Linguini with Cream Cheese

I ran next door to borrow something from my neighbor and she sent some of this amazing salad home for Mike and I to share. Unfortunately Mike only got a bite or two, because I could not stop eating it. It is so fresh and very filling. My neighbor found this recipe in the Kraft magazine a few years ago. And if you don't already get the Kraft magazine, you should go to their website and sign up. It always has great recipes.
I promise this will be a new summer favorite.

Linguine and Cream Cheese
3 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 pkg. cream cheese, cubed
3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. each salt and pepper
2 pkg. linguine (9oz.each)
1/2 cup pine nuts, roasted
MIX tomatoes, cream cheese, oil,basil,
vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in large
bowl; cover. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
COOK pasta as directed.Place in large bowl.
ADD tomato mixture and pine nuts to hot pasta;
toss lightly. Serves 6-8

SERIOUSLY!!!

It has been a while since I checked in. First of all my life is just plain crazy busy. But, I have also been very lucky to not only have, not just morning sickness, but around the clock sickness. I guess I should feel lucky that this is the first time, considering this is the third go around. I also broke out in shingles a week ago. SERIOUSLY!!! This is like the worst thing ever. I have hardly left my house this week and I have let everything go, you should see my house. One day I just laid in bed reading all day long. Just trying to get out of my head and the horrible pain on the back of my thigh. By the end of the day I had read 550 pages and my house had become the city dump. How is that possible in 10 short little hours? My boys had dumped an entire container of Parmesan cheese all over the couch and carpet downstairs with complimentary chocolate milk stains on my recently cleaned carpets. I was so upset. Not only is the carpet truly stained, the family room still stinks so bad from the cheese (vomit) that I haven't been able to go down there. I hope my energy level is back a little by tomorrow, I have got to clean the carpets.
I don't mean to go on and on, but that has been my week. I swear I never thought it would end. Today is the start of a better week. I can just feel it.
Here is one more little story.
When my oldest was about one , he was obsessed with Elmo. I found this awesome Sesame Street video that had Elmo and Stomp. If you don't know what Stomp is, it is this amazing Broadway like show with all of this amazingly talented people that make awesome music with everything from brooms to garbage cans to basketballs. You name it they make music out of it.
Well, I always swore that if the came anywhere near us that I would take my boy. So, today is the big day. I know it is Sunday and all, but this was the only time that worked out. And I am not missing the opportunity. My boys are so good to sit and be entertained, let's hope that they are perfect angels this afternoon. I let you all know how it goes.

50 percent chance of a girl

Well, I guess it is about time we added to our family. Our baby did just turn 4. We are very excited about this new little project we are taking on. I am not due until January which kind of makes me feel like the poor elephant who carries her baby for 2 years, which at this point January feels like 2 years away. I guess that will give me time to mentally prepare myself for three. THREE!!! All the boys are hoping it is a baby sister, especially Mike. He has wanted a little girl for so long, but I know we will all be happy as long as it is healthy. I don't know that I really believe it, except the heartburn that started last week is not letting me forget. So if any of you have a special little secret about that, I would love you to share it with me.
I know the little widget (no, that is not what we are calling the baby) I added is kind of freaky looking right now, but as the baby gets bigger, it is really cool to see just where we are at.

Holly Homemaker

I don't know what got into me on Wednesday, but I just felt like being a fabulous little homemaker. I made my first loaves of bread. And I found this amazing recipe for Sticky Coconut Chicken and I swear it is the recipe they use for the halibut that I so love at Happy Sumo.

Well, the bread turned out great and dinner was a huge hit with my husband.

Here is the recipe for the halibut I made the other night. I obviously made it with Halibut and not chicken and I think next time I will just cook the halibut in a skillet. I found this recipe on a comment, that I found on my kitchen cafe , that I found on the blog Sister's Cafe . If you haven't checked these blogs out, you should. They have some awesome recipes.

Sticky Coconut Chicken(Tar Chicken)

6-8 boneless chicken thighs

¾ cup canned coconut milk

1 Tbsp. minced ginger

1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1 tsp. hot chili flakes

Marinate chicken in coconut milk, ginger, pepper and chili flakes at least one hour. Grill on barbeque.

Chili glaze

¾ cup rice vinegar

½ cup sugar

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp hot chili flakes

Bring above ingredients to a boil over high heat and cook until mixture is reduced and thickened. 8-10 minutes depending on size of pan (the deeper the liquid the longer it will take to thicken,I like to use a large frying pan so it thickens quicker. You need to watch it though because it goes from thick to burnt easily!Glaze both sides of chicken and serve.

Flowers, flowers, and more flowers!

For Mother's Day my sweet hubby took me shopping for hanging baskets, my obsession. Just to give you a little clue, my drip is set up for 10 and then I have an arbor made out of old fruit picking ladders, and I like to hang 3 on that. I am crazy. but it just looks so beautiful, and there is just something about them, that makes me so very happy. It is pitch dark outside right now, so I can't show you all how amazing my house looks with all of it's neww accesories. I will try and post some pictures tomorrow. I stole this picture from google, but how can you post without a picture.
I actually had such a great day. I think I suffer from seasonal depression, and when I can get my hand in the dirt and plant flowers, it is the best anti-depressant around. For me atleast. I got a truck load of gorgeous dirt today, yes, I said gorgeous dirt. I fixed up all my flower beds, and planted a bunch of flowers, and now all I want to do is sit outside and enjoy my awesome yard.
Mike and I found a patio set at k-mart last October on clearance, and it has been sitting on our patio in a box since then. So Monday I decided to put it together. Seriously, I just want to be outside.
I guess I better get to bed, because of all things I have to speak in church in the morning. That's right! Mother's Day! Either I have really pulled the wool over my Bishop's eyes, or he is hoping this will set me straight.Wish me luck. Oh, and HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

My Adorable and Amazing Husband!!!

My niece did this on her blog and I thought it was a fantastic idea! Plus I have this new totally hot picture of my husband and I needed a reason to post it.

M-I-C-H-A-E-L

M- MARVELOUS HUSBAND-Mike has always been great, but just lately he has stepped it up. Everyday he does a little something that either adds major sunshine to my day or makes me very proud to be his wife.
I- INCREDIBLY INDEPENDENT- Some times this makes me a little crazy, because I think things could be a little easier if Mike would ask for help. But this is a survival technique that Mike has developed over his lifetime, and because of it he has been able to achieve so much more than is imaginable. He has such drive and no matter what, Michael will accomplish!
C- CAUTIOUS- Which he needs to be married to me. I fly with the wind, and Mike always thinks through ALL the steps. It is good thing I have him.
H- HONEST- I have never questioned Mike's integrity. I know that he is always honest with me and with his job, but most importantly himself.
A- ALWAYS DRIVEN- I don't know anyone who works harder than Mike. He has worked so hard to create a business that not only is he proud of and loves, but one that people and clients can respect and appreciate. He is so very talented, and unfortunately that is not all it takes. Mike takes his responsibility to provide for our family very seriously, and he is doing everything he can to create a successful business that will take care of our family.
E- EXTEMELY TALENTED- If you haven't seen his work, you are missing out. He is an incredible photographer, and he just keeps driving himself to learn more and be more creative. He knocks my socks off. Too bad he can' take OUR family pictures
L- LOVING- This one chokes me up. MIKE LOVES ME! No matter what is going on or what I look like or what I am acting like or what we are going through, I feel his love for me. He thinks I am beautiful, and amazing and I love knowing that. And I love him right back.

We have talked about this quite a bit lately, and we both feel so lucky. In a world where everything seems so disposable, it is an amazing feeling feeling to know you are both 100% dedicated to the end.
I love you Michael and I am so happy you are mine.

Six Strange Habits

I have been tagged by jen v...
1. I am a freak about the way my towels are folded. I am a little anal about all folding of clothes. But the towels, everyone in my family knows I got issues with towels. If someone helps me fold towels, I almost always wait 'til they leave and then refold. (I have tons of towels to fold all the time, because I have a salon in my house. I go through about 40 towels a week, and that's just in the salon.)
2. I don't care if it looks like a bomb went off in my house, the beds have to be made everyday. If they are not made at the beginning of my day, it throws everything off. Why can't I be that way about everything in my house.
3. Just like Jen, I hate doing my hair. Strange I know. Maybe it is because of all the hours I have spent with a blowdryer in my hands. That is the most dreaded time of the day. I guess that is why I only do my hair every three or four days. Don't gross out. My hair is very dry and can't take much more than that anyway.
4. I am pine-sol obssessed. They used to sell it in a spray bottle like windex. But I can't find it anymore, so I mix my own and I clean every surface that I can in my house with it. There is nothing that makes you think your house is clean, like the scent of pine-sol.
5. I spray paint everything. My sister-in-law makes fun of me, because "just paint it", is my answer to everything. Almost every piece of wood furniture in my house has been painted atleast once, if not twice or three times. Right now I am in the process of repainting my kitchen table and chairs, with white spray paint. For those of you who don't know, this is the easiest, fastest and most effective way to paint something. You get better coverage and it is a fast and beautiful way to makeover something into something better.
6. I am a milk snob. I have to have good milk. It absolutely cannot come from a gas station, and some brands are just not good enough. For example, just the morning I pulled out the 1/2 gallon my husband so sweetly picked up in the middle of the night so we wouldn't be out of milk in the morning, took one swig and new he got it from the gas station. I know, silly. But it is just one of my things.
I tag Jaimi, Lori, Tinaya, and Sara B.