Busy girl!

My papa has about 10 baby chicks now and we went to see them on thurs. HB loved them! She reached her hand right out to them and accidentally squeezed on of their heads. But no baby chicks were harmed in the filming of this trip ;)They were so cute and furry :) Her friend Isabel and her mom went with us and both girls had a blast!

Baby Chicks

Yesterday we went and visited with my moms parents at the lake. It is always so much fun to watch HB with them. She loves her Dadpa! He can make her laugh out loud!! She even took a couple of steps for them and walked write to him. :)




On the way home we have to pass by the Mall of GA, so I decided.. hey lets stop and get her ears pierced!! So we did and she looks so adorable! She did such a great job and only cried for about 2 mins. I ABSOLUTELY HATED doing that, and watching her cry, but she was good after we gave her some gold fish. The lady that did them did a great job and was good with her. She was so still for her to make the dots and everything. She then slept it off for about 2 hrs and woke up a happy girl :)

Ears pierced

It's my boyfriends bday

As you can see we have been pretty busy lately with the 4 post(sorry i hit ya all at once!!) I just did ( and 2 videos to come! ) I haven't posted in a week or so, so it got a little backed up! Dustin went out of town this past weekend for a guys lake trip! So Hailey and I held down the house and I spent the night by myself for the first time in my 25 years! On saturday we headed to a cute little boys first birthday party. He is one of the babies that HB has gotten to grow up with and has grown quite found of him. They even snuck in a little kiss when she got there. I got some really cute pics of them and esp of him eating his cake. He was so excited and finally lost his shyness and dove in! This made me so excited to watch HB do the same thing in a couple of months, but also very anxious because I can't believe that MY baby is sneaking up on one year!

Grants (hb's boyfriend) Bday

Menu Monday

Well today I thought I would switch things up a bit! I am going to treat you to a great appetizer and end with a treat for your taste buds. Am I forgetting something.. nope, the middle, the main course, is for you to fill in. I have always been a appetizer girl and would never turn down a delicious dessert. So save these for a cook out with friends or potluck at church. Either way, they are sure please a crowd :)

**Velvetta Hot Broccoli Dip**
12 Servings Prep 15 mins


1 round sourdough bread loaf (1-1/2 lb.)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. (16 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed
Few drops hot pepper sauce

HEAT oven to 350°F.
CUT slice from top of bread loaf; remove center, leaving 1-inch-thick shell. Cut removed bread into bite-size pieces. Cover shell with top of bread; place on baking sheet with bread pieces. Bake 15 min. Cool slightly.
MEANWHILE, cook and stir celery, red peppers and onions in butter in medium saucepan on medium heat until tender. Add VELVEETA; cook on low heat until melted, stirring frequently. Add broccoli, rosemary and hot pepper sauce; cook until heated through, stirring constantly.
SPOON into bread loaf. Serve with toasted bread pieces, RITZ Crackers and/or assorted cut-up fresh vegetables.

**Almost a Candy Bar**
36 Servings Prep 15 mins Bake 15 mins + cooling

1 tube (16-1/2 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
4 nutty s'mores trail mix bars (1.23 ounces each), chopped
1 package (10 to 11 ounces) butterscotch chips
2-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped walnuts
1-1/2 cups miniature pretzels
1 package (10 ounces) peanut butter chips
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 package (11-1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips

LET dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften. In a large bowl, combine dough and trail mix bars. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. BAKE, uncovered, at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Sprinkle with butterscotch chips and marshmallows. Bake 3-4 minutes longer or until marshmallows begin to brown. Sprinkle with walnuts; arrange pretzels over the top. IN a small saucepan, melt the peanut butter chips, corn syrup and butter; spoon over bars.
In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Spread or drizzle over bars.
REFRIGERATE for 1 hour or until firm before cutting. Yield: 3 dozen.
*You can always subsitute nuts or remove them altogether

ENJOY~

~**~Nicole~**~

Dustins Bday

Dustin just hit 25 one month after me.. which of course he thinks gives him the right to call me his old lady! With the new job that he has taken on, he worked on his birthday for the first time in 25 yrs. Even when he worked with the sherrif's dept he managed to get off. :) We kept it simple this year and headed out to dinner in Athens to RuSans. We had some great Sushi and then met back at our house for some cake. I surprised Dustin with his favorite cake, Black Forrest. I had to go on the hunt for it and finally found it at Publix! Mom made him a funfetti cake and it was awesome too. We have almost finished it :) Dustin got a new gun from the "group". He was so very happy, of course he picked it out, but at least he got what he wanted! Mom got him a lighter that is in the shape of a gun and the perfect size for HB. Now it might not be the best thing for a parent to give their child.. but it did make for funny and cute pictures!! It fit her little hands perfect. Dustin had a fun birthday, and even tho we weren't able to celebrate it in Pigeon Forge like usual, it was a nice change to hang around the house.

Dustins birthday

Pictures of Hailey Bug

Of course I love to take pictures of HB whenever I can. She is so much fun to take pictures of and gets into everything! In these she is climbing the sofa, riding the lawn mower, swinging in the back yard, playing with daddy's money, and splashin around in the bath :) She loves her new swing that daddy put up in the backyard for her so we don't have to drive to the park! She loves being outside and will crawl up to the window door and start beating on it... and then will pitch a fit if we don't go out! haha. She has gotten quite the attitude lately and will let you know exactly what she wants.

10 months random

Menu Monday

Here is a little twist on a classic dish. Almost everyone I know loves Mexican. This is a great Nacho bake that has a little spice to it (that can of course be calmed if needed) I has a very hearty taste and can be great for a family meal or to bring with you to a friends or party :) I have put the bigger recipe below because it is always easier to downsize then to upsize to me

Spicy Nacho Bake
Servings 15 Prep 15 Mins Bake 20-25 Mins
1 lb ground beef/turkey
1 lg onion, chopped
1 lg green peppers, chopped
1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15-1/2oz) hot chili beans
1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (11oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 pckg (13oz) spicy nacho tortilla chips
2 cups (16 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

IN a dutch oven or large kettle, cook the beef, onions and green peppers over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain/ Stir in the tomatoes, beans, corn, tomato sauce and taco seasoning/ Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer. uncovered, fo 30 mins (mixture will be thin)
LAYER in a 13x9x2in baking dish, 2 cups chips, and 2-1/2 cup meat mixture/ Repeat layers. Top each with 1 cup cheese/
BAKE uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until colden brown


TIPS:
*You can always subsitute your favorite meat... ground chicken, turkey, beef, or pork
*To make this dish a little less messy, crush the chips before adding and then you can use utensils
*You can also subsitute taco sauce for tomato sauce.
*I sometime will add a layer of refried beans to add flavor.
*You can always take away or add ingredients that you like. We aren't big fans of beans, so we take them away. Some people like olives and add those
*Great toppings for this dish are Sour cream, guacomole, and shredded lettuce.

ENJOY!!

~**Nicole~**~

Tom and Jerry Give away

My friend Holly at "This Mama Rocks" is doing another great give away for kids. Warner brothers is letting her have two winners and is generously giving away "Tom and Jerry: The complete first season"!! I know that this was a childhood favorite of ours, ESP my brother, so it would be a fun DVD to have around the house. Head on over to her site and enter (you can find her button on the right side bar)
http://thismamablogrocks.blogspot.com/2010/04/tom-and-jerry-tales-complete-first.html