4th of July

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! Ours was nice and relaxing. We had a BBQ and then the boys put on a great fireworks show for us :) It was a little scary for a minute with the bottle rockets (thanks Dad :) but it was a fun night.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Callie! Thanks for being such a great sister and friend and for so many fun memories together!

New Recipe: Sesame Noodles with Chicken

I was looking through some old recipes today and I found this recipe from a few years ago. I had forgotten about it and I was so excited when I found it. It used to be one of my favorites so I thought I'd share. (Note: it's pretty spicy so if you don't like spicy food I would adjust the amount of hot sauce)


Sesame Noodles with Chicken




8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
2/3 cup vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon bottled ground fresh ginger (I used 1/2 tablespoon dried ground ginger)
2 teaspoons Sriracha hot chile sauce (Rooster sauce)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Cook pasta according to package directions. Add carrots to pasta during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain well.

Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (through Sriracha) in a food processor; process until smooth (Note: I just whisked the ingredients and they mixed just fine). Combine pasta and carrots, chicken, and onions in a large bowl. Drizzle broth mixture over pasta mixture; toss well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Yields: 5 Servings (1 cup each)

Spring Sports

The last few weeks have been so crazy at the Payne house with all the boys and their sports. Colton is playing soccer and he and Tyler are playing baseball. I think this week they each had 3 baseball games plus practices and a soccer game. They are both doing really well and having lots of fun with their friends. They are both great little athletes (and are especially good batters!)

Spencer has been busy with his last season on the high school tennis team. He just played in the region tournament this week and played some tough matches. He played SO well! I was so proud of him! Sad to think this is the end of his high school tennis career. It has been so fun to watch him play through the years. He plays next weekend in the State tournament. I'm sure he'll do great! Good Luck Spencer!!

I heart...

my early birthday present. Thanks mom and dad! I LoVe it! I'm so excited to learn how to use it and play with it!

Its an addiction...

So apparently I'm addicted to nail polish. I just keep buying more and more. I seriously don't feel put together unless my nails are painted. I love how cute nail polish can add the finishing touches to an outfit and give it a little something extra. These are a few of the colors I've bought lately.