Happy Easter!

Here are the kids at the Temecula Easter Egg Hunt. At first, they weren't quite sure what to do, but it didn't take long for them to figure it out.

Technically Challenged

For those of you that know me very well, I'm well, let's say technically challenged to say the least. So let's hear a big hip-hip-hooray for Ruth who not only figured out her new digital camera (by herself), took 2 three-year olds for photos (by herself), down-loaded them (by herself), and made a slide show (you get the idea). I have missed taking all the pictures that I used to. It felt good to get back into it. Some of you might notice the influence of a certain local, but famous, photographer... James was VERY cooperative as soon as ice-cream was mentioned as a reward for good behavior. I'm happy to have some cute photos of the kid because he is usually too busy being a boy to pose for photos. He reminds me so much of his daddy that I can hardly stand it. Rachel however was a little bit more of a challenge today- let's just say that I'm satisfied that she is not wearing her swimsuit that she has insisted on for the last 3 days. Anyways, hope you like it. Is it concieted to think that your children are the most beautiful ever made or is that just a mom thing? Either way, I'm lucky.

Cruisin' Old Town

Better Luck Next Time...

We are happy to report that we are several weeks into escrow on a new house. We found it on a foreclosure auction. This one is in Beaumont, California in a new developemnt off the Hwy 10. The area is a little less expensive (not as hot either!) and so we were able to get a bigger house. Wyatt will be about 25 min from work and there are several hospitals not too far away that I am interested in. The House was only lived in < 6 months, so it is nice condition, but still needs some finishing touches like paint, blinds and landscaping. Our closing date should be close to April 17th. We will take a couple weeks to paint/move. It looks like we will be gone from Temecula by the 1st of May. :( The verdict is still out on exactly what we will do with our house on Asteroid. That is the update! Here are some photos:

Summertime Swimmers

Ok, I officially have my new camera in operation now. It is fun getting back into taking photos and blogging. Here are a few photos of the kids swimming today. If my nice friends keep letting me crash their pool, I might make a habbit of it. Rachel already has a tan and wants to wear her swim-suit 24/7 now to "dance." That's what I get for letting her watch "Step Up" with me.

James loves the pool as well and I predict that he will be swimming shortly. It seems that he has lost some of his 2 year-old bravery and has become a more sensible 3 year-old. I think that he will get more confident again as he has more chances to swim this year. No tan, sorry dude, but several cute freckles on the bridge of his nose.

Lettuce Wraps

I like to share recipes, so here is a new one a friend was asking me for. It is a merger of several versions that I found and would be easy to make it to suit your liking! I love how it is colorful and crunchy. My kids even like the "pink lettuce" (red cabbage) dipped in the sauce.

Lettuce Wraps

1 lb raw chicken breasts, chopped into really small pieces
1 small can water chestnuts, drained, chopped
4 mushrooms, chopped (I like shitake)
1/2 onion, chopped
3 Tbsp Hoisin sauce (found with the Asain foods at the supermarket)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp 5 spice powder (ok to skip!)
2 cloves pressed garlic
4 tsp minced ginger root
1 tsp Sesame oil for pan

1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup red cabbage, finely shredded
1 head lettuce leaves
2 cups white or brown rice, cooked

Directions:
Make the sauce by mixing the Hoisin, soy sauce, spices. Reserve half for serving on plate. I like to marinate the meat if there is time. Saute meat in oil with remaining sauce in lg sauce pan with onions, mushrooms, and waterchesnuts until not pink anymore and sauce is thick. Serve on lettuce layered with rice, carrots, meat, cabbage and extra sauce if desired.

**You could use ground turkey instead of chicken, you could add toasted sesame seeds to the meat when ready to serve. Just don't wimp out on the fresh ginger- it is worth it!

Too Good To Be True

My very wise parents always taught me, "Sometimes if it sounds too good to be true, it often is." I seem to be learning that lesson the hard way lately. Our house deal fell through- we did not meet the reserve with our auction bid (Way off in fact). Which means that we are back to square one and looking for a deal again. So, those in Temecula are stuck with us a little longer. Never fear, we Durstelers are tough! :) Ruth

We won!

We are so happy to share that we have won a house! It is not quite what you might be thinking...We had the winning bid at a recent foreclosure auction in Palm Springs. I'm thrilled on so many levels.
#1- It is a great deal. A very affordable payment for us. Hopefully we can ride out any future market fluctuations.
#2- It is a great house with a unique floor plan that will suit our family well.
#3- It is in a great area of Palm Dessert. The gated neighborhood is close to schools, parks and where both of us will be working. #4- It is in great condition. So many of the homes we were looking at were in a very run-down areas and/or pretty trashed on the inside. All we will really need to do at this home is paint the walls, and put in the yard (only the dessert plants survived the foreclosure period with no irrigation), and maybe a few personal touches. Not too bad considering the sort of projects that we were considering.

The house has an outer door that leads to this charming little patio in front of the entrance door. I love how much light all the windows let into the house! Did I mention how the kitchen has a double oven. I'm spoiled! We will have to have lots of visitors to come eat with us (hint, hint). I promise to make lots of homemade bread.

The last photo shows my fav part of the house. The formal sitting area. Surrounded by windows and patios, it could be really beautiful!

Ok, enough gushing from me. Most of all, I feel like everything is falling into place for us after a long period of struggling, and uncertainty. I have such mixed feelings about the move. A new start is what we need, but I would never be able to replace the dear friends we have in Temecula. We will have to come back and visit lots. I promise!

There are a few more steps to work out on the deal, so everyone please keep us in your prayers. Thanks from the very happy, grateful, and relieved Durstelers.

Recipes

Hey everyone! I have had some requests for the recipes from my Pampered Chef Party, so here they are. I hope that this is helpful. Thanks to all the fun ladies that came to the party! I will deliver your items as soon as they arrive.

Mandarin Chicken Salad:
Dressing:
1 tsp ginger root, finely chopped or pressed
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/3 c. rice vinegar
1/4 c. orange juice
1/4 c. veg. oil
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 envelope Onion Soup Mix
2 tsp sugar

Pasta:
8 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked, drained
1 cucumber, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 can mandarin oranges (11 oz)
3 chicken breasts, cooked, chopped
1/2 c. sliced almonds

6 oz baby spinich leaves (I use more, so it is more like a green salad)

Ok, so I have made the salad a little different than Lorie. This way, it will last much longer in the fridge. I double the dressing and save half. Toss the pasta with the remaining dressing and serve over a bed of spinich. As you have leftovers, the pasta will absorb the dressing, so it is nice to have extra. Keep the spinich separate and you can eat the left overs all week (or trade for dinner group).


Chicken Vegetable Alfredo Soup

1 c. brocolli, chopped
1/2 c. carrot, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 fresh garlic clove, pressed

Saute above ingredients in large sauce pan, until tender.

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
2 c. chicken, cooked, diced
1 jar (16oz) Alfredo sauce

Pour in next ingredients and bring to a simmer.

1 red bell pepper, chopped
Parmesean cheese, shredded
2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Serve in bowl, with pepper, basil and cheese on top.

30- Here I come!

Some of y'all might have noticed that I had my 28th bday this week. What a fun day! I felt totally spoiled by all the attention and gifts. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends. What have I ever done to deserve you guys? Thank You! The very good news is that Wyatt surprised me with a new camera (well, I kinda knew) to replace my other one that is malfunctoning. Hooray! Now I will blogging with new photos all the time. Stay tuned...

Little Miss Sunshine

In the early Spring here in Temecula it is raining and raining. To some, this might seem like no big deal, but to us in southern Cali, we've gotten a little spoiled with perfect weather. Little Rachel was so restless one day, that I bundled her up and set her loose in the back yard while it was raining. She came in shivering, but very happy. James decided to sit this one out.

Rachel has seemingly forgotten about the days of being a difficult 2 year-old and it ready to be a cooperative 3 year-old. I'm thrilled about the change in her and often comment about how she is "little miss sunshine" these days. It is so fun to spend time with this sweet little girl!

White Christmas

We were lucky enough to go to Utah for the Christmas Holiday. One of the things I miss most about living in Utah, is the feeling there around the holidays. All the folks at the Durstelers were in festive moods, and I even got to see my sister, Sarah, a few times while she was out visiting also. One one of the Dursteler Family Traditions, we went downtown to ice skate on Christmas Eve. Seriously, it was REALLY snowing, but it was REALLY perfect.

Wyatt and his dad, Will were easy targets...

Better Late Than Never

Ok, Ok, enough already! I have been informed by several family members and friends that I better update the blog or they will stop checking it. So here it goes...

My best bud, and very talented Wendy Whitacre, was kind enough to take our Christmas Card photos out a Santa Rosa Plateau. She was sweet to humor me by trecking out to some cool spots. Like 'em? I'm a big fan of texture. The kids were thrilled about it and loved to smile for Wendy- she is their favorite BBsitter afterall... Check out her cool new website at bluelilyphotography.com