Soups on!

So, since I hear from the weather man that there really might be a chance of Texas actually having a fall season, I have been so excited and wrapped up in getting "fall ready". What exactly does that mean, well it means getting all your favorite soup and chili recipes out, getting the fall decorations down, dusting off the ol' comfy blanket that has laid on the back of your couch for the summer and much, much more! So in my excitement of getting "fall ready" I found some new warm soups and dessert recipes that I thought I would share with my fellow bloggers and blog readers. Most of these recipes have come from magazines and I haven't tried them yet. However, I did make chicken tortilla soup last night and it was so yummy! So, get ready....

Chunky Fall Chili (kind of fun to say)

1lb. lean ground beef or turkey

2 garlic cloves, crushed(optional)

1 sm onion, coarsely chopped

1 each red and green bell peppers, coarsely chopped

1 cup of butternut squash, peeled and chopped

1 pkg (10oz) frozen corn

2 cans of diced tomatoes

1 can (15oz) of chili beans

1 can (14oz) beef broth

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

Brown the ground meat in small stockpot,stirring until crumbly; drain. Add the garlic, onion, bell peppers and squash and mix well. Stir in corn , tomatoes, beans, broth, chili powder and cumin. Simmer for 30 mins. on med heat. (serves 8)

Chicken Tortilla Soup(I found this on another blog, altered it and made it last night) SUPER GOOD!!!

1lb chicken breast or rotisserie chicken, chopped

2 cans beef broth

1 lg onion, chopped

1 lg bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2-3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 sm can of corn, drained

1 can of diced tomatoes plus juice

1 can of rotel

1 sm can of tomato sauce

1 or 2 shakes of chili powder(more if you like it spicy)

5 or 6 shakes of cumin

chopped cilantro(more or less depends on you)

Tortilla chips

Monterrey Jack Cheese

Cook your chicken and cut it up. In a stock pot, place chopped onion, bell pepper, garlic and celery in to the pot with about 2 tbsp of olive oil(I actually bought pico already made and used that instead of chopping everything up) Saute veggie mixture about 7-8 mins. To pot with veggies add: the beef broth, chicken broth, can of corn, can of rotel, can of tomato sauce, can of dice tomatoes and the chicken. Stir. You can play around and see if you want more broth or just add water. Bring to a boil. Add in the cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper( I did a few shakes of each). Chop up your cilantro(i used 2 tbsp) and throw it in the pot. Once it is heated through, it is pretty much ready to eat, but she said to let it summer for about 30-45 mins. I let mine simmer for about 30 mins. I then topped it with tortilla chips and cheese and had sour cream and sliced avocado to add. It was really good! Very quick and easy! Very flavorful and Joshua and Dan enjoyed it!

Now for a little fall desserts:

Chocolate-peanut butter cookie bars

2 boxes of chocolate cake mix

1 pkg. (3.9 oz) JELL-O Choc. instant pudding

1/2 cup (1stick) butter, melted

1/2 cup cold milk

6 squares Baker's semi-sweet chocolate chopped and divided( I used Nestle's semi-sweet choc chips)

1 cup peanuts

1 cup creamy peanut butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9 in dish with foil; spray with cooking spray. Mix first 4 ingredients until blended. (Mixture will be thick) Press half the cake mix mixture into prepared pan. Bake 10 min. Sprinkle half each of the chocolate and nuts over crust; top with peanut butter. Cover with layers of remaining cake mix mixture, chocolate and nuts. Press gently with spatula. bake 15 min. Cool 1 hr. Refrigerate 4 hrs before cutting into bars.

I have made this and you definitely need 2 boxes of cake mix. I used only 1 and it wasn't enough to layer. Dan said that they taste like Reeses peanut butter cups. Enjoy!

Pumpkin-Swirl Cheesecake

25 ginger snaps, finely crushed(about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

4 pkg. (8oz)cream cheese softened

1 cup sugar, divided

1tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

dash ground cloves

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix crumbs, nuts and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9 inch pan. Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended. Remove 11/2 cups batter. Stir remaining sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter. Spoon half the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half the plain batter. repeat layers; swirl with knife. Bake 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hrs.

All these recipes can be altered to our liking. That is what I usually do when I find a new recipe. I just add my own flare and ideas to it. I hope everyone enjoys these great finds and has a wonderful FALL SEASON!

21 months IS a Big Deal!!!!

Hi, it's me Joshua! I turned 21 months today, which means in 3 months I will be 2. Mommy keeps saying, "man, where has the time gone?" Turning 2 will come later, right now let's focus on what I am doing at 21 months old, because to me, 21 months is a pretty big deal. I have been busy doing a lot of things lately, so get ready to read...I am telling you there is a list! OK, lets get started, here we go! I guess first things first is that I am still going to school, and loving it! No preschool dropout here, he he! I love my teachers and the silly songs that we sing. We have a song for everything, it's like a musical around there, but I don't mind because I love music, so I just laugh and clap. I also take full advantage of nap time. As soon as I am done with lunch, I head straight for the nap mat and I am out. My class has 2 pet fish, a mommy fish and a baby fish, sometimes it is a mommy and daddy fish, but hey were toddlers, we are still learning. If you are the first one there, you get to be the special helper and feed the fish. Since I am usually the first one there, because mommy has to be at work early, I usually get to feed the fish. Feeding the fish is a great distraction for me, while I wait for my friends to get there and for breakfast. I love school!

Next on the list is all about me! I know you are dying to know all the new tricks that I can do, so I will not keep you waiting any longer. I love to give hugs and if I am in a hurry, I will hug you and give you a little "pat". I probably weigh around 26 lbs( this is a good guess, because I haven't been weighed since I had that silly rash and fever). My favorite foods are goldfish crackers(I seriously can't get enough of these little guys, I could eat these guys for breakfast, lunch and dinner, if my mom and dad would let me, but they don't. They say I will turn into a goldfish, I keep waiting for this to happen,but nothing yet...I think they are pulling my leg really). I also like lunchables, grapes, bananas and strawberries. I am going through a banana and grape phase. Mommy can't keep enough of these fruits in the house. Yummy! I am all about cups without lids. I don't like my cups anymore, I want mommy and daddy's cup. I love to drink with a straw, but please take the lid off so I can see what I am drinking. I love to clap and say "YAY"! I do this with everything, for example when a song ends I will clap, when I flush the potty for mommy or daddy, I say "YAY"(yea they love that) I will clap and say "yay" at almost anything. I know where my ears, mouth, head, shoulders, eyes and nose are and I can also find them on you too. I love to sing, "head, shoulder knees and toes" I usually skip the knees and go straight for the toes. I have added more words in my vocabulary: Grape, bath, a nana(banana) and bu (blue). I have a few phrases that I say as well. I point and say" thereitis" (there it is), "uh oh, wawa" (uh oh Joshua) and thereyouare...HA!(there you are...Ha!) When we sing the ABC song, I can say "Y" at the right time. I can throw fits with the best of them and I am very opinionated in what I want(Daddy says I get that from mommy...he he). I think that about covers the all about me section, but hang on just a little bit longer, I have one more thing to talk about and I will be done, promise. My ECI sessions are going really good. I love playing with Ms. Katie, she is great and very sweet. We mostly play with the ball that I pick out, but we have also built and obstacle course for me to go through, over and under. She said that she has seen improvement in me since my first session (Alright, way to go me). She is still coming every Tues. from 4-5. OK, well I think I am finally done, no wait, there is one more thing, hahaha just kidding! I am done. Thanks for hanging until the end of the blog. I told you it was going to be a long blog. Everything that you read about me is why 21 months IS a Big Deal!!! Night, Night, Friends!!!

Fall is Calling...

Fall is my favorite time of year! Although I live in Texas and we do not really have a fall season I still love it because that means it is getting close the holidays, families getting together, and hot chocolate. I have been hearing rave reviews about Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, and even though it sounded appealing I didn't want to try it because I do not like coffee. I am not a coffee drinker, never have been. I have been around coffee drinkers all my life, but never acquired the taste, that is until Pumpkin Spice Latte. I gave in and tried it for the first time, and I wish I never had. It is so good!!! It really masks the coffee taste and when you add whip cream it makes it all the better. I have never picked up and drank a whole cup of coffee and now I have had 2 lattes and 1 frapp in 2 weeks. I think I am addicted(obviously, I am blogging about it). Thank goodness this is a seasonal drink and I have some will power, because I drive by a Starbucks every morning on my way to work and have only stopped once! Drinking this latte has made me want to explore other coffee flavors, like white choc. mocha, Chai tea latte....but I want, I can't!! I am afraid I will like all of those drinks as well. So I guess I will be a seasonal coffee drinker. I would like to thank Starbucks and everyone for the rave reviews and advertising that has me craving for this seasonal drink! YAY for Fall and Pumpkin Spice Lattes!!!!!!

Platterpus Designs

My sister in law has a business called Platterpus Designs and she is great! She creates plates with hand and foot prints on them and then creates a design made to fit any personality. She has done many, many plates. These are the most recent ones she did for my family! She is awesome! It is such a great way to "freeze" these precious tiny hands and feet. These were all done with Joshua's hand and foot prints at 19 mos. She does everything from birth announcements to gifts for any occasion. Believe me these plates make fabulous, lasting gifts for anyone!!! Check out her link on my page under favorite websites for more creations!

My grandparents' plate: They live on a farm so she took Joshua's hands and created this:

My dad and step mom's plate: How cute is this plate!?


My mom and step dad's plate: This plate was coordinated with the colors of my parents' great room. Plus I just love the saying, so precious!

Flashback Tuesday!!!

My parents came to visit over Labor day weekend to help celebrate all the birthdays in Aug. and Sept. and while they were here, I went browsing through my step-dad's laptop and found some cute pictures of Joshua that I didn't have. I can't get over how small he was back then compared to now, but back then how I thought he was so big. Funny! I just thought I would share the pictures with everyone. Enjoy!

IT'S GAME DAY....HOOK'EM HORNS!!!!

It's opening day of UT Football season and the Feldman household is seeing burnt orange! We are looking forward to the first kick off of the first game against LA Monroe! We are all dressed in our UT gear with our horns up! Let's get ready for some football!!

GO LONGHORNS!!!!!!!!!!!

Look at these little longhorn feet!!! So cute!

Back to School and Art

Tonight was Back to School Night at Joshua's Preschool and we can not be more pleased with this preschool. His teacher has been working there for 10 years and has worked with toddlers for over 20. She is very patient, caring and loving. She expressed to us tonight, that her philosophy is to nurture, nurture, nurture! She explained to the parents that each day is full of learning activities, music, story time, and language skills(which will include teaching some basic Spanish words) and that it all ties into the theme for the month. The stations rotate weekly, but the theme is for the whole school (0-pre-K). The theme for the month of September is Story Teller. Under this theme they will learn about family/friends, nursery rhymes, apples and feelings. There are 10 children in his class with 1 main teacher and 1 assistant teacher. There is a lot of structure in the classroom, but there is also alot of freedom for the children to express themselves. She continued to stress that they do get a bit messy in the class, but that just means that they are learning. She said that by the time they leave her classroom, they will be drinking out of a cup without a lid or a straw without spilling and that they will have learned table manners as well as manners in general, plus much, much more. Although, Dan and I teach this at home on a regular basis, it is nice to know that it is being reinforced and practiced while he is at school. Dan and I are very excited about this new beginning and year for Joshua. The preschool has so much planned for these kids and I know that Joshua will have a blast and be able to flourish and grow in a loving and fun environment. He brought home his first art project from school and it is proudly displayed on the fridge! It was hand prints using chalk. Tonight there was a piece of paper on the table and Joshua started putting his hands flat on it and picking it up and looking, but wasn't quite sure why he didn't see his prints on the paper, it was funny. He kept repeating it over and over! It made me smile because I knew that he was trying to copy the project he had done in class. Below are some pictures from tonight and his art project.