Interview with Paige...

I sat down and interviewed my little angel and here is what she had to say.

Enjoy!

Me: Paige I'm going to ask you some questions about Costa Rica, o.k.?

Paige: Why?

Me: To put on the blog celebrating our 1 year anniversary week!

Paige: {said while beautifully mastering a front flip on my newly made bed} alright, shoot!

Me: Paige, on a scale of 1-10, how much do you like Costa Rica?

Paige: 1 trillion, million, billion!

Me: {taking mental note to go over some points in math} Alright, good!
What adventure was most fun for you?

Paige: Being baptized in the ocean and having my grandpa Krepps there.

Me: What is your least favorite thing about Costa Rica?

Paige: When we were flooded and also how everywhere you turn it's GREEN!

Me: {that's a negative?}
If you could change 1 thing about Costa Rica what would it be?

Paige: That people litter.

Me: {Me too!}
If you could change 1 thing about the states what would it be?

Paige: Drugs.

Me: What is your favorite food here?

Paige: Arroz con camaron {rice with shrimp} and mangos. Not together though...separate.

Me:What adventure do you wish you'd have done here?

Paige: zip lining, quad tours and lived in a mansion.

Me: {yeah a mansion would be nice}
How would you finish this sentence..."Dear Costa Rica,
Thank you for...

Paige: being helpful, adventurous and beautiful. Thank you for existing!

1 YEAR TODAY!!!!

Wooohoooo!  We've made it!  

When we left for this adventure I told Wes that I would stay at least 3 months but no longer than a year!

Look at me...by tomorrow I'll have "gone the extra mile" by staying 1 year and 1 day!!!

I've got kids climbing all over me screaming for breakfast, "How rude!"

I'll continue my post after they are filling their tummies.  But, we have a contest!!!

Anyone who comments on a post from NOW until Saturday will be entered into our contest.  You can only be entered once per post.  We love comments and the well is usually dry here so of course our contest is going to be used to pull a comment or two out of you.  Hee, hee!

The prize, you are wondering???

I can't tell you.  

O.K. I'll tell you a little bit.  It will be a package sent to your home with a FAVORITE item from Costa Rica from EACH of our 7 family members.

You can bet I'll be sending over our PERFECT vanilla.  Yumm!  And of course I'm going to have to throw in the best seasoning packet I get here. Oh just delish!!

I know the boys and my honey will have something cool to send too, but you should be worried about what my sweet little girl will send.  

Be very afraid!  (I'm probably teasing here...I have no idea what she'll decide to send.)

So as we create a box for you with our favorite Costa Rican treasures...I'll also have my kids on as guest speakers to tattle more on our experience here.

We'd LOVE to have you join us!

Tootles!!!  See you later this afternoon.

What should we do to CELEBRATE!?!?!?  

Shawna's Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies...

So tomorrow is our 1 year anniversary of our life here in beautiful, crazy, full of trials and blessings, Costa Rica.

I can't believe it. An entire year? Are you sure?

Then again I think..."It's only been a YEAR?!?!?! Are you sure?!??!"

I would love to post a traditional Costa Rican recipe today. I have 1 that I love made with Chiotte. (I've spelled that all wrong I know) It's made with that funny green squash that looks like a crinkly grandma face. Well I love the dish but my kids do not, so I'm not going to waste your time and post it. Even though it would make for a great post.

In it's place I'm going to post the recipe that made us feel like a family even venturing through this strange land.

It's my FAMOUS {in my own mind} Chocolate Chip Cookies.
This recipe means so much to me. If you can bare with me, I'll explain. If not, just skip down to the end of this post and get the recipe.

My mother, whom I adore, always made the PERFECT Chocolate chip cookies. They were thick and chunky. The kind that you would love to sink your teeth into just out of the oven. The kind that made us pass on cookies that others made because we had already had the best!

They were that good.

My mom used this talent to start a tradition in our family when my oldest was young. On New Years day she would come over and teach her grandchildren to make her cookies. They had so much fun making more of a mess than cookies. It was a moment in time when, as a mother, you watch your mother let your kids get away with things you were never aloud to!! I LOVED it!

Now my mother has returned to her Father in Heaven. She left 3 years ago. I, of course miss her so and even now as I type this the lump in my throat grows and I'm typing through my tears.

ANYWHO!!

I have tried to duplicate her recipe and it's a hit and miss. Mostly miss. Even when I follow her directions EXACTLY!

So I have worked hard to create this recipe that works for me 99.9% of the time. It is a great hit everywhere I take them. One of my traditions with my kids is that if it rains they get homemade chocolate chip cookies. When they are at school and it rains...they love to look forward to coming home to gooey cookies. So fun!

In California it wasn't too difficult to follow through on this...but Costa Rica has dropped more rain from it's sky in one week then we got all year. This tradition of home baked cookies has brought our family closer together. It was one of the few things that we brought with us from the states. Living here has raised my gratitude level for family traditions. You can bring them with you no matter where your family beds down at night.

So here it is.
Enjoy.

Shawna’s Best, Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup white sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
¾ cup butter (NOT softened)
1 egg yolk
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 ¾ cups milk chocolate chips

Directions:
1. preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in dry ingredients until just blended by hand {very important you do this by hand}. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Scoop cookie dough with a large cookie scoop and place 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15-17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
5. Enjoy!!!

I scoop these with a large cookie scoop. I also double the recipe. ☺

Another trick I LOVE...
Double or triple your batch, then scoop the cookies and place them in a ziploc bag in the freezer. Then when you are in the mood...put out exactly how many you need. Pop them into the oven and presto...you are the homemaking QUEEN!

You can also FREEZE the cookie. Then set it out on the counter for a few minutes to thaw just a tad. It's like eating cookie dough and a cookie. The best of both worlds.

You aren't left with tons of dough/cookies to temp you!! And your kids and SWEETHEART want to kiss the ground you walk on. Win win situation.
I have to give mi amiga Christine B. credit for this. Good job Christine! High five!

{Dang-it, now that High-Five kid's show is stuck in my head!! Oh well, better just go with it.}

Contest tomorrow!! See you then!

Deals From TARGET...

the happiest place on earth!

I used to LOVE walking into Target when we lived in the states. The yummy smell of popcorn and my favorite color, red, everywhere.

Did you know that companies pay for fragrances that smells like popcorn so they can fan them at you when you walk in the door? Yep, studies show that customers spend more when they smell popcorn.

There have been times I've smelled the popcorn and looked over to find the cute popcorn bin EMPTY.

Right now when you spend $50 you get FREE SHIPPING. Sweet.

But I have something better. Enter this code { TCPTSTFS } and you will get $5.00 off of your purchase of at least $50.

So I ordered 3 separate orders of $50 and got FREE shipping and $5 off each one.

Hey, don't laugh...every bit helps.

Plus everything I ordered was in the CLEARANCE section. I bought Paige a full pj set for $3.90 and shoes for $4.90. The girls clearance was amazing. Check the 75% off first.

Shoes are so expensive here and they don't last more than a month. I bought all the boys Converse...you can bet a picture will be coming soon.

Think about it...you can shop from home and you won't be tempted by the dollar bins. Nice.

Sale ends on the 24th so hurry!

You Have Been so Patient

My Camera charger died a few months ago.  I feel like my left arm is gone!  {and I'm LEFT handed!!!}

 

I have finally ordered a charger and will be picking it up when I head to the states for some added spiritual upliftment.  {and to have a week where the only teeth I brush are MINE}  Oh the JOY!

I'm headed to Women's Conference...alone.  None of my CLOSE amigas are going, sniff, sniff.  But I am pleased to have private time to really ponder what I'm learning.

I remember when this was taken.  It was the year all the stars aligned and we were able to go together.  I recall on this trip knowing that this would not happen again for a long time.  It was just PERFECT.  I will think of all of you while I'm there. :)

I love being a mommy...but I do know how to get away and not worry.

Want in on my SECRET???

 

Prayer.

Yep.  I say a little prayer to my Father in Heaven and ask for help to let me relax (and that my husband returns my children ALIVE).

Works every time.  {at least so far}  I can't wait to test my secret again.  

So thank you for hanging with me as I used old pictures and copied recipe pictures for my...recipes.

In a few weeks I shall return with probably more pictures than you'd like.  Ha!  Ha!  

So everyone...enjoy some MORE old pictures of my crazy family.  

AND can you believe that Wednesday marks our 1 YEAR anniversary in Costa Rica?

 

Yahooo!!!!  Another goal accomplished!!! Time for a little give away, don't you think???

Kids on a traditional Costa Rican cart.



The first day of {mommy's home schooling the oldest 3 so the little ones are headed off to} preschool.
Memories of Paige's baptism day.

During our CRAZY rainstorms the kids would enjoy being outside.  Look at that umbrella of ours.

My favorite path we found out driving one day.  I'm using this in a post about this Costa Rican life path we took.

Our home was the 3rd home on the left at the end of this road.  This is the road I walked everyday to the grocery store. 
Dallin and Paige...enjoying Costa Rica's puda vida!
My honey taking my sweetie to be baptized.  It was a perfect day.

Do I or Don't I??? { Galvanic Spa }

That is the question...

I've been wondering if I post about what we've been up too.

"Yes, of course you should post about it Shawna. It's awesome...why wouldn't you want to tell your friends?"

then that inner voice speaks again...

"No, don't bring it up on the blog...you don't want this to seem like an undesired sales call in the middle of dinner!"

but...."this is such an incredible product...why not SHARE it with all your friends? Let them enjoy it as much as you do!"

O.K. so I've decided to tell you.

I've always wanted to host a "My Favorite Things" party. Have you heard of them? It's a copy cat of "Oprah's" Favorite Things Show. Except without the thousands upon thousands of dollars in prizes.

Come on...I'm living in Costa Rica with 5 kids...let's not go there.

What you do is invite 10 friends and have each of them bring a basket with 9 items in it to give away. The item would be one of their favorite things. Before this product my item would have been my Pampered Chef large cookie scoop along with my PERFECT chocolate chip cookie recipe. Yumm.

But that all has changed. What I would bring in that adorably decorated basket now would be this:


(Of course if your interest is peaked...don't call the number at the end...email me. I can get you one in as little as 24 hours in the states, Canada and of course here in Costa Rica {I've got connections}).

Like what you see?

O.K. well here is the Science of it (I always want to know HOW things work):



Isn't that incredible?

I have one and use it once a week. If you know me you know I'm much more concerned about my spiritual health then my wrinkles. I love laugh lines because it means I've LAUGHED, often.

This ageLOC stuff is medically incredible. The one thing that bothers me on my face is the lines that go from my nose to the edges of my mouth. I'm so glad I'm not standing in front of you now because for the rest of this conversation I know that is where your eyes will be...on my mouth lines.

Can I say that they are leaving my face. SWEET!!! I'm pretty pleased. I've got a few friends that were devoted Botox'ers and now have left that poison for this. It just works better and has longer lasting effects. Did I mention it's cheaper?

So if you are interested in having one of these babies in your home...email me { photo mom 5 at gmail dot com } or leave a comment with your written out email. I'll get back to you.

Have a great one...I'm headed for my Galvonic Facial.

Jealous? :)

BBQ Sauce...

I always double or triple this recipe just to make sure I have it on hand. I pour it in the crockpot with chicken or ribs and let it simmer all day. Sometimes I use it to create BBQ baked beans.

"I need a napkin...my mouth is watering!"
I forgot...I'm the mother...that means I've got to get my own napkin. Excuse me a moment...

O.K. that's better.

Without further aduo... (no idea how to spell that)

Big Al's K.C. Bar-B-Q Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups ketchup
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 4 teaspoons hickory-flavored liquid smoke
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together the ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, wine vinegar, molasses, liquid smoke and butter. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, celery seed, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper.
2. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for up to 20 minutes. For thicker sauce, simmer longer, and for thinner, less time is needed. Sauce can also be thinned using a bit of water if necessary. Brush sauce onto any kind of meat during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

I'm back...(want to make sure you know it's me speaking and not Big Al)

So here in Costa Rica I have yet to find Molasses so I don't add that to mine and it still turns out mouthwateringly delicious. So enjoy...

Love ~ME

It's Easter Morning...

May your family have a wonderful time together with family and friends.

Enjoy this lovely video from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and join with us as our thoughts are brought to the needed sacrifice our Savior made on our behalf.



He is risen!

Welcome Easter...

It's late Friday night...the Elders just left and the town has basically been shut down since Thursday.

When my honey said the town shut down for the holiday, I didn't know he meant "shut-down" completely from Wednesday to Sunday. Did you know that it is illegal here to drink from Wednesday to Sunday? Did you know that you can be arrested if you are caught?

Not that I plan on drinking...just thought that was interesting.

So the stores around us are closed but for the Easter Bunny's sake (and the tradition) I hope I can find a few of the bigger ones opened tomorrow.

So if you are like me and have yet to prepare for Sunday morning festivities...you might want to check out my gringo friend Robbie's blog. She had the COOLEST idea for dying eggs.

Can you guess how she did these???

Me neither. So head over to "hotmomsrus.blogspot.com"

It's 3 AM, scratch that, 4 AM...

and one of God's creatures has decided to belt out the most beautiful lyrics somewhere outside of our home. It is absolutely music to my ears, except that I want to sleep!!!!

I've tried to ask the bird to leave, but he insists on presenting his lullaby here at our home at this hour.

So I've conceded and here I am, listening and typing. {Thinking about using the rocks my son collected from the park yesterday as a weapon}

Anyway, I wanted to show you how we get around town {country} here. Most streets do not have names. We use churches {that are connected to parks}, banks and broken down houses as a reference; anything that would stick in someone's mind.

A direction to a school for troubled teens I used to visit went something like this:
Go right about 5 kilometers. Turn left and go all the way around the blue church. Drive for 2 kilometers and turn right again after the train tracks. When you pass the 3rd white house (shack) turn left. "Hummm...is that house considered white or cream? Augh!!!" Turn left at the street with 3 small and 4 large electric lines passing over it.

O.K. maybe those aren't the exact directions but you get the picture. Right?

Here are the directions to my friend's house we visited the other day...
{I put the directions in a different order so no one could surprise my friend and just show up on a day her maid isn't there. Aren't I nice?}

At the bottom of the
hill as you start back up, you will come to a fork with CR Bank in the middle of the fork, stay left and continue up the hill
• Your first possible left turn is just past the Cruz Roja sign – DON'T TURN
HERE
• At your second possible left, turn left – this is the
Country Day School road which you will come to in about 2.5 blocks. No sign,
but CDS is on both sides of the road and looks institutional and school-like
with huge chain link fences.
• Keep going till you have to turn right at a No Hay Paso.
• You will come to a wide yellow speed bump just before a dangerous
intersection, continue on straight thru the stop
• Continue straight up for about a mile. You'll pass a dark
orange condo on the left: Keep going.
• At the top of the hill, the asphalt road you are on takes a 90° curve to
the left. BUT a new gray brick road continues straight ahead of you: take...


Is that funny or what? There are many days I think about Utah and the EASY South, North, East and West directions there. Oh, and street signs. I've spent many moments on the phone trying to explain to someone that the best way to get a hold of me is email.

It really is.

But get this...through all this CRAZINESS, the other day I told my sweetheart..."Honey, I've been thinking I might just want to retire here."

Smack...he hit the floor in a dead faint.




Crossing the street in Costa Rica from Peter Krupa on Vimeo.

40 years ago, yesterday...

my sweetie entered this world. Can you believe he's 40????

I can't! That means I'm headed there...in 4 short years.

So in honor of my honey's special day, that was yesterday {hey, we were busy} I would like to post my favorite things about him.

1. He has a great since of humor...even when he doesn't know he has a great since of humor. Maybe I just think everything is funny. Hee, hee.

Yeah, I do.

2. He is an honorable man. {this species can be difficult to find nowadays, almost extinct}

3. This one I can't mention...{hee, hee} but I love him for it!!!!!

4. My man is a proud pappa!!!


5. He is very in touch with his "spiritual" side.

Can a woman want for anything more???

Happy birthday Wes! To the next 40 years, together!

Crisp-and-Creamy Baked Chicken

Oh so divine!

{and easy} Which makes it more divine.

I got this from my FREE Kraft magazine. {www.kraftfoods.com)" Did you know that if you go online you can signup for a FREE magazine sent out every 3 months and packed full of easy recipes with beautiful pictures?

Did I mention it's FREE? I think this would be a great {FREE} gift to any new bride or college student just leaving home.

Just my personal opinion. :)

O.K. ready for the recipe?

Crisp-and-Creamy Baked Chicken

Prep: 10 minutes Total time 35 minutes.

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
6 T of Shake N Bake Extra Crispy Seasoned Coating Mix (I just use seasoned bread crumbs)
2 cups of instant rice, uncooked
2/3 cup (1/2 of a 10 oz can) cream of celery soup ( I used 1 cup of low fat sour cream mixed with powdered ranch dressing, YUM)
1/4 cup of milk (if using sour cream use less milk)
1 cup shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese (I use whatever cheese is cheapest here)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat chicken with coating mix as directed on package. (I dipped my chicken in milk and then the seasoned breadcrumbs) Place in greased 13x9 baking dish.

BAKE: 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile, cook rice as directed on package.

BEAT: soup and milk with wire whisk until well blended. Pour evenly over chicken; sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is milted and sauce is bubbly. Serve with the rice.