This Week~ With an Edit

We had 2 field trips (only one got pictures..lol)
You can find her at the end with her Daddy's black coat and her sassy pink boots!


Kate at the Science Factory


Enchilada Casserole

• 1 lg can enchilada sauce (I use a Verde)
  
• 1 can of corn drained
  
• 1 4oz. can of diced chilies
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef & 1 small Onion diced
  
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans drained
  
• 1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Call you family over for dinner..;)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with garlic salt and onion powder and onion; drain fat. Mix beans and corn and 1/2 can of the enchilada sauce with the meat.
3. Dip enough corn tortillas to cover the bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish in the remaining enchilada sauce. Arrange tortillas in the dish. Spoon in half of the meat mixture, covering the tortillas. Spread half of the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses over the meat. Cover with another layer tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce. Spoon in remaining meat mixture and top with a final layer of tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce. Pour any remaining sauce over the layers and top with remaining cheese.
4. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Rune's Norwegian pancakes

This is Rune's recipe..I don't know it..lol
Rune and a little of the pancake cream..lol


Carrot Cake

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting~

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1. In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream.

This is a regular old boxed carrot cake, I added walnuts and raisins and a jar of purred carrot baby food. I also as you can see put nuts on top.. The frosting is what makes this shortcut cake.. I have a really great carrot cake recipe BUT I was lazy.
have a slice~


Our Kindergarten Turkey

A Larsen family Car Conversation~

So.. When Rune first came to the US he was amazed at how many 18 wheeler, big rig, Mack Trucks we had on our roads.. He quickly came to call the single a Prince, the double a Queen and a triple a King. (my Family loved this about him)

Today we were driving on Interstate 5 and seven Prince's passed us all at the same time~
Well we said to the girls.."look all the princes are chasing after you beautiful girls".

About 2 minutes after that Sam asked "what kind of a car do Prince's drive?".

Now, I was a teenager in the 80's so I took this as a prime moment to say I was sure it was a "Little Red Corvette".. and laughed at myself and looked to Rune to get his knowing smirk of joy when I really crack myself up..

Well this time nothing like that happened.(this really happens often actually)
I said .."you know Prince's song "Little Red Corvette" then I pressed on to sing all of it that I could remember which was only this line.. (which is good cause the song was a crazy naughty song)

"Little red corvette
Baby you're much 2 fast, yes u r
Little red corvette
U need 2 find a love thats gonna last"

Rune just looked at me and said.."I have no idea what you are talking about."

Now this was getting maddening..So I listed every Prince song I could remember and Finally he said that the song "Purple Rain" rang a bell.. now He and I are exactly the same age..So you would think he would have known this song!

And that's how conversations happen in our car..

If you ever wonder why I talk so much.. now you know..I am just in desperate search for anyone to get my random, useless (USA only) knowledge jokes.

BTW, Sam was more confused than you are right now..

Team Larsen~

When we were in our first years of marriage we had a bishop tell us we need to treat each other like teammates..(funny for us since neither Rune or I are Team sports fans)
We laughed about it a little and when things are maybe a little tough or "harry" we tease each other and say... Don't forget we are TEAM LARSEN~ Well when the kids got old enough to understand things well we told them we were a "team" and that we need to be on each others side at all times.












I love it when I see our kids showing their "TEAM" spirit!
You can see they were on team Goofy pictures this day~

You asked for it, You got it.

Cake, Cake, Cake!
Banana Cream Cake
This is the easy peasy lemon squeezy way to make a cake that seems fancy..
but takes little work.


CAKE..Yummo

Best way to cut banana's

Whipped Cream


















You will notice here that I am not a great foster on the sides... I blame my Mother! She never let me frost the sides as a child so I did not learn her great techniques as a child..lol I like the peak look on this cake so,,tops ok for me.



Banana Cake
Ingredients..
1 white cake mix (mix as directed, but use warm water)
4 Bananas (about)
2 small containers of heavy whipping cream. (you'll add a little vanilla and a little sugar)
Bake in two 9 inch cake pans.

Layer like this: cake, cream, banana, cream, cake, cream, banana and cream again~
lol Easy, Easy, Easy!

Side note..use long 3 toothpicks to keep the cake together so you do not have slider cake.
(like I did this weekend..lol)

Sometimes I am to much..

Do you ever see yourself in your Children?

Sometimes in my desire to be friends with people, I want to help them to much..
Every now and then I have to remind my self to back off..lol

The same way I have to tell Sam to back off and let people be his friend instead of overwhelming kids by being around to much.. He wants to be friends with people SO bad but is not always sure how to do this.
Could it be that he and I have the same social immaturity??
I guess so.
So if I have tried to over help YOU I am sorry.
:)

Date Night~

Do you know that my husband works nights??
TRUE STORY!
Anywho... Date night to me means my dear Rune sleeps till work time the kids watch a fun family movie, I play on the computer and do a little church "homework"~ Meaning I read my lesson again or do handouts or whatever I need to do.

Tonight I am thinking about all the political stuff going on. I am and have always been proud of our church and of how I was raised. I have been really saddened to read and see all the anti-LDS propaganda in the news this last 2 weeks. I am truly saddened by the way things have gone down.

I have read this and thought so much about it...
"If the challenge of the secular church becomes very real, let us, as in all other relationships, be principled but pleasant. Let us be perceptive without being pompous. Let us have integrity and not write checks with our tongues which our conduct cannot cash.

Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel." Elder Neal A. Maxwell (you can read the whole article if you click his name)

Tonight as the Computer and I have been on our "date" I found that several of my childhood friends have aligned themselves with groups that are out to harm to my personal beliefs and I felt sad.. Sad that I will surly have to make a choice at some point soon about our friendships. Sad that they will judge me without really knowing (or wanting to know) the truth on mine or my church's feelings. Sad that so much hurt has and will happen because of it.

Like the Emails I get that say you should "pass this story of the Lord along if you really are brave" I know it is now the time to really stand up and be proud of our faith.. I am afraid of how it will all happen. What lengths the world will go to.

But I have faith that our prophet Thomas S. Monson is the true and living prophet on the earth today..so I must follow him, knowing I am doing the thing I was sent here to do~Build up the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So that's what I did and thought about on Date night.. :) what do you do?

This weeks menu~

I thought why not share the week's menu with my blog pals...Here it is~
So I like to plan what we will have but it is sometimes a chore!
I often have a hard time sticking to what days we are to have it ;)

This week we have had/will have the following:
M~Hawaiian Haystacks with all the extras. (leftovers from Sunday)
T~Burritos & rice & chips and salsa.
W~Chili & corn bread.
TH~Potato Soup & garlic bread & big salad.
F~Cheese Ravioli's, big salad & garlic bread.
Sat~ Not sure yet..
Sunday~Lemon Chicken & butternut squash and a big salad.

I might do a pizza or stir fry on Saturday..lol we will see how I feel that day.

There you go I feel better after telling you. ;)

My happy little life.

Sometimes I forget how really happy I am.
I forget that I am Married (finally) and did so IN the Temple.
I have Kids (the ones I prayed for, FOREVER!!) who I really like not only love!
WE have a very safe life that is full of fun.
I am not skinny BUT my Husband still thinks I am sexy..lol
We do not have a lot, but enough to live on.
Food on the shelves.. stove in the kitchen..lol
SO...
WHY do I forget??

Why do any of us forget to find the happy things in life?
The "Tender Mercies" that have been shown us?
I know for me I get caught up in the I wants, or I wish.
OR..lol why did I, or why didn't I's.

I just for one day would love to give everyone a moment of happy...
See how very blessed you really are.

So I give you this little gift..
Be happy, happy in your place in life. Know that you are great and SO MANY more people than you can imagine want to be where you are, don't take it for granted.