and let it raise a little while before topping it. I cook the chicken before putting it on the pizza, then just add sauce and cheese. The girls don't really like red sauces, so the alfredo sauce is a great alternative. It's just as easy to pour on alfredo or barbecue sauce and end up with a gourmet pizza as it is to add plain old Ragu. Sometimes I'll add bacon, ham, onions, green peppers, or whatever other toppings we have in the fridge.

The alfredo chicken pizza, had a bit of a problem. Since I cooked it in our charcoal grill, the legs of the bottom DO went through the grill and the bottom of the pot was resting directly on the charcoal, and the bottom of the crust actually burned. It turned out okay, since the crust around the edge was fine, so we scraped the toppings off the burnt part and stuffed it inside the puffy pan crust from the edge.

We always make pizza at scout camp, and I haven't had that problem before, since we stack the DOs on the ground. With the legs on the hard ground, the bottom of the pot stays just off the coals. The last time we made pizza at camp, we couldn't agree on what kinds of pizza to make, so we ended up making four. The four DOs stacked high were a sight to see. I'll have to see if I can find a copy of that picture.

More Dutch Oven Bread

I've been playing a little bit with the DO bread that I discovered recently. The original recipe called for a very hot oven. By dropping the temperature down slightly to 425, it doesn't seem to get so brown so fast. I think some of it maybe has to do with the seasoning in the DO it's being cooked in, since it browns faster in one of my DOs than in the other. I don't know if there's a little excess oil and it smokes a lot inside the pot if that makes it darker maybe, but the lower temperature seems to reduce that issue.

The other thing I tried was adding gluten and dough enhancer. The following picture is two loaves of bread, exactly the same except that the one on the right has 2 teaspoons of gluten and 2 teaspoons of dough enhancer in addition to the regular recipe, whereas the one on the left is the standard recipe, both with white flour.


You'll notice the one on the right is tall and round instead of flat like the one on the left. They both still taste good, as you'll see the one on the left got cut into before I even had a chance to take the picture.

I don't know the difference between dough enhancer and gluten, so I also made another two loaves, one with 2 teaspons of gluten and the other with 2 teaspoons of dough enhancer. They turned out about the same. When I did those two loaves, I made one with sunflower seeds and the other with garlic, basic, and rosemary (partially because I needed a way to tell the two apart and partially because I just wanted to try something else). Both turned out great. One of these days I'll make some with wheat flour.

For the garlic herb loaf, I cut 5 or 6 cloves of garlic into about 4 strips each and added that with a few sprinkles of the herbs. For the sunflower one I threw in a handful of sunflower seeds and I also stuck some on top when it was just about to go in the oven. Since this is a no-knead, slow-rise bread, you have to put in any extras right at the beginning.

Look Who's 3!!

Happy Birthday to my funny, cute, huggable, three year old....yep, today is Landon's 3rd birthday! I took him to get his pictures done and he was just hilarious! The photographer couldn't stop laughing and honestly, he was just hilarious and cute! Sometimes I just want to squeeze him!

I was telling my sisters-in-law last week that I think Landon missed the terrible two's but may be headed for terrible three's! He had many meltdowns the past week so we're hoping maybe he had to get in his terrible two's the last week that he was two and now that he is three, he'll be back to being my angel boy! Okay, so maybe he's following in his daddy's footsteps and will be a monster at age 3! Let's pray it's the first!

He got a soccer ball bank and Grandpa gave him some pocket change to put in it. He thought that was pretty cool!

Watch out Kovacs family! Landon is practicing for the Homerun Derby at the family reunion. Only two more weeks!

Chicken Recipes

50 Ways To Turn a Paltry Breast into a Funky Feast

I haven't tried any of these but they look good, quick, and easy...a priority for me when cooking! These recipes are for a single breast so adjust according to your situation.

Wok This Way

THE BASICS: For a stir-fry, cut a raw chicken breast into bite-size pieces or thin strips. Cook it in a nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat until browned (three to five minutes) and add one of the following groups of ingredients--in the order listed--and cook for five more minutes, stirring frequently.

1. Bell Pepper Mix: 1 Tbsp -reduced-sodium soy sauce; 2 tsp sesame oil; 1/2 c green or red bell pepper strips; 1/4 -medium onion, cut lengthwise into strips; 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2. Veggie Blend: 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce; 2 tsp sesame oil; 1/3 c matchstick carrots; 1/3 c chopped celery; 1 scallion, sliced; 2 Tbsp chopped unsalted peanuts

3. Asparagus & Cashew: 1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce; 2 tsp sesame oil; 1/2 c asparagus tips; 2 Tbsp chopped unsalted cashews

4. Sweet Lemon: 1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce; 1 Tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp lemon zest; 1 tsp honey; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1/2 c snow peas; 1 c chopped celery

5. Asian Broccoli: 1 whisked egg; 1/2 c (or more) chopped broccoli; 1/4 medium onion, cut lengthwise into long strips; 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes; 1 Tbsp reduced--sodium soy sauce

6. Hoisin Snow Peas: 1 whisked egg; 1/2 c snow peas; 1/2 c green or red bell pepper strips; 1/4 onion, cut lengthwise into long strips; 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce

TIP Sesame oil gives stir-fries a distinct flavor. Nutritionally, it's similar to olive oil because it's full of heart-healthy unsaturated fats. (Make sure you get plain, not toasted, sesame oil.) But if you don't have it, use canola or peanut oil, not olive, which goes up in smoke at high temps.

Get Baked

THE BASICS: Preheat the oven to 350°F and douse your chicken in sauce, rub it with spices, crust it with goodies, or stuff it with savories. Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes.

SAUCES Watery baths like salsa will do just fine in the oven. But thicker sauces, like barbecue or ranch, must be mixed with water or broth or you'll be left with sticky, blackened char. Use a small baking dish with raised sides to keep the meat swimming.

7. Fiesta: 1/3 c salsa

8. Melted Fiesta: 2 Tbsp jalapeño cheese dip, 2 Tbsp salsa, 1 Tbsp water

9. Italian: 2 Tbsp marinara sauce, 2 Tbsp water

10. Texas Style: 2 Tbsp barbecue sauce, 2 Tbsp water

11. Ranch Dipped: 2 Tbsp ranch dressing, 2 Tbsp water

12. Honey Mustard: 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp honey, 1 tsp olive oil

13. Spiced Up: 3 Tbsp chicken broth; 1 Tbsp mustard; 1 clove garlic, crushed

14. Cream of Mushroom: 2 Tbsp condensed mushroom soup, 2 Tbsp water

15. Pesto: 2 Tbsp pesto, 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium chicken broth

16. Sweet & Sour: 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 c crushed pineapple with juice

17. Coconut Curry: 3 Tbsp chicken broth, 2 Tbsp light coconut milk, 1/4 tsp curry powder

18. Apple Glaze: 1/3 c chicken broth, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 Tbsp apple juice

19. BBQ Sauce: 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 Tbsp barbecue sauce; 1 clove garlic, crushed

20. Hot Stuff: 2 Tbsp hot sauce, 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp chili powder

21. Herbed Citrus: 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 Tbsp orange marmalade, 1/4 tsp rosemary

RUBBED Rub these mixtures evenly over each breast, then coat with cooking spray.

22. Chili Covered: 1/4 tsp each garlic powder, chili powder, black pepper, and oregano; salt to taste

23. Three-Alarm Fire: 1/4 tsp each black pepper, chili powder, red pepper flakes, cumin, and hot sauce

24. Tri-Herb Rub: 1/4 tsp each dried basil, rosemary, and thyme; salt and pepper to taste

CRUSTED Crack an egg into a shallow bowl, whisk it, dip the chicken in it, and then roll the chicken in a plate of one of these coatings:

25. Nut Covered: 1/3 c finely chopped nuts

26. Italian Topped: 1 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese, 1 Tbsp Italian breadcrumbs, a pinch of black pepper

27. Faux Fried: 1/2 c crushed corn or bran flakes

STUFFED Pound the daylights out of your chicken breast with a meat tenderizer until it's uniformly thin. Then arrange any of the following ingredients on the breast, roll it up, and secure it with toothpicks or kitchen twine.

28. Ham & Cheese: 1 slice cheddar cheese, 2 slices deli ham, 1/4 tsp black pepper

29. Stromboli: 1 slice mozzarella cheese; 3 slices pepperoni; 3 leaves fresh basil, chopped

30. Pizza: 1 slice mozzarella; 1/4 c chopped tomatoes; 3 leaves fresh basil, chopped

31. Spinach Stuffed: 1 small handful baby spinach leaves, chopped; 1 Tbsp blue-cheese crumbles; 1 clove garlic, crushed

32. Deli Style: 1 slice mozzarella, 1 slice salami, 1 Tbsp chopped roasted red pepper

33. Sun-dried Tomato: 1 1/2 Tbsp part-skim ricotta cheese, 1 Tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1/4 tsp oregano

34. Mediterranean: 1 1/2 Tbsp part-skim ricotta cheese, 1 Tbsp diced olives, 1/4 tsp lemon zest

35. Parmesan Pesto: 1 Tbsp pesto, 1 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese, 1/4 tsp black pepper

TIP To lock in juices, sear the breast in a hot skillet for 1–2 minutes per side before baking.

Grill Power

THE BASICS: Soak the chicken in these marinades for at least an hour. Heat a grill or place a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat on the stove. Cook for three to five minutes per side.

36. Booze Infused: 2 Tbsp bourbon, 1 tsp deli-style mustard, 1/4 tsp black pepper

37. Sweet Booze Infused: 2 Tbsp bourbon; 1 tsp honey; 1 clove garlic, crushed

38. Red Wine Dressed: 2 Tbsp red wine; 1 tsp barbecue sauce; 1 clove garlic, crushed

39. White Wine Dressed: 2 Tbsp white wine; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1/4 tsp thyme

40. Rich & Creamy: 2 Tbsp plain yogurt, 1/4 tsp dill

41. Curry Cream: 2 Tbsp plain yogurt, 1 tsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp curry powder

42. Margaritaville: 2 Tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp cilantro

43. Cumin & Lime: 2 Tbsp lime juice, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

44. Lemon Zest: 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp lemon zest, 1/4 tsp black pepper

45. Balsamic Herb: 2 Tbsp vinaigrette, 1/4 tsp rosemary

46. Ginger Spiced: 2 Tbsp orange juice, 1/4 tsp powdered ginger, 1/4 tsp cilantro

47. O-juiced: 2 Tbsp orange juice, 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

48. Soda Popped: 2 Tbsp cola, 1/4 tsp black pepper

49. Red Pepper Pop: 1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

50. Hawaiian Punch: 2 Tbsp pineapple juice; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1/4 tsp black pepper

TIP Mix the marinade ingredients well in a resealable plastic bag, drop in the chicken, seal, shake, and refrigerate.

Joined the Club

I joined The Sports Academy. I've always wanted to join a gym but couldn't ever justify the expense. My friend was doing a contest where if she got 5 people to sign up, then she would get a lifetime membership. She told me she would pay 3 months of it, plus if I signed up in May for a year contract I would get 3 months free. Plus, they have really good membership rates for Utah State University employees. Normally I would have to sign up for a couple membership since Rob is the employee not me, but they were nice and are only charging the single rate. So I get 15 months of membership and only have to pay for 9.

With the membership you get a new member activity card with all sorts of freebies... a 2 week swimming lesson session ($40 value, I've been taking my kids there for lessons the last two summers), a 20 hour Kids Klub punch pass so I can take my kids there while I workout, a smoothie, bottle of water, 30% off massage/facial/waxing, one tanning session, and best of all, a session of BOOT CAMP ($125 value)!! For the next month, I am going to be getting my butt kicked by a personal trainer in a group setting (basically like Biggest Loser), three days a week for an hour each day. I start today...wish me luck!

School is Coming to an End

This is the last week of first grade for Ashlee. Last Friday they did class plays in their classroom. Ashlee was a narrator for The Little Red Hen and the Cat in Bremen Town Musicians.

Today was the Spring Music Program. The kids did such a good job and sang some really cute songs. Rob videoed the songs on the digital camera but the memory card got messed up so we could only view the first and last songs. Bummer, since the version of the Five Little Monkeys song was really cute with the actions! Oh well, I did get it with our regular camcorder...it's just not digital so I can't post it here.

After the performance we took some pictures in her classroom. Landon somehow got lost in the crowd and when I went into the hallway to look for him, a teacher was helping him find his mommy. He was very upset and decided hanging on to mom's leg was best!

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Trevor is 5 months and has figured out some new things. He is full of rolls, and not just those cute chubby things! A couple weeks ago he figured out how to roll over from his back to his stomach. He has also discovered his feet!

Don't mind the absolutely FULL diaper. Rob was changing him into his jammies and he was just so cute playing with his feet so I grabbed the camera. And I'm not quite sure why he has the beanie on his head. I came home and he was wearing it...who knows, the kids love it when he wears it so I'm sure they put it on him!

Lil' Preschool Graduate

Today Brynlee graduated from Rainbow Corner preschool. Her teacher, Mrs. Lee, is so wonderful! She is seriously like a grandma to all of the kids! Whenever she sees Brynlee, she kneels down to her level, gives her a big hug and usually whispers something in her ear. We LOVE Mrs. Lee! She lives just around the corner and is our Bishop's wife. She has been teaching preschool for about 20 years in her home.

Spiced Pita Chips

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 whole-wheat pitas, cut into 1/8's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine olive oil and all spices in a large bowl. Add pita wedges and toss to coat, Spread in 1 layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, tossing once, or until pita is brown and crisp. Cool completely before serving.

I made these yesterday and sorry to say it, but Rob didn't get any. He wasn't feeling very well after work (allergies have hit him hard the last couple days) and when he finally got up off the couch around 9:00 last night, he called me (I was out walking with a friend) and asked if there were any more pita chips...oops! Nope, I ate them all! I ate them with hummus. For those of you who haven't tried hummus....try it! I tried it for the first time last Thanksgiving and it is really good. I think I always associated it with haggis so I was always afraid to try it...hummus, haggis, both don't sound very appetizing! Trust me, you'll like hummus...sorry, can't testify in behalf of haggis. That's not something I will be trying! You can buy hummus in the deli section at the grocery store.

"First" Lost Tooth

Brynlee lost her tooth today. I say it was her "first" tooth she lost because it's the first one she lost naturally! Her top two front teeth were knocked loose last summer and eventually got pulled by the dentist. A few days ago she told me her tooth was loose. I felt it and it was a little wiggly. Yesterday, she showed it to me and I could tell it was SO loose, but she wouldn't let me touch it. I was fine with that because I didn't want it coming out on Sunday since the Tooth Fairy wasn't prepared with the goods (I got cash back at the store today to be prepared)! So today she came home from her friend's house with a little plastic baggie...with her tooth in it!

P.S. After reading Mary Anne's comment I had to laugh because usually this Tooth Fairy leaves quarters! When Ashlee lost her first tooth, she came running into my room in the morning so happy that the Tooth Fairy left her a QUARTER! I figure like they know how much money is worth....they are in heaven with any money at that age! Then her friends would lose their teeth and be like "I got a dollar or I got $5" WHAT??!! So yes, Brynlee got a dollar only because I really had NO change at all and I didn't feel like asking the cashier for quarters!

Little Ballerina

Yesterday was the Cache Valley School of Ballet Spring Performance. We finally found something that Ashlee loves to do (after trying out soccer, ice skating, and piano...none of which she enjoyed much). After two years of piano, I let her have a break but I think I'm going to have her start again in the fall. But back to ballet, Ashlee did a GREAT job in her performance! Here are some pics...

I volunteered to be a parent helper so I had the camera with me backstage and Rob had the video camera for the actual performance.

Ashlee and the girls in her class playing "Bubble gum, bubble gum in a dish..." with their feet while waiting for the performance to begin.

Back row: Ashlee, Naya, Satasia & Jasmine

Front row: Brianne, Iris, Erin & Allie

Naya, Ashlee and Jasmine

Pretty ballerina!

Brynlee and Ashlee after the performance

No Wonder...

As moms we go through a rollercoaster of emotions from day to day, hour to hour, and even minute to minute....

Before I was a Mom

Author Unknown

Before I was a Mom -I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom -I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -I had never been puked on - Pooped on - Spit on - Chewed on, or Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and My thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom -I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known The warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

Mother's Day

We had a fun and eventful weekend! I hope all the mothers out there had a wonderful, relaxing day! Since we were going to be out of town on Sunday, I got my annual Mother's Day breakfast in bed on Saturday. French toast is my absolute fav breakfast! Top it off with chocolate drizzled strawberries...mmmmm!

After breakfast, Rob and the kids cleaned the house and we headed down to South Jordan to see our newest nephew, Edward James Barton, who was born on May 3. So adorable!! And tiny! It's so hard to think that Trevor was that little just 4 months ago! He weighed in at 16 lbs. 2 oz. last week when he had his checkup!!
Then we went to Provo to have a BBQ and birthday celebration with Mary Anne! Happy 23rd birthday to my baby sister!! Jeremy and Clytie and girls were here from Albuquerque so it was fun to be with family this weekend that I don't get to see very often. We got to meet Lindsey for the first time. She and Trevor are only 6 days apart!

Saturday night we stayed at Cheryl's house and then on Sunday we had a Barton Mother's Day get together. Here is Grandma Barton with all 10 of her grandkids!

Landon with Grandpa B before we left to head back to Logan

If you give a boy a hammer

The shower in the downstairs bathroom had the same problem as the one in our master bathroom that we renovated last year - loose tiles that let water back into the wall, which leads to mold and rotting. The difference in this bathroom is that it is big enough we can actually do something nice to it, instead of just cramming the new shower in a tiny space. We're going to replace the carpet with tile and turn the shower into a shower/tub so it will actually be a full bath. So as I started demolition, Lando came in to help, so here he is in action doing some demo work in the bathroom...

Two Wheelin'

I took Brynlee's training wheels off of her bike two days ago and off she went. I held onto the back of her seat from our driveway to our neighbor's driveway and then let go and that was the end of my running! Now all she wants to do is ride her bike from the moment she's done with breakfast until it's time to come in for dinner....with little breaks for lunch and preschool :)

Mr. T

Our little man is 4 months old!!

Such big blue eyes!!

He's at the stage where everything that he is holding on to goes into his mouth. In this case, he kept grabbing his shirt, as you can see in the pictures below, which makes for a very WET shirt!

All the other kids wanted in on the picture taking fun.

He also likes to suck on his tongue. He makes the funniest noises and it keeps him happy!

Bertolli Frozen Dinners

A couple weeks ago Smith's had these on sale for $4.99 plus I had a coupon for $2.50 off. They are really yummy! It says "Dinner for Two" on the package but we fed our whole family plus there was a serving of leftovers....not that our kids ate a ton of it but still definitely serves more than two, especially if you add breadsticks or french bread and vegetables to complete the meal. It only takes 10-15 minutes to cook over the stove and voila...a cheap, yummy dinner is served. I forgot to post about them last week when they were on sale but I noticed they are on sale again this week. Here's the link for the coupon.