More November

November came and is almost gone.  I can't believe Thanksgiving is this week!  Today I am so grateful to have an entire week off of school.  I don't think I've ever been so happy to not have school.  I actually have gotten more done with the kids home than when they are at school.  Probably because most of my day is spent at the school.  I just can't believe how happy I am to not have to set foot in that school this week.  No homework is a plus too!

When I'm not at the school I'm usually trying to find something to make for dinner.

This is the carrot soup that gave me third degree burns.  So if you like carrots this is an easy good recipe for carrot soup, but if you don't like carrots you probably won't like it!  At least that is what Hayden said!

3lbs baby carrots

2 quarts veg or chicken stock

2 sprigs Thyme

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup heavy cream

dash of salt

Combine 1st 3 ingredients and boil 45minutes.  Puree soup in blender.  Then stir in last 3 ingredients.

I made this the same day and it really is worth making.  So good if you like Asian food.  Easy too.

1 1/2lb Flank steak sliced thin

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 T sherry (I used apple-cider vinegar cut in half)

2 T brown sugar

2 T cornstarch

1 T fresh minced ginger

8 ounces snow peas

5 scallions cut into half inch pieces

3 T olive oil

crushed red pepper for sprinkling.

Serve over rice

Mix 1st 5 ingredients and add  Flank.  Heat oil in skillet very high heat.  Throw snow peas in oil for 45 seconds (oil will pop on you).  Remove to a plate.  Let pan get very hot again. Throw half the flank into the hot pan using tongs and add half the scallions.  Spread meat out and cook for 1 minute.  Then turn meat over and cook for another 30 seconds.  Repeat with the rest of the meat.  Then throw it all in together and cook for 30 seconds, sprinkle crushed red pepper and serve.

Tried to keep that simple, so hopefully it makes sense.  Anyways these were probably the best recipes out of all the new recipes I tried the last few weeks.  I promised mom I would send it so here it is.

So far the only good Restaurant in Pass Christian.  We have not tried everything so that is probably not a fair statement, but we love Chilli Willies!  Great pizza, wings, bread sticks!  Yummy and close.  They have a band on Fridays which makes it more fun.

Halle and Brent inside!

Keltonator outside Chillie Willies!

This is Halle at her Thanksgiving Feast!  Nothing really to write home about, but she sure is a cute pilgrim.

Hayden rocked it at his Christmas band performance!  I know way to early for a Christmas performance!    Then they had a band field trip.  They went and played for one of the other Elementary schools in town and then went roller skating.  Hayden said it was much harder than ice skating.  I asked him if he ate lunch with anyone and he said "No."  I was feeling bad for him and then I said, "why didn't you eat with some of the kids that you are friends with in band?"  He said, "Mom have you ever tried walking in skates?  I just went to the first seat I could find!"  I guess Mr. Russel (band instructor) fell quite a few times.  He is about Brent's size and fit too, so I'm sure he was fine.  I just did not want anyone picturing  an elderly person falling at the Roller Rink.  Hayden thought it was fun!  They are going to Atlanta in April for there next Band trip!

Hayden also went to Mobile Alabama for a youth event.  They said it was casual attire, so I told Hayden to wear shorts.  When we got there he actually had to wear pants, ugh!  Who knew casual meant pants!  He did end up going, but said it was mainly for the older kids.  He gave it a 6 out of 10.

Kara also had a Christmas performance!  This is the entire honor choir.  I was surprised how small it was.  Oh and I have to Brag just a little bit.  The bus driver Mr. Ken that brings our kids home from school was the bus driver for this event.  He came up and introduced himself to Brent.  I had already met him.  He told us that our kids were the best kids on the bus and were so very well behaved.  He also said that he really loved our little spunky Halle as she always has many questions for him when she gets on the bus!  I can only imagine( :  It's always nice to hear your children are being good.

As you can see Kara has been growing like a weed!  Actually we really did have a hard time finding green and red to wear and the jeans well lets just say we squeezed into them.  We tried wearing some of Halle's clothes that used to be Kara's, but it really did look like she was wearing Halle's clothes so we went with the green and then wore the boots to hide the length of the jeans!

Brent had the camera and couldn't stop taking pictures, and then I have a hard time deciding which ones to put up!

I actually did delete half of them!

Me and Brent with Kara after her performance.

Halle after school!  Now you know why I'm so glad to be out for a week!  Halle has been counting up a storm lately.  

Oh and Hayden and Brent were in the newspaper!  I couldn't get this picture to turn the right way!  I've got to wrap this up and get packing for Tennesse!!!