Dear Brandon

Today marks 1,826 days that I have lived in bliss by your side. 5 years ago today, we were young and wild and free and we took a vacation day at work, wore matching outfits, picked up my friend Sheena and you spoke in your “accent” as we made our way to the court house to be Mr. and Mrs. Richards. I was always afraid of what the future might hold for me, but once I said “I do” I wanted nothing more but to have you in my future. Not knowing what tomorrow could bring didn’t matter anymore as long as you were by my side. 1,839 days of happiness, a little bickering over who is funnier (A title I still claim)!! and every day I fall more and more in love with you. Just when I think I cannot love you anymore than I already do, I am reminded the next day that I can.

You put up with my crazy shenanigans like the time; I wanted to see how long it would take you to find me so I hid in the closet and piled clothes over me. (Yes, how childish of me, apparently I don’t get enough attention) After 10 minutes of hiding in the closet I got bored because you are not very good at hide and seek. When I opened the closet door and you saw me tears filled your sparkly eyes and you were sad. Sad because you thought something had happened to me and you couldn’t find me, and you held me tight and told me not to ever scare you like that again. I vowed that day that I would never make you sad again.

There are so many dates that have become great memories in these 1,826 days we have been married. You believed in me and made me beat up my fears. On the 248th day we were married you bought me my first camera for my birthday and told me to conquer the world and become Columbus in finding adventures while capturing memories. I love you so much for that! On October 27th, 2007 I celebrated your birthday and thanked God for granting you another year by my side. On November 21, 2008 your showed me your wild side by camping out in front of Harkins for 6 hours to wait for the Twilight premier, a tradition we still have to this day!! You can redeem your brownie points this year just don’t go crazy spending them all. Too bad this will be the last year we will be waiting in line for part 2 of Breaking Dawn, but don’t you worry your pretty little head Fifty Shades of Grey is right around the corner and we can start a new tradition.

On April 5th, 2007 you told me you loved me and I told you I was in love with you too. You asked me how much, and I said I was obsessed with you, at first I was embarrassed at the thought of what was silently floating through your thoughts. But, my dearest love, I'm writing this today to let you know that it's okay if I am deeply and madly infatuated with you. After all these years together, I'm unabashedly obsessed with you. If I could crawl into the palm of your hand and seep through your pores, I would. That way, I'd be just as close to you as I always want to be. Obsessed in every way and any capacity with the person you are. And the person you want to be. Thank you for being you and loving me in ways that I cannot possible fathom. Thank you for reminding me everyday what it feels like to have a billion butterflies flutter in my heart when you tell me you love me.

Happy anniversary my love, I love you to Jupiter and back!! I look forward to spending the next 1,826 x infinity days loving you and seeping through your pores!

Love,
Your obsessed wife

Shepards Pie :)

With St.Patrick's day right around the corner, I decided we needed some good old fashioned Shepherds Pie :0 Here is the recipe :) it is DELICIOUS :)!!!!! PSS the recipe calls for beer... but you don't need to put it in.




Ingredients
Garlicky Potato Topping:

* 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
* 10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1/4 to 1/2 cup beef broth
* 4 tablespoons butter, softened
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
*
* Nonstick cooking spray
*

Filling:

* 4 slices bacon, cut into thin strips
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 pound ground beef
* 2 to 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped, (about 1 cup)
* 3/4 cups frozen peas, thawed
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 (12-ounce) bottle light or dark beer
* 1/2 cup beef broth
* 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup grated Swiss or Cheddar
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Prepare potato topping: In a large saucepan add the potatoes and garlic and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain. Transfer the potatoes and garlic to a large bowl. Add the sour cream, 1/4 cup of the broth, butter, salt and pepper, and beat on low speed with a hand mixer until the potatoes are light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. If the mixture is too dry, add the remaining 1/4 cup broth. Do not overmix. Cover and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10-inch round baking dish with nonstick spray.

Prepare filling: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until browned and almost crisp, about 7 to 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate; set aside.

Add the oil to the drippings in the skillet and put over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat, until the beef begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the carrots, peas, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and flour and cook, stirring, until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the beer, bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes Add the cooked bacon, the broth, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.

Spoon the meat mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread the potato topping evenly over the beef mixture. Bake until the filling is hot, the topping is lightly browned and the edges are bubbly, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes. Let rest out of the oven for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Green Chile Turkey or Chicken

Green Chile Turkey or Chicken



Sour Dough Bread
Mayo
Provolone
1 cup chopped onion
Green roasted Chile ( you can buy them at the grocery store already prepared) but it is so much better when you roast them and prepare them your self 
Chicken cutlets or turkey cutlets.
• You want to make sure that the cutlets are thin and not to thick. If it is too thick thin it out by using a meat pounder.

½ cup melted butter
Season the chicken with garlic salt and pepper grill on both sides.
Sauté the onions and set aside

To built the sandwich
Spread mayo to the bread add the chicken, green chile and onions, then add the cheese.

Then spread the butter on both sides of the bread and place the sandwich on the grill and cook on both sides until golden brown.

I love my niece and Nephew

Where has the time gone? My lovely sister let me take pictures of my niece and nephew like 6 months ago. No joke, in an attempt to give them to her as a Christmas/Birthday gift, I forgot :( But I did manage to email them to her and create a very nice slide show ;0 So I thought I would share just click the play button ;0 Now if I can just get my self to sleep ;0

Pss love you sis, thank you tons!!!! for letting me capture your beutiful children ;0 I wish I could see my other nieces and nephews more often so I could take ton of pics of them :) I guess that will be on my list of things to do this year ;0

Free slideshow design made with Smilebox

Cheesy Creamy Potatoes soup with Ham and Peas

It is that time of the year, when the grill gets put away and your crock pot gets put to good use for some comfort food :) Here is a recipe that inspired me after eating scalloped potatoes this weekend ;)

1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 cup chopped ham
2 cups chopped potatoes
1/4 cup chopped bacon
1/2 chopped onion
2 TBLS finely chopped chives
2 TBLS flour
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 /2 cup Swiss cheese
1/2 cup grated griar or Romano cheese


Cook the bacon and onion in a pot, remove grease. Add the potatoes with ham and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, and chives. Simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the peas cook for 5 minutes. Add the flour and whisk so there are not any clumps, then add the cheese and mix well. Let stand for 5 minutes. Walla you have a very hearty soup. You may also top it with croutons :)

Jennas Faboulous Sugar Cookies :)

Yummy, as my lovely sis in law was making this my mouth was water so I had to ask for the recipe of course :) Here is her amazing sugar cookie recipe :)!!!!!


4-6 cups of flour
1 TB baking powder
1 tea spool nutmeg
1 pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 c shortening
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup of sour milk
3 eggs beaten
2 tea spoon vanilla

pre-heat oven at 350
Line cookie sheet with parchment.
Stir together, 4 cups of flour to starts, cut in shortening. Stir in remaining ingredients, stirring as little as possible, add flour as necessary for rolling consistency. Roll out 1.4" thick, cut out. Bake for 7-8 minutes

and if you want to make these cookies extra delicious add some cookie glaze recipe below :)

2 cups of powdered sugar
1 tea spook melted butter
dash of salt
1 tea spoon of vanilla
food coloring if it is a holiday
couple tablespoons of milk, make thing enough to spread **** not runny

Carmel Apple Cheese Cake

Can you say, heavenly??? Because that is what this recipe taste like, a slice of heaven!!!!




Ingredients
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Streusel topping, recipe follows
• 1/2 cup caramel topping

Streusel Topping:
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.
In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping.