JANUARY FUN

"I love you too Emmi."

We have had a good January. I good start to the new year.
Life is really good at the 'Nut House' We are plugging away at life and doing the best to enjoy ourselves.

Some funny things this month....

Emmi is trying to learn to inline skate. Grandma and pa bought her these skates for Christmas and there has been WAY too much snow and ice and, well, cold, to want to attempt to learn.

Yesterday was a sunny day...not warm, just sunny... so we decided to try.

She did a great job.




A few weeks ago I was in bed and pulled back the covers to see THIS!



at first I freaked a little thinking they were bugs. But even though it looks nasty, these are a byproduct of my child crawling into MY bed at night while wearing these.



Hahaha, they left behind a LOT of fluffies.



It really was a great January. Emmi did 'climb the walls' a little (as did I, although not literally). Overall it was just one more fun and busy month at the nut house.

Emmi's Butt-Sliding Fun

This past September my family went camping to Tony Grove in Utah. Behind our camping spot was this really cool landscape that had a tree who's roots were showing. It was so very pretty I couldn't help but take a bazillion pictures.

Emmi, my adventurous 9 year old, decided she wanted to climb up and touch the exposed roots.

She did so with my enthusiastic approval. (I'm a bad influence)

So she climbed down across the gully and up a mud and rock slide to the roots. She then begged her 10 year old cousin to join her. His parents weren't so excited about the idea.

So there is my child, standing on a rock slide holding onto the roots of an 80 foot pine tree. LOL, geez I'm a brilliant parent.
They stayed up there for a bit, holding onto the roots and thinking they were pretty cool.

However, what goes up....must...well, you know.

So the debate ensued. "Mom? How do I get down?"

"Same way you got up, only backwards."

"Moooooom, it is slick, how do I get down?"

Me in my brilliance said. "Well, you just slide down on your butt."

Makes sense...right?

Right!

Her cousin went first, and I'm really sad I didn't get that on video because geez he slid down that hill fast.

His parents were less than happy with my bad influence on their son. And how that influence impacted their sons jeans.

Then it was Emmi's turn.

Here is the video...I still laugh every time I see it.

I may be a bad influence, but I'm a GREAT mom and no one can accuse me of being a boring mom either.

Manicotti: My Favorite Food

I love Manicotti....I mean I loooooooooooooooove Manicotti. It is my favorite food in the whole world. I have many, many, many recipes for the stuff, and while this is not my favorite, it is the favorite of my daughter.

Most people I know who don't like Manicotti don't like it because of the ricotta cheese. It is really a weird cheese with an odd taste that many people don't like.

This recipe doesn't have ricotta cheese.



EASY CHEESY MANICOTTI

• 8 ounces, fluid Chive And Onion Cream Cheese
• 4 ounces, fluid Regular Cream Cheese
• 3 cups Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
• ¼ cups Shredded Parmesan Cheese (or 1/8 Cup Of The Grated Sprinkle Kind)
• 1 package Manicotti Shells (8 Oz Package)
• 1 bottle Marinara Sauce 24 Oz (or Spaghetti Sauce )
• 1 Tablespoon Parsley

* Preheat oven to 400 degrees

* Cook Manicotti shells according to the package. Drain the water. I put mine on wax paper after draining so they don’t stick together.

* Soften (in the microwave) both kinds of cream cheese. You want it softened, not cooked, so be very careful.

* In a medium bowl combine 2 cups of Mozzarella Cheese, Chive and Onion Cream Cheese, Regular Cream Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, and parsley. Mix well.

* Pour a small amount of the marinara sauce into a glass casserole dish. Spread it around.

* Fill the pasta shells with the cheese mixture. I find the easiest way to do this is to put a glop into your hand and roll it out into the form of a snake then slide it inside of the shell.

* Place stuffed shells into the casserole dish

* Pour the remaining Marinara Sauce over the top.

* Sprinkle with 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese

* Cover with aluminum foil and Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Recipe makes about 10-12 stuffed shells.