Merry Christmas!

We had a great time going to downtown Knoxville. There was live music, free hot chocolate, and cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus. Matthew is glowing because he is just so happy!

This is not a real Santa. He's just a dummy placed in front of the tree lot. HO! HO! HO!

Jessica gets a peacoat! This is something she has wanted for quite awhile. Ben plays his toy guitar, and Lauren models her scarf and hat.

What would Christmas Eve be without new pajamas! Brock gave me some beautiful black satin pj's. There was only one major problem. The size was XXL! Oops! It wasn't really his fault. The outside tag and hanger had a big M. I will just go exchange them with the huge crowd at Target!

Here are some cute shots of the kids. Where is Lauren? Well...she got sick at our family photo shoot. Seriously, she was just holding on while we took our family pictures. She lost her lunch on the other side of the fence. There was no way I was going to make her take an individual picture after that!

We attempted to take some family pictures. They didn't quite turn out the way we had hoped. However, I had Jessica take a shot of me and Brock. Matthew and Benjamin were so photogenic. These are rare moments!

Life is Busy

I have wanted to post so many times! I just don't have much time for sitting at the computer these days. I don't know how working moms do it. I am always behind. I have had to turn a blind eye to many of the things that matter to me, and go to work. One of the worst parts of working is that I seem to always come home tired and grumpy. I just want to have some silence and stay home. That's not too much to ask of four children and a husband is it? I really shouldn't complain. I am very blessed to be able to work. I prayed that I would have work every day and this past week, I did.

I worked at Microbac Laboratories, my real and consistent job, on Monday and Wednesday. Then on the other three days I was at Bluegrass Elementary substitute teaching. I have found that the more I say "yes" to the schools requests, the more they call me. I really found my place on Friday. I subbed for the music teacher. It was so fun! I had seven 5th grade classes. I worked on two Christmas songs, or I should say "Holiday" songs with them. I sang my heart out and was really hoarse by the end of the day. There was only one group of boys that I had to get very stern with. I hate having to do that. I like to be the fun and well liked substitute teacher. I have another sub job on this Tuesday. Who knows, the phone could ring at 6 a.m. for help on Thursday and Friday too. That's the tough part. I look so forward to having a day to clean my house and do laundry, then the phone call comes. I am grateful, but also tired and frustrated.

I sang with a group of talented musicians at our ward Christmas Party Friday night. It was so much fun. I sang Mary Did You Know, Mary's Lullaby, Tennessee Christmas, and Winter Wonderland. We will be performing again at my work Christmas Party. I get all stressed out and nervous, but in the end I am always so glad that I contributed. Brock and I went to Jessica's high school Christmas concert this past week too. It was so nice! Jess can't wait to audition for the elite group next year. Oh how I miss my ole' high school choir! Those were the days. I would love to someday sing in a really great choir again.

I know that I am blabbing on and on....I just wanted to let those of you who actually look at my blog know why I haven't been posting very much lately. I am running around like a chicken with it's head cut off! I'm sure that some of you can relate.

The Dance

Jessica went to a dance recently. I thought she looked so cute. I snapped some pictures of her and some of the other kids who were there. I just about had to twist her arm to let me take these pictures. If it were up to Jessica, there would not be any pictures taken of her, ever. She will thank me one day.

Whole Wheat/White Bread Recipe

I want to share my favorite bread recipe. My family enjoys fresh baked bread more than just about anything. This recipe is so simple, yet so soft and chewy.
This one loaf bread recipe can be made with whole wheat flour, a mix of the two flours, or just make white bread with all white flour. I use unbleached white and wheat flour. I use my bread maker on the dough cycle to mix this, then shape my own loaf. You can use your kitchen aid too. I turns out great every time. Try it and let me know what you think.

Whole Wheat/White Bread

3 1/2 cups white flour or (2 cups ww flour and 1 1/2 cup white)

1 T oil (vegetable or olive oil)

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 T yeast

1/4 cup honey

Mix water and yeast in small bowl and set aside. Add flour, salt, oil and honey to bread maker. When yeast mixture has foamed up, add to bread maker. Select dough cycle on the bread maker. Sometimes it is necessary to add a little more flour. Check the dough when you hear the bread maker start to mix. If the dough seems way to sticky, add a little more flour. When the cycle is complete, shape the dough into a loaf and place in a greased bread pan. Let it rise for about 20 minutes. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Chicken Casserole (delicious!)

My sister-in-law, Ashley, has informed me that blog etiquette requires a recipe for any pictures of yummy food. I do want to follow the rules, so here is the recipe for the yummy chicken casserole pictured in the previous post. I just have a couple of things to say about it. You don't have to use Mrs. Cubbisons Dressing, but it is the best. Do not use stove top stuffing. I actually used the Kellogs cubed brand and it worked out just great. If you want more of the "crunch" on top, use more of the dressing. For the chicken: I bought a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store on sale for $4.88. It was so great. I just stripped off all of the meat and used it in this casserole. Quick and easy. Of course, you can cook your own chicken and be just fine.

Some of you also wanted the wheat bread recipe. I posted it today too. It is my favorite bread recipe. It just makes one loaf and is super easy to make. Let me know when any of you make these recipes! I'd like to know how it goes.

Chicken Casserole:

1 cup butter
4 cups Mrs. Cubbinsons dressing (cornbread or cubed)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
2 T minced onion
1/2 cup chopped celery

Melt butter in a medium saucepan and add dressing. Stir, letting the dressing absorb all of the butter. Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan, and spoon in 1/2 of dressing mixture. In a bowl, combine soup, evaporated milk, peas, onion, celery, and chicken. Pour this mixture over the dressing. Top with remaining dressing mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

New Recipes

I get so tired of making the same thing for dinner week after week. Don't you? I came across a great website that I just love to visit. It is www.thepioneerwoman.com. The lady that runs this site is so funny. I wish I could be her real friend, and not just her website friend.

She has some great recipes that I have been enjoying. I made two of them over the weekend. You must make her chicken salad! It was divine. I made a loaf of whole wheat bread and spread that chicken salad on it and WOW was it yummy! I also tried the Asian Noodle Salad. The dressing was great! You all must go visit this site and tell me what you think.

I was so proud of my loaf of bread that I took a picture of it. I also took a picture of the yummiest chicken casserole ever. (This is a recipe from my sister, Tammy, not from the pioneer woman.)If you want the recipe, you must let me know. It is true comfort food!

Dollywood!

We felt so lucky to finally visit Dollywood! The company I work for treated all of the employees and their families. It was so great! We have wanted to go since moving here, but it is so darned expensive for a family of six. It was such a beautiful Fall day. The leaves were out in full color and the decorations around Dollywood were so festive.

I stayed with Ben for the first couple of hours while Brock took the three older kids on the death rides. I have had my day of riding rollercoasters! I just don't like it very much anymore. I get a headache. I can hardly watch my kids swing at the park these days. My equilibrium just isn't what it used to be. Ben and I walked around and just enjoyed ourselves. Cotton candy made the walk a little more fun too.