January 09 triples–and more!

Harris Teeter will apparently have triple coupons next weekend starting Jan 1. Also, the word on the street is that they will be doubling proctor and gamble coupons valued $1-$2 during the same time peroiod! Pretty crazy deals will be available, I think!

twitter

I have discovered twitter, and how easy it is to use. Now I can update my status on my phone, especially since we have unlimited text now with the new phones we got for Christmas. So we’ll see how well this goes on this blog. Maybe ya’ll will get to see some more updates from me than you have seen recently!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Zach’s coworker’s wife made this dip for us a couple of months ago at a cookout for softball. I have made it several time for events, most recently for my extended family’s Christmas party. I have adapted it for my family’s tastes.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce, depending on the type of sauce and how hot you like it
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cans (9.75 oz. each) Chunk Chicken in Water, drained, or 2-3 chicken tenderloins, cooked & shredded

DIRECTIONS:

1. HEAT oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep dish 9-inch pie plate or 1 1/2 qt. deep casserole.
2. WHISK in salad dressing, Frank’s RedHot Sauce and cheese until smooth. Stir in chicken.
3. BAKE 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, and/or vegetables.

I haven’t done this before, but apparently you can also make this recipe in the microwave, slowcooker, or for tailgating:
Microwave Directions: Prepare as above. Place in microwave-safe dish. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 5 min. until hot, stirring halfway through cooking.
Slow Cooker Method: Combine ingredients as directed above. Place mixture into small slow cooker. Cover pot. Heat on HIGH setting for 1 1/2 hours until hot and bubbly or on LOW setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir.
Tailgating Tip: Prepare dip ahead and place in heavy disposable foil pan. Place pan on grill and heat dip until hot and bubbly.

Communication–lows and highs

Well, Isabelle is barely 1, but she’s definitely a toddler. This week she started this shrieking thing where instead of “talking,” she shrieks. I talked to one of the daycare teachers, and she said that Isabelle almost definitely has learned this from her classmates. Sigh.

However, since this is obviously an attempt by her to communicate, we are emphasizing that this is not the way to do it. I have started to re-emphasize the signs that I know. Previously, I had only had success with her actually doing the sign “all done” and responding to a couple of others like “more.” Well, last night at Cracker Barrel we had a breakthough. At one meal, she did the sign for eat as well as the sign for more!! We were so excited! My husband saw it too, and it was clear enough that he understood it as well!

Also, the best kind of communication has been happening: hugs and kisses. This morning she came up to me several times as I was on the floor folding clothes and wrapped her arms around my neck–and it was completely unsolicited! She has also learned to blow kisses in the last few days. She kept trying before, but it looked like she was just covering her mouth. Now she blows them several times in a day. We love it!