the thomas family

Baby Thomas!!

2008-08-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

We just found out... yesterday!.. that we are pregnant!! I'm only 5 weeks along at this point, which makes it a little scary to have everyone knowing, when there is always a chance that this baby won't make it to the 12 week mark, but I guess the joy of sharing, and the prayers of those who care are well worth the timing!

Please pray with us, that all will go well and that in April we will be able to welcome a little girl or boy into our family! We are so excited that we can barely stand it. I haven't been able to wipe the cheesy grin off my face all day! :o) I am feeling great right now, no morning sickness, and am praying that this pregnancy will be as easy as it is so far.

All of the congratulations and prayers we have received in such a short time already are overwhelming. It's amazing how babies can bring people together!

We will be definitely keeping everyone updated on our blog, so check back often!!

Thanks for going on this ride with us! We love you all!

Chocolate Truffle Mousse Pie

2008-06-16T18:10:00.000-07:00

I think they liked it... what do you think? :o)

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CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE MOUSSE PIE

ingredients:
Truffle Filling:
2/3 cup heavy cream
6oz bittersweet chocolate chips
1 9-inch graham cracker crust (store-bought or home-made!)
Whipped Chocolate Filling:
6oz bittersweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Whipped Cream Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
dark/white/milk chocolate for decorating the pie

directions:
1. For the truffle filling, in a saucepan, bring 2/3 cup cream to a simmer. Place the 6 ounces chocolate chips in a bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute, then gently whisk until smooth. Spread truffle filling over the bottom of the prepared piecrust. Freeze for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, for the whipped chocolate filling, in a double boiler, heat the 6 ounces chocolate chips with 1/2 cup of the cream until the chocolate is just melted, stirring often. Let cool to room temperature. In a chilled bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup cream until thick. Add the chocolate mixture and the vanilla and beat until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped chocolate mixture over the truffle filling in the crust. Refrigerate overnight.

3. Just before serving beat 1 cup heavy cream until it begins to thicken. Add powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the pie. Using a grater or vegetable peeler, make pieces or shavings of milk chocolate, white chocolate, and semisweet or dark chocolate for decoration. Garnish pie with chocolate pieces. Serve immediately.

17. de mai & Kalaloch

2008-05-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a few recent pics of our latest fun! :o) Our cousins Ann & Len (& Benjamin & Cameron) from Indiana came to visit over syttende mai... All the family was together and we had a wonderful day! Navy can't stop talking about his cousins! And then on Memorial Day Andrew, Navy and I went for a drive out to the coast for the day... We live in a beautiful place out here!

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Navy drinking his morning coffee in preparation for the big parade and fun! ;o) Don't you love that shirt?

This was a huge cedar tree on a play day we took out to the coast on memorial day!

Andrew & Navy posing for the camera at Kalaloch Lodge on the Washington coast.

Ok, seriously... check out the water in that bath!! YUCK! That's what happens when you put two dirty cousins who have had way too much fun into the same bath! (Most of that dirt came off their feet) :o)

Hugs at the 17th of may parade in Ballard! :o) Is that a patriotic shirt or what?

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Thanks for checking out our lives! :o)

Chocolate Peppermint Candy Cookies * RE-POST

2008-05-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

I am re-posting this recipe, because I made them again today and took some pics to add! :o)

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CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CANDY COOKIES

ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably dutch-processed)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup of Andes mint candy baking bits (or 1/2 cup each peppermint

candy and white chocolate chips, or

any combination of the 2 flavors)

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cream together the butter and sugars until will blended and light in color.

3. Add the egg and the peppermint extract until will blended. (Scrape down the bowl halfway through.)

4. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Add to the butter mixture slowly and stop once all of it is incorporated (do not over-mix!).

5. Stir in the candy pieces.

6. Using a small (1") scoop, drop dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 10 minutes (cookies should still look a little shiny, or 'damp'). Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

7. Place immediately into Tupperware, and freeze - if there's any left! Enjoy! :o)

Makes 3+ dozen cookies.

cute Navy comment!

2008-05-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, this one was in the car on the way to Andrew's soccer game on Sunday night, after we passed the local car dealerships:

Navy: "I wish they made a car that was a GLY"

Us: "Why?"

Navy: "Because then it would be a God Loves You car!"

:o)

White Chocolate Brownies

2008-04-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

I made these last night, after realizing I had a bunch of white chocolate sitting in my cupboard and hitting up my favorite foodie site... seriouseats.com... for some ideas! (Thanks to JerzeeTomato for pointing me to this recipe!)

I think next time I would replace the chocolate chips with butterscotch, or better yet big chunks of white chocolate! :o)

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I've decided not to post the actual recipe, as it is not mine to post, but here is the link:

http://tartelette.blogspot.com/2007/05/white-chocolate-brownies.html

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

2008-04-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

This is one of my stand-by recipes for when I want to impress or spoil someone I love! (and if I've made this for you before... now you know how I feel!) :o) This could easily compete with a well known cheesecake restaurant's version, for a fraction of the price! Oh and remember, your cooking is only as good as the ingredients you start with, so please use good quality real white chocolate! (not the white baking chips you might be used to!)

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WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE

ingredients:

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 (10oz) package frozen raspberries

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 cup water

2 cups chopped (good-quality) white chocolate

1/2 cup half & half

3 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions:

1. Mix together crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar and melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan well with 2 layers of aluminum foil, to help prevent leaks, and place in a roasting pan.

2. In a saucepan, combine the raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, or until the sauce is thick. Strain through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F, and set some water to boil for later. In a double boiler, (or a glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water - making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water), melt the white chocolate with the half & half, stirring occasionally until smooth.

4. Mix together the cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Blend in the vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of the batter over the crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the raspberry sauce over the batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into the pan and spoon another 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl with the tip of a knife for a marbled effect.

5. Place the cheesecake (set in the roasting pan) in the oven and fill the pan with boiling water about half way up the side of the springform pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until it is almost set in the center, then turn the oven off and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another hour (the purpose of this is to help prevent sinking and cracks, which do not affect the flavor, but the beauty of the cheesecake!). Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from the pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce and fresh whipped cream.

**This recipe is a great make ahead dessert, as it keeps well, and gets better as it chills for a day or two! :o) As with any cheesecake, freezing is simple (wrapped well with plastic wrap and foil) and the cheesecake take only minutes to thaw and serve!

Bakery Style Coconut Macaroons

2008-04-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

I made these for my mom for a get-well surprise after her surgery last week... she told me they were blog-worthy! :o) For all you coconut lovers out there, these hit the spot!

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COCONUT MACAROONS

ingredients:

5 1/3 cups (about 1 - 14 oz bag) flaked sweetened coconut

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons pure almond extract

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large egg-whites

1/8 teaspoon (about 2 pinches) cream of tarter

2 tablespoons sugar

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the coconut, milk, salt, and extracts with a fork until mixed. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tarter together with a mixer on low speed until the cream of tarter dissolves. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in the sugar.

4. Using a spatula, fold half of the egg whites into the coconut mixture gently just until blended, and then fold in the remaining whites.

5. Scoop out balls of the dough onto your prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart, so the cookies have room to spread.

6. Bake for about 17 minutes, until the bottom of the cookies and the tips of the coconut flakes are light brown. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

These are best stored in the fridge, and can be dipped in chocolate for an extra elegant treat!

Navy comment of the week!

2008-04-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

the scene: tuesday afternoon, Navy's soccer practice...

all of his teammates are gathering out on the field when Navy excitedly reaches into his pocket and pulls out... a calculator!

"Anybody want to do calculator math?!?" he hollers!

:o)

Super Easy Chocolate Mousse Frosting

2008-04-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

This is such great frosting... perfect with angel food cake and strawberries, or just eaten with a spoon! :o) Tastes a lot like chocolate mousse. Very fresh and satisfying without being TOO sweet!

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CHOCOLATE MOUSSE FROSTING

ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk

Pinch of cream of tarter

2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream

directions:

1. whisk together the sugar, cocoa, milk and cream of tarter in a large bowl until smooth. cover and put in the fridge until well chilled, about 1 hour (or up to 4 hours).

2. just before serving, gradually beat cream into chocolate mixture using an electric mixer. continue beating until stiff peaks form. use to frost your cake, or serve on the side!

Chocolate Peppermint Candy Cookies

2008-04-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start putting some recipes on here, since baking is my passion, and I can't think of any better way to share our lives with you! :o) I will try to get a pic of this recipe on here soon!

This is my recipe for a great chocolate-y peppermint cookie, that is absolutely wonderful and satisfying! Be careful with this one, because it has proven hard to not finish the whole batch in one sitting. :o) (Fortunately they taste great when they are frozen, so this is a great recipe to bake and then freeze to have on hand! The cookies defrost quickly at room temperature, so no need to plan ahead or heat up.) I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

-Annalise

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CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CANDY COOKIES

ingredients:

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably dutch-processed)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup of Andes mint candy baking bits (or 1/2 cup each peppermint

candy and white chocolate chips, or

any combination of the 2 flavors)

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cream together the butter and sugars until will blended and light in color.

3. Add the egg and the peppermint extract until will blended. (Scrape down the bowl halfway through.)

4. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Add to the butter mixture slowly and stop once all of it is incorporated (do not over-mix!).

5. Stir in the candy pieces.

6. Using a small (1") scoop, drop dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 12 minutes (cookies will still look a little shiny, or 'damp'). Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

7. Place immediately into Tupperware to keep them from drying out. Enjoy! :o)

Makes 3+ dozen cookies.

mexico 2008

2008-04-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the long delay in posting! We just got back from a mission trip to Mexico and had a wonderful time. Drew has already requested time off to be able to go again next year! :o)

(Shannon, here's your new pics, so you don't have to look at the crazy foot pics anymore!) :o)

warning! These pics are a little graphic!

2008-02-21T09:28:00.001-08:00

I know, I know... kind of gross! But some people get a kick out of these kinds of photos, so I thought I would share them! :o)

This cast feels a lot better on than the last one, and helps me feel a little more mobile, at least! Turns out the healing is going a little slower than they thought, so now it will be 6 more weeks of crutches, instead of 4 more. Oh well... there must be a reason for all of this! :o) (That's me trying to keep a positive attitude, in case you couldn't tell!) ;o)

love and hugs!

2 weeks down... 10 more to go!

2008-02-19T13:32:00.000-08:00

Today is the 2 week mark. Feels like months already that I have been out of comission! But the foot is feeling a lot better as of the last 2 days. Kind of like a flip just switched and turned off most of the pain!

Still bored out of my mind, and frustrating not to be able to keep up with things the way I like to, but this time has turned out to be a great experience for Navy... teaching him how to help without necessarily being asked, and to think of others before himself! (not perfectly, of course... he is only 6! But he's making a great improvement!) Crazy how fast they grow up!

Hopefully I can get some pictures on here soon... as soon as I can get Andrew to bring me in the camera from the car! :o)

Hugs to all!

surgery is done!

2008-02-09T08:36:00.000-08:00

Well, I am home now! Surgery was a lot mor difficult than I expected, but it's over now, so it can only get better from here, right?! :o)

I ended up spending 2 nights in the hospital as the pain was unmanageable the first day and I wouldn't have been able to make the 3 hour drive home. I was so glad to just be in one spot and able to keep taking pain meds and having help! And Andrew was glad to not have to deal with all that care by himself!

Thursday I was able to go home, and I am so happy to be here! Pain is still intense, but manageable if I stay on top of it, and the hardest part is just having to sit still! It's hard not to be able to clean and keep on top of things in my own house! I'm trying to learn patience... :o)

We have some wonderful friends and neighbors that have been helping us out with meals and picking up Navy from school, and we are so blessed to have them all in our lives! Thank you to them!

surgery!

2008-02-03T20:35:00.000-08:00

Please pray for me! I am having surgery on Tuesday to fuse some bones together in my left foot, and am a little nervous. I think the hardest thing is the fact that I will not be able to work for at least 6 weeks. We sure do depend on my little salary to help make ends meet!

Crutches for at least 6 weeks and a walking cast for 6 more. I'm going crazy just thinking about it! I've got a ton of books stacked up to read, and I've cleaned so much this past week that I just might be ok with not cleaning for a few weeks. :o) Let's just hope the boys don't do too much damage when I can't chase after them and keep things picked up! Navy has promised to be a good helper, and I am looking forward to seeing how that pans out... :o)

Anyways, I would appreciate your prayers and thoughts this Tuesday and in the weeks to come!

Blessings!
-Annalise

christmas!

2008-02-01T16:42:00.000-08:00

Ok, here are some glimpses of our life!

Our son Navy (I'm a stepmom!), just turned 6 years old, and is loving learning all about his new norwegian heritage! Check out his shirt! ;o)

Erik and his wife Kari enjoyed some 'Navy' time on Christmas Eve!

And this last one was Andrew, Navy and I being a little bored and a lot silly during intermission at the Nutcracker! :o) We have a (fairly new) family tradition of going to the ballet on Christmas eve to watch Kari dance... Navy loved it!

Life...

2008-02-01T16:37:00.001-08:00

Yep, I am officially a blogging slacker. But, seeing as I am about to have surgery on my foot and will be laid up for at least 6 weeks, maybe I can get this thing updated! :o)

Andrew and I have had a fun year getting to know each other better and enjoying married life! Can you believe it's been almost a year already? Nope, neither can I!

Ok, now I will work on putting up some pictures here!

wedding pictures!

2007-05-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some of them! My cousin Matt was our photog, and he is AMAZING! Check them out! :o)

www.flowertoss.com/mygallery/thomas

-Anna....

a pic from our honeymoon in Whistler, and the only wedding pic we've gotten so far!

2007-03-03T09:14:00.000-08:00

just checking this out!

2007-03-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

Good morning! Well, we've been married exactly 2 weeks now, and so far so good! ;o)

No, really... it's wonderful to finally be home, and we are enjoying every moment of settling our lives together and making our family whole!

We're just checking this out a little right now, since we need a blog to be able to respond to others... We'll try to put some stuff on here when we get a little more settled!

Blessings!

-Annalise & Andrew