Adventures of Chef Ali... 11/22/09

Since Mike & I have been together I have really started to enjoy cooking and baking. Love trying to recipes and love the entire experience. My Mother-in-law has been great to share some of her recipes and I have found a few online and tweaked them just enough to make them my own. Whenever I needed to relax or let out some frustration I would clean, my new therapy is cooking. Everything I have been making is sooo delicious so I have decided to not keep all these recipes to myself and share :) You are welcome!

We will call this the Adventures of Chef Ali ;) It will be a fun adventure! Let's begin.

Yesterday I made a delicious 7 layer dip for a BBQ we went to. Super easy!

7 Layer Dip
1 can refriend beans
1 packet taco seasoning
1 8oz whipped cream cheese
1 12oz guacamole (you can also use homemade guac)
1 small can diced green chiles
1 small can sliced black olives
1/2 tomato (diced)
salsa
sour cream
shredded lettuce
shredded cheese

First you mix the refried beans and taco seasoning together (suggested in a seperate bowl so your 7 layers are pretty in your serving dish). Spread your bean mixture in your serving dish as layer 1. Then mix your green chiles and cream cheese together (again in a seperate bowl). Spread your cream cheese mixture on top of the beans as layer 2. Then spread your guac on as layer 3. Then your sourcream as layer 4. Then your salsa as layer 5. Then sprinkle with lettuce as layer 6. Then layer with cheease as layer 7. I usually add the diced tomatos and sliced olives to top things off. It makes what I consider a lot and is definately plenty for any size gathering. It also refridgerates well for about a week. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Today I made a Pumpkin Cheesecake & a Crunch Top Apple Pie for Thanksgiving. I am dying to try then but can already tell they will be delicious. I have tried a lot of Paula Dean recipes, we do live in the south, and have been so pleased every time!

Pumpkin Cheesecake
http://www.pauladeen.com/index.php/recipes/view2/pumpkin_cheesecake

Crunch Top Apple Pie
http://www.pauladeen.com/index.php/recipes/view2/crunch_top_apple_pie

Also, really really love this one. Made it for Mike when he got home from SERE.

German Chocolate Cake Cheesecake Style
http://www.pauladeen.com/index.php/recipes/view2/german_chocolate_cake_cheesecake_style

Dancing Santa Ethan!

Uncle NoNo is always sending us funny stuff. Here is Ethan as Dancin' Santa!

http://www.dancingsantacard.com/?santa=91153

Happy Holidays!

Mike is Home!

Ethan Waiting

Ali Waiting

Jen Waiting

The Reunions

Mike may be the only person who was more excited for him to be home then I was. He came home in once piece, learned a lot, and is thankful every day that he will never have to do that again.

Last Night W/out Mike

Last Saturday we drove down to Crestview, FL where my Uncle Mike (yes another Mike) lives w/ his wife, two sons, and daughter. Their oldest son, Jonathan, got married in Fort Walton, FL. It was a lovely wedding. We really enjoyed visiting with my Uncle, his family, My Aunt Shelly who was also in town, her husband, and Grandma Emma.

"Poop!"

I found Ethan this evening sitting on his potty, reading his book, repeating the word "poop!" over and over again. He did not take his first "movement" on the golden throne tonight but he definitely gave me a good laugh! Baby steps, baby steps ;)

"Poop!" If you have ever heard Ethan talk he emphasises the middle of every word, it is more like "poOp!" Oh, Ethan is hilarious!

Ethan's First Day of "School"

It had to happen sometime Ethan started his first day of School on Monday, November 9th and he loved it! Ethan is already Mr. Popular and has a way with the ladies. When I showed up to pick him up he was talking about trucks with the boys and then a little girl ran up to give him a big hug on the way out. Can you say STINKING CUTE! The little back pack just topped the cake. Right now he is just going one day a week but will hopefully start going 2 or 3 very soon. My little guy is getting so big.

Moms Note: It was super hard for me to drop him off, I missed him all day! Did get a lot of things done though that are usually pretty challenging. Have heard takin ghim to his first day of Kindergarten will be much more difficult.

Loves it!

So we have a good size bathroom and I have struggled with what to do to make it more fun to be in, haha! See my latest project. Loves it.

I took an inexpensive black frames, spray painted it, added new hardware to hang on the wall, took off and threw away the backing of the frame, ordered fun vinyl letters on www.etsy.com and put them on the front of the glass. Total project less them $50 and looks fab!

Oh Layers :( So Sorry

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=8644017
My favorite clothing line has a store in Sandy, UT that caught fire this morning. No one was injured thankfully. I am sure this is a tough blow for a local business. Keep them in your thoughts! www.layersclothing.com

Fantasy Football I shake my fist @ you!

So while Mike has been away I have been managing both our Fantasy Football teams. NBD right. NO, it is a HUGE deal! I was totally doing better than Mike, I was kicking his Fantasy Football booty. Now he has won, big time, the past 2 weeks and I have lost! Are you kidding me!?! Totally bugged, but then I think about how stinkin excited Mike will be and it is NBD again. When he wins I win!

I still have the cutest team name, Victorious Secrets vs. Team Maquet... HA, now I WIN!

Ethan is going to "school!"

Ethan has a very big day tomorrow, he is starting "school." Ok, it is actually just one day a week in a Mom's Day Out program. He is going to love it! To go to school though you need a back pack and a nap mat. He got the coolest back pack we could find, the options were limited given his size & weight, and I made him a nap mat.

I am going to brag on myself for jsut a moment... I made a nap mat. Like no pattern, sewed it on the machine, chose th fabrics, the whole 9 yards :) A little proud of my self.

Here are some pictures of Ethan with his back pack and the nap mat. I have been trying to prepare him all day for the event. Will let everyone know tomorrow how it foes. It is very exciting!

Little Drummer Boy

LOL! It was too stinking cute yesterday when Ethan was playing with his instruments and then decided that drumming is something you do naked. He took off all of his clothes, put his drum around his neck, and a wonderful time.

Will Never Get Used To It

Wow, Mike being gone for just 3 weeks is a lot like when he was gone for 5 months. Yeah yeah yeah, I know I am being a huge baby about it all. I have learned that I will never get used to it or be ok with him being gone. Honestly, I think the day I am ok with him being gone would be a very bad day in the Maquet house. I am one co-dependent independent lady and I can run our lives and function without him being here. That is what I think it is all about. You don't start a life with someone in anticipation of them leaving you for extended periods of time, except if you are Mike & I. From the first Hello (and what a Hello it was) I knew Mike's ambitions and goals, as he knew mine, and I decided that that very moment that I was up for the adventure (those blue eyes were pretty convincing). I can confidently speak for both of us when I say we love living in a new place and all kinds of places in the future and we love making new friends. Mike gets to be a bad ass pilot and I get to be a Wife and Mom. Like I said, I will never be ok with him being away but this life is amazing!

Happy Halloween!

We have such a fun Halloween. The plan was orignally to go to the Peanut Festival but the weather was not on our side. We went to a local little trip mall where they had trick or treating at all the stores. Ethan was the cutest little skeleton even though I couldn't get him to stand still for a picture. It was perfect and we were home by nap time. That evening we watched a scary moved & ate pizza with my ALBFF Emily and handed out candy.

Hope everyone had a fun & safe Halloween!