Sunday, July 31, 2011

Recipes

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time on Pinterest. I love it! It's my favorite thing to do when the boys are sleeping. I use it to find great ideas on how to turn the basement into the ultimate playroom, get fun outfit inspriration, household tips, cute ideas for pictures, craft ideas, etc. I've also found that it's a great way to find and store my favorite recipes. I love trying new recipes, especially any that involve fresh vegetables from our garden. I try and blog all my recipes so I have an easy way to go back and see what we've tried and liked. Since the pictures from Pinterest are better than what I took, I'm going to use them along with a link to each website for the full recipe.


ROASTED TOMATOES WITH FETA & SHRIMP

This roasted tomato dish was amazing! We served it over angel hair pasta with a slice of crusty bread and it was delicious. I cooked the shrimp way too long, so they ended up being tough, but the tomatoes were so yummy. I could actually do without the shrimp next time I make it.




JALAPENO POPPER GRILLED CHEESE
Greg and I both loved this recipe. It was simple and delicious. We used fresh jalapenos from our garden and it was SPICY!


CILANTRO LIME RICE
This recipe is from Gina's Skinny Recipes. It's a website full of delicious weight watcher recipes. This recipe is actually a skinny version of Chipotle's rice. Chipotle is one of my favorite restaurants, so I knew I had to try it. I loved it.















FRUIT SALSA WITH CINNAMON CHIPS
Don't let the word "salsa" confuse you, there's no onions, cilantro, etc. in this recipe, it's basically fruit salad that's cut up small so it's easy to dip it. I didn't make the chips like the recipe called for, I just used Stacy's Pita chips in Cinnamon and Sugar. Next time, I'd like to make my own chips though.

CAKE BATTER BALLS
These are bad news. They are so easy to make and so delicious. They taste just like cake batter. It's easy to eat a million of them because they're so tasty. Greg and I ate way too many of these things. From now on, I'll only make it if we're having company or if I reduce the recipe so it doesn't make as much.


We got the ingredients to make these two recipes this weekend. I'm excited to try them. The first is Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese--how can it possibly be bad?


I don't even know if Greg's aware that I'm making this red onion, cucumber, and tomato salad. He probably won't like it, he's not a big fan of raw onions. But, I love stuff like this. Yummy, cold salads are perfect for summer. I hope it tastes as good as it looks.


So, there's the recipes I've been trying lately. I know I've been pretty bad about blogging lately. It's beed busy around here. I don't see Evan and Carter slowing down anytime soon, so I'm just trying to keep up. Two active boys make for one tired momma. I've been meaning to do a "week in the life of" post. I really wanted to do one every couple of months since they were born so I could look back and see how much things have changed, but I haven't done it. I'm going to try and document my life for the next two weeks by blogging daily about our day and routine. It'll be super boring for anybody who reads my blog, but I want to look back and be able to see what a typical day was like for us at this age. Hopefully, I can do it every so often so I can compare how different our days are as they get older.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

11 Months

I cannot belive the next post I do like this will be the boys 1 year post. It's so hard to believe. They've definitely been up to a lot this past month.

Carter still weighs around 20lbs, and we think Evan is about 2lbs less. They're still wearing 12 month size clothes, although some of the pants and shorts are a little big on them. They're in size 4 diaper, it's a little big, but they were leaking in size 3 diapers, so we went up a size and have not had any problems since then.

Carter took his first step on Thursday, July 14th!! He's been standing all by himself for awhile now and we knew it was just a matter of time before he started trying to walk. Since Thursday, he's taken one or two steps on several occasions. He's getting more and more confident and steady and I think the next post I'll be talking about him walking. Evan is doing so much better at standing and walking around on his push walker. He's so much more steady & graceful than he was a month ago.

They are interracting more than ever. They play together and laugh all the time. They will have each other cracking up and it's so cute!!! They have several little "games" they play. They love playing with the gate to the front room, they'll each stand on either side of it and push it back and forth and laugh. They chase each other, especially under the dining room table. It's so much fun watching them together.

Evan is babbling like crazy. He'll just go on and on while he's playing. Carter babbles a lot too, but nothing like Evan. I think he's going to be our little talker.

Bath time is their favorite time of day. We strip them down to their diapers and let them play for a few minutes while getting ready. They are always so happy and giggly during this time, no matter how tired they are. We put Evan in the bath and Greg washes him up and then we put Carter in the bath with him and they play and splash around. They love that time and laugh and smile the whole time. Then I get Evan out and dry him off, comb his hair, clean his ears, put lotion on, etc. While Greg washes Carter up, then I hand Evan off to Greg, who puts on his pjs and I do Carter's aftercare. I hand him to Greg to get his pjs on while I clean up the bathroom and we feed them, read them a story, and put them to bed.

Their sleeping is better than it's ever been. It's been good before but it seems like something--sickness, travel, company, teething, etc. always throws it off. It's been good since they were sick over the 4th of July weekend. I think seperating the cribs has helped a lot. They're also getting more activity during the day. Most days, they just take 2 naps now and those naps are getting longer and longer. They used to take 3 naps and the naps could be anywhere from 30 min to 90min, but now it seems like their naps are a minimum of an hour but are often an hour and a half. I'm so glad that their sleeping has improved a lot, everybody is much happier when they're well rested.

The boys are eating four 6oz bottles a day along with solid foods. Normally, the boys split a Gerber oatmeal pack in the morning and some Cheerios before their first nap. After they wake up, they split a waffle and have a little fruit. Lunch consists of either veggies, ritz crackers, puffs, yogurt, etc. We give them a Gerber vegetable and a ritz cracker for dinner and some of whatever we're having. They eat pretty much anything except the things that are not recommended for babies under 1 (peanuts, eggs, avocados, milk, etc). Evan is such a good eater. He could eat all day, he's a bottomless pit. We actually go through our fridge and see what we have too much of, like grapes that we may not eat before they go bad, etc. and give it to him. I can't think of anything he doesn't like. We have to put one piece on his tray at a time because he will shovel it all in his mouth at once. Carter is also a good eater, but is a little pickier. He likes to touch things and try them slowly. Some things he likes right away, but some things he likes to ease into. He eats one piece of food at a time and is very polite about it. It's funny how different they are.
**Something that happened that I've been meaning to write down so I don't forget: I gave the boys some finger foods (gerber cheese puffs) and was washing the dishes while they ate. Evan finished his and started hollering for more. I told him I'd get him some more in just a minute. He was not having it-he wanted more and he wanted it right away. Carter took one of his cheesy puffs and put it on Evan's tray to have. It was the cutest, sweetest thing ever. I don't ever want to forget the things like that**

The boys were dropped off at the gym childcare this month a few times while we worked out. It was their first time being dropped off with anybody besides their grandparents. They've done so good. If they get a little fussy, all the girls have to do is get them a snack and they're happy until we get done working out. I'm so glad they don't cry the whole time we're gone. I was really worried with me being with them all the time that it'd be harder to leave them with other people, but they've done great. Much better than me--I feel guilty every time, but I know it's good for them.

Here's their 11 month pictures.
He usually lasts about 2 seconds before he starts trying to scoot down so he can crawl off.
Clapping
I wanted to get some pictures of him standing, but he insisted on holding this cow. We went to Chik-Fil-A with the boys last weekend to get them some ice cream and the manager came out and gave them both a cow and said how cute the boys were. It was so nice and really made our day.
Standing all by himself. Such a big boy.
The lighting is bad in all these pictures, but I wanted to show some of him standing up.
Evan wanted the empty water bottle in the pictures with him. These boys and their props!
So happy because he thinks I'm letting him keep it.
Laughing at Mamaw.
and he's off. Having deja vu? This is exactly how last month's pictures went.
He stops to pose with the remote.
Fun--a pillow obstacle.
He thinks he's something standing on the couch.

I can't believe they are a month away from being a year old. I'm kinda sad how fast it went by but at the same time, I'm so excited for all the new things coming our way. There's still so many firsts to come and the older they get the more things they're able to do. I'm trying to enjoy each moment with them and not wish the time away and I'm also trying not to dwell too much on how sad it is that in a blink of an eye 11 months have passed.
I've uploaded some new videos to our YouTube page of them playing, babbling, and with their birthday gifts from Aunt B. I let them have them the day we got them--sorry Brandi!!, but when you see the video of the boys playing with them, you'll understand. they love them so much and are having so much fun--you'd let them open them early, too. ;)

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Weekend Recap

I'm just going to do a little bullet post of what's been going on the past couple of weeks

*After the boys got over their colds, they were still waking up at 3 and 4:00 in the morning, which is far too early!! One would wake up and end up waking the other one up and that's what time we were starting our days. It was exhausting. We've talked about moving the cribs into seperate rooms before, but I've been fighting it. I was really hoping all their sleep habits would just work themselves out without us seperating them. Finally, I gave in a let Greg move Carter's crib. He moved it to the scrapbooking room where we'll keep it for awhile and see how things go. After they get on a good sleeping schedule, we'll try putting them in the same room again, if they start going back to bad sleeping habits when we put them in the same room again, then we're going to rearrange the rooms upstairs and give them each their own room. :( I hope we don't have to do that. So far, it's been going really good. Both boys are sleeping later, at least 5:30 and some days as late as 6:30. Evan has pretty much stopped waking up in the middle of the night and if he does, it's only once and he just needs his pacifier. Carter has had 2 rough nights, but we think it's because he's on the verge of a developmental milestone (walking) which the pediatrician says can mess up their sleep at night.
*We joined a gym about a week ago. I'm so excited, it's really nice and they have free childcare, which is the only way we'd be able to work out. We figured it was good for the entire family. We'd have more energy, we'd lose some weight, we'd get some time away from the boys, the boys would get some play time with other kids. We're both very excited about this. We've gone a couple of times and it feels really good to be getting some exercise. The boys are still getting used to being dropped off in the Kids Zone, but they're doing really, really good considering its' the first time they've ever been left with somebody besides their grandparents.

*I went to a Mom's Night Out at Timberwood Grill with my MOPS group. It was fun. We had great food, some drinks, and it was nice to be able to talk to some other moms.

*Last Saturday we went to a BBQ at a friends house. It was the first party we've gone to since the boys were born. Almost everybody Greg works with was there with their spouses and children and it was nice to see everybody. The boys had a great time, eating good food and getting tons of attention.

*I went to a 31 party last Sunday. A girl in my MOPS group held it and she happens to live in my neighborhood, so me and another MOPS member from the neighborhood were able to just walk on over. I love 31 products and had a hard time choosing what to get.

*I've been going to playdates at the park with my mom group. We've been several times over the past few weeks. The boys love the swings. They love exploring crawling around and exploring. If it's too hot to go to the park or I just feel like switching it up, I go to the mall early in the morning and let the boys play on the play area. They love it, but they're still too small to play when there's lots of older kids there. So, we go between 8-10 and there's hardly anybody there and if there is, it's small kids like Evan & Carter.

My mom and sister arrived today to stay for the week. We're so excited to see them. We have a busy week planned and I can't wait to get some things done. The boys turn 11 months old tomorrow and I can't wait to share what they've been up to this past month. Hopefully I can get back into blogging on a regular basis soon. The boys keep me so busy!!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Tortellini and Tomato Salad

Another recipe from the July issue of Southern Living. I was going to make this later in the summer when I could use tomatoes out of our garden, but since we grilled some fresh corn for 4th of July, I figured I'd just use the leftovers for this salad. I thought this was so tasty and perfect for eating cold for lunch.

Tortellini and Tomato Salad
Ingredients


2 (9-oz.) packages refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Prepare tortellini according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, process olive oil and next 5 ingredients in a blender until smooth. Toss olive oil mixture with hot cooked tortellini, tomatoes, and next 3 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Weekend Pictures

I touched on this in my 4th of July post, but we all managed to get sick over the 4 day weekend. Who gets sick in the summer?! So, I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted of the boys first 4th of July. It's hard enough trying to get pictures of them when they're healthy and happy, but when their tired, sick, & fussy--it wasn't happening. I was going through the pictures I took and figured I'd post some of the ones that I got of the weekend.

Greg's a little dramatic when he's sick
The boys stayed in the pjs most of the weekend.
I think it's so cute to see them "reading".
I have no idea why we made so much food. We also had a squash casserole. There's 10 ears of corn! For two people. I don't know what I was thinking.
I wanted to get a picture of the boys on the front stoop. I thought it was such a cute idea, but the boys weren't having it. They've never sat out there before, so they were way too busy checking everything out. We'd get one to look and the other one was distracted.
My mom bought the boys' 4th of July day outfits at Old Navy. She got Carter a 12-18 month and Evan a 6-12 and a 12-18 onsie. I wasn't paying attention and I took the tags off the 6-12 month one to wash it, but I wasn't worried, he's so skinny, I just knew it'd fit him. Haha, not really. It looks so small on him. But, since I was so "sure" that it'd fit, we didn't know until we put it on him to take the pictures. We were not going to fight with an active, sick baby to change it. So, we left him in it.
Carter's face is so funny in this picture.
I thought it was so cute that Carter had his hand on Evan's back the whole time.
Yay! Evan loves clapping, at anything.
Carter looks thrilled.
Carter was having a meltdown because Greg set him down and went into another room for a second. So dramatic.
Evan had had enough, he's shutting Carter's mouth. hahaha
This is how Carter looked in most of the pictures. Annoyed. Refusing to smile. He was having fun outside, but would not smile for the camera.
Haha, Carter has had enough of the pictures.
This is the best one I got of him the whole day.
This is what he did to show me he was done taking pictures.
Evan likes to crawl under anything he can.


So, there you have it. Our very boring 4th of July weekend in pictures.

Grilled Jalapeño-Lime Corn on the Cob

This is another recipe I got from the July issue of Southern Living. I got several recipes from that issue, it was packed full of yummy recipes. I love corn, especially grilled corn on the cob. The recipe called for a jalapeno and cilantro which we were able to pick from our garden! I was so excited to finally get to use some fresh herbs and vegetables that I grew. I loved this dish, I thought the jalapeno-lime butter was delicious. Greg--not so much. He doesn't like grilled corn on the cob and he wasn't big on the cilantro flavor in the butter.

Grilled Jalapeno-Lime Corn on the Cob
Ingredients
8 ears fresh corn, husks removed
Vegetable cooking spray
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 small garlic clove, pressed
1 tablespoon lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
Garnish: lime zest

Preparation
1. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Coat corn lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper. Grill corn, covered with grill lid, 15 minutes or until golden brown, turning occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, stir together butter and next 5 ingredients. Remove corn from grill, and cut into thirds. Serve corn with butter mixture. Garnish, if desired.