Mimi told me I should be posting my recipes as I usually make them up.

Pesto Pasta Salad\
1 bag of farfalle
1/2 c prepared pesto
1/4 c feta cheese w/sun dried tomato
1 can petite diced tomatos

Cook the pasta to tender and mix in the remaining ingredients. This one is SO easy and I usually have all of the ingretients on hand.


Apple Butt Chicken

1 large apple (I like to use fuji)
1 med onion
2 garlic cloves
1 whole chicken
1/2 stick of butter
1/3 to 1/2 c of honey
potatos optional
salt and pepper
a drizzle of olive oil

Dice the apple and onion into small pieces. Pound the garlic into a paste and reserve 1/2. In a bowl toss together the apple onion and 1/2 of the garlic. I like to ad a little olive oil and salt and pepper at this part it seems to bring out the flavor. Stuff the bird with the apple mixture. Mix together the butter honey and remaining garlic. Melt this together. Seperate the skin from the bird and pour the butter inside. Use any leftovers to pour in and on top of the bird. bake at a low 250 degrees for about two hours or until the juice runs clear.

My kids are such polar opposites. Cassidy is so serious and reserved. She is much more organized and all around put together than I could ever be. She gets so upset when we do projects at the last minute or when I forget something. We did however get her turkey project done EARLY!!! We made a jive turkey. Cassidy won't let me call it that though "Thats silly Mom" she says. "It just a hippy turkey!" Well none the less it is great! (I will have a picture soon) Maddox has informed me that there is a turkey and a chicken in his tummy and they are very busy fixing cars and flying airplanes. And yes everyone he still thinks he is a baby. What will I ever do with him?

This is a picture of one of Cassidy's shushus. She and Kennedy are going to make millions selling them on the internet.







We had Maddox's birthday party this weekend and it was great! Mom and dad came as well as the rest of the VanDyken clan. He had a blast, Aaron got him some Hulk fists and he has been wearing them and saying "YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE ME ANGRY!!!!". Its hilarious he is so silly. Cassidy got a hair cut and its precious. She had a slumber party to go to and she just had to have it done before she went so she could show it off to her gal pals. I am feeling much better no more tired sickness. I'm soooooo glad thats over!!! So these pics are the best I can do I can't seem to figure this stuff out!!!

Well I am sure most every one knows, but we are HAVING ANOTHER BABY!!!!!!!! I am very excited. How are we going to pay for another kid though! We cant afford the ones we have. I have been feeling suprisingly ok, aside from being soooooooo tired I haven't really been pukey. I think its a girl this time and there are a few names I really like.....Basil and Lucy are my faves but Im not so sure my oh so conserative husband will go for such hippie mama names. OK I guess I spoke too soon I am totally PUKING!!

The real devine secrets

I was watching rosanne last night and it was an episode where Darline got a bad grade on her report card. She didn't want her parents to see it so she coerced Becky into helping her disguise the horrid D. I started thinking about all of the trouble we got into as kids and as much as we fought I am so grateful that I have sisters. There is a bond that I can't have with anyone else. Then Cassidy came to mind. She will never have that kind of "built in pal". Which is I guess part of why we are more like sisters than mother and daughter. Of course I can't leave out the brothers! I didn't really get a chance to have the bond with Todd that I had with Chris, but Chris was my heart. He was REALLY annoying and drove me crazy, but when we were really little I mostly remember him being my partner in crime. I have allot of early childhood memories of us playing imagination games and being in our own little world together. Now my sisters are such an important part of my life. My friends don't really seem to be as close with there siblings as we are. I am so lucky and grateful to have been raised in a big family!

SCHOOLS BACK!!!

Hello everyone!! We are finally on the blog band wagon! This school year has started out with a bang. Cassidy has been nominated for the gifted program and Maddox has finally decided being a big boy isn't so bad after all. He hasn't been wearing diapers for a few days now and he is doing really well. I have been going crazy trying to get myself organized and let me tell you that is no easy task especially when your husband is an even worse clutter bug that you!!!! Slowly but surely its coming along though maybe by the time we move it will be just how I want it.