Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

I never used to like beef stroganoff but this recipe is really good and easy too!

Ingredients....

1 1/2 pounds cubed beef stew meat (trader joe's has 94% lean stew meat)
1 onion
2 cans of condensed GOLDEN mushroom soup
1-2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 container of chopped up mushrooms
garlic to taste
1/2 packet of onion soup mix
1/2-1 cup of water
4 ounces of low fat cream cheese
1/2 cup of low fat sour cream

Mix everything together (except for the cheeses). Cook on high in the slow cooker for 5 hours. Stir every hour or two. Add the cream cheese and sour cream for about the last 20 minutes.

Serve over egg noodles.

Erik really likes this especially if I serve it with corn on the cob (which is still available at Trader Joe's).

Enjoy!

26 months

Hi Sweet Boy --

You are 26 months old today! You have changed so much in the past couple of months. You are learning quickly. Here are a few of you new skills...

1- Colors --
You get them right all the time now. Up until a month ago you used to tell us everything was red.
2- Counting --
You can count to 11 although you usually skip the number 2 and will not count on demand.
3- Alphabet --
I have heard you singing the alphabet a number of times. You skip some letters but are getting better at it. You are interested in letters and sometimes when we are driving you will tell me, " Mommy, that truck has letters on it." You spell your name ERK when I ask but you can't write out any letters. You don't recognize all the letters yet but I am guessing you will soon.
4 - Speech --
You talk a lot. You tell me stories and "jokes" throughout the day. You like to be silly and want mommy and daddy to do silly things too. You are starting to speak with more advanced sentences. The other day at breakfast you told me, " Mommy, I like my eggs." I was impressed that you used the pronouns I and my correctly.
5- Shapes --
You know all the basic shapes and point them out when you see things of a certain shape throughout the day.

I can also tell you are getting older because you act more like a little boy than a baby. You love school and walk into the classroom with confidence now. When I pick you up you often say, " I go to more school, Mommy!"

With that increased self-confidence you have also been more vocal regarding your desires. By this I mean that temper tantrums, whining, and complaining are almost everyday occurences. Sometimes, you respond well to me calmly talking to you other times it seems to help if you get a time out. Sometimes you really seem to just need to be held so I have been carrying you in the ergo more frequently again (you have always been cuddly and seem to crave one-on-one attention and snuggles). Sometimes nothing I do seems to help you out of a tantrum.

You are still a little timid at first around people. You usually hang on my leg for 5-10 minutes before running off to play. You like other kids and ask to see your friends often. You are able to stand up for your self more now in a social setting and no longer let kids just take things from you. We will have to work on sharing soon I am sure.

You love your sister and are still excited to see her every morning. It is so sweet! You want Lainey to be able to play with you. She will soon and then we will see if you are still excited about it.

You also love, love, love your daddy right now. You want to go to work with him and miss him through out the day. You want to be just like him -- try to pee standing up, walk with your hands in your pockets, etc. It is cute. I feel bad for you that daddy is done for 12 + hours everyday and am not sure how to help you with that. When you get up in the morning Victor is gone already. You frequently ask, " When is daddy coming back?" I have to say -- "Daddy will be back to put you to bed -- I hate that! Your daddy loves you too though and tries to spend as much time with you as possible when he is home. He is working hard to provide for our family!

You are diaper-less now except for nighttime and school. You frequently go throughout the day without an accident but it requires a lot of cueing from me. You are getting better at holding it and can go 2-3 hours without using the bathroom now which is helpful if we need to go somewhere. You poop on the potty without a problem which I am thankful for!


You are a funny, kind, active, sweet little boy! I am so happy to have been your mommy for the past 26 months!

You're Gonna Miss This

I have been feeling frustrated with Erik's behavior recently. He is a wonderful, sweet boy but he has spent more time whining and complaining recently than he usually does. I find it easier to feel less frustrated with this behavior when I remind myself that this is all temporary and my babies will only be little for a short time so I need to enjoy it, even when they are throwing tantrums.

The songs on the play list I added reflect this sentiment. I am not necessarily a huge country fan but they do have some good song lyrics. Enjoy!