Saturday, October 31, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Story Time with Nora
Some friends gave Nora this book for her 2nd birthday. Isn't it cute?
For those of you who don't know, my child is a book nerd. She LOVES to read. She always has, and I pray that her love for reading will continue. It will make school so much easier when the time comes. Anyway, back to the book. It is titled The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, and it's about--you guessed it--a pigeon who is convinced that he wants and needs a puppy, but when he actually meets this puppy, he freaks out and changes his mind. It's quite cute!
Anyway, the point in the story when the pigeon finally meets his beloved puppy, he realizes that puppies are indeed much bigger than pigeons and he gets scared and runs away. He screams at the top of his lungs, "AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!" And, naturally, whenever we read this story out loud, we must scream at the top of our lungs like the pigeon to get the full effect.
So, after several weeks of reading this story, Nora has this down pat.
For example, this morning Nora was in her room having "room time" while I was doing things around the house. I was in by bedroom on the phone with my hubby when I suddenly hear through the monitor from Nora's room, "AAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Now, most parents, when they hear loud screaming coming from their child's room, would rush in to make sure no limbs have been broken or anything like that, but I am fully aware that Nora is simply reading her favorite book and is just making sure she is doing a realistic interpretation of the story.
It's really quite cute. She's an actress in the making or a future "Story Time" lady at the local Barnes & Noble.
For those of you who don't know, my child is a book nerd. She LOVES to read. She always has, and I pray that her love for reading will continue. It will make school so much easier when the time comes. Anyway, back to the book. It is titled The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, and it's about--you guessed it--a pigeon who is convinced that he wants and needs a puppy, but when he actually meets this puppy, he freaks out and changes his mind. It's quite cute!
Anyway, the point in the story when the pigeon finally meets his beloved puppy, he realizes that puppies are indeed much bigger than pigeons and he gets scared and runs away. He screams at the top of his lungs, "AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!" And, naturally, whenever we read this story out loud, we must scream at the top of our lungs like the pigeon to get the full effect.
So, after several weeks of reading this story, Nora has this down pat.
For example, this morning Nora was in her room having "room time" while I was doing things around the house. I was in by bedroom on the phone with my hubby when I suddenly hear through the monitor from Nora's room, "AAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Now, most parents, when they hear loud screaming coming from their child's room, would rush in to make sure no limbs have been broken or anything like that, but I am fully aware that Nora is simply reading her favorite book and is just making sure she is doing a realistic interpretation of the story.
It's really quite cute. She's an actress in the making or a future "Story Time" lady at the local Barnes & Noble.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Tennessee Caviar
Jonathan came home from work a few weeks ago and handed me the recipe to this dip called Tennessee Caviar. Someone at his office brought some in for the group, and it was so yummy and he loved it so much, that he actually SOUGHT OUT THE RECIPE and BROUGHT IT HOME to me. My first thought was, "Man, this must be some REALLY good dip!"
Tennessee Caviar is a great dip to bring to tailgating, Care Group, picnics, or cookouts! I made it last night for Care Group, and it seemed to be a big hit. Warning, this dip makes a TON, so you want to be sure to have a large group to feed. I don't believe you can half the recipe, but hey, I guess it would be worth a shot!
Tennessee Caviar
Ingredients:
2 (15oz) cans of black-eyed peas
1 (15oz) can of black beans
1 (13oz) can yellow niblet corn
1 (13oz) can white shoe peg corn
2 cans of Rotel tomatoes
1 can of chopped black olives
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 bunch of green onions, thinly slice, include whites and greens
1 (16oz) bottle of Zesty Italian salad dressing
Directions:
Drain all vegetables very well. In a bowl, combine chopped onions and pepper and all vegetables. Pour Zesty Italian dressing over all of the vegetables and marinate over night. Serve with Fritos.
Tennessee Caviar is a great dip to bring to tailgating, Care Group, picnics, or cookouts! I made it last night for Care Group, and it seemed to be a big hit. Warning, this dip makes a TON, so you want to be sure to have a large group to feed. I don't believe you can half the recipe, but hey, I guess it would be worth a shot!
Tennessee Caviar
Ingredients:
2 (15oz) cans of black-eyed peas
1 (15oz) can of black beans
1 (13oz) can yellow niblet corn
1 (13oz) can white shoe peg corn
2 cans of Rotel tomatoes
1 can of chopped black olives
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 bunch of green onions, thinly slice, include whites and greens
1 (16oz) bottle of Zesty Italian salad dressing
Directions:
Drain all vegetables very well. In a bowl, combine chopped onions and pepper and all vegetables. Pour Zesty Italian dressing over all of the vegetables and marinate over night. Serve with Fritos.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Really!!??!
So, I just don't know if I can handle this anymore.
My heart is quivering. My baby boy is out of control.
If I wouldn't get arrested, I might just stop feeding him! He is growing WAY too fast for my liking.
He is pretty much able to sit up by himself for short periods of time. He is doing the "tripod"--as I like to call it--where he can support himself with his arms. But, seriously, it's just a matter of days before he's sitting up for extended periods. Then he'll be crawling. Then he'll be causing mass destruction all over my house. Then he'll be walking. Then I'll never sit down again.
Aaahh...
Then, to make matters worse, I was feeding Liam yesterday afternoon and sat him up to burp. He started to chew on my finger. Nothing new. I started feeling his gums. Nothing new. But, alas, I felt something. Surely not! I felt again. Dost mine fingers deceive me!?
I decided to take a look, and sure enough.....
There's a tooth. Just breaking through the gumline, but a tooth!
I can't take it. Why hasn't anyone warned me that these things go by so much more quickly the second time around?
My heart is quivering. My baby boy is out of control.
If I wouldn't get arrested, I might just stop feeding him! He is growing WAY too fast for my liking.
He is pretty much able to sit up by himself for short periods of time. He is doing the "tripod"--as I like to call it--where he can support himself with his arms. But, seriously, it's just a matter of days before he's sitting up for extended periods. Then he'll be crawling. Then he'll be causing mass destruction all over my house. Then he'll be walking. Then I'll never sit down again.
Aaahh...
Then, to make matters worse, I was feeding Liam yesterday afternoon and sat him up to burp. He started to chew on my finger. Nothing new. I started feeling his gums. Nothing new. But, alas, I felt something. Surely not! I felt again. Dost mine fingers deceive me!?
I decided to take a look, and sure enough.....
There's a tooth. Just breaking through the gumline, but a tooth!
I can't take it. Why hasn't anyone warned me that these things go by so much more quickly the second time around?
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Correction!
This is in regard to my earlier post about Pumpkin Spice Cake.
My friend Carrie reminded me that her little girl has an egg and milk allergy, and is not allergic to wheat. The recipe was great for her because it lacks eggs and oil. It is NOT a gluten-free recipe. She mentioned in her blog that it was GUILT-FREE.
Somewhere along the way, I got it stuck in my head that it was GLUTEN-FREE. If I think about it, of course it's not gluten-free! I am a goob! However, it IS a guilt-free dessert and is super delicious!
Sorry for the confusion!
Whew, you would think I have pregnancy brain with all of this craziness going on. I DON'T, but, man, you would think.
My friend Carrie reminded me that her little girl has an egg and milk allergy, and is not allergic to wheat. The recipe was great for her because it lacks eggs and oil. It is NOT a gluten-free recipe. She mentioned in her blog that it was GUILT-FREE.
Somewhere along the way, I got it stuck in my head that it was GLUTEN-FREE. If I think about it, of course it's not gluten-free! I am a goob! However, it IS a guilt-free dessert and is super delicious!
Sorry for the confusion!
Whew, you would think I have pregnancy brain with all of this craziness going on. I DON'T, but, man, you would think.
Pumpkin, Spice, It's Oh So Nice!
I just love the Fall and all the yummy and smelly-good things that go along with it! I am a big fan of all of the pumpkin-flavored things that come out this time of year: pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin spice chai, pumpkin bread, and have you ever tried Pecan Pumpkin Butter from Williams Sonoma? That stuff is incredible.
I have tried making pumpkin soup.
Night.mare.
I'll have to share that story another time. But, all I am seeing are visions of orange mush. Spilled all over my mother's minivan. It was tragic.
However, here is a delicious and simple recipe I tried last night involving pumpkin that is fool-proof, easy, delicious, and low in fat. It's also gluten-free! (I don't really know what that means, but it seems to be a new trend, so since it is gluten-free, I though I'd mention it for those who are into that.) Just kidding, I do know what gluten-free means, and food allergies are no joke.
All joking aside, my friend Carrie posted this recipe on her blog. Her one-year-old has recently been diagnosed with some food allergies, so Carrie is having to adjust to life with some new food regulations. Her daughter, Kendall, can't have wheat or eggs, so gluten-free is a must for now!
I made this pumpkin-spice cake yesterday, and it is delicious! Try it sometime. Seriously, it couldn't be simpler.
Pumpkin Spice Cake
Ingredients:
1 box of spice cake mix
1 can of pumpkin
1/2 can of water
Directions:
Combine all three ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Pour into your favorite cake pan. (I used a bundt!) Bake cake according to the directions on the box, let cool, and serve. For a beautiful display, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
This cake is so good, so moist, and just perfect for Fall. It's a great breakfast or dessert or mid-day snack! Oh, I love pumpkin!
P.S. Have I mentioned that when I was growing up, my family got on a kick where we named all of our pets after food? My first dog, a Sheltie, was named Pumpkin. It's true.
I have tried making pumpkin soup.
Night.mare.
I'll have to share that story another time. But, all I am seeing are visions of orange mush. Spilled all over my mother's minivan. It was tragic.
However, here is a delicious and simple recipe I tried last night involving pumpkin that is fool-proof, easy, delicious, and low in fat. It's also gluten-free! (I don't really know what that means, but it seems to be a new trend, so since it is gluten-free, I though I'd mention it for those who are into that.) Just kidding, I do know what gluten-free means, and food allergies are no joke.
All joking aside, my friend Carrie posted this recipe on her blog. Her one-year-old has recently been diagnosed with some food allergies, so Carrie is having to adjust to life with some new food regulations. Her daughter, Kendall, can't have wheat or eggs, so gluten-free is a must for now!
I made this pumpkin-spice cake yesterday, and it is delicious! Try it sometime. Seriously, it couldn't be simpler.
Pumpkin Spice Cake
Ingredients:
1 box of spice cake mix
1 can of pumpkin
1/2 can of water
Directions:
Combine all three ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Pour into your favorite cake pan. (I used a bundt!) Bake cake according to the directions on the box, let cool, and serve. For a beautiful display, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
This cake is so good, so moist, and just perfect for Fall. It's a great breakfast or dessert or mid-day snack! Oh, I love pumpkin!
P.S. Have I mentioned that when I was growing up, my family got on a kick where we named all of our pets after food? My first dog, a Sheltie, was named Pumpkin. It's true.
Monday, October 19, 2009
What's New with Nora
Nora Kathryn is just a few days away from being 26 months old!
(Is it even cool to still refer to your kid's age by the month once they turn two? I mean, should I just say she's two until she turns two and a half instead of saying, "Oh, she 37 and a half months old"? Yeah, that's confusing. I'll just stick with two. Two years old!)
Time seems to be flying by so quickly these days with my two babies. I've found that we are busy at home and enjoying just being together as a family. Nora and Liam are so mutually fond of each other, and I get more and more excited about them being best buds as time goes on. It is just the sweetest thing to watch the two of them interact!
Even though Nora is out of the stage of life where she is hitting "milestones," I still want to be diligent about recording the things that are going on with her. She is blossoming into such a little girl! So, here are some of the new things going on with Nora:
***Nora loves to spend time with me in the kitchen! She likes the "help" me cook and bake, but we have to be careful when she does so. When she wants to get in on the action, she'll take a kitchen table chair and push it into the kitchen up to the counter. I try to involve her as much as possible! After all, I love to cook and I would love to spread that love to my girl!
***Nora is turning into quite a servant/helper. Now, this is obviously not all the time, but there are more and more occasions where she is so willing to help out with little things. For example, last week I had just finished folding a pile of laundry then moved on to do something else before putting the clothes away. I was in the kitchen, I believe, when I heard the bathroom cabinets opening and closing over and over. Typically, being in the bathroom cabinets is a no-no, so I hurried into the bathroom to get her out of there. What did I find? My little Missy Mo was putting the washcloths away! All on her own! Another example is from Saturday night. Jonathan came down suddenly with a migrane, so after supper, he went to bed and I got the kiddos cleaned up and ready for bed. I think Nora was very aware that Jonathan wasn't feeling well and that I was doing the normal bedtime routine by myself. She was so attentive to me and so caring. I sat down to feed Liam, and outloud, but to myself, I said, "Oh man, I forgot a burp cloth." She immediately jumped up and ran into Liam's room and said, "I get it. I get it." Sure enough, she came back with a burp cloth!
***Nora LOVES music. We are currently enrolled in a Kindermusic class for this semester that meets once a week for about 45 minutes. It is a very basic music class for kids Nora's age and is geared toward learning songs, beats, playing with simple instruments, and learning some cognitive skills through the tool of music. It is a wonderful class, and Nora just loves it! We sing songs all the time and listen to music everyday. It is such a joy to hear her sing songs that proclaim God's word and the truth of the Gospel. One of Nora's favorites that she has memorized is the "No No" song found on the Seeds of Faith worship CD. The words are, "My soul finds rest in God alone. My Salvation comes from Him." Nora will repeat the first line over and over again, singing it so loudly in her precious voice. Every time I hear it, I pray, "Lord, may those words be the song of her heart and not just words coming out of her mouth!" I pray that the Lord uses music as a means of drawing Nora to Himself.
***Nora is getting much better at independent playing and pretending. Around the time that Liam was born, I started to come to the realization that Nora was not so good at playing by herself. I am sure that is my fault as we spent most of our time together before Liam was born, and I just never incorporated a time for her to play by herself into her schedule. We always played together or she just did whatever I was doing. However, with Liam around, I am not able to tend to Nora constantly or entertain her all the time....WHICH I SHOULDN'T. I don't necessarily think Nora should be so dependent on me to keep her company ALL DAY LONG. So, through the advice of some experienced and caring mommy friends, I started incorporating some independent playtime for Nora in our day which we call "Room Time." (Have I blogged about this already? Probably. Pardon the repetition.) Nora cried a bit when we first started this and she began with 3 minutes of playtime in her room. After the second day, there were no more tears and she began to ask for "Room Time." After several months of "Room Time," Nora is now up to 40 minutes of independent play in her room. She is doing so great and I really think she enjoys it! I have also noticed that Nora is becoming so great at pretending! I guess it is her age, but she loves to pretend to be a butterfly, a cat, a worm, etc. And she is finally starting to get into the whole babydoll thing. It's so sweet to watch her grow!
***Nora is still by petite girl! Even though she is 2, she is still wearing 18 month clothes this fall season. I anticipate that she will grow between now and through the winter months, so I am buying 18-24 month clothes. In fact, she's able to wear some of the tops from last winter. I think she's grown in length, but she is still as thin as ever. I don't know how...this girl eats!
As Nora grows and matures, we are seeing her independent nature surface more and more. She definitely knows what she wants, and is very good at communicating her desires. We are trying to be consistent in training and disciplining her which is humbling and exhausting sometimes. The Lord has been so kind to remind me lately that her behavior is directly related to her heart. I have to be praying for her because it's not just about her behavior, it's about the state of her heart.
One of the areas where this really hit home recently is with teaching Nora "please" and "thank you." We've incorporated these words and the correct usage of them for a long time now. However, I still have to prompt Nora all the time to ask for things using please and then to answer with thank you after she's gotten something. As most mommas know, this can get REALLY OLD. "How do you ask kindly, Nora?" "Nora, are you demanding or are you asking kindly?" "What do you say, Nora?" I use these phrases all day long. One day recently, I was thinking about this and complaining to myself that I just wish she would get the hang of it. My thoughts continued on and the Holy Spirit quickly spoke to me. I began to think about how teaching kids manners is such an important dynamic in society and how almost every parent wishes that their kids would speak with manners. But what is my goal, really? Do I just want her to get the hang of it so I don't have to prompt her? Is saying please and thank you what it's really all about? No. Absolutely not. What I really desire for my children is that they will love the Lord with all their hearts, minds, and souls. I want them to have manners, yes, but more than that, I want them to have hearts that are grateful and are full of thanksgiving for God's grace in their lives and for the gifts and blessings He alone has given them. This is not something that I can develop in my children on my own. I can teach them manners, yes. I can talk about the Lord and teach them God's word, but it is the Holy Spirit at work in them that will give them grateful and thankful hearts. Not my teaching.
So, the most important aspect of parenting my Nora girl is my prayers. So I am praying for her and for my Liam! They are such precious gifts, and I am so in love with being their Momma. I am so thankful for the Lord's gentle reminder that it is He who is in control, not me.
Thank you Father for your mercies!
(Is it even cool to still refer to your kid's age by the month once they turn two? I mean, should I just say she's two until she turns two and a half instead of saying, "Oh, she 37 and a half months old"? Yeah, that's confusing. I'll just stick with two. Two years old!)
Time seems to be flying by so quickly these days with my two babies. I've found that we are busy at home and enjoying just being together as a family. Nora and Liam are so mutually fond of each other, and I get more and more excited about them being best buds as time goes on. It is just the sweetest thing to watch the two of them interact!
Even though Nora is out of the stage of life where she is hitting "milestones," I still want to be diligent about recording the things that are going on with her. She is blossoming into such a little girl! So, here are some of the new things going on with Nora:
***Nora loves to spend time with me in the kitchen! She likes the "help" me cook and bake, but we have to be careful when she does so. When she wants to get in on the action, she'll take a kitchen table chair and push it into the kitchen up to the counter. I try to involve her as much as possible! After all, I love to cook and I would love to spread that love to my girl!
***Nora is turning into quite a servant/helper. Now, this is obviously not all the time, but there are more and more occasions where she is so willing to help out with little things. For example, last week I had just finished folding a pile of laundry then moved on to do something else before putting the clothes away. I was in the kitchen, I believe, when I heard the bathroom cabinets opening and closing over and over. Typically, being in the bathroom cabinets is a no-no, so I hurried into the bathroom to get her out of there. What did I find? My little Missy Mo was putting the washcloths away! All on her own! Another example is from Saturday night. Jonathan came down suddenly with a migrane, so after supper, he went to bed and I got the kiddos cleaned up and ready for bed. I think Nora was very aware that Jonathan wasn't feeling well and that I was doing the normal bedtime routine by myself. She was so attentive to me and so caring. I sat down to feed Liam, and outloud, but to myself, I said, "Oh man, I forgot a burp cloth." She immediately jumped up and ran into Liam's room and said, "I get it. I get it." Sure enough, she came back with a burp cloth!
***Nora LOVES music. We are currently enrolled in a Kindermusic class for this semester that meets once a week for about 45 minutes. It is a very basic music class for kids Nora's age and is geared toward learning songs, beats, playing with simple instruments, and learning some cognitive skills through the tool of music. It is a wonderful class, and Nora just loves it! We sing songs all the time and listen to music everyday. It is such a joy to hear her sing songs that proclaim God's word and the truth of the Gospel. One of Nora's favorites that she has memorized is the "No No" song found on the Seeds of Faith worship CD. The words are, "My soul finds rest in God alone. My Salvation comes from Him." Nora will repeat the first line over and over again, singing it so loudly in her precious voice. Every time I hear it, I pray, "Lord, may those words be the song of her heart and not just words coming out of her mouth!" I pray that the Lord uses music as a means of drawing Nora to Himself.
***Nora is getting much better at independent playing and pretending. Around the time that Liam was born, I started to come to the realization that Nora was not so good at playing by herself. I am sure that is my fault as we spent most of our time together before Liam was born, and I just never incorporated a time for her to play by herself into her schedule. We always played together or she just did whatever I was doing. However, with Liam around, I am not able to tend to Nora constantly or entertain her all the time....WHICH I SHOULDN'T. I don't necessarily think Nora should be so dependent on me to keep her company ALL DAY LONG. So, through the advice of some experienced and caring mommy friends, I started incorporating some independent playtime for Nora in our day which we call "Room Time." (Have I blogged about this already? Probably. Pardon the repetition.) Nora cried a bit when we first started this and she began with 3 minutes of playtime in her room. After the second day, there were no more tears and she began to ask for "Room Time." After several months of "Room Time," Nora is now up to 40 minutes of independent play in her room. She is doing so great and I really think she enjoys it! I have also noticed that Nora is becoming so great at pretending! I guess it is her age, but she loves to pretend to be a butterfly, a cat, a worm, etc. And she is finally starting to get into the whole babydoll thing. It's so sweet to watch her grow!
***Nora is still by petite girl! Even though she is 2, she is still wearing 18 month clothes this fall season. I anticipate that she will grow between now and through the winter months, so I am buying 18-24 month clothes. In fact, she's able to wear some of the tops from last winter. I think she's grown in length, but she is still as thin as ever. I don't know how...this girl eats!
As Nora grows and matures, we are seeing her independent nature surface more and more. She definitely knows what she wants, and is very good at communicating her desires. We are trying to be consistent in training and disciplining her which is humbling and exhausting sometimes. The Lord has been so kind to remind me lately that her behavior is directly related to her heart. I have to be praying for her because it's not just about her behavior, it's about the state of her heart.
One of the areas where this really hit home recently is with teaching Nora "please" and "thank you." We've incorporated these words and the correct usage of them for a long time now. However, I still have to prompt Nora all the time to ask for things using please and then to answer with thank you after she's gotten something. As most mommas know, this can get REALLY OLD. "How do you ask kindly, Nora?" "Nora, are you demanding or are you asking kindly?" "What do you say, Nora?" I use these phrases all day long. One day recently, I was thinking about this and complaining to myself that I just wish she would get the hang of it. My thoughts continued on and the Holy Spirit quickly spoke to me. I began to think about how teaching kids manners is such an important dynamic in society and how almost every parent wishes that their kids would speak with manners. But what is my goal, really? Do I just want her to get the hang of it so I don't have to prompt her? Is saying please and thank you what it's really all about? No. Absolutely not. What I really desire for my children is that they will love the Lord with all their hearts, minds, and souls. I want them to have manners, yes, but more than that, I want them to have hearts that are grateful and are full of thanksgiving for God's grace in their lives and for the gifts and blessings He alone has given them. This is not something that I can develop in my children on my own. I can teach them manners, yes. I can talk about the Lord and teach them God's word, but it is the Holy Spirit at work in them that will give them grateful and thankful hearts. Not my teaching.
So, the most important aspect of parenting my Nora girl is my prayers. So I am praying for her and for my Liam! They are such precious gifts, and I am so in love with being their Momma. I am so thankful for the Lord's gentle reminder that it is He who is in control, not me.
Thank you Father for your mercies!
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Here is a yummy and easy supper to fix that I tried out last night! Jonathan and I really enjoyed it, and I will be adding it to my repertoire! I found the recipe on the $5 Dinners blog! This is a great website with lots of great money saving ideas and delicious dinner recipes.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast, diced
2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, with juice
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Directions:
1. In large skillet over medium high heat, brown the diced chicken pieces in oil.
2. Add diced green bell pepper and garlic and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. In small bowl, whisk together corn starch and soy sauce, then pour the mixture into skillet along with the pineapple chunks, pineapple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, and ginger. Stir together and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes, or until sauce reaches desired consistency/thickness.
Serve over brown or white rice.
***I used white rice and added just a few splashes of soy sauce to the water to add a hint of salt.
***This meal was wonderful, but I like lots of sauce, so I doubled the sauce portion, minus the pineapple and pineapple juice. I added some water to replace the liquid that the pineapple juice added.
***Jonathan mentioned that this recipe would probably be equally as tasty using shrimp instead of chicken. I think I may try that sometime soon as we love us some shrimp in this household. I'll let you know how it turns out!
Hope you enjoy!
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast, diced
2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, with juice
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Directions:
1. In large skillet over medium high heat, brown the diced chicken pieces in oil.
2. Add diced green bell pepper and garlic and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. In small bowl, whisk together corn starch and soy sauce, then pour the mixture into skillet along with the pineapple chunks, pineapple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, and ginger. Stir together and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes, or until sauce reaches desired consistency/thickness.
Serve over brown or white rice.
***I used white rice and added just a few splashes of soy sauce to the water to add a hint of salt.
***This meal was wonderful, but I like lots of sauce, so I doubled the sauce portion, minus the pineapple and pineapple juice. I added some water to replace the liquid that the pineapple juice added.
***Jonathan mentioned that this recipe would probably be equally as tasty using shrimp instead of chicken. I think I may try that sometime soon as we love us some shrimp in this household. I'll let you know how it turns out!
Hope you enjoy!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
I Am In Serious Trouble....
He's a maniac! He's out of control!
He may look all sweet and chubby and innocent and precious and adorable and cuddly and lovable.
And he is all of those things.
BUT....
He now rolls both ways....back to front, front to back.
He is a terror in the crib. Constantly rolling himself over and into corners to where he is stuck and gets frustrated.
He is an expert in the Johnny Jump-up.
He is slowly learning to love playing in the exersaucer.
Where did my baby go?
I seriously think he may be crawling by Christmas. My goodness, is he the total OPPOSITE of his sister! I love this boy to pieces!
He may look all sweet and chubby and innocent and precious and adorable and cuddly and lovable.
And he is all of those things.
BUT....
He now rolls both ways....back to front, front to back.
He is a terror in the crib. Constantly rolling himself over and into corners to where he is stuck and gets frustrated.
He is an expert in the Johnny Jump-up.
He is slowly learning to love playing in the exersaucer.
Where did my baby go?
I seriously think he may be crawling by Christmas. My goodness, is he the total OPPOSITE of his sister! I love this boy to pieces!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Stroke of Genius
You win some. You lose some.
You take one for the team every now and then.
Let me explain.
About two weeks ago (the first weekend end in October), we had an amazing fall day as a family! We woke up, had breakfast, geared up in our fall attire for the first time this year. It was a splendid Saturday! Beautiful weather, sunshine, blue skies. We headed to the Fruit and Berry Patch in Halls with our next door neighbors and some friends from church. We had such a great time picking pumpkins, finding some gourds, and taking photos of the kids enjoying it all. After we paid for our pickings, we had a picnic lunch on the grounds of the farm. It was such a great time!
After the pumpkin patch, we came home and took some long naps. Even the kids cooperated so Jonathan and I could get some Saturday afternoon rest. When we woke up, I got to work preparing some steaks and potatoes for the grill while Jonathan sat down to make history as the pumpkin carver extraordinaire! He found these Disney stencils online to make the cutest pumpkin carvings. We bought 5 pumpkins and he had printed out 5 of Nora's favorite Disney characters to carve into the pumpkins. I mean, our expectations were high!
So he began this adventure by taking the guts out of the first pumpkin. That didn't take but a few moments, so he soon started tracing the stencil onto the pumpkin using the instructions and technique suggested. This whole process is just up Jonathan's alley. As a dentist, he loves working with his hands and does tedious, detailed work like this on people all the time. Now, he was practically performing surgery on a pumpkin and was having a blast. About two hours later, the FIRST pumpkin was done.
We had five pumpkins.
Five.
Did I mention that while Jonathan was busy working away on the first pumpkin, that I, in a moment of sheer genius decided to de-gut the other four pumpkins? I thought the whole pumpkin-carving thing took like 20 minutes per pumpkin, tops! I had a lightbulb go off in my head that it would be so fun and domestic to take the insides out of the pumpkins and make roasted pumpkin seeds for the first time. So, instead of realizing that it was the first weekend in October and that you shouldn't necessarily cut open and dissect the pumpkins you want to last for the remainder of the month to be put on display in the front of your home, I went ahead and cleaned those puppies out! Doodly doo. Busy working away.
I did have a great time experimenting with roasting pumpkin seeds. I tried several different recipes, and the ones I loved the most were the sweet and spicy ones! Curry pumpkins seeds=disgusting. Don't try it. Nora was so sweet and helped me sort through the pumpkin guts to dig out the seeds. We had five pumpkins worth!
It wasn't until early Sunday morning while I was getting ready for church that I realized that since Jonathan had worked a total of 5 hours to carve 2 pumpkins, that we probably weren't going to go through with carving all of them. Then, it dawned on me that my pumpkins were going to start rotting real soon. Rotting and stinking. I was so mad at myself, then asked Jonathan why he didn't stop me the day before. He was like, "Well, I thought it didn't make sense, but I figured you knew what you were doing." Whatever. I'll take the heat for this one. I think he was just as excited about our new family tradition of pumpkin picking and carving and didn't realize the ramification of our actions either.
On Monday, I moved our pumpkin collection to the front yard and so proudly displayed our Mickey Mouse and Goofy pumpkins along with the other de-gutted, yet uncarved pumpkins and my lovely, bumpy, ugly gourds. I had quite the little fall festivity going on.
Then came the rain.
It's been two weeks, and it's still raining.
Cut open, carved pumpkins and water don't mix well. First come the bugs and flies. Then the worms. Then the mold. Then the pumpkins start to get mushy. Then when you decide that the display is so disgusting that you need to just throw the pumpkins away, they fall apart in your hands as you are trying to run from the patio to the garbage can without wearing pumpkin mush. Yesterday was a sad day for all pumpkins.
So, I have learned my lesson. You live and learn. I have learned to not be so over-zealous. This has been a lesson in patience for me. Next year, I will be better stewards of my pumpkins. Atleast I have my gourds.
You take one for the team every now and then.
Let me explain.
About two weeks ago (the first weekend end in October), we had an amazing fall day as a family! We woke up, had breakfast, geared up in our fall attire for the first time this year. It was a splendid Saturday! Beautiful weather, sunshine, blue skies. We headed to the Fruit and Berry Patch in Halls with our next door neighbors and some friends from church. We had such a great time picking pumpkins, finding some gourds, and taking photos of the kids enjoying it all. After we paid for our pickings, we had a picnic lunch on the grounds of the farm. It was such a great time!
After the pumpkin patch, we came home and took some long naps. Even the kids cooperated so Jonathan and I could get some Saturday afternoon rest. When we woke up, I got to work preparing some steaks and potatoes for the grill while Jonathan sat down to make history as the pumpkin carver extraordinaire! He found these Disney stencils online to make the cutest pumpkin carvings. We bought 5 pumpkins and he had printed out 5 of Nora's favorite Disney characters to carve into the pumpkins. I mean, our expectations were high!
So he began this adventure by taking the guts out of the first pumpkin. That didn't take but a few moments, so he soon started tracing the stencil onto the pumpkin using the instructions and technique suggested. This whole process is just up Jonathan's alley. As a dentist, he loves working with his hands and does tedious, detailed work like this on people all the time. Now, he was practically performing surgery on a pumpkin and was having a blast. About two hours later, the FIRST pumpkin was done.
We had five pumpkins.
Five.
Did I mention that while Jonathan was busy working away on the first pumpkin, that I, in a moment of sheer genius decided to de-gut the other four pumpkins? I thought the whole pumpkin-carving thing took like 20 minutes per pumpkin, tops! I had a lightbulb go off in my head that it would be so fun and domestic to take the insides out of the pumpkins and make roasted pumpkin seeds for the first time. So, instead of realizing that it was the first weekend in October and that you shouldn't necessarily cut open and dissect the pumpkins you want to last for the remainder of the month to be put on display in the front of your home, I went ahead and cleaned those puppies out! Doodly doo. Busy working away.
I did have a great time experimenting with roasting pumpkin seeds. I tried several different recipes, and the ones I loved the most were the sweet and spicy ones! Curry pumpkins seeds=disgusting. Don't try it. Nora was so sweet and helped me sort through the pumpkin guts to dig out the seeds. We had five pumpkins worth!
It wasn't until early Sunday morning while I was getting ready for church that I realized that since Jonathan had worked a total of 5 hours to carve 2 pumpkins, that we probably weren't going to go through with carving all of them. Then, it dawned on me that my pumpkins were going to start rotting real soon. Rotting and stinking. I was so mad at myself, then asked Jonathan why he didn't stop me the day before. He was like, "Well, I thought it didn't make sense, but I figured you knew what you were doing." Whatever. I'll take the heat for this one. I think he was just as excited about our new family tradition of pumpkin picking and carving and didn't realize the ramification of our actions either.
On Monday, I moved our pumpkin collection to the front yard and so proudly displayed our Mickey Mouse and Goofy pumpkins along with the other de-gutted, yet uncarved pumpkins and my lovely, bumpy, ugly gourds. I had quite the little fall festivity going on.
Then came the rain.
It's been two weeks, and it's still raining.
Cut open, carved pumpkins and water don't mix well. First come the bugs and flies. Then the worms. Then the mold. Then the pumpkins start to get mushy. Then when you decide that the display is so disgusting that you need to just throw the pumpkins away, they fall apart in your hands as you are trying to run from the patio to the garbage can without wearing pumpkin mush. Yesterday was a sad day for all pumpkins.
So, I have learned my lesson. You live and learn. I have learned to not be so over-zealous. This has been a lesson in patience for me. Next year, I will be better stewards of my pumpkins. Atleast I have my gourds.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Liam Piper: 5 Months Old
Can you believe that my baby boy is 5 months old? I am in total shock that he is so big! I feel like I just found out I was preggo with this boy. Where has the time go?
Liam Piper is absolutely the sweetest baby in the world. I am totally aware that I am blessed! This boy is so sweet, so kissable, so laid back, so easy going, so content! I could go on for days. He brings such joy to our family and is so loved by his momma, daddy, and big sister! Here are some things going on in little Liam's life these days:
Feedings: Liam is still nursing and is doing such a great job. He now eats every three hours, instead of every 2.5. We've made that subtle change within the past few weeks, and I can't tell you how nice it is to be on a three hour schedule. Thirty minutes makes a big difference! Liam has also started on baby food two times a day. He usually gets some rice cereal/fruit after his first feeding of the day, then he gets some cereal, vegetables, and fruit after his afternoon naptime feeding, usually around 5:30 pm. So far, Liam has had applesauce, pears, sweet potatoes, bananas, squash, avocado, and prunes. His favorites are bananas, squash and sweet potatoes. I gave him the avocado for the first time tonight, and he was NOT a fan! We'll work on that though.
Sleep: Are you ready for this? I am so happy to announce that Liam is now "sleeping through the night." He is put to bed sometime between 8:30-9:00 pm, I nurse him again right before I go to bed (around 10:30-10:45), and then he doesn't eat again until 8:00 am. As I mentioned in a previous post, we had to let Liam "cry it out" for a while because he was constantly waking up at the 2:00-3:00 a.m. hour for no reason except to get his paci. This was extremely hard on me, but the night waking went on for a LONG time, and after just a few nights of crying for a short period until he fell back asleep, Liam now no longer wakes during that wee hour! ALLELUIA! Some mornings, he will stir and sleepy cry for a little bit around 5:00 am, but I am hoping he will get out of that too!
Growth: I am not sure how much Liam weighs these days, but I am guessing he is close to 18 lbs. He is now in 6-9 month clothing, and is wearing a size 2 diaper during the day and a size 3 at night. He should probably be in a size 3 all the time, but I am trying to finish up my last box of size 2 diapers before fully switching over. Nora just moved up to size 4 diapers this summer, so she is still our little petite thing while Liam is our chunkamonk!
Naps: Naps are going much better for Liam than they had been. I also commented on this in a previous post. In short, I am working to watch for Liam's sleepy cues instead of trying to keep him up as long as possible, thinking that the more tired he is, the longer he will nap. Even though that seemed to make sense in my head, it didn't logistically work out that way. But, putting him down earlier for naps than I typically have in the past has been working in our favor. Some days he takes three really good long naps. But, most days, he will take two 2 hour naps, with a shorter nap in between those two big naps, and a short nap around our supper time.
Skills: Liam is a mover and a shaker. He is definitely going to be a crawler, which I am excited about since Nora skipped crawling all together. Liam does so well with tummy time and is really growing stronger in his neck and arms. I love going to check on him while he's napping only to go in and see a head sticking up, looking out at me as I walk in the room. Liam is also rolling a lot from his belly to his back. He probably could, in my opinion, roll from his back to his belly, but he's not interested. I've been trying to be more intentional about putting Liam in the sitting position more often so that he can develop his back muscles. It shouldn't be too much longer before he learns to sit up, so we'll try to give him lots of practice!
Milestones: Liam went on his first family vacation this month! We traveled to Gatlinburg for a long weekend and had a wonderful time. Liam was such a trooper; he slept great, ate well, and just went with the flow! He went to Dollywood, the aquarium, and the Smoky Mountain National Park. This boy has been busy! Liam also went to the Pumpkin Patch today for the first time and got his first pumpkin.
Life as a Little Brother: Liam absolutely adores Nora. He is completely fascinated by her, and his eyes are glued on her the moment she enters the room. Nora really loves Liam, as well, and is such a sweet big sister. She loves to tickle him and hug him, even though I am terrified she is going to squish the stuffing out of him. He never seems to mind, though, just smiles and laughs at her. Nora mimics a lot of the things that I say to Liam. My favorite is when she gets really close to his face and says, "Hey Buddy, Hey Buddy!" It's so sweet! I can't imagine how much fun we will have with them as Liam gets older and they play together even more. I can't wait!
Well, there is the latest with my boy!
I have pics of our adventures with pumpkins to post, but I want to wait until we finish carving our pumpkins. So far, we've picked them, cleaned out the guts, made several varieties of roasted pumpkin seeds, and carved two of our five pumpkins. We are exhausted from a busy day today, but we have had such a wonderful Saturday together as a family!
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