Makes me smile.

The end all, be all pasta dish.

The name says it all. I would imagine this dish could end war, save marriages, make me taller....ooops, there I go dreaming again. Seriously folks, it's good. Here is a picture to get you drooling.

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

*Makes a heaping full 9X13 pan*

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 pound rigatoni

10 ounces frozen baby spinach, thawed and drained well (can substitute 1 9-oz. bag fresh spinach)

12 ounces precooked smoked chicken (or turkey) sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick.

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, 4 ounces cut into 1/2-inch cubes and 4 ounces shredded

1/2 to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Cook for another minute.
Stir in tomatoes, oregano and basil; simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. (If using fresh spinach, add it to the pot of boiling pasta right at the end and cook until wilted.) Drain, and return contents to pot.
Add tomato sauce, sausage, spinach and cubed mozzarella to the pot; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Scoop pasta into lightly greased 9X13-inch pan (or divide evenly between two 8X8-inch pans). Top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.
*Freezable Meal: Prepare recipe right up until the baking step and then cover with a double layer of aluminum foil. Freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. To bake, increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours. If baking from frozen, bake covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, uncover and bake 30 minutes longer.

Halloween 2009

I am still in shock at the cost of the candy this year! What the heck? Sean took Ben out to trick or treat while I stayed home and handed out candy. Our first trick or treater showed up at 6:53 and the candy was gone by 8:00. Cleaned out in just over an hour. Holy cavities Batman!
Ben went with his traditional Superhero custume in the form of the "Black Goo Spiderman". You know, the suit Peter Parker wears after the goo gets on his foot and.... well... maybe you can watch the movie ok?


















He had a Halloween party at school the day before and brought home these gems. These bother me a bit but I tolerate them because I love him.

Camping and Puppies and Stuff.

Yes, I am a terrible blogger. Now that that's out of the way.... We went camping over Labor Day weekend and I need to post pictures or my mom will snatch me bald-headed. We love the fact that we can drive for a few hours and see pine trees, lakes and elk! In fact, the last morning we were there, I woke up in the wee hours of the A.M. to.... ummm...use the facilities and I startled a herd of elk just across the meadow. It was really great! Benjamin was the head gate-opener and even scored a buck from a couple on and ATV, enterprising young man that he is.

Here he is taking a walk with Grandma Judd.

There are more pictures but Sean didn't download them and I don't want to go look for his camera right now.

In other news, we have a new addition to our family. His name is Bodhi ( BO-DEE), short for Bodhisattva. Google it. Or watch the movie Point Break. He is a little sweetheart and has us wrapped around his paw. He is very smart and is doing well with potty training. I was a little skeptical at first but he is now my little buddy. He loves it when Ben gets home from school and there is much kissing and frolicking.

Kidergarten, here we come!

This will be a photo-heavy post so beware! Sean was able to go in late today so that he and I could drop Ben off together. I appreciated that because I got a little choked up when we left the classroom. He is, afterall, my one and only baby boy. He found his seat and got right to work as Miss Lin had a worksheet ready for him to do. Once he settled into his seat, I could tell that he wanted his parents to skidaddle so we did after a hug and a kiss. *sniff*. We are very proud of him and we know that he will be the best Kindergartener ever! We love you Ben!

Cheerios - breakfast of Champions. (actually I think that's Wheaties)

All slicked up and ready to go. We are not sure why he has adopted the peace sign lately.

Rear view (the backpack with legs)

One last hurrah before school!

It's official!

This is where Ben will sit while he expands his cranium.

Getting right to work!

Ghetto Booty

This is what Ben came in to show me the other morning.....
Not sure what all is in there. He doesn't really eat enough to justify this sudden booty-ness!

Squigglies

This may not be for the squeamish but we had a ball making them. I saw this on a blog and can't remember which one. You take turkey kielbasa (or any other type of link or hot dog) and cut it into thick slices. Break some spaghetti in half and start poking them into the slices. Boil a big pot of water and toss 'em in. When the spaghetti is tender, your Squigglies are done. Ben prefers them "naked" but I suspect they would be great with sauce. They are just as much fun to make as they are to eat. Give them a try!

Melting.......

We have been experiencing some phenominal heat here in the last couple of weeks. We purchased a pool for Ben a few months ago in anticipation of said heat. The problem is that the temperature of the pool by afternoon is not conducive to cooling off per se. However, he enjoys splashing around despite the fact that his bathwater is more refreshing. Sean and I have been known to take a dip occsionally. We have decided our next home will have an in-ground pool.

We are hoping to get some of the monsoon moisture everyone "down south" is bragging about. You know who you are. In the six months we have lived here, it has rained approximately three times and only when we are asleep. So not fair!

A little conversation...

I wonder if this is what my husband hears when I am talking to him sometimes?

Random

We are getting requests for photos and quotes from grandparents, aunts and uncles so here goes:

ME: Ben, how did I get so lucky to have a sweet boy like you?

BEN: 'Cause you and Jesus worked as a team to build my bones. (then looks at me like, DUH.)

I'm not sure why he left Sean and Heavenly Father out of the equation but I'm sure they both understand.

After overhearing a heated conversation between Ben and, well, Ben, about one of his toys not working properly:

ME: Ben, did you try _____________________? (Insert helpful MOM advice here)

BEN: (Insert 5-yr old dirty look here) I TRIED THAT, YES, AND THANK YOU.

Here are a few photos from our recent San Diego/Seaworld trip. If you run your mouse over the photos, you will be able to view the captions. Your choice.

Hammer Time?

Canyon Lake

On Saturday, we decided to pack a lunch and frisbee and head to the lake for some fun. Canyon Lake is a quick 20 minute drive from our house and the water was cool and refreshing. Even though the day was warm, it was pleasant in the shade from the picnic ramadas.

We had a great time and have decided that we should have a boat. At the very least, a jet ski.

Conversation......

Me: Ben, will you still let me kiss you when you are a big boy?

Ben: Yes, and I will still love you when I am big because you are the right mom for me.

I'm so glad I'm the right mom for him....

Wow! Has it been a month already? We are just plugging away here. Sean and I are both pretty busy with work and Ben is busy getting ready to start kindergarten in the fall. I feel really blessed to be able to do medical transcription from home so that I can be home with him. He spends most afternoons playing with the neighborhood kids and riding his scooter. We took the training wheels off of his bike and he now refuses to touch it saying, "maybe I'll ride it when I'm bigger". He spent two days at Grandma and Grandpa Judd's over spring break and had such a good time! However, he was a little disappointed in my cooking after being in the land of homemade bread and chocolate cherry cake. Sheesh.
We are hoping to get away on vacation this summer. Not sure where though. I know we will be going to the lake fairly often as it is less than 20 minutes from our house!
That's about it for now. Hope everyone is enjoying this lovely Spring weather!

Everything is amazing......

A nice serving of perspective...

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm not a mushy-mushy gal so here is my valentine to everyone. :)

Good question.....

Ben: Mom, did you know I was cool even when I was a baby?

Mom: Absolutely.

Ben: Yeah. And how did you get me in your tummy?

Mom: Uhhhhhhh....

Ben: Did you swallow me?

Mom: Uhhhhhh......

Go Cards!

In like Flynn....

We've settled into our new home and are feeling a bit more like humans rather than nomads. We didn't have hot water or heat for the first few days due to a mix up with the gas company. I know, I know, we are "lucky we live in AZ" but guess what folks? The water is FREEZING out here right now! We actually boiled water for baths. Not fun when you have to make several trips up and down these......

Benjamin loves his new bedroom and is especially excited about the park that is within walking distance from our house. I love the fact that there is a Super Target and a Paradise Bakery five minutes away! We are excited to get to know our new ward and make some new friends. I am still working as a transcriptionist and Sean is loving his new job. It's great to be able to see him every night now instead of only on the weekends.

We feel very blessed to be able to have jobs and provide for Ben in this unstable economy and are very grateful for our wonderful family and friends. Thanks so much to all who helped us during our transition!