Cake Balls

Thanks Heidi for sharing this recipe with me! So delicious. I made them Sunday & my in-laws approved. Now I will pass on the goodness...

• 1 chocolate cake mix
• 1 container chocolate frosting
• dipping chocolate

Mix frosting & cake mix till combined. This is a little tough - I had to get in there with my hands and knead it like dough. Then roll into small balls, place on wax paper. Dip immediately in melted chocolate.

I used 4 different kinds because I was trying to get rid of leftover dipping chocolate I've had for awhile. Hands down - Western Family Almond Bark was by far the best texture, melting consistency, smoothness when cooled, and best tasting. So, there you go! Enjoy! Just make sure you have a glass of milk handy!

Oh - and I also think it would be fun to do Red Velvet cake mix with white & milk chocolate coating...

Kelty Kids Hiking Backpack

Ry & I love to be outdoors, especially in the summertime. Our weekends are filled with hiking, camping, fly-fishing (mostly I watch), river rafting - all the good stuff. This summer we have a new challenge - a one year old. And we found the perfect solution - a Kelty Kids pack.
Much to our delight our picky little girl, who usually wants to walk everywhere now that she found her legs, loved the pack!

As long as Ry kept moving she was loving it! So much that he took her hiking again on Monday morning! He said on Monday she was singing while in her pack (her happy noises), then the singing got a little quieter - soon he looked back and realized she was singing in her sleep while hiking. Silly girl!

The packs are usually pretty expensive - we found ours used online & would highly recommend it to anyone! Well worth it!

Penne Pesto Chicken

Last week we had some friends over for Guinea Pig Thursday (on Wednesday). I really had a hankering for pesto, which I love, but had never actually used at home before.

I was all geared up to make the pesto - but after collecting all of the ingredients at the store and realizing just how ridiculously priced pine nuts are - I went for the jar of pesto and called it good.

This recipe was super easy & delicious! It says 8 servings...but I'd say it's easily 10-12. We ate it for leftovers a few times. Wouldn't change a thing!

Click Here For the Recipe

Gender Based Abortion

Sweden rules 'gender-based' abortion legal

Swedish health authorities have ruled that gender-based abortion is not illegal according to current law and can not therefore be stopped, according to a report by Sveriges Television.

The Local reported in February that a woman from Eskilstuna in southern Sweden had twice had abortions after finding out the gender of the child.

The woman, who already had two daughters, requested an amniocentesis in order to allay concerns about possible chromosome abnormalities. At the same time, she also asked to know the foetus's gender.

Doctors at Mälaren Hospital expressed concern and asked Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) to draw up guidelines on how to handle requests in the future in which they "feel pressured to examine the foetus’s gender" without having a medically compelling reason to do so.

The board has now responded that such requests and thus abortions can not be refused and that it is not possible to deny a woman an abortion up to the 18th week of pregnancy, even if the foetus's gender is the basis for the request.

What?! This world is getting so crazy...I am pro-life all the way - adoption people, not murder. That said, I also get pretty frustrated when people are upset they're having a certain gender. Oh, a boy again - nuts. Not another girl! Curse.

I really believe the Lord is in charge here - he sends people to specific families for a reason & we as parents need to be appreciative and grateful that He trusts us enough to send us these special spirits to raise. Whether it's 10 girls and no boys - or children that all have huge medical problems. We have been blessed with certain gifts that will help raise these children - and in turn they have been blessed with certain gifts that will help enrich our family.

And a last rant - instead of being upset you're having another boy/girl - just be grateful you can get pregnant at all!! Some people don't have that opportunity...okay. I'll stop. I'm just getting more upset.

Potty Training Your Baby by Katie Van Pelt

Loved, loved, loved this book. It is super short & a quick read. Not only does it cover potty training, but it has little tidbits of great advice on better parenting skills throughout.

It covers potty training early, starting before the 1st birthday, and potty training late, after 2 years old. It is so informative.

I'm glad I purchased this instead of checking it out at the library because I will definitely be referring back to it time and time again! I highly recommend this book for all parents!!

Poppyseed Chicken

For Guinea Pig Thursday (Wednesday rather) - we had Poppyseed Chicken. I'd had this before, but never made it myself. I have a really bad habit of changing things in a recipe before I've even made/tried the dish - and it took all my will power not to change this recipe. As I was making it I kept thinking - holy crap, this is a lot of butter!! And it was. But it sure did taste great!! =) Our guinea pig was Jordan, Ry's brother.

Poppyseed Chicken

• 4 large chicken breasts, cooked & diced
• 3/4 cup butter, melted (could be less)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 12 oz sour cream
• 1 1/2 rolls Ritz crackers (could be reduced fat, but not reduced sodium)
  
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice (could be more, even doubled)

Cook the rice & put in bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Mix chicken, 3/4 c. melted butter, chicken soup, & sour cream. Pour over rice. Crush & mix together crackers, 1/2 cup melted butter, & poppy seeds. Sprinkle over the casserole. Bake for 30 min at 350 degrees.

*Do not substitute butter for margarine - my sis-in-law who gave me this recipe tried that once & said it turned out weird.

Crockpot Lasagna

This one's for you Lisa! I wanted to try something other than a roast in my crockpot & I've never made lasagna - so here ya go.

The guinea pigs were a few of my in-laws. Minimal preperation, which rocks. I think next time I would do 1/2 lb ground beef & 1/2 lb italian sausage to give it more spice. I also would cut back on the cheese a little.

It just was a little too much cheese for me. Or maybe leave the cheese as is, but do another 1/2 lb meat to compensate. Oh, and the recipe also says cook on low for 4-6 hours - 4.5 was plenty. It was starting to burn on the bottom.

Click here for the recipe (and other great crockpot recipes)!