This is a new recipe that Al and I have been using for a few weeks. It's actually a Weight Watcher's recipe, but it is so good. I thought I would share it:

Potato and Canadian Bacon Slow Cooker Chowder

Ingredients:
2 cup(s) potato(es), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large carrot(s), diced
1 cup(s) leek(s), chopped, white part only
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
4 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup(s) uncooked barley
1 piece(s) bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 oz Canadian-style bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
2 oz fat-free half and half

Instructions
In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, carrots, leek, garlic, chicken broth, barley, bay leaf, thyme, pepper and Canadian bacon. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables and barley are tender.
Stir in evaporated milk and half-and-half and heat through, uncovered, about 10 minutes. Yields about 1 2/3 cups per serving.

ENJOY!

Photo Time

Yesterday I tried to get photos of the guys for Christmas. It didn't work real great, but I did get a couple that were cute. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Speaking of Mexico....

This is Al doing what he did most of the time we were there: fish and fish. He would keep getting a nibble, and of course then you have to keep going because you just might catch that big one!

And this is what he got for his efforts.....he did catch a couple other smaller ones. And he threw them all back. He had researched a little bit to see what fish he might catch that were good to eat and this one wasn't on his list that he found. Oh well. He had fun I think. He knows more about fishing in Mexico than he did before. When he wasn't fishing he was boogie boarding in the ocean. The waves were very big because it was pretty windy most of the time we were there. The water was churning up the sand too much to snorkle or else he would have been doing that. He's not one for sitting around much. (I, on the other hand, listened to my iPod and read and read, sitting in the sun)

I did walk up the beach one morning and found some neat shells. Some were like what we found in Texas, but some were very different. We saw lots and lots of live snails stuck to the rocks. If you stepped on the rocks, you couldn't help but step on them there were so many. We saw plenty of sea urchin shells. And lots of a different one that i have to look up. I will let you know later if I find out what it was!

Snow and more snow (and Christmas candy)

So far this year, we have more snow than we did this time LAST year, and last year was a terrible year. I'm so ready for spring to get here. Oh wait....it's not even technically winter yet! And to make it so much worse, we just got back from Mexico Wednesday where it was 85 and sunny, straight to 0 and windy. We had about 9" of snow yesterday. It was a very pretty snow, though. No wind and fairly light and fluffy. Now today is a whole different story. We got another 2 or 3" and now the wind came up and we are under a blizzard warning until 6 pm tomorrow night. Sarah and I made candy and cookies for Christmas (enough to eat here, and enough to bring to Wyoming as well!). We started at 11:00 or so this morning, and finally Craig called at 4:30 to tell her that the roads were bad and she should get home. She went home. Said they weren't too bad, drifts weren't bad yet, and she could see. She has a BRAND NEW Honda and she said it did great.

Another view. He loves the snow. Much more than Roxie. She just goes out, does her duty and wants back in. She will sit by the door until you let her in, very ladylike. Tai will smell and run around. But when he's done he's done and wants in right now, and will scratch and scratch.

Tai's new snowsuit! Of course, since he doesn't have any hair, he gets cold so he now has a new snowsuit! I tried to make one, and it was too short for his body. So now I have one I can make a pattern from. He is fine with it on, just like he is with all his clothes, but is is pretty hot. He won't be able to wear it everyday. But it is soooo cute!

Hello out there!

Why are we doing this? We have family that are not close to us and we aren't real good at emailing (except to of course forward that joke email) and we only get to see each other a couple times a year. We miss everybody, and don't always know what's going on with them, but this will give you an idea what's going on with us day to day (okay, maybe only month to month, but you get the idea). Faith and Al.