Kelly Times Two

Oh my goodness. He just melted my heart. Every time before I put Isaac down for a nap, I sing "I Am a Child of God" and then put him in the crib. Today I asked if he wanted to sing with me and he said, "sing!" So I took the binky out of his mouth as we stood next to his crib, and he practically sang the entire song with me! I had a hard time singing and not crying because it was so incredibly sweet! He has been listening and learning. Sometimes he applauds at the end of the song. He is such a joy to have in my life.  This was taken outside a Subway sandwich shop near Kelly's work, where we often meet him during lunch on Mondays since Kelly goes directly to Chinese class each Monday after work. Isaac is usually in bed by the time Kelly gets home, so this gives them a chance to see each other a bit during the day. He still goes down so well for his nap without crying and sleeps for about two hours every afternoon. He's such a good baby.  A few days ago, I was ...

My most favorite pie in the world is pecan pie.  Recently I treated myself to a new set of these mini tart pans and want to share how easy these completely irresistible petite versions are of this family favorite recipe that I got from my sister, Tracy, that came from our Grandma Jackson.   The set of six mini tart pans from The Pampered Chef each has a removable bottom, which is perfect for removing the dessert without any problems.  I used one Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust, and rolled it out to make an oblong piece of dough, to be able to fit all six pans.   As you can see, I sprinkled a little bit of flour onto the counter top to prevent the dough from sticking.   I cut the dough into six sections using a tiny paring knife, then one by one, placed dough inside a tart pan, and gently pressed it down into the bottom, to fit closely around the fluted edges, then used my fingers to press down and cut off any excess dough from along the top edges....

Toasted homemade canape bread that I baked in a metal flower-shaped tube accents a mini crab salad for an individual serving. I bought the adorable mini flare dish in a set  of 24, which includes twelve flares and twelve petite tasting spoons , from Pier 1 Imports.  Love them! Here it is served as a dip, served with store-bought bagel crisps to scoop it up.  There have been many requests for my crab dip/salad recipe, and I finally am posting it.  It's so delish to snack on if you are a fan of imitation crab meat, cream cheese and veggies, which apparently, I am.  I have adapted this from a recipe in one of my old Pampered Chef Season's Best Recipe Collections.  Enjoy! 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 small bell pepper, chopped 1 handful of fresh (rinsed and patted dry) parsley, chopped 8 ounces imitation crab meat, chopped 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened juice from 1/2 of a large lemon 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 garlic c...

Isaac has been adding many new words to his charming little 21-month-old vocabulary and seems to be delighted that he has figured out ways to verbally express his wishes to us.  He loves being able to tell us what he wants, then get the reaction that he expects, simply by saying a word or a combination of words that he has learned.  For several months he has been able to understand much of what is going on, and we are all so excited when we hear something new that he clearly utters.  For quite some time, Isaac has known to say "amen" at the end of a prayer, since he hears us praying often as a family at the table before we eat, or when we have family prayer.  Sometimes he will squeeze his eyes together to pretend they are closed and bow his head.  Tonight as Hannah was ready to go to bed, we gathered together for prayer and somewhat jokingly, Kelly called on Isaac to say the prayer. Without thinking of it, I called him over to stand by me to help hi...

Happy new year! All is well with our family in the year 2014.  Flights have been canceling all over the country  in the past few days due to snow and ice, and it's even been kind of chilly here in Austin, so I have been in a soup and comfort food state of mind lately. Tonight, I made what was probably the best goulash I have made, and want to remember what I did, so I can duplicate it in the future.  It's mainly from Paula Deen's recipe, but I have made a few changes.  Here's what I concocted, that was a big hit with my family. By cooking the ground beef mixture in advance, this would be a perfect recipe to have waiting in the crockpot when we get home late from church at 6 pm now that our ward meets from 2:30 to 5:30 pm.  The final step of putting the noodles in the mixture would still need to be done, but that's not too bad. Step One 3 pounds ground beef 2 medium onions, chopped in food processor 1 green bell pepper, chopped in food chopper Brown the ...

We met up with my friends Holly and Michele and each of their husbands and kids this afternoon at the new Austin aquarium, then went out for ice cream after that at Amy's, where the little kids could play on the playground while we socialized. Later in the evening, we ate burgers at Moonie's and also went for a drive to see Christmas lights in Round Rock near the Dell Diamond where there was a 1.5 mile light display that was well done and kept us all entertained.  It's so nice to be at home for the holidays and have Kelly home from work.  We look forward to next Christmas when Lindsey will be here too with us!

We enjoyed spending the morning opening presents, then eating a brunch menu of Texas shaped Lemon Poppyseed Waffles and crispy bacon, in honor of Lindsey, who discovered the recipe before leaving on her mission, so we always think of her when I make them. Isaac loved the excitement of all the presents and liked his new toys. Hannah got her very first ever violin, and Christopher got some computer parts and is learning how to build his own computer from his technical wizard dad. We loved talking on the telephone last night to Lindsey, when it was Christmas Eve in Texas and fourteen hours ahead, Christmas in Hong Kong. After our traditional Christmas naps, since we always stay up too late wrapping presents, etc., I prepared dinner for the family and we enjoyed the company of the three missionaries in our ward, Elders McKinley, Toone, and Anderson, plus two  other families from church, Melanie and Ryan and their sons, Jordan and Luke, and Heather and her husband, Clayton, a...