Favorite Salads

I have been trying to get back in the habit of my "1 salad a day" rule. And I have 2 new favorites that I have to share!

The first is from my friends sister-in-law. She originally made it for me a few months ago, and since then, I have made it maybe a dozen times... not kidding!

Salad de Provence
From: Lou's Kitchen

I have tried a few things from her blog... and so far... all of it has been DELICIOUS! Try the salad first... and then go from there!

NEXT SALAD is from a south beach diet. I originally tried it because it reminded me of a salad that my neighbor in UT made for me. It is so simple, and sooooo good!

Chicken & Avocado Salad

Prep Time: 20 min.
Tangy Lime, aromatic cilantro, and creamy avocado give this refreshing salad a light mexican flavor; chicken turns it into a satisfying one-dish meal for lunch or dinner.

3 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
1 (1-pound) head romaine lettuce, chopped (8 cups)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 medium cucumber, sliced
1 pound cooked chicken breasts, shredded
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, & sliced
   freshly ground black pepper

1. Whisk together oil, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and a pinch or two of pepper in a small mixing bowl.
2. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber in a large mixing bowl. Toss with half of the dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper; divide among 4 plates.
3. Toss chicken with 1 tbsp of the remaining dressing and divide among salads. Top with avocado slices, drizzle with remaining dressing, and serve.

Makes 4 (3-cup) servings
Per serving: 380 calories, 21 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 38 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 5 g dietary fiber, 240 mg sodium.

CLEAN & ORGANIZED

When we moved out here, we got rid of ALOT of toys. So when Christmas came around, we felt like it was okay to spoil the kids a bit with some new things. Along with all the new toys that came... we needed a place to put it all! But, don't forget, we live in a somewhat small 2 bedroom apartment. The kids share a room, not just with each other, but with their toys as well.

So this week, we put some time into organizing and re-arranging. This is what we came up with. And I am completely surprised at how well it works out.

Clara is still in her crib. I know I could change her over.... but I'm just not ready to say goodbye to that part that still makes her my "baby girl".

P.S. The little shelf with buckets that holds toys is on sale at target for $33. You save over $20 dollars.

And I have to add a few pics from today. The weather hit 70! It was a beautiful day. Sadly Clara has a cold and desperately needed a nap and so we had to get home, but we will take what we can get!

Cable Air Show

Parachuters started off the show. They jumped out and as they descended one of the guys let out the American Flag and the National Anthem was sung. It was amazing.

One of the plans that was in the show.

Scotts dream plane.... dream on sweetie. :)

One of the parachuters let Jackson try on his backpack and helmet. Jackson was so excited!

Clara loved it... as long as she had a snack in her hand.

There were hardly and kids there.... which meant Jackson got spoiled. People were constantly giving him things and asking if he wanted to try something out. This plane was one that was in the sky earlier... he had a sheet listed with all his tricks and his ipod hooked in. Can't you picture it.... the driver jamming out while doing flips through the sky! 

I remember going to an Air Show when I was younger. I loved it! So when I met a couple in our ward that works at the Cable Airport, the first thing I asked was if they did an air show, when they said yes... I promised them to call me before the next show so that I could take the kids! My friend Holly called me on Friday to let me know it was that weekend, and I was soooo excited! Unfortunately the weather was FREEZING, and it was super cloudy. But we still had an awesome time. We stayed for 3 hours, and despite the cold temps, the kids did not want to leave. 

We are already planning on going to the next one... but we are keeping our fingers crossed for warmer weather, and blue sky's!

Hello 2011...

2010 was a good year. So many great things happened for us and it will be a year that we will never forget.

Here are our top ten from 2010:

1. Scott was accepted into Dental school at Western University, and received the Navy scholarship.

2. iFly with the Millers. One of the funnest things I have ever done!

3. My entire family in the temple together. 

 4. Girls night at Cheesecake. I will never forget this night and how hard we all laughed. It was sooo much fun!

 5. Beach house in San Diego with the Randalls.

 6. Miles leaving for his mission to Brisbane Australia.

 7. Our many trips to the beach. A big plus to living in Southern California.

 8. My Grandma coming out to visit. I know she will never make it out here again. It was so fun to have a first hand tour from this lovely lady.

 9. Our many trips to Disney Land.

 10. My parents coming out for Christmas... and Christmas in general.

There are so many memories we will never forget.... and that is the best part about a blog... it is all written down. Come this February, I will have 4 years recorded! It is so much fun to look back on. A big thing I will be working on this year, is turning the blog into a book... well, many books!

We are thrilled for 2011 and look forward to creating more new memories!

Arizona

 Matching PJ's from Nana

 Tangled... loved it!

 These two did so much better together than we expected... someday, they will create a lot of trouble together. 

 Clara loved baby Penny.

 Movie time. 

 New Years Eve.

Feeding the ducks. 

Arizona was so cold. I don't think it got above 50 the whole time. This was the only day we ventured out - and it didn't last too long, but it was a nice break from being indoors. We had so much fun. The kids had a blast! Jackson is always so sad when we leave his cousins, he adores them! 

Penny is the newest addition to Brad & Jaime's family... they now have 4 girls! And each of them are adorable. I loved being the only Aunt around and having Penny all to myself! She is so sweet. We were able to attend her baby blessing. It was such a special day, but I forgot to take any pics... too bad, because she looked like a little angel. 

Christmas Morning!

Clara was overwhelmed Christmas morning. She could have cared less to open any of her presents. She finally laid out her blanket and turned away from the presents... ha ha.

No.... this is not an announcement! My best friend sent me this sweater for Christmas. She bought one for herself so that we could be 'matching'. But since she is pregnant, I felt like I needed to stuff my sweater so that we could be better matching in belly size. :)

 Finally... around noon, Clara warmed up to her presents. She loved her Minnie Mouse costume and twirled all around the house. It was adorable.

We were able to talk to my little brother on Christmas day. He is serving an LDS mission in Brisbane, Australia. He has been out 5 months and is a bit home sick... I think it was a good time for him to call home, and talk to family. We love him and miss him!

Christmas Eve

 After dinner. We sprinkled oats and sparkle dust outside to help guide the reindeer to our house.

 When we came inside, we had a surprise from the bed fairy! Somehow she got inside and left pajamas on each of our beds!

 Jackson & Papa wrote a letter to Santa.

 We got the tray ready... cookies & milk for santa. Carrots for the reindeer.

Just before putting the kids to bed, my mom read The Tin Soldier to Jackson and made a hat out of paper just like in the book.