Recipe of the Week---Candybar Ice Cream Pie

These pies are so good. It's like having a Blizzard in a pie. Plus, they're super easy. You only need three ingredients.

1 pie crust--graham cracker or chocolate oreo
3 candybars--your choice
3 cups of vanilla ice cream

Let the ice cream melt until soft. Chop up the candybars. Mix most of the candybars into the ice cream. Save a little for the topping. Put the mixture into the pie crust. Top with the remaining candybar. Put in the freezer for 3 hours. That's it--super easy and super yummy.

Eeww....Gross

The other night, while putting Adam to bed, he started giving me soggy kisses. I said, "Yuck! Girls don't like soggy kisses. Just remember, when you're 16 and kissing girls, don't give them soggy kisses." He looked at me and said, "Mom, I don't kiss girls I don't know. That's GROSS!"

We Tied for 1st Place

Janelle Waters and Heidi after the Half-Marathon. Don't we look great?

Adam wanted to cross the finish line with us.

We really didn't get 1st place for the whole thing. We got 1st place for the walkers. There were only three, and we were two of them. We did it in 3 hours 12 minutes, 14:40 min./mile. We had a lot of fun. The race organizers had said the course would be marked--didn't happen--thank goodness we knew the route. And, they said there would be police to help with the street crossings. We could see the police in the distance as they helped the runners. Then, they would drive away, right past us, and not help us. Now that I think about it, we should have had a faster time because we had to stop and wait for lights to change. However, we finally got our police escort when we were finishing because the winner of the entire marathon was finishing at the same time. He had the police all around him, so we just followed right behind like we were the winners, too. Anyhow, we had a good time, and we're not sore. My right hip hurt the rest of the day on Saturday but it was fine by the time I woke up on Sunday.

Saturday afternoon and evening we had our camp fundraiser--spaghetti dinner and auction. Everything went well. We had great attendance. I think only two families didn't come that had signed up. We made a ton of money--$1100--and we only have four girls going to camp. The ward members were very generous. Someone paid $42 for a German Chocolate Cake. And the candybar icecream pies sold great. They only cost $3 to make but most of them went for $15-$30 each.

A Sad Day for Matt

Matt's favorite sandals died today. I bought them last summer at a garage sale for 50 cents. He has worn them nearly everyday since then. He loved them because he could pull the elastic strap and put them on by himself. I'm not quite ready, myself, to put them in the trash because of the sweet memories of Matt wearing them so much.

A Trip to the Holy Land

This weekend felt like a trip back to the Holy Land. It reminded of many memories I have of when I visited Israel. Bro. Victor L. Ludlow, BYU professor, came to Garden City. Yes, you read that right. He performed a Seder Service (Jewish passover meal) with all the youth and youth leaders in the stake. He said he does a lot of these in Utah and then once every Spring he does it out-of-state. The last couple of years he's been to Phoenix (population 5 million+), Houston (population 5 million+), and now Garden City (population 28,000). Aren't we special! It was really neat and a lot of fun. However, for those who have done this, those bitter herbs were the worst thing I've ever eaten. I nearly gagged on them. It was so interesting to learn and experience these traditions of the Jewish faith that have lasted centuries. Sunday evening he spoke about an LDS perspective on the Middle East.

This coming Saturday I have the half-marathon in the morning and the YW fundraiser--spaghetti dinner and auction--in the evening. Plus, I have to give a talk on Sunday. Anybody have any good insight on the ten virgins? So, what am I doing to prepare for all this stuff?--Blogging, redecorating Matt's room, gardening, making jam--you know, everything that's NOT going to help me this weekend. By the way, this past Friday, I taught some friends how to make freezer jam. This is something that everyone should learn how to do because it is SO EASY and tastes SO DELICIOUS. If you have not made freezer jam before, you will be amazed at how easy it is. Just buy a box of pectin, and the recipe and instructions are right inside. You'll be so happy you did it.

The seniors on KU's basketball team came to Garden City. Every time they do well in the tournament they go on a barnstorming tour of the state and play the all-conference high school basketball players. So, we went to the game. It was a lot of fun. Adam and Matthew were a bit overwhelmed because of the noise. We went early and stood in line for two hours to get autographs, but we didn't get them. That was a bummer. They had to start the game before we got to the table. There's always next year.

Blogs into Books

I just discovered a company/website that will compile all of your blogs into a book. I know some of us here in Garden City were talking about this and how neat it would be. I thought I would pass on the website: http://www.blurb.com/create/book/blogbook

Life in the FAST lane

A few days ago things were going slowly. And then Monday afternoon hit. The boys and I were at home when UPS dropped a package off. It was the plants I had ordered for our landscaping. I wasn't expecting them this early. We hadn't cleared out the flowerbeds nor put the edging in. So, from 4-8pm we put the edging and weed fabric in. Then, Tuesday morning I had two hours to plant everything (36 plants) and put mulch down. The kicker is I couldn't find my gardening trowel and I had to use the boys' sand shovels. I had to hussle because I had to take Adam down to Liberal for his doctor's appt. We got back from that at 5pm. I watered the plants, cooked dinner, and went visiting teaching. Today felt much more relaxed. We had playgroup here. Then I took the boys to McDonalds for lunch and we bought groceries afterwards.

As for Adam's appt. for his OCD--he's been working really hard. He has gotten over all of his rituals except washing his hands after touching his underwear. He's been working on this one for a month now. It was really starting to stress him out because it's such a strong compulsion. So, the dr. told him to try a new trick. He gets to wash his hands in slow motion. He thought that was pretty funny, so hopefully it will help him get rid of this last behavior.

Those Darn Jellybeans

So, last month I decided to lose five pounds. However, Easter came and so did the generic jellybeans that Walmart sells at Easter. I love them, and they're only 50 cents per bag. And then, they went on clearance after Easter for only 25 cents a bag. I can't resist them. Every year this happens. So, Easter is done and I've started my weight loss program again. This week I lost 2 lbs.

Our Cute Little Matthew

Matt's been wondering why all of the recent pictures on the blog have been of Adam and not him. So, here are a couple we've taken recently.

He happened to take a nap one afternoon and he just looked so cute with his bear. He LOVES his "bear-bear". He's slept with it since he was born. And, yes, Mike, he still sniffs the arm. The bear sings a lullaby in Spanish and often we hear Matt singing it when he wakes up in the morning. Very cute!

Here's Matt lying on Dad. And again, with his bear. Matthew is very cuddly and affectionate. He often gives us kisses just out-of-the-blue.

Life in the S...L...O...W lane....

Here are some pictures of Adam when his face was swollen.

We really do live a quiet and slow life. This past weekend we had planned on making our pilgrimage to Mecca (University of Kansas in Lawrence) to see the parade for the basketball team. However, we heard it was going to be really cold and about 100,000 people were expected. We thought that might be too much for the boys. The good news, though, is that the KU basketball team is coming here to Garden City this coming Saturday. We got tickets for the game. So, we're excited to watch them plan.

Saturday morning I walked 13.1 miles in training for the half-marathon. My friend and training partner, Janelle, had twisted her ankle and couldn't come. It took me 3 hours 15 minutes. You do a lot of thinking when you're walking that long by yourself. It really wasn't too bad. My right hip was a little sore afterwards. It was super windy, though (30-40mph).

Recipe of the Week

So, I found a new salad recipe I want to try. Every second Sunday our ward has a Linger-Longer after church. I'm going to make this salad for it. It sounds yummy. As for you Weight Watcher point-counters, it only has 3 points (140 cal, 3g fiber, 5g fat).

Napa Cabbage Slaw

4 c. chopped napa or chinese cabbage
1 can (11oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
1 can (8oz.) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 c. fresh snow peas, trimmed and cut into thirds
1/2 c. chopped sweet red pepper
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 c. light sesame ginger salad dressing
1/2 c. chow mein noodles

Combine first six ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss. Just before serving, top with chow mein noodles. Serves 8.

Cabin Fever

The boys and I have been stuck in the house for a week. We're getting on each others' nerves. The boys just pick at each other, trying to get the other mad. Adam told me he's nice at school but mean at home. He said he should go to "nice school". We were at home because of Adam's forehead. The top half of his face was really swollen from his fall. He looked like a Kling-On. I took pictures but they didn't truly capture how different he looked. Then, we were at home all weekend for General Conference. It is great to be able to watch it at home--thank goodness for satellite TV--but, the boys were tired of being in the basement (that's where the TV is) for those two days. On Monday Adam got his stitches out. He said it didn't hurt very much. Then, Monday evening he got sick---fever and vomiting--so we stayed at home again yesterday. He felt better today and went to school. So, today was the first time we've left to go do something fun. We had playgroup at Burger King. The kids all had a good time playing and picking at their food. We stayed for over 2 hours. I had planned on staying there until the boys got tired. However, Matt had an accident in his pants (which rarely happens), so we came home. If everyone is healthy tomorrow, we'll go to the library.

I'm itching to go on a trip. I haven't been anywhere since New Year's. It's tough being at least three hours from anywhere, especially with the price of gas so high. We have to drive far to go anywhere--3 hours to Wichita, 5 hours to Denver, 6 hours to Kansas City. Plus, all of my Saturdays are booked doing training for the half-marathon. We do our long distance training sessions on Saturday mornings. Only three more weeks 'til the race.

As for our garden, the lettuce has sprouted. I'm excited. I've also ordered some plants for our front yard. There is NO landscaping in the front. Our yard was seriously neglected before we moved in. The more yardwork I do, the more I realize how much needs to be done. I took down a bunch of honeysuckle in the backyard. It was so overgrown and really weighing the fence down. We're going to plant raspberries back there along the fence. For the front yard, we're going to get a tree (haven't decided what type yet), put in some butterfly bushes, liriopes, sweet williams, and cosmos. For the side yard and behind our patio, we're putting in lily-of-the-valley. I'm anxious to get it going. I might put in the flowerbeds and do the edging this weekend. However, I will be doing 13 miles Sat. morning so we'll see how much energy I have left.

Sad note---the PBS special Masterpiece Theatre of all the Jane Austen novels has now ended. The last one was on Sunday. It was a lot of fun watching them. They just draw you in. Here are a couple of movie reviews. The new "Becoming Jane" with Anne Hathaway is really good--LOVED IT. The new "The Jane Austen Book Club" is terrible--really kind of crass and crude--HATED IT.

We Won! We Won! We Won!

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!! Go KU!! What an awesome game. We had so much fun watching it. Surprisingly, the boys didn't wake up while we were hootin' and hollerin'. Of course, we had our "7-layer" dip and chips. Here's our shout-out to Mike. During the game, I kept thinking, "Poor Mikey" (Robert's brother). The one year they live out of the U.S. and can't watch the game is the year KU wins it all. We did record it on our DVR so we'll see if we can transfer it to a DVD, for you, Mike. Kenningtons love KU!!!!

Embarassing Moment of the Week

So, Adam is lying down on the exam table in the ER. We're waiting for the doctor to come in and do the stitches. Adam asks me if I've ever had stitches. I said, "Yeah, when you and Matt were born". He looks at me and LOUDLY says, "You had stitches in your bum?" Which was then followed by snickering coming from the other bays in the ER. Kids--gotta love 'em.

Tacos for Christmas

I can't remember when I started liking Mexican food. As far as I know, I've always liked it. I remember when we were young kids, my mom would allow us to help plan the Christmas menu. If it was my turn to pick the main dish I would always pick tacos. Needless to say, we had some interesting Christmas dinners. And then, two days later, I'd pick them again for my birthday dinner. While in college in Arizona, I took a Mexican cooking class one semester. It was a lot of fun. And I'm still learning to cook all sorts of Latin dishes. So, it's no surprise that my recipe this week is something Mexican. It is---Red Enchilada Sauce. Everyone can make this. It tastes better than the canned stuff and it is cheaper, too. And, you can make extra and freeze it. I do it all the time. Here's what you need--

RED ENCHILADA SAUCE
3 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. flour
1/4 c. chili powder (the New Mexico chili powder is the best but hard to find)
1 can (141/2oz.) of beef or chicken broth--OR dissolve 2 bouillion cubes into 2 c. boiling water
1 can (15 oz.) of tomato sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin

In a saucepan, eat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. It will become a thick paste. Add the chili powder and cook, stirring until you can really smell it, about 30 seconds.
Add the broth, tomato sauce, oregano and cumin. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat to low and cook , stirring often, until the sauce is smooth and thickened, about 15 minutes. Salt if needed. This makes about 2 1/2 cups. You can refrigerate it up to 5 days or freeze it up to 3 months.

Side note--I know alot of gringos make enchiladas with flour tortillas, and they are tasty. However, nothing is better than enchiladas made with corn tortillas. Simply fry the tortillas for just seconds to make them soft and pliable. Drain them on some paper towels. Fill and roll them with your favorite fixins--cheese, beans, meat, chicken, etc--. Pour enchiladas sauce on top and some cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. You will be surprised how the tortillas just melt in your mouth. Muy rico!!

Adam and the ER

So, besides pulling an April Fool's joke yesterday (which, by the way, worked), we took Adam to the ER . . . . again. This is his third visit in five months. He feel out of the tree and gashed his forehead on the trunk. He gashed it open a month again on his headboard. However, yesterday it was really bad, and he had to get stitches, six of them. Since I'm the calm one when it comes to medical stuff, I didn't tell Adam or Robert how much of Adam's skull I could see. Nor did I show the gash to either of them. Nonetheless, this morning when Adam looked at the stitches he was stunned and just kept looking at them. His forehead is swollen for now. We woke him during the night a few times just to make sure there was no concussion. Since the day Adam was born he's had to deal with medical stuff. I often wonder what Heavenly Father has in store for Adam to have him experience all of these things. Every night I tell Adam, when he goes to bed, that he can do hard things. Often he tells me, "Mom, stop saying that. You say that every night." However, yesterday in the ER, I reminded him again that he could do this and get through it. I think it sunk it a bit and he relied on that for some strength.

April Fool's

Wa-wa-wa! Gotcha! I have to say the comments cracked me up.

Our Big News....

So, this might come as a surprise, but we're expecting a baby. The baby is due in November, on the 21st, which happens to be Adam's birthday. I'm not too far along and have been feeling great. The doctor said I could continue with my plans for the half-marathon next month as long as I feel up to it.