Camelias are in bloom!

All of the camelia bushes are in bloom now! My dad sent this photo today of one of the beautiful camelia's in his yard! Click on the photo to enlarge it, the flower is absolutely perfect!

Family Task Chart

For anyone that has more than one child, microsoft office has a fabulous "Family Task Chart" that you can alter to suit your needs. You can list various family duties down one side, the family member that is responsible for each task and there is a box to check when it has been completed. Go to http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC100789471033.aspx?pid=CT102530571033 to download the chart!

Easy Broccoli and Cheese soup!

Last night my kids asked me to make Broccoli Cheese soup for dinner tonight! I found a recipe on about.com: Souther Food site, and altered it to our liking;

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

2 bunches of broccoli, washed and trimmed
2 cups sliced onions
7 Tbsp butter
7 cups chicken broth
½ tsp. ground oregano
¼ cup flour
2 TBSP Dijon Mustard
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups shredded SHARP Cheddar Cheese (additional can be grated for topping)
Cooked crumbled bacon for topping (optional)

Directions:

Cut florets off broccoli and divide into bite size sections. Simmer in lightly salted water for 2 minutes, drain and immerse in ice water to stop cooking, then step aside.

Cut broccoli stalks into chunks; place in Dutch oven. Add sliced onions and 4 TBSP of butter to Dutch oven; sauté over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Add 3 cups of chicken broth and oregano to Dutch oven; simmer 20 minutes. Pour mixture into blender and blend until smooth. Melt 4 TBSP butter in Dutch oven; stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Stir in Dijon mustard and pepper. Gradually stir in blended soup mixture and remaining 4 cups of chicken broth. Continue to cook, stirring, until mixture begins to bubble. Add cream and cheese; stir until smooth and cheese is melted. Add remaining broccoli florets and heat through. Serve with grated cheese and cooked crumbled bacon (if desired).

First Easter card has been made!

Okay, it is official! I have made my first Easter card of the year! Let the crafting begin!

Fun shipping boxes

I was at the post office this morning and found this fun shipping box! I didn't realize they had so many fun boxes to ship packages in! They even had easter floral ones. It beats getting a brown box in the mail -- Especially if you are a kid!

Old Navy Coupon Code

If you shop online at Old Navy and spend $100 or more, you can use the coupon code PATTERN for FREE SHIPPING!

What can you do with an old easter basket?

Easter is just around the corner, so I picked up an Easter basket, chocolate bunny, and some cute egg candles! And, the result.................

I painted the basket lavender, planted some low growing greenery that will sprout purple flowers, a couple of primroses, and added the candles and chocolate bunny! Voila! It brings a little bit of spring to our entry way side table!

I have the best friends in the WORLD!

Tori and I were out shopping today and look what was left on my doorstep while I was away! I swear I have the best friends in the WORLD!!!!

On Wednesday my friend Mechelle was home ill, along with her daughter and her husband was out of town. I decided to surprise her in the morning with muffins and orange juice for breakfast, chicken noodle soup for lunch and a pizza for dinner. This was her thank you!

American Girl Free Shipping!

American Girl has free shipping through March 16th. At check out enter the free shipping code SPRINGSHIP.

Easter Pasta

My mother-in-law came to visit today and brought a bag of easter goodies. I thought this pasta was such a fun idea!!!! It has eggs and bunnies and little ducks. So fun!

Filet Mignon with Goat Cheese and salsa

I made a great recipe tonight, that is a spin off of a recipe I saw on Food Network last weekend. I wasn't too sure about having goat cheese on my steak, but it actually has a great creamy texture that goes great with the steak and salsa! The kids all loved the salsa so much they are taking it for lunch along with tortilla chips for lunch tomorrow!

(Do not make fun of my photo please!)

Filet Mignon with Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Ancho Salsa

Salsa –

2 ancho chilies
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red onion diced
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes (do not drain)
1 TBSP honey
12 oz jar of roasted red peppers
3 TBSP balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp sea salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper

Filet Mignon with Goat Cheese

4 (8 oz) Filet Mignon
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 oz fresh goat cheese, cut into 4 slices

Salsa –

Place Ancho chiles in a medium bowl, cover with boiling water and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

In large skillet, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add chopped red onion and garlic and cook until onion is tender. Remove chiles from soaking liquid, remove stem and add to onions. Add can of whole tomatoes, and jar of roasted red peppers. Heat until cooked through. Add salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar and honey. Stir to combine. Pour into blender and puree. Set aside up to 4 hours at room temperature.

Filet Mignon and Goat Cheese –

Brush Filets with oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place steaks on hot grill for 2-3 minutes. Turn steaks over and grill another 2-3 minutes for medium rare. Turn the steaks one last time and top each filet with a slice of goat cheese. Close grill cover and let heat until cheese begins to melt (about 1 minute). Remove steaks from grill, let set for 5 minutes. Use torch to toast the top of the goat cheese.

To plate, place 1/3 cup of salsa on plate, top with filet with goat cheese and serve with a fresh green salad with balsamic vinaigrette!

More fabulous service!!

I have to brag again about the fabulous customer service I received today! In our school district, this week is the week you celebrate the Classified Employees -- secretaries, aides, cooks, janitors. So, I called the local candy store which just opened a few months ago to see what they could make up on short notice. They have an AMAZING selection of truffles, chocolate covered twinkies, rice crispy treats, oreos. You name it. They have hollowed out chocolate eggs that are huge and filled with chocolate peeps. The owner threw together an assortment of 30 truffles that looked absolutely amazing! If you are ever in Canby, Oregon, you need to stop by Ladybug Chocolates!!! You can view their website for an idea of all their tasty treats at http://www.ladybugchocolate.com/.

Then to top it off, this afternoon I decided I wanted to try a new recipe that I watched on the food channel last weekend. So, I headed down to the butcher shop. It is a running joke in my family that I consider this "MY BUTCHER" because all their meats are of the best quality and their service is top notch. I walked in the door and asked for 2 filet mignon steaks. The gentleman asked how big I wanted them, and then literally walked back and cut 2 steaks for me. Now that is FRESH steak! If you are ever in the area, come down to Fisher Meats on Grant street in Canby. A link to their website is http://www.fishersmeats.com/

Clean Home Journal

I found a great website operated by the SC Johnson Company. It has tons of articles on cooking, organizing, etc. Check it out at http://www.cleanhomejournal.com/view.aspx?pid=481 ! I received their newsletter by email and found a couple of simple recipes to try!