Summer Garden Salsa

My Raised Gardens

This AMAZING salsa recipe was the inspiration behind my salsa garden! I have tweaked it a little from my Mother-in-law's original recipe but it is without a doubt still her incredible recipe.

Summer Garden Salsa

2 Large Tomato's

3 Roma Tomato's

1/2 Red Onion

1/2 Yellow Onion

1/2 Red Bell Pepper

1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper

2-3 Jalapenos (without seeds or with if you want to breath fire!)

1 1/2-2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2-3 Tablespoons of Garlic Salt

3 Tablespoons of White Vinegar
Cilantro to your liking!

Chop up all your veggies into large chunks. Combined all your tomato's in a food processor and blend until all the chunks are gone. (if you like your salsa a little chunky blend it a little less) Pour tomato's into a large mixing bowl. Combined onions, peppers and jalapenos in the processor and blend (you may have to do each veggie separate if you have a smaller food processor like mine). Pour into the large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic salt, vinegar and minced cilantro to your mixing bowl. Stir all the ingredient together and there you have your homemade Summer Garden Salsa...ENJOY!

For the love of tomato soup

I think the title says it all...enough said!

Summer Project 1- check

So, I have never gardened before but I was gun hoe about making a salsa garden this year. My dear friend Natalie just continues to inspire me and pushes me to "live" and not keep up with the Jones. Mine you she has garden that is beyond awesome. Austin jokes about keeping up with the Fabry's...love ya guys! Anyhow we made a beautiful garden this year and we will have salsa coming out of our ears by the end of summer. So, if you get a can of salsa for a gift this year do be surprised. :)
We started or raised garden by getting old used lumber out of the dump pile--$0
With that wood we were able to make two 4x6 raised garden beds and two flower boxes.
I purchased 10 4gallon buckets off of craigslist for $1 each--$10
In the buckets we planted four tomato plants and three bushes.
Austin and I then found dirt and top soil that someone had dumped in an extra lot near our house that had been just sitting there. So, we loaded the pickup down with dirt--$0
We then purchased our veggies, planting soil and peat moss.-$45
Our total garden adventure--$55.00 bucks---I think Dave Ramsey would be proud.
What we planted:
4 jalapeno plants
8 yellow onions
16 purple onions
3 yellow pepper plants
3 red pepper plants
2 roma tomato plants
2 larger tomato plants
4 zucchini
4 yellow squash
8 garlic

Haulin' Dirt

Bushes-we are hoping this will break up the dogs running path
Flower boxes and Ellie Mae
Raised garden

Raised gardens and tomato plants

Good Friday

I woke up the this morning and had a wonderful reflection time with God. It got me thinking about Good Friday and what it really means. Of course, I am completely thrilled that Good Friday means that Austin has off work but what does it mean from a biblical perspective.
John 19:42 Because it was the Jewish day of preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus their.
Jesus Christ was crucified and was put to death at Calvary. Good Friday is a day of observation of Jesus Christ's sacrifice for us.
So, this leads me to question. Why do most places stay open? Why are schools still teaching today? Why? Why? Why are we not slowing down our lives long enough to reflect on the most important event that will ever take place? Jesus Christ died for our sins and was resurrected and we can't even sit still long enough to reflect....oh, and trust me I am guiltily of this myself.
So, what does it mean that Jesus died on the cross...in a book that I read this morning it was put this way....
When Jesus died on the cross, it simply means that Jesus took all that I have coming to me-pain, sickness, failure, confusion, hatred, rejection, and death- and gave me all that He had coming to Him-all His wholeness, healing, love, acceptance, peace, joy, and life. (7 Prayers)
In conclusion, whether you are running around like a chicken with its head cut off (I'm guilty) or you have the day off. Take a moment to notice what God is doing in your life, the people that He has blessed you with and His word that we can openly live by. He is continuously blessing our lives....How has God blessed you? I love you all...and God has truly blessed me by allowing me to have each and everyone of you in my life.

April

Wow, April is here and almost gone again. I have been a sad little blogger lately and to those that take interest in our crazy little life...I am sorry! Below are a few fun pictures that I have taken throughout the month of April.

April 17, 2011-Ridgeway Baptist Church Egg Hunt

Grace Ann helped Logan Faith fill her Easter basket. Logan had fun picking up the eggs

Logan helping her Daddy build flower baskets. Two peas in a pod

Logan watching Qubo in the morning...more importantly her first ponytail :)

A day at the ball field

Daddy teaching Logan the in's and out's of home run durby

Lunch in the back of the van before we head out to the ball field.

Logan loves to give high five's

Hello Spring

Ahhh, spring has finally sprung and I am feeling it. I have struggled with doing anything indoors; I want to play hooky from "life" and celebrate God's beautiful spring weather by playing outside. Oh, but as life would have it we have been thrown a curve ball or two or three....ok so they just keep comin'...so I just keep swinggin'. It has been a while since I have last blogged and a lot has happened. I will attempt to catch you up to speed on what is happening....so no pictures this time around. Austin is doing GREAT as always. He is playing basketball on Wednesday and Friday mornings with the guys from church and loving every minute of it. On Tuesday mornings he is doing a bible study with a few guys from our church. He just finished up Place bible study class on Wednesday evening which he loved. His home inspection company is doing good; we imagine we will see it pick up a bit more as the weather continues to get nicer. You should check out his website at www.relianceok.com; he created it himself. I love it, nothing is out of reach for Austin, his skills are limitless. Including being an amazing husband and father. I am completely convinced that Austin could be Mr. Mom, his love for Logan is amazing. I have learned a whole new and incredible side of Austin when he became a father. Ahhhh....ok....so I will just say it....my husband ROCKS and I love him to pieces. Logan is becoming this little girl and I mean "girly girl"...she loves her purse, baby doll (gusanna), helping do anything (cleaning, laundry, getting ready, putting on makeup), loves being outside, dancing, music, animals, people and so much more. She is extremely cautious and a very calculated decision maker; although when she is sure about something she just goes for it. She loves her dogs (Lincoln and Ellie) but is sure to tell them who is boss if they get in her face. This past week and half we have been battling Logan's first double ear infection and cutting her back teeth...can anyone say lack of sleep...oh, but we just keep on keepin on! We have a follow up appt. today, so please say a pray that she is healthy. Logan is learning so much including some of the things we hoped she wouldn't like hitting. I know that she gets this from me and man she has one mean little swing on her for such a girly girl...she is going to have a rockin right hook. Anyhow, when I discipline the dogs for getting in her face I will tell them no and spank them on the butt. And I know that she has seen me swat them for stealing her food....like mother like daughter. So, needless to say I have hit a learning curve myself...how to disciple the dogs without hitting...if only someone would give me a timeout to think about this....oh, yes please give me a timeout. :) Speaking of timeout, Logan has been such a little snuggle butt lately and has loved our time rocking in the mornings, before bed and sometimes in the afternoons and I have loved taking the time to just relax and hold her in my arms...ahhh, to be a mom...I love it! As for me I am doing good...I feel like I have been busier than a one legged man in a butt kickin contest (visualizing that is quit funny). Anyhow, I am still working from home with Tulsa OBGYN and I am struggling finding the want to work attitude like I use it have. I find that I have been more focused on my families needs, God and finding my health happy spot in life. I am also selling Mary Kay and am extremely happy about it and feel like it offers such a great opportunity. This past few weeks I have seriously neglected work of any kind and I am beginning to feel guilty for not being able to juggle it all. Ahhh, the life of a working wife and mom. On the upside of things I am really driven about my relationships...God, my husband, daughter and family in general. I am learning and not just saying that "the most important things in life aren't things". I am so excited about what God is doing in our life...I love love love our church and our church family. I have started taking pictures once a month for the church which in turn has made me think about photography classes. How cool would it be to capture life and be able to frame it, make it still and preserved it for a visual memory. I am also taking a Wednesday night women's bible study that will last a life time, the study itself is a year long but the application is a life time. Logan and I just started going to "stroller mom's" running group on Tuesday and Thursday morning. It is so great to get out and meet other stay at home mom's and it is such a positive environment. I have so many projects in mind that I just can't keep up with myself. Right now we are working on a raised salsa garden. My inspiration comes from my amazing friend Natalie. I have found that our idea's of life and what it should be parallel so much. Ok, so this is my dream like in a nut shell...a small self sustaining farm. I really wanted to be Amish when I was growing up....no really! :) I think I am reverting back to my childhood dreams....Amish with electricity of course. Wow, apparently I had a lot to say....yes I had a cup of coffee this morning...just call me chatty patty. A few last minute things. We are trying to sell our house so we can would on that whole self sustaining farm dream...yes I am for real so please keep us in your prayer. This past week I drove to Illinois to pick up Kallie and Codey Spragg. They stayed with us for spring break and we had a blast. Thank you Josh and Kari for letting us steal your kids for a week. We had so much fun swimming, baking, planting flowers, going to incredible pizza, hiking and going to church. I loving having a house full of kids the chatter was certainly endless...hahaha. I love you all very much and I hope you each find that life offers you such happiness... --SLOW DOWN--And notice God working in your life; He is in everything you do. Engage in what you are doing at the moment; be present. Make space in your life for God and you will find contentment, rest, joy and abundance on the inside....this is from a Sunday service that Pastor Scott preached on.

Craft Project

This is a craft project that I did in December, I had a lot of fun making this wall hanging. Of Course, it is our last name and the year Austin and I got married. I got the idea from a craft blog that I follow; I changed a few things up based on materials and price. Anyhow, I thought this would be a great idea for a homemade gift or personalizing your home decor. This was certainly my first go around with it and I would change a few things about it. I found the frame at a garage sale (I would spray paint it black to match the wording), the stencils are from Hobby Lobby, I use acrylic paint for the lettering (I would have put the lettering on the back of the glass & made the numbers smaller and put est. 2008), and the backing is a material that I picked out at a fabric store. A fun little project overall!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yesterday Austin came home with two beautiful roses for Logan and I. What a special Valentine's Day to see my little girl get her very first rose from the most important man in her life...her amazing Daddy.

Daddy's little Valentine...Logan's shirt said "I love my Daddy" Oh, and does she ever!

Logan and I with our roses!

Snow Days

So, I think most Oklahoma people are ready for this snow to go away. Not us...we love it and have enjoyed the playing in it, cooking loads of food and having Austin home with us.

This is the snowman that Austin and I made when Logan was napping.

Don't you just love his hat???
Logan enjoying the snow....to cute!

Baked Chicken, Broccoli, Carrots and Rice

This is a recipe that I found on the back of a campbell's soup can. I took the basis of the recipe and made a few alteration to make it my own. I really like this recipe because it is a quick dinner to whip up and you get your protein, veggies and carb's all in one well rounded meal.

What you will need:
1 package chicken breast (I use fresh boneless skinless)
Head of broccoli
Carrots
Brown rice
Can of cream of broccoli soup
Shredded Cheese
Milk

Recipe:
Preheat oven to 375
Combined 3/4 cup Brown rice and can of cream of broccoli soup in a mixing bowl. Using the Campbell's can fill it half with water and half with milk and add to rice and soup. Mix!
Add pepper, minced garlic, paprika to the mixing bowl...flavor as you like (I just eyeballed it). Cut up half the head of broccoli and about 10 baby carrots (slice the carrots really thin to be sure they cook through) and add to the mixing bowl.
Pour mixture into a baking dish. After chicken breast have been rinsed place them on top of the mixture you poured into your baking dish. Season chicken with garlic salt. Cover the baking dish and bake for 45-55 minutes at 375. Option: We sprinkle shredded cheese over our rice and veggies after it is done cooking.

We added garlic bread to the meal and it was a hit. Austin even liked it...veggies and all!

Courtney this is the one that I already sent you. :)

Snow Day

Wow! The snow is here- about 8-10" of it and it is still falling. It feels like a Michigan winter...ahhh, the awesome memories! Logan and I are so excited because Austin got a snow day and is home from work. We started the morning with a bacon and pancake breakfast and a nice cup of coffee. There is nothing like a big breakfast on a cold day. This afternoon for lunch another wonderful winter treat to warm our inners...hot tomato soup and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. It just makes my day to be snowed in and I mean literally and have nice warm comfort foods.

Logan Faith enjoying her grilled cheese and tomato soup...she loves to dip!

This is the only time Ellie got off the porch...she is a little sensitive to the cold
Now, Lic on the other hand...oh, that boy loves rip, roarand tear around in the snow! It is so much fun to watch him just go to town!

Snowed in--I wasn't joking. This is a picture of our front door looking out. The wind is blowing so hard it created this huge snow drift!

Again...Snowed in. Our cars...at least you can see the truck.

You can barely see my van next to Austin's truck!

Oh, yeah and for those of you that didn't know....I now drive a van! We sold my big SUV for our kick butt van. Why you ask? Two words...Dave Ramsey! For those of you that don't know him you need to get to know him and then you will understand!

Two more words...Life Changing...in the best way!

Quick Quesadilla Recipe

Hey guys, so I have had several people ask for some of my recipes. So, I had this bright idea to post them on my blog so that we all can enjoy! P.S. I would love it if anyone has a few recipes of there own that they would like to share with me. I am always looking for the next hit dinner for our family!

My Quick Quesadilla Recipe

what you need:
soft shell tortilla's
one can rotel (original or hot)
skinless boneless chicken breast
shredded cheese
Sour cream
salsa
olive oil
Optional-I like to add in a veggie of some sort so it is a well rounded meal. I really enjoy frozen spinach and flavor is great.

Cooking directions:
Cut up the chicken into small bit sized pieces. Put chicken into a fry pan with a little olive oil. Just before the chicken is completely cooked add one can of Rotel; let chicken and the rotel simmer until chicken is completely cooked.

Now you will need to get your flat skillet out...I crank mine to about 425 but you really have to stick around and watch as you cook!
Place as many tortilla's on the skillet as you can, then add your shredded cheese, on top of the shredded cheese add a healthy portion of your chicken and rotel mix. (light on the juice from the chicken), then you can add you veggie if you wish. Last, top with a second tortilla shell and let them cook until crisp on both sides. Heads up...you will need a large spatula and both hand to flip these bad boys! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Have fun with it and make it your own. If you find a variation of this that is a hit with your family we would love it if you would share!

January

This year we took a Landreth family vaction with to Red River, NM to ski and snowboard. We had a blast and it was really fun to hang with the family. Austin, Josh, Kolton and Dad hit the slopes everyday both morning and afternoon. Mom L went in the mornings and I went in the afternoons. Hudson and Logan loved the snow and playing outside. And for those of you that don't know...Courtney had a really good reason not to ski...She is PREGNANT!!! Hudson is going to be a big brother in August. We are all so excited to have a new addition to the family.

Logan eating her first Subway before leaving on our trip

Hudson and Logan had a ball jumping on the bed

Austin and Logan all bundled up

Heading to the slope for some snow tubing

Happy Family

Austin and I loved it...Logan not so much! Maybe next year!

Josh, Hudson and Courtney

December

Michelle, my loving and honest sister, told me that I needed to write more on our blog. Although, I am not much of a writer and more of a picture person I will do my best!
December was a whirl wind month and I tried to capture a few moments with pictures.

Austin and I were heading of to his office Christmas party...family pic op!

Oh, would you look at this face...T-R-O-U-B-L-E. Logan is the girl of a million facial expressions, I have no idea where she gets it from (t-heee).

Beautiful winter day in Oklahoma...we just had to get out side and enjoy!
Ok...so Logan LOVES her baby doll GusAnna, she is such a little mother to her. Beautiful name I know, we thank Austin for that! :)

Family day out to the Oilers Hockey game. Logan loved it! She would dance to the music between the puck drops

Hanging with Aunt Shel

Aunt Shel reading Logan's puppy book to her at our Christmas...two pea's in a pod or double trouble...Not sure which!

We were so excited to have Grandpa and Grandma Siess come and stay with us as they were on there way to Arizona. Logan is in love with the both of them!

I really don't remember when I took this but I love the picture. Would you just look at those beautiful lips!

Christmas Pictures.

The grandbabies hangin with Pa

Daring little toots!

Hangin with Scott and Mami

Our new rockers...Scott made them for us...Amazing!