Getting crafty again.

Yay Xander, today you get to join the toothless club! He was so excited to have his 1st tooth fall out, so excited in fact, that he woke me up at 6:30 in the morning...ugh.

Later today Xander started yelling out the window at someone. I look up and see homie standing on the top of a giant tree behind our house. Thanks for giving my boys a new crazy idea LOL. At least he climbed down and didn't fall...or jump. 

The Christmas frenzy continues around here. The kids have been loving all the Christmas shows and movies...well until today. Lily comes up to me and says "I really do not enjoy this movie, it is really unfriendly." LOL We were watching one of those Christmas movies that is about bringing the spirit of Christmas to cranky mean people.
 
We took a break from our Christmas joy to get started on a Christmas gift...shh don't tell Grandma.
We have made her a couple sets of salt dough festive handprints...these snowmen and these ghosts. We wanted to give her another season this year.

Everyone got to make their own. They were old pro's this time.

Haddie even helped press hands down for me LOL.

We also made a new Christmas ornament for our tree with all the kids finger prints.

Cooking time...they actually came out good this time. I used:
 2 cups of all purpose flour
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sea salt
5 tsps. cinnamon...gives is a yummy smell :)
1 1/4 cups of water.
lots of kneading, then roll it out flat and make what you want. Don't forget to poke a hole at the top with a straw if you want to hang it.
Bake at 325 for about 75 minutes.

While our handprints cooked we had dinner. It was another "skinny"  hit with me and Jason!

Mexican Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas.

You need:

2.5 lb pork shoulder blade roast, lean, all fat removed

6 cloves of garlic, cut into slivers

cumin

dry adobo seasoning

garlic powder

3/4 cup 99% fat free chicken broth

2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

2 bay leaves

 

Directions:

Season pork with salt and pepper. In a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat, brown pork on all sides for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Using a sharp knife, insert blade into pork, cutting small holes and insert garlic slivers. Season pork generously with cumin, adobo and garlic powder all over

 

Pour chicken broth in the crockpot, add bay leaves and chipotle peppers. Place pork in crock pot and cover. Cook low for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork using two forks and combine well with the juices that accumulated at the bottom. Remove bay leaves and adjust salt and cumin (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes.

1/2 cup is 8 grams of fat and 176 calories.

 

Jason made a burrito out of his, I had mine on a bed of baby spinach, it was AMAZING!

After dinner we got started painting the kiddos handprints.

They each helped with the sky.

They also painted the Christmas ornament lady bug.

The sun's...we went summer this time.

Almost done, just gotta add a beach ball or two.

They didn't come out too bad :)

Thankful project....

Day 10: Today I am thankful for the invention of the DVR. How ever did I live without it before. Kid bed time = time for the adults to finally have control of the TV and catch up on some of the oh about 40 shows that are recorded LOL. And today,

Day 11: I am thankful for those that choose to protect and/or care for others. I am thankful for all our Military and police, they put their lives on the line for our security. I am thankful for those that become Doctors and Nurses, they give up countless hours to help heal and care for strangers. I am thankful for the scientists out there, they spend their time searching for ways to make life better or looking for cures. I am thankful for all the aide workers trying to ease the struggles of those that they can in our country and others. There is much more good in this world than many of us think there is on a daily basis.