a lil bit o' december

This month has been a lot of fun for us. We celebrated Todd's birthday on the 17th. We went bowling and dropped off Christmas treats to friends. What a pain! I don't know about plates of treats for Christmas. I slaved all week and the fudge, divinity, and caramel didn't even turn out all that great. Better luck next year, right?

We flew to Utah on the 21st, rented a car, and drove to Idaho for Christmas with Todd's parents and his brother's family. We had a great time playing games, spending time with his family, and getting to see a few friends. It's always a treat for me to go to Todd's neck of the woods because I always get to see my good friend, Natalie. We also spent a night in Twin Falls with our friends, Brad and Shanna. It was great to see them too.

Mitch was pretty good the whole time- especially considering that he has a terrible cough, couldn't take a good nap, and spent several hours being carted to and fro.

Now we are in Utah and we are looking forward to seeing friends and family.
Mini cheesecake cupcakes from Costco. Divine! Happy 28th Birthday Todd!

Mitch getting acquainted with emergency procedures while flying.

Mitch calming down with some tunes.
Merry Christmas Grandma and Grandpa Reeder! Thanks for hosting us!

Reading time with cousin Cardon.

Mitch's Great Grandma Leighton. She is 94 and lives in Boise.
Playing trains with cousin Cardon.

My good friend Natalie. We got to visit her family twice! Lucky us!

Driving back to Utah.

comings and goings

I haven't posted new pictures in what seems like forever. So, this is what we've been up to lately.We thought this was cute until we decided we shouldn't reinforce the fun game of climbing on the dishwasher door.
Thanksgiving 2010
Thanksgiving 2009Dad needs a little picture action too...do you like the beard?



Mitch's first experience with pudding paint was a smashing success. His friend, Talmage, who is just a few days older than Mitch was a little more hesitant. Talmage is a "texture" kid. Whereas Mitch jumped right into the pudding paint, Talmage took a bit more time. And even then, he didn't go too crazy. These two kids are about as different as night and day. Talmage is way more expressive (verbally and facial expressions) and hands-on. Mitch would prefer to read books all day long. Talmage is a bit more aggressive and even has pinned Mitch down. I wish I had a picture of that! Mitch doesn't even care when Talmage gets in his face. So I am somewhat surprised that Mitch "let loose" on the pudding paint. Personality wise, it seems like it should have been the other way around. Any way around it, I like visiting with Talmage's mom and we have a good time wrestling our toddlers together!

Black bean/Sweet Potato Tostada

This tasty tostada will tickle your taste-buds and keep you and your wallet healthy! However, I must warn, it's quite messy, so it may not be the best dish for the little ones.

Ingredients:
1 or 2 sweet potatoes (we used two- alot- but we had these two nights in a row)
1 can of black beans
Cilantro
Red onion
Avocado
fresh lime juice
Corn tortillas (I purchase the "Guerrero" brand from Costco. I freeze one bag, cause there's like a million.)

Preparation:
Turn oven to 425. Peel, cut and cube sweet potatoes. (I used garnet yams). Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Line baking pan with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up). Roast in oven until fork can pierce easily. I think maybe 20-30 min.
Meanwhile, chop cilantro, black beans, red onion, avocado, limes. Cook black beans.
Pull out corn tortillas. Brush with a little butter or olive oil. Broil the tortillas for just over 2 min. each side.
Garnish with toppings and drizzle with lime juice.
If your feeling crazy, add hot sauce and some cheese.

To make it more kid-friendly, it might be just as good "burrito" version. The corn tortillas are a little hard to chew through without making a gigantic mess on your plate.

If you are too cheap to purchase corn tortillas on top of the flour tortillas that you surely already have- don't be! Corn tortillas are super cheap, and the flavor really makes a difference! You can always freeze the leftover tortillas, or simply plan a few more meals using corn tortillas. We like fish tacos with corn tortillas.

credit for this recipe goes to twopeasandtheirpod.com

Yosemite!

We finally went to Yosemite on Saturday, November 6th! It is less than 2 hours away from Merced. I've been itching to go since we moved here, but it just hasn't happened yet. We borrowed a hiking pack for Mitch and we hiked Vernal Falls (aka Mist Trail) and then headed over to South Yosemite to check out Mariposa Grove and the Giant Sequoias.
My favorite parts of the trip included random people taking pictures of Mitch. It was a long day, but one of the best days ever! Mitch was so good. He loves being outside, so he didn't get too grumpy.
For all those reading this blog, come on out and visit us. We might not be able to camp in Yosemite, but we can definitely do a day trip. Or two. Or more. We could camp, just let me know today when you'll come and I'll make the reservation. No seriously.

Mist Trail
"Fallen Monarch"- This Giant Sequoia fell centuries ago. Cool!

A tunnel in a tree! The coolest part is that the tree is healing itself. It's growing inward.

Incredible Baguette recipe- try it today!

I found this recipe on the Sisters Cafe blog. I've been wanting to find a good "dinner bread" recipe. I'm always underwhelmed by breadsticks and I'm too cheap to purchase French Bread or the like at the store- because we don't get through it fast enough. Well, that is not the problem with this bread. This recipes makes two baguettes, and at first, I thought "maybe I should half the recipe"--umm no, don't do it! It's heavenly- truly divinely inspired. We gobbled it right up. We served it with yummy Butternut Squash soup from twopeasandtheirpod.com
If you don't try this bread, you are seriously missing out. You will never purchase dinner bread from the store again!

INCREDIBLE BAGUETTE
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tbs. (2 packages) dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. salt

In a small bowl mix the warm water with the yeast and sugar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes - foam should form on the top.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough becomes a smooth ball and knead for 5 minutes. (I use my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook)

Cut in half and then shape into 2 baguettes. To make them smooth and pretty, roll each half of dough into rectangle and roll up lengthwise. Pinch the edges to seal and place on lightly greased cookie sheet with seam down. Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes on the oven that is pre-heating.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. With a very sharp knife (I like to use a serrated blade) gently make a slash down the length of each baguette. This will give it that authentic look. Pour water in a cookie sheet and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Half way through, brush the bread with melted butter.

Eat. Die. Go to heaven.

As promised

Mitch discovered a really neat speed bump in our Church parking lot. My favorite part is about 1:12 into it.

Happy Halloween!

We had a great time Saturday night taking Mitch to our stake "trunk-or-treat." Mitch was a dinosaur. He refused to hold his candy bucket, and then later, refused to walk. In the end, my visions of him walking up to a candy-giver and grunting for candy in an "oh-so-cute" fashion were dashed. That's okay. He was really adorable anyway for the short time that he cooperated. When he got tired of being cute for candy, he discovered a speed bump in the parking lot and thought that was pretty neat. He walked back and forth, back and forth. I captured it on video...and maybe...if you're lucky, I'll post it later.

Earlier in the week, Todd and I carved pumpkins. We didn't dress up this year, but I think our carved pumpkins made up for it. Then, I got a little sad that I never decorated for Halloween, so I resolved to make a Thanksgiving decoration and a Christmas decoration. I got on the internet and looked up some cheap, easy ideas. The last picture is my "harvest" decoration for Thanksgiving.

Notice the hair. Yep...back to super short. However, it wasn't on purpose. Sorry mom. Long story short- I got two haircuts on Saturday. AND, it looked better yesterday. I promise.

Harvest decoration: by Haley.

Yummy chicken recipe

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Orange-Sage Sauce

*Enough chicken breasts for each member of family
* slices of melting cheese
* 1-2 small Gala apples thinly sliced
* Salt & Pepper
* ¼ cup flour
* 1 Tbsp. olive oil and butter
* Sage- fresh or ground

Cut pocket into side of chicken breasts being careful not to cut through. Flatten breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap with a meat mallet or a handy rolling pin until even thickness.
Stuff each chicken breast with 1 slice of cheese and several slices of apple. Close with toothpicks. Season with salt and pepper, then lightly coat with flour. Warm olive oil & butter in non-stick skillet then add chicken and chopped sage; sauté 5-6 minutes turning once. Continue cooking until juices run clear & breasts are nicely browned. Serve with a drizzle of:

Orange-Sage Sauce

* 2½ Tbsp. orange juice
* 3 Tbsp. chicken broth
* 1½ Tbsp. butter

Using same non-stick skillet from sautéed chicken, add orange juice & chicken broth over low heat. Scrape any browned pieces right into your sauce. Increase heat and add butter, swirl around until sauce comes to a boil. Reduce until slightly thick; spoon sauce over chicken when serving.

Haley's additional notes:
(1) this recipe does not make good leftovers. So only make enough chicken for one night.
(2) We served this with roasted asparagus and the rest of the apple slices - yum!
(3) ground sage is better than fresh (in my opinion) for this dish
(4) don't go overboard on the butter
(5) I don't flatten the chicken breasts. My chicken breasts already started out as A cup, not D cup.
(6) The "melting" cheese is kind of expensive, but we made this dish a few times in about 6 weeks, so I felt like we got good use out of it.
(7) credit for this recipe goes to the gals over at Good Things Utah

That which you persist in doing...

The following videos are documentation of Mitch's progression with walking. Mitch took his first steps on Sept. 5, 2010. Over the next 5 or 6 weeks, he progressed more and more, with a great deal of coaxing by his parents. I don't know where this kid would be if we hadn't taught him to walk. He was definitely not one of those kids who figured it out on his own. Although, on Oct. 15, 2010, he was not only walking but learned, on that day, to stand up on his own too! He learned that skill all on his own.
None of these videos are more than a minute and a half. I realize that the only people interested in these videos either helped create him and/or incubated him for 9 months. We love them! We get a kick out of watching all our home movies.

A Real Boy!

October 12, 2010: Mitch became a real boy.
I was proud of Mitch for falling in the mud. I was also proud of myself for not flipping out!

Recipe Debut

I've thought to myself that I need to post some of my favorite recipes. I have an unhealthy addiction to trying out new recipes. If Todd had a nickel for every time he heard, "I've never made this before..."- we'd be rich!
I made this Barley and Black Bean Burrito recipe for the first time last night. My Aunt Kris sent this recipe to me after I told her that I needed to make a better effort at using less meat.
This recipe is incredibly delicious. It is so simple. It (literally) took me 15 minutes to prepare. And it is CHEAP!! Although I would recommend adding salsa, sour cream, and avocado/guacamole to them, so that adds to the cost, but still, way cheap. Oh, and if your kids are like, "what the heck is barley"-- just tell them it's rice.

Oh, and don't forget the tortillas.

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 10oz. can tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

1 C barley, uncooked

2 C chicken broth

¾ C corn

¼ C green onion, chopped

1 clove garlic

1 T lime juice

1 t chili powder

1 t cumin

1/2 t cayenne pepper

Throw the ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours (I did 4).

obsession

Mitchell is not really interested in his toys. He will only play with his toys if I play with him. However, there are three items in the house that capture his attention for lengthy amounts of time. The swing (he loves turning it on and off). The electrical outlets. Mom's keys. He is currently trying to figure out how to shove the keys in the electrical outlets. Yikes.
You can't see them, but the keys are there. In his lap.


This picture has nothing to do with the other pictures. We went to a lake in the mountains a few weeks ago. It was beautiful. It was freezing. Todd didn't get to snuggle in the blanket because he's a man. A duck came right up to us, which was awesome because I'm trying to teach Mitchell all the different animals that we see.

Beach Boys

A great day in Monterey!

video tour

Here is a video tour of our new place in California. This video was taken one of the first days we got here, so the place is still a bit messy. It's a little dry. I'll work on my comedy act.

twice tried, twice burned

For those that care, I have tried twice posting a video tour of our new place on this blog. It has not worked either time because the file is too big- even though I made the last video under 100mb like it told me too. Still did not work! So, I may make another video tour where I am literally running through the apartment to make the video file small enough. Until I figure out the video thing, or do the boring picture thing...you can just imagine...the Provo Library. Because I think the Provo Library is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen. So, straight from my imagination to yours...

Mitch's 1st Birthday

We can't believe that a year has already passed since this little man was born. It truly seems like it wasn't more than a couple weeks ago that the nurses let me hold him right after he was born. If time keeps going by this fast, he's going to be a grown man before we know it. We better enjoy each day. We celebrated with chocolate cake. Unfortunately, I didn't think about frosting it, so he didn't get as messy as we would have wanted. Grandma and Grandpa A. got to Skype in to watch.
Mitch loves sharing his food.

And a little blast from the not so distant past...

Oh, what do you do in the Summer time?

First, you stop by the local Church to get some cash for your Summer agenda.

Then you head on up to Cascade Springs because it's become a Reeder tradition.

And for something new, you invite your sister's family to join you.

Just because it's Summer doesn't mean you neglect your literacy skills.

Every good Summer includes juicy watermelon.
And a short, 9-hour, hike to Mt. Timp with friends, the Hortin's
At the top...only halfway done. Dang it.

Mitch knows the Summer is bright, so he always puts his shades on before going out.

Summer can't sneak by without a trip up the canyon for s'mores.
Mitch and Mom celebrating their birthday's together before moving to California.
Mitch's pre-birthday celebration. As you can see, he wasn't sure what to think about the cake.
His uncertainty didn't last long.

And when the cake got old, the paper plate provided prolonged palette pleasure.

Summer brings Haley's birthday. This year I turned golden. 27 on the 27th. My mom gave me 27 presents! Wow! It was awesome.

This Summer brought a new kind of activity, making messes. Ah, life with a toddler. It's the best.