13th year of the 21st Century...

Obligatory kid pictures... :) Taken some time in Dec.

We also had some fun taking home family pictures...interesting experience with two babies that like to go to bed at 7 pm and with using the remote on the camera, there's no one to make them smile on the other end.

This was also the evening before Jo moved to Australia, flew out early the next morning.
Thank goodness for Skype, Kendra's new favorite thing to do.

 We had a nontraditional X-mas dinner. Seafood feast! BBQ Salmon, home made crab cakes, cold dill marinates shrimp, cold crab pasta salad, and grilled asparagus. Amazing...

 Over the holidays, we had most of Brian's family here. Merlin and Tina came from Shanghai for a couple weeks, as did June from Montana and Don & Barb from Eastern WA.
We rented a vacation house over New Years, a four day weekend at the beautiful Fern Hollow in Sequim. An amazing 5 bdrm house, each with their own bthrm, a dream of a kitchen, and fabulous grounds. It is set up more specifically for weddings and retreats as the grounds are perfectly manicured, endless photo op spots, a nice barn with in floor heating...need I say more?!  It was spectacular.

 Kendra actually made it to midnight! Yes, that's a PullUp on her head...

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I also want to share a recipe that I've come to love. Super easy and refrigerates well to be an easy breakfast in the mornings, just spoon out what you want, heat, and enjoy. I usually make double and freeze half...I like to have ready food on hand. :) I also added Chia seeds this last time and that worked very well too. I've tried dried apricots, raisins, and pears as well but apples, craisins and almonds have become a favorite. 

Hope you enjoy it too!

Baked Oatmeal

2 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats (Instant oats will be far too mushy)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups warm milk (softens the oats a bit)

2 eggs - lightly beaten (I usually do 3 or 6 for double)

1/4 cup veg. oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

1 med. apple - chopped

1/2 cup craisins

1/3 cup sliced almonds

cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Core and chop the apple, skins are optional but do become soft with baking.

Mix the oats, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Mix the milk, eggs, veg. oil, brown sugar, and vanilla together in a separate bowl.

Then mix the oat mixture and the milk mixture together and pour it into the greased baking dish. 

Swish your mixing spoon around the dish a bit to spread the oats around as they tend to stay in the one spot when you pour them in.

Sprinkle chopped apples, craisins, and sliced almonds evenly over the entire dish.

Finish with sprinkling the cinnamon on top, to your taste.
Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Happy New Year!

Love, B, S, K1, K2, and K3.