Blueberry Chia Seed Granola Bars

I'm always on the look out for something I can make that my family will eat and like.  So when Shiloh sent me this recipe I knew it was a winner.  I made one batch with blueberries for Jeff and me and one batch with mini chocolate chips for the kids.  I truly can't stop eating them!

Blueberry-Chia Seed Granola Bars
1.5 cups rolled oats, split
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup honey (or maple syrup would be tasty)
1/2 tsp salt (omit if your nuts or nut butter are salted)
1 Tbsp chia seeds (or flax)
1/2 cup brown rice cereal (I used Honey Bunches of Oats - Shiloh used Chex)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 cup dried blueberries, mini chocolate chips or whatever your imagination dreams up.

Process 3/4 cup of the oats until they begin to get crumbly.  Add the almonds to the food processor and pulse until the oats are quite crumbly and the almonds break down into small chunks.

Heat the peanut butter, coconut oil, honey and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the peanut butter melts and the mixture is very warm but not boiling.  

Meanwhile, combine the remaining dry ingredients (chia seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, blueberries, rice cereal, remaining oats) in a separate bowl.  Add the processed almonds and oats to this mixture.

Remove the liquid mixture from heat and stir the dry ingredients into the wet until all are coated. 

Spoon the combined ingredients into an 8×8 glass pan and press down firmly so that all the granola is very firmly and evenly packed.  Refrigerate until the granola bars firm up (about 4 hours) or stick them in the freezer for about an hour if you need them sooner.

Slice up and enjoy!  (Wrap individually in saran wrap to maintain crispiness or if taking them to go.)

There is an artist in the family!

Looks like Case somehow ended up with the artistic gene! Case's art work was 1 of 2 chosen from KG to be displayed in our local library.

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Costco - Take 2

The day after our little car accident, Jeff and I did a 3 hour walking food tour near the heart of Denver.  For those of you who live in a big city, I highly recommend this.  We went to some holes-in-the-wall shops and enjoyed some great food.  I ate muscles for the first time and this is something I would have never ordered on my own.

The kids were with the daughter of some new, dear friends we have made (I can't even begin to express how I have longed to have someone like Tara, the wife, in my life).  We have fallen head over heels in love with this entire family and are super excited that they are planning on going to the DR with us this summer.  In fact, Mikaela, the daughter and our new babysitter, has been giving Case weekly Spanish lessons and he is eating it up.

Anyway, back to my story.  The kids were home with Mikaela and I texted to say we were on our way home.  Mikaela wrote back and said all was well, but Case had banged his finger and was just laying around not wanting to do anything.  I told her not to worry, he can sometimes "milk" any sort of wound he gets.

We got home and I drove Mikaela home.  On my way home, I called Jeff and asked if we should try going to Costco again because there were some things we needed for a dinner party we were hosting in a couple of days.  We decided we'd go as soon as I got home.

I left the car running in the driveway and came in to help gather the kids.  Jeff said, "Have you looked at Case's finger?"  I hadn't but when I peeked through the band aids I saw it looked pretty nasty.  We told Case we needed to take the band aids off and look a little closer.  He started crying and that was truly the most painful thing for him for all that happened in the next three hours.

We took the band aids off and saw that his finger was cut open pretty badly and was still bleeding heavily 2-3 hours after the incident had occurred (he had been playing with my workout weights and put them behind his back and smashed his finger in between).

We decided he probably needed stitches.  So, instead of going to Costco, we spent the next three hours in Urgent Care at Children's hospital (which we have recently found out due to other bills that it costs $350+ just to walk in the doors so we've decided to "shop around" for our next Urgent Care visit).

They took x-rays of Case's finger and discovered a broken bone in the tip of his finger and that he would need stitches.  Four stitches later, lots of gauze and bandages, we were on our merry way.  Case was a trooper and so brave and said, "I can't wait to go to school and show my friends my finger."

Costco - Take 1

Saturday afternoon.  This past weekend.  We were driving from Target to Costco.  Stopped at a four way stop.  Pulled through intersection and I looked out my window (passenger window) and saw that the car on our right was not stopping at their stop sign.  I yelled at Jeff that we were going to get hit.  Jeff stepped on the gas.

BANG!

We spun 90 degrees.  Both kids started screaming.  Jeff jumped out of the car to talk to the other driver.  Other driver drove away!  We couldn't believe it.  Jeff started running after the car to get close enough to see their license plate.  I started checking on the kids - both were fine, just shaken up.

Car drove away.  Another guy in a car saw everything happen and I thought, took off after the run away driver.

Jeff called 9-1-1.  Neither one of us could remember anything about the driver or car.  The firetruck came.  We didn't need to go to the hospital.  A car pulled in.  It was a manager from Costco who had followed the run away car.  He told us he followed him for miles and called the police with license plate number.  We were so happy to hear that.  Costco guy said, "We'll get that f*%&er!"  Despite his language, those were our thoughts exactly.

Police came.  We started giving our report.  Meanwhile, at least 30 minutes have passed.  Another car pulls into parking lot.  A disheveled older man gets out of the car and walks up to us.  He puts out his hand to shake Jeff's hand and says, "I'm so glad I found you guys.  I'm the guy who hit you.  I've been driving around trying to find you."  Jeff does not shake said man's hand.

Seriously?  I said, "Where have you been driving around to for 30 minutes?  Why didn't you just stop?"

Man - "Ah, well, I don't know this area very well and I've been driving around trying to find you guys."

Whatever, dude.  When you hit another car you stop, even if you block traffic.  You don't disappear and take 30 minutes to drive around the block.

Officer asks man for license and insurance.  "Sure, officer.  I'll get it.  Sure thing."  He comes back and hands the officer an invalid license, says he doesn't have insurance (figures), and he just bought the car so the title isn't in his name.  Of all the people to hit us, it's this guy.

Two hours later, they impound his car, tow our car and we call our neighbors for a ride home.

Jeff drove to the body shop with the tow guy and they put the car up on the lifter thing to look at the damage and find the hit-and-run guys license plate lodged under our car (although the plates belong to whomever he bought the car from).  So, we wondered if he got home, found out he was missing his license plate when he inspected the damage on his car and figured he was busted anyway and decided to come back.

Jeff is driving a rental car for the next 2 weeks and it all has been a total pain in the butt.

My Dad

If you know me well, you know that I know nothing about football nor do I really care.  My sister, on the other hand, is an avid fan and always knows who is playing who and if they win how that will affect things.  My brother every once in awhile sends me texts asking me about this game or that, just to get a silly response from me.  I really don't care.

So, this text from my dad a couple weeks ago on our way to Nebraska made Jeff and me laugh.  And if you know my dad, he sometimes has random conversations with people.

Awhile after these exchanges, I got a text from my mom telling me that Oklahoma had won the game.  I told Jeff that I think they thought they were texting Shiloh and got the wrong daughter.

Christmas

We had a nice Christmas being home this year.  Jeff had off most of the week and we were nice and relaxed.

Siahna loves Curious George so we got her this guy and she wants nothing to do with him.  I thought it would be her favorite gift and was sadly disappointed.

Siahna loves to help me "clean" so she got her own little cleaning kit.

This is probably his 10th sword, but what little boy doesn't want more swords?!

The kids got an iPad mini but we have been using it mainly as Siahna's "talker" with a spiffy app that we can customize and all she has to do is push a button and we know exactly what she wants or needs.  She has picked it up and walks around with the iPad all day saying "I'm hungry." "I want fruit."  "I want to watch Curious George."  It has been nice knowing what she wants and giving her a way to communicate when she doesn't have the words.

Our craft for the week were the hand prints.

We played lots of board games.

And we sat in toy boxes just chillin'!

2nd Annual Ornament Exchange Party

Case hosted his 2nd annual ornament exchange party in December.  We had a few friends from school and a few from church and a few from preschool.  Nine kids total and it felt like we had 30.  But, they all left happy and with a new ornament and Jeff & I survived.  Hopefully, as they get older, they'll be less wild and crazy!!??

This is how the party started with three boys jumping on top of Case.

Then more joined in the "fun".

We played some games.

They opened their presents.

Everyone was excited to have a new ornament to hang on the tree.

Delicious-ness

My sister gave the kids a small bag of delicious-ness for Christmas and I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who has enjoyed them!

A pretzel





With a rollo melted on top

And a pecan placed on top.

There are 4 left and I'm trying not to eat them all at once.  Yum!  The kids thank you, Shiloh

Deodorant

A few weeks ago, I noticed that Siahna was MIA which is NEVER good!  I found her in her room with the door closed eating candy that she had somehow gotten off the counter.  But, she had put the trash in the trash can so that's good.

About 5 minutes later, I saw that her door was closed again.  I went in and found her with Jeff's deodorant and her shirt up trying to put it on.  That's what you do with it, right?

Florida - Days 5 & 6

Our next few days were spent in a couple beach condos thanks to Jan and her friend.  We had fun except it was very windy the day we went to the beach and pretty chilly.

Florida - Day 4

Day 4 in Florida we went to an alligator farm.  We went there 2 years ago but it was fun to watch Siahna be more interested and interactive this time around.

Case holding a snake.  No big deal!

Now it's a tarantula.

Siahna wasn't too sure about the tarantula.

Yep, it's a skunk (he had his stinker removed)

Feeding the baby gators