What's up Wednesday--cheesecake stuffed chocolate chip cookie bars

Wanted to share a recipe we loved lately.  Cheesecake stuffed chocolate chip cookie bars.  Yum!  They are from none other than Mel's Kitchen Cafe--my favorite place to find any new recipe and seriously where about 3/4 of my recipe that I make come from.

You can find the recipe here.

Enjoy!

2015 Blue Jeans Week 43

What a week.  We survived strep throat with Mr J and luckily no one else got it, and I was soooo grateful about that because it is not fun.  Ben and my dad had birthdays, we had the last home football game which meant senior night and the band's last halftime performance.  Oh my.  Crazy!  All these senior year "lasts". . . so take a look at our week. . .

Sunday we celebrated by dad's birthday.  So love him and so grateful we live close to him!

At the Dr.'s office Monday morning where we got the diagnosis of strep throat for Mr J.  He thought it was kind of funny to wear a mask, but the poor kid this was the only time he smiled the whole day.  Not fun.  Thank heavens he was doing much better and able to go to school Wednesday.  

Ben got this shot of the kids enjoying their ribbon wands.  

And Happy Birthday to my amazing husband!  The best husband and dad ever!  Man are we lucky to have him!

Senior parents' night.  We got to escort Miss A across the football field as she represented cross country, band, and choir.  Sure love that girl and am proud of all she has done!

Her last time on the football field for half time as Drum Major.  

And Miss O is the one of the left doing her horn solo as part of the halftime show.  She did awesome!

Saturday night we made a bonfire and roasted hot dogs and had s'mores.  A great family Saturday night.

And as an added treat we had a Ben and Jerry's buffet.  Our favorite?  The pumpkin cheesecake.  Yum!

Thanks for visiting!  Have a great week! 

Friday thoughts. . .

Am reading this book right now and loving it!  All 3 of my girls read it before me and loved it!  Miss A pulled an all-nighter and read it in one setting.  It is that good.  Enjoy!

What's up Wednesday--corn and bean salsa

This is my absolute favorite salsa dip EVER!  It is so good, and I am a huge wimp when it comes to spicy food, so this is perfect for me.  The flavors are all just divine together.  We go through a recipe of this in one sitting easy.  So yum!  

I try to use sweet onions when I make it instead of the regular yellow ones, but you can do whatever.  Ben says sometimes it needs salt, but taste and adjust to your liking.  Enjoy!

Corn and Bean Salsa

1/2 onion, chopped fine--I like to use the sweet ones, but white, red, or yellow work

1 can corn, drained

1 tomato, chopped

1 avocado, chopped

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

4 Tablespoons lime juice

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together and dip tortilla chips in.  Yum!

2015 Blue Jeans Week 42

A pretty emotional week for me.  Having a senior is hard let me tell you.  It seems like I cry left and right with the words, "this is her last. . . "  Oh my.  But things are good--busy and good.  Cross country and band are wrapping up.  Fall activities are winding down and basketball starts for Miss E this week.  She had her last cross country meet Thursday, had Friday off and started basketball practice bright and early this morning at 6:30.  Oh my.  Mr J has strep throat. Ugh.  So if we can get through that without sharing with the whole family that will be good!  Wish us luck!  Here is a look at our week. . .

Sunday Miss A, her friend and I flew back from our BYU college visit.  Spent lots of hours in different airports.  The girls had got these "BYU brownies" which are basically chocolate mint brownies, and they are divine. They decided to eat them at 5 a.m. Sunday morning before we got on the plane.  Yummy breakfast!

Monday nights are school board meetings for me.  This is the awesome school board I am serving on for the next 4 years minus one other gentlemen who couldn't be there.  

Youth activity night we decorated pumpkins to share with girls who couldn't be with us.  Lots of fun!

Miss E's last cross country race of the season.  Love this shot, I got Miss A and Miss O cheering her on and Ben watching her too.  Lots of support there for this girl.  So proud of her hard work in this sport this year!

And this was where I lost it this week--Miss A's last cross country race.  As she came in the last stretch I just cried.  So very proud of my girl!  All League honors all 4 years in cross country!  Way to go Miss A!!!!  I will miss cheering you on next year!  

Our Town's big celebration was this weekend.  Miss A singing The National Anthem with her choir group to get things started.  

And of course there is the band in the parade.  Love this shot because I got Miss A in front and Miss O behind her.  My mellophone players.  Love this band and so love these girls and how hard they work!  

Come back next week and hear about how I cry at the last football game (senior's parents night, hello) and last marching band parade and performance.  Man, I need to just have a tissue box attached to my hip this year. . . have a good one!

Friday thoughts. . . senior pictures

Ok just letting you know this post is super heavy on the picture side because they are Miss A's senior pictures.  They are amazing!  We had them taken in August.  Two years ago we had a sweet sister missionary serving in our area who had her own photography business.  She took our family pictures that year.  As she was taking them she said, "Oh, I would love to come back and take Miss A's senior pictures."  Well, she got off her mission and moved back to Utah.  Fast forward 2 years, and this summer I commented to her on facebook that she needed to come back and take Miss A's senior pictures.  I was just joking but was totally surprised and super excited when she said, "Yes! I am coming in August to do them!" So that sweet girl flew from Utah with her amazing mom to visit us and take these amazing senior pictures for Miss A.  We all loved them!  

Miss A has been taking piano lessons since kindergarten and will be having her senior piano recital in May right before she graduates.  She is an amazing pianist!  We are going to put this picture on her invite to her senior piano recital.

And you can just enjoy the rest without any commentary from me.  They all just turned out beautiful!

Love them all!  So fun!  So crazy though, her final cross country race was this week.  Man.  That was hard.  She has run that since her freshman year with the same coach.  Good memories!  Senior year is flying by!  Here we go. . .

What's up Wednesday--Halloween bars

In honor of my favorite fall snack which is below, I wanted to share this recipe for Halloween bars that uses both of these ingredients.  Yum!  Salty and sweet together are the best!

This recipe is pretty sweet, but also has the salty of the nuts.  It has marshmallows and peanut butter in it too, can it get any better?  We had these for family night treats last week, and we ate the whole pan in one night.  Good stuff :)  Enjoy! 

Halloween Bars

1 box yellow cake mix

1 egg

1/2 cup butter softened

3 cups mini marshmallows

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups rice krispies type cereal

1 1/2 cups peanuts--I use the cocktail ones above

1 cup candy corn

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix cake mix and butter until mixed well.  Add in egg and beat until mixed well.  Press dough mix in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake for 12-14 minutes until edges are light brown or until set.

Add marshmallows to the top and return to oven for 1-2 minutes until marshmallows puff up.  Remove from oven.

Combine the corn syrup and sugars in a pot on medium-high heat.  Stir for a few minutes until mixture comes to a boil.  Remove from heat and add in peanut butter and vanilla.  Mix until smooth then add cereal, peanuts and candy corn.  Mix well.  Drop by the spoonful over the marshmallow layer and try to spread around--it doesn't really spread very well, you just plop it down and go with it :)

Let cool and cut into bars.  YUM!

2015 Blue Jeans Week 41

What a week!  First official college visit was this week.  Miss A, a friend, and I flew to Utah to visit BYU where she wants to go.  It was a crazy busy few days, but awesome too!  It is nice to be back home and sleep in my own bed, but it was a great experience, and I am so excited for this girl of mine to go there next year!  Crazy!  Here is a look at our week. . .

Sunday afternoon we went on a walk around a near by lake.  It was a beautiful day!  Getting in some family time before we left for the rest of the week.

Us at the airport getting ready to get on the plane.  Miss A, me and another friend who also wants to go to BYU.  Adventure here we go!

Had to stop in Salt Lake City and see Temple Square.  This is the Salt Lake Temple where I was married.  Had a wonderful time there!

Went to In and Out Burger for dinner with my DeeDee and aunts.  Had never been there before. They don't have them in our part of the country. Yum!

Then we spent a few days on the BYU campus.  It was homecoming week, and I didn't realize that when I bought the tickets to go in June.  They had a special homecoming spectacular concert with David Archuleta that we were able to get tickets to.  Miss A loves him so she was soooo excited.  The concert was amazing!  So fun!

These super excited girls after the concert.  Hopefully they all end up rooming together next year if all works out right.  They are the best girls!  You can see the big Y light up on the mountain behind them.

My sister-in-law and nieces joined us for dinner and the concert which was so fun!

And extra bonus while we were there, another niece got married!  Didn't know that was going to happen either in June when we planned the trip.  Bonus!  So great to see her and all the rest of our amazing family!  I know Miss A will be in good hands next year with so much family and amazing friends there!  But man that is going to be hard to let her go. . . okay, try not to think about that now.  Let's just enjoy her being home now :)  

Have a great week!  Come back soon!

2015 Blue Jeans Week 40

Busy, crazy homecoming week, but it was good.  Miss A enjoyed being a homecoming queen candidate and all that involved.  She didn't win, but it was fun for her to be nominated and involved.  Sure proud of her.  College visits for her and I this week.  Crazy!  But back to last week. . .

Out on the trampoline enjoying the amazing super harvest blood eclipse moon :)  Pretty impressive

Miss A and her escort for the homecoming court being presented to the school

Miss E as a project for science had to make a chair out of cardboard that someone could actually sit in.  Doesn't she look excited about it? :)

Walmart run for milk.  We drink lots and lots of milk--about a gallon a day, and with runners, you have to have chocolate milk--the best re-hydrator after running.  So this will last us about 6 days. . .

Weekly cross country meet this week.  Miss E is so diligent.  She gets done with her race and does her homework.  

Football homecoming is a big deal in our town.  We have a parade.  The homecoming kind and queen candidates get to ride in the back of cool cars :)  So Miss A and her escort in the parade.  They got to have the junior escorts--the kids that carry the crowns--with them.  Fun stuff!

And how does everyone feel after this week is done??? Yeah, exhausted.  What a sweetie she is!  

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you have a great week!

Friday thoughts. . .

Fall activities involve high school football homecoming this week.

And this beautiful is a homecoming queen candidate.  Oh my.  Fun stuff!

All the king and queen candidates.  

And a goofy shoot for fun!

Sure love this girl of mine!  How can she already be a senior???!!!

And also wanted to share my favorite fall snack--oh my!

and we got pumpkins on the front porch.  Fall is officially here!  Wish us good luck this weekend!