Hello Summer

So our crazy summer has begun! We celebrated Eric's birthday on Tuesday with a facetime to dear Greta, a new drill (hello diy projects!) and some delicious tritip and then cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. mmm. Wednesday and Thursday nights saw activities for EQ and RS and I learned how to make French macaroons. Turns out humidity is actually kind of a big deal when making finicky macaroons and you need to have pretty much as many items of equipment as there are ingredients. Weird. But maybe I will give them a shot sometime soon. I mean, there's only like a million ways to screw them up, what could go wrong? Haha. 

Saturday we had a BBQ with some friends of ours and Levi got to sit at the kids table like a big kid. It was so fun to just chill with them and for Levi to get to run around in the backyard and us not have to worry about him! I'm really, really looking forward to having a yard someday. Levi will love it! 

Anyway, this week I head to Boston for the NEXT conference which I am super excited for. I can't wait to see Lori again and get to hang out with her while learning some hopefully super useful things for work. And then the week after that we all get to head down to California for Lauren's wedding and 4th of July! Woohoo! Bring on the good times :)

Levi is learning how to use a spoon and rocking it. He's actually got better since this was taken but sometimes, he just likes to get messy. Pretty sure his chest is dirty because he just picked up yogurt and smeared it there on purpose. No joke. 

Little man always has a blast at the park.

This child! He just LOVES to climb! And he is getting sooo good at it. Too good for his own good sometimes because he is completely fearless. He tries to climb ladders, walls, all the park equipment, etc. 

Swallows his lips when he's concentrating just like his grandpa. 

Eric, Levi and I made a blanket fort the other night! Levi loved it. 

We had dinner with some friends of ours last night and Levi got to sit at a little table with the other kids! He is getting so big! and he did awesome with it! Also, he ate more than any of the other kids even though he's way younger haha. Kid loves food. 

Don't Worry There's Only a Few Stairs

So we got to have my mom come visit us again last weekend. We always love having her here and Levi adores her! Eric and I both took Friday off (instead of Monday) so we all went down and hiked Silver Falls. It was so cool and beautiful! I can't believe how close you get to get to the waterfalls! And Levi actually did really well walking a lot of the way. We had brought the stroller though and that proved to be quite an adventure because not only was the trail rocky and quite narrow in some parts but there also happened to be quite a few stairs leading down to the second fall! Mom had hiked it before but she didn't remember how many stairs there were and thought it wouldn't be a problem for the stroller. In response to my question to how many stairs are there when I saw them on the map she replied, "Not very many! Maybe a couple." Haha false. There was legit several FLIGHTS of stairs! But Eric is a champ and we just collapsed the stroller and Eric carried it all the way down and all the way up again and I wore Levi on my back in the carrier. And really I was glad to have the stroller on the way back because Levi got tired so it was nice for him to be able to ride since he doesn't really like riding in the carrier. 

Eric and Levi by the first fall

Sooo pretty! I love the green.

Anyway, so that was awesome, and as always it was nice just to spend time with my mom, go out to eat and play games together. And I just love seeing how Levi remembers his grandma and gets excited to see her. The day she left when he woke up from his nap he totally went looking for her :(

I'm glad to see them develop such a good relationship.

Mom and Levi at the park

So yeah, Mom's visit was awesome and other than that life around here has been pretty good. My favorite co-worker quit and her last day was Friday. I'm glad for her because she was getting way too stressed out at our job but I'm scared of what will happen without her because she kind of holds things together around there! And as far as I know, they haven't found a replacement for her yet so we will probably just a get a string of float therapists coming through for a while and that's never ideal. But oh well.

Eric's work is going well. He's thinking about asking his boss if he can go to Furniture Market which is like a big convention for furniture makers and dealers in Vegas this July. So if he gets to that will be another trip to add to our summer, well for him anyway! We're going to be very busy in July!

Anyway that's what's going on! Here's a little update of our life in pictures: 

Levi will sometimes climb up into the rocking chair and read himself a book. It never lasts long (this kiddo is always on the move!) but it is so adorable. 

I can't believe how long my hair is getting!

Levi rocking a new outfit from grandma, pretty sure it's stained already because he ate mango while wearing it but oh well, clothes are to be lived in!

Crockpot Freezer Meals

Ok so here are my favorite make-ahead super easy crockpot freezer meals! With all of them you just put all the ingredients in a gallon ziplock bag and then label it with the date and what it is. They can stay frozen for up to 3 months before you make them. Most of the recipes say to take it out and thaw it in the fridge the night before you cook it but I almost never do. I just pop it into the crockpot frozen and it turns out fine! (Unless the ingredients have frozen into a brick that is too big to fit in the crockpot! This has happened to me haha)

Crockpot Hamburger Vegetable Soup

• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1.5 cups or 1/2 pound)
• 2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 8oz or 1.5 cups)
• 1 small onion, diced (about one cup)
• 28oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 teaspoons beef bullion granules
• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 cups of water (not needed until day of cooking)

Crockpot Ham and Potato Soup

• 4 carrots, peeled and diced (about 1.5 cups or 1/2 pound)
• 2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 8oz or 1.5 cups)
• 2 ribs celery, diced (about 2/3 cup)
• 1 small onion, diced (about one cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (one teaspoon)
• 1/2 cup uncooked medium barley (not quick cooking)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
•  1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
• 4 teaspoons chicken bullion granules
• 8 oz bone-in ham steak, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1 cup diced)
• 6oz evaporated milk 
• 4 cups of water (not needed until day of cooking)

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 
• 1, 6oz can of tomato paste 
•  1, 13.5oz can of coconut milk 
• 1 small onion, chopped (about one cup) 
• 2 cups of frozen peas (Add day of, 10-20 min before serving otherwise they'll be mushy)
• 1, 14.5oz can of tomato sauce (about 1 3/4 cup) 
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced 
• 3 tablespoons honey 
• 2 tablespoons curry powder 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

These below are my favorite crockpot recipes that I have never tried freezing but I am sure you could prep them before hand and then freeze them! Or even if you don't they are all pretty easy to just make day of. I make one of these every Sunday and like them all! They're great!

Crockpot Baked Potato Soup

• 10 red potatoes, cubed (I make it with plain old Russet potatoes and its still delicious)
• 3 TB flour
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. garlic
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 packet of ranch dressing mix
• 2 tsp. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper
• 3 cups water (Add day of, when you put the frozen ingredients in the crockpot)
• 1 cup half n half (Don't Freeze! Add about 10-20 min before serving)
• 1 cup cheddar cheese (Don't Freeze! Add about 10-20 min before serving)

I like to make bacon and put it on top. It's delicious :)

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole

• 1 1/2 lb Chicken breasts, boneless skinless raw
• 1 3.8 ounce can Black olives
• 10 Corn tortillas (cut into strips- Add after the chicken has cooked)
• 3 cups Cheddar cheese, grated (Don't freeze! Add 10-20 min before serving)
• 1 28 ounce can Red Enchilada sauce

Slow Cooker Chicken and Corn Chowder

• 1 lb Chicken thighs, boneless skinless
• 3 Carrots- diced
• 2 stalks Celery- diced
• 4 cups Chicken broth 
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp Chives, fresh
• 2 cups Corn, canned or roasted frozen kernels
• 1 Onion- diced
• 1/2 tsp Oregano, dried
• 12 oz Red potato- cut into cubes
• 1/2 tsp Thyme, dried
• 1 Pinch Cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp Cornstarch
• 1 Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp Butter, unsalted
• 1/2 cup Half and half (Don't freeze! Add 10-20 min before serving)

I also like to add bacon to the top of this recipe after it has cooked!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 1 lb Chicken breast
• 1 15oz can Corn, sweet whole kernels
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 3/4 cup Green bell pepper- diced
• 3/4 cup Onion- diced
• 1 Serrano pepper- diced
• 1 15oz can Tomatoes
• 5 cup Chicken stock- (Don't freeze- Add with frozen ingredients day of)
• 1/4 tsp Chili powder
• 1 tsp Pepper, ground
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1  cup of shredded Monterey jack cheese (Don't freeze- Add as topping just before serving)
• Tortilla chips to crush on top when done

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

• 1 1/2 lbs Chicken
• 2 tbsp Cilantro
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp Ginger
• 1/2 cup diced Red onion
• 2 Tomatoes- diced
• 1 1/2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 tsp Chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Garam masala
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 3 tbsp Butter, Unsalted
• 2 tbsp Half and half (Don't freeze! Add 10-20 min before serving)
• 1/3 cup Yogurt (Don't freeze! Add 10-20 min before serving)

Slow Cooker Parmesan Chicken and Orzo

• 4 Chicken breasts, boneless skinless
• 2 tsp Garlic
• 1 cup Mushrooms, sliced 
• 1 White or yellow onion, medium, diced
• 3 cups Chicken broth, low sodium- (Don't freeze! Add to frozen ingredients day of)
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper
• 3 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp Salt
• 4 tbsp Butter
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cups Orzo pasta- (Don't freeze! Cook separately day of and mix in once chicken and mushrooms are cooked)

Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken

• 2 lbs Chicken breast, skinless boneless halves
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 Lemon, zest of
• 3 tbsp Onion
• 1 tsp Oregano, dried
• 1 tsp Parsley, fresh
• 1 (15 oz) can Chicken broth - (Don't freeze! Add to frozen ingredients day of)
• 6 tbsp Lemon juice, fresh- (Don't freeze! Add to frozen ingredients day of)
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper, ground
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1 (8 oz) package Cream cheese- (Don't freeze! Add 10-20 min before serving)

Garlic Butter Chicken and Pasta

• 1 1/2 lb Chicken breasts, boneless skinless
• 1 tsp Basil, dried
• 3 cups Carrots- diced
• 1 tbsp Garlic
• 1 cup Peas, frozen- (Add day of, 10-20 min before serving otherwise they'll be mushy)
• 1 tsp Thyme, dried
• 1/2 cup White onions- diced
• 1/4 tsp Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1 Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb Rotini pasta- (Don't freeze! Cook separately day of and mix in once other ingredients are cooked)

Slow Cooker Chicken Parm Casserole

• 2 Chicken breasts, boneless skinless
• 1 tbsp Basil, dried
• 1 tsp Garlic
• 1 can Tomato Sauce (large)
• 12 oz Pasta - (Don't freeze! Cook separately day of and mix in once other ingredients are cooked)
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2 cup Mozzarella cheese (Don't freeze! Add 10-20 min before serving)
• 1/4 cup Water -(Don't freeze! Add to frozen ingredients day of)
• 2 tbsp Olive oil- (Don't freeze, use to brown breadcrumbs to sprinkle on top day of)
• 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs (Don't freeze, brown and sprinkle on top day of)

Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken

• 4 Chicken breasts, boneless skinless
• 1 can Pineapple
• 1 bottle Barbeque sauce (probably don't freeze this, just add it day of)

I usually serve this over rice cooked day of. 

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken 

• 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 16 Ounce Bottle of Italian Dressing (probably don't freeze this, just add it day of, I don't use the whole bottle, maybe half-ish)
• 1/2 Cup of Parmesan Cheese
• 1-2 tsp Italian Seasoning 
• 4-6 Potatoes scrubbed cut in half or wedges (you can peel if desired)
• 1/2 bag of mini carrots- or diced regular carrots

And if you want even MORE variety you can always check out this link: Freezer Meal Prep Sessions  which has links to 17 more recipes! I haven't tried most of these so I can't say whether or not they are any good :P