Merry Christmas from my family to yours!! :)

random things

As I drove past Once Upon A Child (second hand kids clothing store) today, I decided that it would be a great place to look for doll clothes! I found some reeeally cute preemie outfits that work awesome for baby dolls! Including this Christmas dress for Clara's doll! I spent only $20 on about 8 items! :)

Here's an easy homemade ornament that I'm making with Kyla's class on Thursday!! All you need is a cd, punched out shapes on fun paper, glue, gemstones, garland and ribbon...and a photo of course! :)

Lastly, we needed to go through shoes again, so I thought I'd share the ONLY way we can keep the shoes from getting out of control!! Each kid has a basket (bought at target months ago, but I think they still have them!) with their initial, and it has worked great!!

Like I said, this is a totally random assortment today, but I guess that's just how our day has been!! :)

gumball pomander

I had OODLES of gumballs leftover from the kids' birthday party in September, so even though they still tasted good, I decided to decorate with them because I love the colors so so much!
What you need:
*hot glue gun and lots of glue sticks (I think I used 6 with these 3)
*styrofoam balls of various sizes! (cheap at Walmart!)
* stick pins
* ribbon (cut to desired length)
* GUMBALLS galore!

1. Cut ribbon to desired length, find middle by folding in half. push the stick pin through the middle.
2. Put dime sized dab of glue on the styrofoam ball, then push the pin and ribbon right through the hot glue (you have to work quickly with this project!)
3.start at the top (by the ribbon) glue gumballs onto ball in small sections. Cover the whole ball with gumballs.
4. hang where it'll look cute :)

Or you can make one out of gumdrops! (couldn't find small ones at the stores I checked...so that'll be next!)

BEST gingerbread cookies

Our house smells so yummy today! This is one of my all-time favorite Christmas cookies, so I have to share the recipe! (and the dough doesn't need to be chilled before you roll them out!)

5 cups of flour
1 T ginger
1 T baking soda
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
1 c. molasses
2 T vinegar
1 T cinnamon
1 t. cloves

1. combine 1st three ingredients in a bowl
2. cream butter, add sugar and then eggs one at a time
3. now add the molasses and vinegar
4. Mix in the flour
5. roll out on floured surface, use cookie cutters
6. bake 10-12 min (I like to underbake them a little) 350 degrees
7. decorate when cooled
8. Eat those tasty lil guys! :)

and making cookies always means making memories! :)

crafty website!

I LOOOOVE this site, and you have to check it out if you haven't already! It's got some really fun crafts for kids, and also great recipes!! Check out the cute, easy reindeer ornaments featured today!
http://familyfun.go.com/
Happy crafty time! :)

Norwex! I'm obsessed! :)

If you haven't already heard of Norwex, or been to a home show for Norwex....you HAVE to try these products! I'm so passionate about them because there is no cleaning with harsh chemicals, just water! (I know, I was skeptical at first too) But, they are so great, and so effective! AND, my kids all love to clean with the kid cloths they have! I love not having to worry about what they might be breathing in, or what's touching their skin! It can be a bit pricey up front, but they last FOREVER and it truly is so worth it! Check it out: http://www.norwex.com/ ( If you want to, You can host a show and get the products free!)

There's even a little kids' set with a dusting mitt (which my kids fight over!)

my logo! :)

My logo is done, and my website it live! Check it out and let me know if you'd like some photos taken by yours truly ;o) I'm so excited to follow this passion of mine!! laurabehnkenphotography.com

left over turkey?! try this recipe for turkey chili!

I have to confess, this recipe has been staring at me for weeks, but I haven't tried it yet! I couldn't wait to use left over turkey in this chili, BUT...no turkey came home with me at Thanksgiving! (sad!) so, I bought one today (only $.97 per lb at Super Target!)...and once the huge, bird thaws...I will be trying it! So, if you try this recipe...let me know your thoughts! :) Sounds delish to me! ;o)

Chicken Enchilada Chili (crock pot)

This chili is another hit in our family! Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast cut up
1 medium yellow pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced OR stewed tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained
2 cans (15-16 oz each) chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
1 c. frozen corn
sour cream
cheddar cheese

mix all ingredients together in slow cooker (except for cheddar and sour cream)
cover and cook on low setting 7-8 hours
top with sour cream and cheddar cheese if desired...enjoy!
We love to serve this meal with corn bread muffins ( & honey butter), and a southwestern salad! YUM! :)

fun with melty beads!

I thought we'd do something different with melty beads today...making fun little gift tags/adornments! I loved doing these as a kid, and thought these would be fun to add to a kids' gift. We might be making some Christmas ones this year too! I bought this big container of beads and the sets of "discs" at Ikea!! (Love that place, and love their prices!!) Just leave a few beads off so you have space for a ribbon to go through! have fun getting creative!

Pumpkin seeds!

Every year we look forward to our neighbors pumpkin carving party!! This year I decided to roast some of the pumpkin seeds, as it had been years since I've had them! I tried 3 different recipes to see what the winner is in our family :)  (the kids of course love the sweet ones!) Such a yummy little snack....what's your fav?

 I soaked the seeds in salt water overnight, drained in a colander, patted them dry and then seasoned them these 3 ways (using 2 cups of seeds per batch) .....
Cinnamon and sugar:
One Tablespoon butter, and sprinkled with cinnamon and about 1 Tablespoon of sugar---stir and turn out on cookie sheet, stir occasionally
Bake 350 for about 1/2 hour or until golden brown
Seasoned:
1 1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil, 1/8 tsp garlice powder, 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce or worcestershire sauce---stir and turn out on cookie sheet, bake as above (and I also sprinkle some sea salt on top of these at the end)
Sea salt:
1 Tablespoon olive oil, stir and turn out onto baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt, bake as above.

enjoy this tasty little snack of fall! :)

crockpot chicken tostadas

I LOOOOOVE crockpot meals. I love how they fill the house with yummy aromas. I love how they are done when you walk in the door. I love how they make my crazy life a little less....crazy :) So, this winter I am going to try to do many more than my usual go-to healthy recipes.  This one was just so yummy I had to share! It's really just a little twist on the usual taco, but it was a hit. The kids love this too because they can build their own with their favorite toppings.

First of all, I cut up strips of chicken (about 5 or so breasts) and threw them in the crock pot with 2 low sodium taco seasoning packets, and sprinkled about a tablespoon of minced onion on them. (low setting for about 6 hours)
These flaxseed and blue corn tortillas are so yummy! (found them at Target. where else?) I baked them for 8-10 min at 350 degrees or until lightly browned.
Then I used a slotted spoon to top each tostada with the chicken.

Next, I layered it with our favorite toppings:
cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, black beans, light sour cream or plain greek yogurt and taco sauce. (great served with corn bread and honey butter!) Hope you enjoy! :) I even got a thumbs up on this one and was asked to make this one every night for dinner! ;o)

kids will eat this broccoli!

Broccoli isn't loved by all my kids, but this salad is a hit every time with every child! It's super easy too!
What you need:
Broccoli slaw salad
Broccoli slaw bag mix (has carrots and cabbage in it too!)
1 package ramen noodles
sunflower seeds (optional)
dressing
3T vinegar
2T sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
seasoning packet from ramen noodles
*Mix all dressing ingredients together, pour over slaw, then crumble the ramen noodles on top, sprinkle with sunflower seeds, and watch them eat their broccoli! :)

Brenna + James 10.7.11

Here are a few of the photos I took of Brenna and James' wedding this weekend in Duluth! The day was gorgeous, as are they! It was such an honor to be a part of their special, wonderful, colorful wdding day!!

Healthy, FUN school lunches!

I have been completely inspired by this site that a friend of mine shared with me!! Here's the link: http://thislunchrox.com/ I finally got my "Bento boxes" from Pottery Barn kids, so it makes it a little easier to put it all together! (they aren't sold in stores, and were back ordered when I ordered mine a month ago- just an fyi!) This is a great way to make healthy lunches for kids, but also to make them so fun! You HAVE to check out her site! (you may have seen Jamie on KARE 11!) I bought a bunch of cookie cutters (princess crown, shoes, trucks, stars, alphabets etc), some silicone cupcake liners, and some skewers for fruit kabobs. My oldest takes cold lunch every day, so when school started, I did have to tell her not to expect a "fun" lunch every day :)  She and I have had a lot of fun with this! Let the creative juices flow, your kids will LOVE it!

"A spider for snack?!" (well...minus 2 legs!)

Meet Carl the creepy crawly. He was present at snack time today....but not for long! I used almond butter between the graham crackers, nutella on top, cashews for legs, marshmallows for eyes and a piece of pull & peel licorice for the tongue. This little guy was a hit! And so easy to make...maybe we'll see him again one day.

Rainbow s'mores!

So, we had left over Easter marshmallows. I know. They are old... but still taste just fine enough to make rainbow s'mores! And life just wouldn't be as enjoyable without treats every now and then! You can buy the multi-colored ones year round :)
I make these in the microwave...crackers, marshmallow bunnies and scattered chocolate chips. Melt them for about 20 sec. or until they get nice and puffy! Voila...happy children! :)

What are you passionate about?!

I think passion is necessary in being a happy, healthy person! Call it a hobby, God-given talent or gift. Maybe it's cooking, being artsy, woodworking, preparing healthy meals for your family, supporting a good cause, running...or sushi (yum!)!!??...it could be big or small, but I know you have at least one! Just recently I have taken my passion for photography a little further! I have always loved it, and pretty much always have the camera at arms reach when I'm at home with my kiddos. I am working on my website/logo design now, and will keep you posted when it's "live" :) I'm very excited about it! This last weekend I got to take family photos of some really great people! I think I've known Steph since 7th grade track and field!! And, we've just gotten closer over the years. I'm blessed to have gotten to know the rest of her family as well!!

  What are your passions in life? While you think about it...look at how cute these people are!!

egg "muffins" and wheat pancakes

Behnken dinner tonight:

ham, cheese & egg "muffin"

(with wheat pancakes)

We love this meal because it is easy and quick! 

All you need is eggs, ham (or turkey) cheddar cheese, and a muffin pan

~the kids think its so fun to have them shaped like muffins~

I use a lot of egg whites mixed with some whole eggs cause we have a large family, but

use how many you like :)

pour eggs into sprayed muffin tin, add deli meat of choice

sprinkle with cheddar cheese

Bake at 375 degrees for about half an hour

(depending on how full you fill your cups, I also poke with a fork)

  And these are great to refrigerate and warm up for breakfast the next morning IF there are leftovers!

Laundry can be fun!...or at least cute :)

I decided my laundry "room" needed an update. (I should have posted a "before" photo as well!) It got a fresh coat of paint (thanks to my awesome husband), and needed some major cleaning/reorganizing! I bought these white containers for only $10 each at Target! I thought it'd be fun to have some pics (of the people we do laundry for! :) so I used a long boot lace, some clothes pins and some photos and there you go! Makes laundry a little more fun! :) Simple, easy and cheap! I know a lot of my posts have nothing to do with being healthy...as in a diet sense, but I figure there are lots of ways to be healthy! Including being a happy laundry-do-er ;o)