Spam recipes for Katie

Since my husband is a full time doctoral student, money for groceries is tight. Spam is a cheap meat to use in casseroles and such as it tastes just like ham. I have often served it in the following recipes to company who were none the wiser. Plus, I must admit that I really do like spam. It's tasty fried up with eggs or in a grilled cheese sandwich. Check out the spam website for more recipes and fun facts.

This brings up a question for my blogging friends. I love getting tried-and-true recipes from pals to help liven up our mealtimes. What would you all think about helping me and Katie Bruno with a recipe swap blog? We could do a theme each month (i.e. one-dish dinners, hearty soups, recipes using 5 ingredients or less) and share our cooking secrets. We're not sure of the exact format of this recipe blog so any ideas are welcome.

Happy spam cooking!
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Spam and pepper quiche

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40-50 minutes
Serves 6-8

Pie dough:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups flour
water, to mix

Filling:
1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 green pepper, seeded and diced
7 oz. spam, finely diced
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper

1. To make dough, melt butter slightly and then add flour. Mix until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Stir in enough water to make a firm dough. Knead lightly. Roll out dough and line a 9-10 in. pie pan. Cut a few slits in dough to prevent swelling. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes or until slightly browned.
2. Lower the oven heat to 325 degrees and remove pie crust from the oven. Spoon in spam, peppers, and cheese. Beat the eggs, milk and salt and pepper in a bowl. Carefully pour egg mixture over the filling. Bake 45-50 minutes or until the eggs are set. Serve hot or cold.

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Cheesy Spam Casserole
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 4-6








1/2 cup salad dressing
2 cups broccoli flowerets
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped spam
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups corkscrew noodles, cooked, drained (half a box)
1/2 cup chopped green or red pepper
3/4 cup croutons

Mix all ingredients together except 1/2 cup cheese and croutons. Spoon into 2 qt. casserole dish. Sprinkle with croutons and remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

How nerdy are you?

My mom says I'm not a nerd. Ha! Blog surfing this week I stumbled across this fun nerd test. You can take the test yourself by clicking the graphic below. Wow, I thought I was nerdy (gracious me I majored in math/science and I work a part time online job!) but it turns out I'm just a low-rank nerd. How nerdy are you?

Snow Day

Today it is snowing beautiful big fluffy flakes in northeastern Ohio and Chloe and I are housebound. We did venture out onto our porch to play for a bit. Enjoy our snowy pictures!

Smiley happy Chloe

Ignore my posting from last week that Chloe is not a smiley girl. She has proven me wrong as the picture here demonstrates. Last week she must have been irritable due to teething aches because this week she is a new baby. I hardly do anything to get her wriggling with glee. This photo was inspired by the delightful "buh" sound that Chloe adores. Doesn't her smile make you smile? Her smile radiates the entirety and purity of her joy.

Hope our dear Chloe's grin brightens your day!

Chloe's new discovery

Our Chloe has recently found her feet! She concentrates with all her might and pulls them as close as she can to her mouth. She hasn't successfully gotten any toes in yet for a taste test but I'm sure that's coming soon.

It's so amazing and fun to see Chloe experience things for the first time. This morning I took her out on our porch, since it was a balmy 52 degrees, and she flailed with excitement at seeing the cars rush by. I know this is just the tip of the discovery iceberg. I can't wait to see her taste ice cream for the first time, cuddle a puppy, or roll around in the grass.

What were some of your children's memorable first discoveries?

Chloe's strange laugh

This posting is really just an excuse to put up some new Chloe photos for the Horn clan. Chloe does have a unusual laugh though. She is turning out to have a reserved temperment (if I may predict her inherent personality at 5 months). I am a fairly animated person and I go through an unbelievable amount of work to get a half smile from my Chloe. About the only way to coerce her weird chuckle is to bury your face in her tummy and pretend to eat her. She then grabs your face (and if you're me, she tugs on your hair with all her might) as pictured above.

Here are a few cute photos of Chloe enjoying her play-station-walker-thingy:



























Ain't she a doll? See what I mean about her reserved disposition? Straight-faced Chloe. I love her to pieces.

28

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me . . .

I hate to admit it, but I'm getting ever closer to the big 3-0. Yesterday I celebrated my 28th birthday with my thoughtful husband and my adorable daughter. We don't have much money to do a big shindig for birthdays but my husband Matt did his best to make me feel special. I think I've inherited a correlation between eating and special events from my mom. Matt was right on target when he bought me Grape Nuts and Breyer's butter pecan ice cream as birthday gifts. I was thrilled! I can't remember the last time I had creamy Breyer's butter pecan in my own freezer.

This birthday has been a precious one now that our family includes Chloe Abigail. I feel overwhelmingly grateful for her and for my husband. This year I spent some time reflecting on the blessings God has graced me with. In honor of my 28 years of life, here's a list of 28 things I'm thankful for:

1. the grace of God
2. my completer - Matthew Clive Horn
3. the smell of Chloe's freshly washed hair
4. my ever generous mom
5. mi hermanita
6. my vibrant grandma
7. my dear Chloe in her fuzzy yellow pajamas
8. health
9. good food to eat
10. freedom to love and worship God
11. a coherent (most of the time) mind to think and to reason
12. my extended Horn family that has accepted fully and loves me as one of their own
13. electricity
14. warm socks
15. bubble baths
16. a house to call home
17. memories
18. friends like sisters
19. laughing with Matt and Chloe
20. neat words like gelid
21. freedom from oppression or gender persecution
22. cheese
23. pink converse tennies
24. a home in heaven
25. uplifting music
26. snuggling with my Matt
27. the ability to learn and to grow
28. life

Now that I'm on a roll, I feel I could keep going and going with this list! We really have so much for which to be thankful. Post a comment and let me know what you're thankful for.

Chloe riding high

Chloe's new favorite activity is riding on daddy's shoulders! Poor Matt. Now that Chloe is teething she is a chewing drool factory. Matt's head often becomes a teething toy during these shoulder rides. Here are a few more cute photos I took of Chloe and Matt this morning:

Happy New Year!

Our little family spent the New Year's weekend in Michigan with the Ben Horn family. They threw a big shindig of games and food with a few other families. Divided into teams, we had indoor basketball and volleyball competitions. Unfortunately, my team did poorly in the competitions but we sure had a fun time playing. I'm trying to persuade Diane to do some word games for next year's soiree. Then my team will reign supreme! Here's a picture of my team (Whiplash) trying to fend off Paige's team (Angels).















Wouldn't an all night Scrabble marathon be a blast? Or a crossword competition? How about a limerick writing contest? I fear my somewhat athletic family will overrule my input. I suppose they're just afraid of my domination in such word nerd events. Oh well. Here are a few more photos of our weekend:















Daddy and Chloe. She stayed up late to enjoy the New Year's activity.
















Chloe and her cousin Grace communicate.

So, what did you and your family do to ring in the new year? Am I the only one who feels old now that it's 2006? It doesn't help that I'm turning 28 this month. Yikes!

Here's to a blessed, healthy, peaceful, and safe 2006!

Home Sweet Ohio

We are finally home again after 13 days of traveling, visiting, and reveling with friends and family for the holidays. Chloe's picture below sums up how we feel - tired! Check out our photo album of yuletide adventures.

My chubby little elf

Isn't Chloe the epitome of cute elfness? Forgive me if elfness isn't a word. Even though it's only December 13th, I am already very much enjoying Christmas with a baby. Of course I know she doesn't have much clue as to what's going on. It's still a tremendous delight to wrap her gifts, dress her in Christmas outfits, hold snowflakes to her mouth, and sing carols to her.















Having a baby during the holidays also serves as a poignant reminder of Jesus' birth. I now have a live visual picture of Christ's nativity. To think that Jesus came to earth in this humble, needy, and innocent form is astounding. The King of the universe degraded Himself to become man and to become much less than man, a baby. A baby is the ultimate picture of dependence and neediness. How truly Philippians 2 rings in light of Christ's infancy:

"Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself and became obedient unto death -
even the death of the cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and
gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:6-11

Christ's birth and descent to humanity also reminds me of this beautiful second verse of Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus:

"Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King.
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne."

Christmas blessings to you and yours. May the love of the baby Jesus be yours this season.

Funny family picture

Yesterday while attempting to take a Christmas family picture Chloe gave us this funny expression. How come no one ever told me how difficult it is to get a baby to look cute in a photo? Live and learn I guess. Of course Chloe gave us loads of smiles before and after our 18 picture photo shoot. Ah well. Hope our silly Chloe makes you smile at least!

Horn of Plenty

Our Thanksgiving festivities involved several of the Horn clan. We traveled with our 14 week old Chloe to Lowell, Michigan to join the Benjamin Horn family for the turkey holiday. Matt's brother's family lives out in the country on a beautiful 10 acre lot complete with wooded backyard and sledding hill (which our nieces and nephew thoroughly enjoy). It snowed the entire weekend and the graceful flakes made every window scape picturesque. The snow also gave us an excuse for staying indoors and playing games together (not that we need an excuse - our families are quickly becoming serious gamers. Don't worry we haven't started dressing up and attending gaming conventions . . . not yet anyways). Matt had an unusual run of success during the gaming weekend much to my sister-in-law Diane's dismay and surprise.
















Our Chloe Abigail and their Grace Miranda were the stars of the weekend. Only 5 months apart in age, the two cousins displayed different reactions to each other. As Chloe's main desires are to eat, sleep and play the airplane game - activities that do not include another baby - she was unaffected by her cousin. Grace however seemed intrigued and curious about Chloe. She reached for her (as for a toy) and watched Chloe with curiosity. The two cousins also marauded as elves on Thanksgiving (thanks for the surprise Diane!).















So, why title this blog posting Horn of Plenty? Because the great time we had this Thanksgiving reminded me of the blessings of family. Our family isn't wealthy, famous, or exquisite in beauty but we have plenty to be thankful for because of the love that God has given us. Matt, Chloe and I are extremely thankful for the family ties that God has planned and created for us. I'm realizing more and more how vital family is. I am excited for Chloe to grow up and to become a special member of this loving bunch. Hope your Thanksgiving was as full of blessings as was ours!

Check out more pictures from our Thanksgiving weekend at my picture blog - Horn family photo album.

Weekend with the grandmas

Chloe was all smiles for my mom and grandma this weekend. Boy is she fun now that she's 3 months old! We're still waiting for her to laugh. She will smile super big like the picture above but no sound comes out! I think it's safe to say my mom and grandma thoroughly enjoyed Chloe during their visit. They arrived Thursday evening and we had a nice long drive home from the airport thanks to my uncanny horrible sense of direction. Chloe was asleep when we got home but she woke up to say hello to her grandmas. I know I shouldn't have woken her up so late but I was so very ansy to share Chloe with them. Since Matt was overloaded with schoolwork, we left him alone Friday and went shopping with Chloe in the baby backpack. She sits face out in the backpack now and her curious eyes take in everything. Friday night the grandmas gave Matt & I a much needed date night. We went out to Joe's Crab Shack and then to see the new Wallace & Gromit movie (terrific film - I highly recommend it).

My mom cooes at Chloe while on babysitter duty.

When Chloe naps I usually do household chores, relax, or nap. Since I've been feeling unmotivated to exercise, I've started incorporating it into our playtime. I lift Chloe up and down during an airplane game and then we do sit-ups together.

Chloe napped on grandma's lap and showed her approval of New Zealand.

Saturday we had a pre-Thanksgiving feast since we won't be together for the true Turkey Day. Our feast was replete with goodies - garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, corn, stuffing, rolls, turkey, cranberry sauce, spicy marinated olives and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert.

Chloe wants in on our turkey dinner.


My mom and Chloe play after dinner. Chloe doesn't usually go around in just her diaper but Matt insisted on taking off her cute stripedy pants. He has a strange aversion to striped pants.

After Chloe went to bed we spent Saturday evening playing cribbage and Cranium. All of us were tired and giddy while playing Cranium. I wish I had gotten a picture of my grandma acting out an inchworm!

Grandma feeds our wiggly Chloe.


Yummy carrot, eh Chloe?


Chloe and great grandma play pattycake together.

The weekend went by way too quickly. What I love about having my relatives around Chloe is the fact that they enjoy her just as much as I do. It's tremendous fun to share Chloe with them and to hear their stories about raising kids (although my mom swears she's forgotten most of our baby days). Chloe is truly blessed to have such wonderful and loving grandparents!


Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old.
- Mary Waldrip


Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged. . .
- Proverbs 17:6

Women in hats

Chloe and I sported our winter hats this afternoon for a brisk autumn walk. Almost all the trees on our street have shed their leaves and the crunch of fallen foliage underfoot is delightful. Ohio isn't really known for its beauty, but Fall on our street is truly gorgeous. The oak tree (I think its oak, I'll have to do some botanical investigation on that) in our front yard transformed into a tie-dyed orange and yellow masterpiece before shedding its leaves. The leaves of the tree next door are bright yellow and the bushes down the street are fiery red. I don't think Chloe can understand my words yet but I sing to her nonetheless of the beauty of God in His creation. Here's a stanza I find myself singing to her lately . . .

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze,

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

The autumn colors also remind me of the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost:

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leafs a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Well, that says it better than I ever could. Hope you are enjoying the gold around you this Fall and are reminded of the Savior's creative brilliance.

Chloe's first halloween

Happy halloween from the Horn family!















As you can plainly see, Chloe was a bright green dinosaur for her first halloween. And I think you'd agree she was the cutest dinosaur ever to roam the earth. Last night we proudly took our wee dino out to the neighborhood houses asking for treats. Growing up in the outskirts of a Texas city, Matt never experienced urban trick-or-treating. He was a little skeptical at the idea of knocking on strangers' doors and asking for candy. So I did the talking and he did the dinosaur toting. Turns out Matt and I had a better time than Chloe! She was a crabby dinosaur
(appropriate to her costume I suppose because her crying much resembled baby dino roaring) and eventually fell asleep on Matt's shoulder. Matt and I had some pleasant chats with our neighbors and brought home a dangerous haul of candy.

Several of our neighbors incorrectly assumed that Chloe was a boy during our trick-or-treating venture. Why? Because she was wearing a dinosaur costume? Why can't girls be dinosaurs? Arrrrrgggggghh . . . roars the dinosaur. I have the same problem any time I dress Chloe in any color other than pink. I realize that babies appear fairly gender neutral (unless you change their diapers) but that's no excuse to trap my Chloe into a doll-playing-ballerina-princess-girl box. God created Chloe to have a unique and distinct personality and she shouldn't be constrained by our society's ideas of gender. I qualify that statement by saying she should instead be guided by the Bible's idea of womanhood. I hope and pray Chloe will grow to be a godly woman characterized by the virtues of honesty, kindness, love, and gentleness. Proverbs 31:30 says "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

On a lighter note, this holiday again reminded me that I am a very proud parent. I unabashedly carried our digital camera and snapped at least twenty pictures of our baby girl. I have been looking forward to dressing Chloe up in her dino costume since we bought it. When did I buy it, you ask? When I was six months pregnant. How's that for anxious? The surprised and almost frightened look on Matt's face when I brought home our yet-unborn baby's halloween costume was priceless. We both had little idea then how much fun we would have dressing our darling up and showing her off to the world.

Well, I have to say this holiday was more fun for us than for Chloe. As you can see from the photos, we were all beaming smiles and pride at our cute little baby girl. Don't get me wrong, we are enjoying the candy treats but the real fun was in relishing the sweetness and newness of Chloe. How much more love can a parent's heart hold?!? I have a feeling we are just beginning to taste the joy of parenting. Enjoy a few more halloween photos below . . .

Mommy and the sleeping dinosaur














Daddy shows off Chloe with her treats














Our lovely sleeping dino

The Endearing Smile of Chloe

I thought it appropriate to begin Chloe's blog site with our favorite photo of her beautiful smile. I never knew how captivating a smile would be until Chloe graced me with her first. Pure joy and delight lies in her dear smile. It instantly lightens my heart, wakes me from my sleepiness, and erases any burdens plaguing my mind. How can a simple facial expression emote so much power and love? It seems to me that a smile is something more than just an expression - it's a direct reflection of a joyful heart. Chloe's joy is unadulterated and overflows into her smile.

Last night I laid Chloe in her crib for bedtime and sang her our lullaby, "Goodnight My Love". She stared at me with her big baby eyes and then broke out in a radiant smile. I shed a few tears when I realized it was my voice that caused her joy. I don't know if I'll ever be able to communicate to her how deeply she gives me joy in return. I suppose all mothers feel that way. Chloe is a truly precious gift from God and I thank Him for allowing me to be a part of her life.


"There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice." John Calvin

Mommy and Chloe

The first time I held Chloe














Chloe's favorite sleeping position during her first week of life














Enjoying the porch at our new home in Ohio














She definitely looks more like her daddy than her mommy














Fresh from the bath














Chloe in her bunny slippers

Daddy's little girl

Matt holding our new embryo-like Chloe





















Chloe's first smile on camera!





















Our beautiful sleeping girl















Chloe learns all about Dante