Easy & Good

So, I scoured through my recipe books in desperation for some good recipes that we could eat again some day. Most of you know that I am always up for a new recipe, especially if it is easy. So, in my efforts to plan and save I found this recipe for Monterey Chicken.

2TBS of vegetable oil
1 lb of chicken breast
1 medium green pepper
1 small onion
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 C. Picante Sauce
8 flour tortillas
1/2 C. Monterey Jack Cheese

Heat up 1 TBS. of oil in a skillet. Cook the chicken until brown. Add the other TBS. of oil, pepper and onion and cook until tender crisp. Pour salsa and soup in the skillet and let warm all the way through. Spoon chicken mixture onto tortilla sprinkle with cheese, roll up and devour. You call also put some sour cream or other toppings on there such as salsa, taco sauce, or whatever. I added a little red taco sauce to mine and it was delicious. Eric added some green sauce called Mrs. Renfros and he enjoyed his as well. If you are looking for something easy and mmm good check out this recipe from my Campbell's cook book.

Taft 6 Mos

Happy half Birthday to Taft

Today is Taft's 1st half b-day. How are we celebrating? Well, with naps, binkies and lots of snuggle time together. I cannot believe that 6 months ago I was in labor and our little man was born. Eric & I both have no clue what life was like before Taft came and we can't imagine it without him. He is such a sweet baby! So, here are some of Taft's accomplishments in the first half of his first year.

Sleeping: 8-10 hours a night
Eating: Rice & Oatmeal cereal from a spoon and getting less messy every time!
Teething: Cut his lower centrals a month or so ago and is getting ready to cut the upper centrals
Mobility: Pushing up on all fours, rocking back and forth on all fours. Scooting backwards every now and then and getting ready to become T-mobile anytime now.
Talking: Loves to babble at the most inappropriate times and screams really loud if you get him giggling good.
Seeing: Taft LOVES to see himself in the mirror. He gets so excited he can hardly stand it. He will grab anything in site and can recognize his binky. As soon as he sees it or realizes it is within his mouth's reach he will open wide.
Grabbing: Loves to grab my hair and will hold toys for a little while. He mostly likes to shove them in his mouth and work on those teeth coming in.
Sitting: Taft can sit up for a few seconds if you put him on his bottom to sit up. Usually he will twist and do a face plant on the floor after about 10-15 seconds. He is good if he is supported though.
Temperament: Taft is very easy going and loves people. Easy going after his Daddy and loves people like his Mommy (or at least like she used to!). He is super smiley and you can make him laugh pretty easily. He doesn't get too serious unless he is eating or sleepy. He is known to have the occasional melt down though (got it honest from his mother). Mostly when he is tired (mommy) or hungry (daddy)! He is super flirty and you will fall in love almost instantly.
Looks: Taft very much his mommy in the face, but very much his daddy in body shape and size. He seems to be the mix Eric always dreamed of. He has huge blue eye courtesy of both both of us (size- mommy, color-daddy).
FAVORITES: Binkies, bottles, cereal, four wheeler rides, outside, stroller rides, snuggling, Daddy baths, and his family. However I am biased and think that I am his absolute favorite with Eric running a very close 2nd!:) That will change I am sure, but for now I am soaking it all in.
Happy 1st 6 months Taft! You are such a great kid!

On all Fours..Get Ready Boys!

Binky Man is officially a Super Hero

When Taft learned how to fly we dubbed him a true super hero!

Our Special Friend & Mentor

Dr. Richard McCardell and Taft. Dr. McCardell was diagnosed with a Gleoblastoma (Spelling?) in January of this year. After surgery, radiation and chemotherapy he was stable as of July. The prognosis for someone with this type of brain tumor is not good. It is fatal, there is no cure and most people are given a 6-9 months. With treatment that can some times be prolonged. The inevitable is death, but many times it is due to the patient actually throwing a clot. Why am I telling you this? Well, because last night I found out that after his follow up MRI the other day the tumor is no longer holding steady. It is growing again. So, I am asking that all my friends/followers say a prayer for a very special and dear friend of mine. I am not sure that praying that he will be cured is the answer seeings how that doesn't seem to be reasonable. However, I am asking that you pray for his comfort, the comfort of his family, his friends and collegues. He is a wonderful and kind man that worked many years providing a great service to many in his community. I ask that you pray for his pain to be minimal if any and that he be able to have some quality time with his family even if it be small in quantity. Here's to you Doc...we love you and hope that you know how great a friend and mentor you have been to so so many people!

Why is it...?

...That people will go months (3 or more) without flossing, and then get all grossed out when they have to swallow their own spit during a prophy? I mean seriously. Do they think that they crap that I dislodged from in between their teeth is now grosser because it is now potentially floating in the spit instead of stuck to their teeth and gums? I cannot for the life of my understand... Is it that now that I have scraped it off their teeth and now their gums are overflowing with a red fluid that it is somehow more disgusting? Well, if you know why people are so goofy then please explain it to me, because I am about out of my mind trying to figure out why people refuse to swallow even a hint of their own saliva while laying back in my chair. Happy flossing!

The Ultimate Compliment!

I know, I know...two posts in one day...I should wait and share the wealth, but I couldn't help but brag. As most of you know, my husband Eric, is fabulous. He is complimentary in every way, but I can not seem to get his taste buds to agree. I am not sure if I am that bad of a cook or if he is just that picky, but I am sure it is that I am just an ordinary cook and he is a little picky. Anyway, the other day my sis Melissa gave me a website to go to for recipes (recipezaar.com). She liked it because they have a lot of low fat recipes...I like it because it has a lot of crock pot recipes on it. I work two days a week and on those days it is nice to throw something in the pot and let it work while I am working, so I don't have to when I get home. Eric's philosophy is lets just eat out on Mon. & Tues nights so that I don't have to wait so long to eat. Well, in order to try and compromise I am attempting to get a bunch of recipes that can cook while I work. Long story short...I made some soup (Chicken Tortilla)the other day in the crock pot that Eric said, and I quote..."I am not sure if I am just really hungry or if this is that good, but I would order this in a restaurant." What!?!?! Did I hear right? You would pay to eat something I made for you? Satisfaction I could have only dreamed of after 5 wonderful years of food struggles!

Tagged for my 50th Post!

So, I got tagged several days, maybe even a week ago by my sis Melissa. So, here is to blogging about good and bad memories.

1. Did you date someone from you High School? Not technically. I liked several boys and they liked me back, but as far as a boyfriend dating...no. I didn't do a lot of dating, just a lot of befriending/flirting!

2. What kind of car did you drive? Well, since I didn't get to drive until I was 18 due to my sis Melissa being home and already being on insurance I didn't drive too much without a sibling or a parent. However, I was one of the few (2) Simpson kids to get the privilege of a 3rd car being for use at the house. It wasn't mine, but it was mine to drive when I needed it. It was a Honda CRX (white) and a standard. When I had to push in the clutch to shift my shorts leg was completely straight because the seat was so far back. Every time I see one I miss it!

3. What was you most embarrassing moment in High School? Well, what I deemed most embarrassing then is probably different now, because what would have been humiliating then may not be so now. Let's see, I am going to have to go with the night that a bunch of people from church came to watch me play in my basketball game and it ended up being the first game I sat the bench the whole game. That was pretty embarrassing for me.

4. Were you a party animal? Always in spirit, but never for real! I never was into the whole party thing. Even less now, but I am always up for good conversation, games and other activities with people.

5. Where you considered a flirt? Well, I am not sure if they were for real or not, but I was on the ballot for Most Flirtatious my senior prom. So, I am sure to some I was!

6. Where you in band, orchestra or choir? None of the above. Quick band 6 weeks into it in Middle School to be in choir and then the high school choir teacher was goofy, so I didn't participate in that in high school.

7. Were you a nerd? I am sure that depends on who you ask...but if you are asking me then I am going to say NO. I was pretty much friends with everyone. I wasn't popular, but I was friends with both ends of the spectrum.

8. Were you on any varsity teams? No...but I lettered in Drill team...how 'bout that! My one year of routines earned me a letter at the VHS!

9. Did you get expelled/suspended? Nope, but Mr. Stankovich wrote me up once for chewing gum in his class, but he didn't actually make me go to the office with it. I actually kind of got in his face with some crying and stuff and he told me to go wipe my eyes and come back to class.

10. Can you still sing the fight song? Well, yeah! But, I am not going to write it all out for you...BUt, if you come to the Vidor homecoming game this year then you can hear me sing it maybe....

11. Who were your favorite teachers? It is a close race because I seemed to like a lot of my teachers...so to name a bunch...Coach Holland(Speech), Coach Mackey (US History), Coach Stankovich (Biology 1 & A&P), Ms. ? (sophomore English, just can't think of her name), & Ms. Beihle (art).

12. Where did you sit during lunch? Where ever I could find a good place to people watch.

13. School Mascot? Pirates

14. Did you go to Homecoming & with who? I went every year with my family!

15. IF you could go back and do it again would you? Definitely NOT! Loved it while I was in it, but glad to be over it!

16. What do you remember most about graduation? Being one of the 1st to get my diploma and then having to wait a long time for every one else to get theirs!

17. Where did you go senior skip day? Didn't have one I don't think, or else I wasn't invited!

18. have you gained weight since then? I would say hasn't everybody, but that doesn't hold true for some, so I will just simply say yes.

19. Who was your prom date? Well, when I was a sophomore I got asked by Damon Wright, my Jr. year I went with my friends Katie Davis (Downs now) and Moriah Keffer. My SR. year I went with Theresa Packard (Battisti now).

20. Are you planning on going to your 10 yr. reunion? I don't know...Most of the time I don't want to see people, and then some times I do.

21. Looking back what advice would you give yourself? Well, I would tell myself to not like a few people that I liked and I would tell myself good job, because I think I turned out OK as a teenager.

I tag no one unless you want to share and reminisce!

CUTE AS A BABY.....

...TURTLE!




Thanks to the many wonderful ideas about a costume for Taft. My mom and I went shopping tonight for some various things and we went into The Children's Place just to see and the first costume I saw was this turtle. I knew he had to be the turtle instantly, because when we asked Taft's cousin Gunnar what he thought of Taft when he was born he said, "He is cute as a baby turtle." Which in Gunnar's world was a huge compliment, so here's to the Turtles Gunnar!

Should I or shouldn't I?

Dress Taft up for Halloween? And if so, what should he be?

Excuses, Excuses

Why I haven't blogged lately....
1. Haven't taken any recent pics...camera batteries are dead~
2. No one wants to hear me blab, they just want to see pics....see excuse #1
3. I haven't had too many seconds to do anything other than work, and try to keep up with laundry...
4. I am just plain lazy!
Pictures and updates coming soon!