Look at this sweet 10 month old!
7 years ago
Monday, June 21, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Growing up...
Izzy surprises me everday with her development. I can't believe the things a 2 year old remembers from months ago.
Izzy is growing up and now:
1. Sends text messages on her cell phone. Seriously, she says she's sending so and so a message and then types away at the keypad. Hmmm, maybe that says something about how many texts HER MOM sends. ;)
2. Prepares food for Clara??? This morning, I was cleaning and getting ready for our long weekend at the beach. I looked over at Clara in the highchair, and Izzy had gotten out the mandarin oranges and a knife, and pulled a chair up next to the highchair. She was cutting up the oranges and giving them to Clara, and then she even got a paper towel to clean up the high chair tray. Woohoo!
Lovin' everyday of this life!
Izzy is growing up and now:
1. Sends text messages on her cell phone. Seriously, she says she's sending so and so a message and then types away at the keypad. Hmmm, maybe that says something about how many texts HER MOM sends. ;)
2. Prepares food for Clara??? This morning, I was cleaning and getting ready for our long weekend at the beach. I looked over at Clara in the highchair, and Izzy had gotten out the mandarin oranges and a knife, and pulled a chair up next to the highchair. She was cutting up the oranges and giving them to Clara, and then she even got a paper towel to clean up the high chair tray. Woohoo!
Lovin' everyday of this life!
Thankful for friends!
Naphtali sent me a text message yesterday morning to see if we wanted to come for dinner that evening since Justin was gone for work. We had a great time eating, chatting, and playing with the Mittens. Here are the monkeys with Nath...
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Braver by the day
So it's no news that Izzy isn't a huge risk taker. She isn't a jump right in kinda kid, but she does eventually do the things the risk takers do. She just does it on her own time table. Every day she does something even more brave than the previous day.
Now she loves to float on her own, go under the water, and jump all around the pool. Have you heard of this new Coast Guard approved life vest? It's called a Puddle Jumper, and it looks like water wings with a band across the chest and a buckle in the back. It's awesome! Helps with balance better than water wings.
We pack a lunch and go to the pool over lunchtime. During the 10 minute adult swim, the three of us chow down. Here's Izzy with her requested apple slices. :)
I love life with Izzy and Clara!
Now she loves to float on her own, go under the water, and jump all around the pool. Have you heard of this new Coast Guard approved life vest? It's called a Puddle Jumper, and it looks like water wings with a band across the chest and a buckle in the back. It's awesome! Helps with balance better than water wings.
We pack a lunch and go to the pool over lunchtime. During the 10 minute adult swim, the three of us chow down. Here's Izzy with her requested apple slices. :)
I love life with Izzy and Clara!
My Happy Little Fish
Look at Clara on her back with my mom her first time in our neighborhood pool!
We've gone every weekday that the pool has been open, and she is the happiest little fish ever! She usually just floats and stares and floats and stares at all the kids when she's in this yellow tube. It's nice cause I can play with Izzy while Clara floats all around on her own. We had a blast today swimming together, playing with our pool toys, and splashing water. Don't worry, I don't put her in this float the whole time we're at the pool. Clara loves to stand on the step and play with the shovel and bucket, too. 
Buzzzzzz
Last week, I asked Justin if he would ever do a really short buzz or even BIC his head, but he said you can't do big changes in Sales. However, he went to get his hair cut yesterday at the place that has never made an error before, and he ended up [having to] tell them to just buzz it after the cut was terrible. I was pretty surprised when he came home, and I kept looking at him all night, but I LIKE it!
By the way, Justin is back in action after his apendicitis. :)
Monday, June 7, 2010
Delicious Chicken Florentine
Our dinner tonight was DELICIOUS. It is a dinner I will definitely make for friends or visitors, but I don't think I will make it too often since it's a little high in calories. ;)
Chicken Florentine Casserole
Adapted from Allrecipes
2 large chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter (or a little less)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I use less-fat, less-sodium)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup milk or half-and-half (I used skim)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 bag fresh spinach
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
Splash of white wine
4-5 slices bacon
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
Cut the chicken into uniform small bite-size pieces. Fry the bacon in a pan. Remove it to a paper towel lined plate. Keep some of the bacon grease, and add the chicken and garlic to it. Saute the chicken, and then remove to paper towel lined plate. Don't drain. Add the white wine, spinach, and mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms reach desired tenderness. Remove veggies. In same pan, melt butter. Stir in lemon juice, mushroom soup, seasoning, milk, Parmesan, and 1 c. Mozz cheese. In a 9x9 casserole dish, spread the mushroom/spinach mixture. Then cover that with the chicken pieces. Cover the chicken with crumbles bacon. Pour the cheese sauce over the bacon. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes covered. Then spread the other 1 c. Mozz over the casserole and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes. You will not be disappointed!
Would be tasty with a glass of white wine, green salad, and crusty french bread.
Chicken Florentine Casserole
Adapted from Allrecipes
2 large chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter (or a little less)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I use less-fat, less-sodium)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup milk or half-and-half (I used skim)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 bag fresh spinach
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
Splash of white wine
4-5 slices bacon
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
Cut the chicken into uniform small bite-size pieces. Fry the bacon in a pan. Remove it to a paper towel lined plate. Keep some of the bacon grease, and add the chicken and garlic to it. Saute the chicken, and then remove to paper towel lined plate. Don't drain. Add the white wine, spinach, and mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms reach desired tenderness. Remove veggies. In same pan, melt butter. Stir in lemon juice, mushroom soup, seasoning, milk, Parmesan, and 1 c. Mozz cheese. In a 9x9 casserole dish, spread the mushroom/spinach mixture. Then cover that with the chicken pieces. Cover the chicken with crumbles bacon. Pour the cheese sauce over the bacon. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes covered. Then spread the other 1 c. Mozz over the casserole and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes. You will not be disappointed!
Would be tasty with a glass of white wine, green salad, and crusty french bread.
Panko Zuc Spears
Justin only likes a few vegetables, so I grow a lot of those particular ones.
Zucchini happens to be on that very short list.
I have some casseroles for zucs and squash, and I saute it a lot. Today I tried a not-so-healthy recipe that turned out AWESOME!
Instead of mozzarella sticks, I made Zuc Spears! The key to these spears is using the Panko Bread Crumbs.
Adapted from the one and only Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen
2 Zucchinis, Cut into spears
½ cups All-purpose Flour
2 whole Eggs
3 Tablespoons Milk
2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs (Kikkomans)
1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley Flakes
Canola Oil, For Frying
Ranch dressing, For Dipping
Place flour in a small bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk.
In another separate bowl, combine panko bread crumbs with parsley flakes.
TO ASSEMBLE: One by one, roll zuc spears in flour, then dunk in egg/milk mixture, then place in panko crumbs. Use your hand to sweep crumbs all over the spear. Gently remove and place on a tray or cookie sheet. Repeat until all spears are coated.
***Place tray in freezer for 20 minutes to flash freeze.***
TO COOK: Heat 1 1/2 inches canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add zuc spears 4 at a time. Watch closely and turn over to evenly brown, cooking less than 2 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve with Ranch for dipping. Serves 4.
*This recipe is orginally for mozzarella sticks. You'd use string cheese cut in half and follow the recipe. Serve them with marinara sauce.
Zucchini happens to be on that very short list.
I have some casseroles for zucs and squash, and I saute it a lot. Today I tried a not-so-healthy recipe that turned out AWESOME!
Instead of mozzarella sticks, I made Zuc Spears! The key to these spears is using the Panko Bread Crumbs.
Adapted from the one and only Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen
2 Zucchinis, Cut into spears
½ cups All-purpose Flour
2 whole Eggs
3 Tablespoons Milk
2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs (Kikkomans)
1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley Flakes
Canola Oil, For Frying
Ranch dressing, For Dipping
Place flour in a small bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk.
In another separate bowl, combine panko bread crumbs with parsley flakes.
TO ASSEMBLE: One by one, roll zuc spears in flour, then dunk in egg/milk mixture, then place in panko crumbs. Use your hand to sweep crumbs all over the spear. Gently remove and place on a tray or cookie sheet. Repeat until all spears are coated.
***Place tray in freezer for 20 minutes to flash freeze.***
TO COOK: Heat 1 1/2 inches canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add zuc spears 4 at a time. Watch closely and turn over to evenly brown, cooking less than 2 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve with Ranch for dipping. Serves 4.
*This recipe is orginally for mozzarella sticks. You'd use string cheese cut in half and follow the recipe. Serve them with marinara sauce.
Look at our Garden grow!
Look at the growth from mid-April till beginning of June:
On Saturday, I picked a BUNCH of green beans and some zucs/squash!
On Saturday, I picked a BUNCH of green beans and some zucs/squash!
Who knew?
I do not like fish. Well, I do not like any food with a fishy-taste.
Justin just started getting into SUSHI because his boss enjoys it. My friend, Leslie, got me started on it at her birthday dinner (I'm not afraid to try anything... or almost anything.).
I really like the Spicy Tuna Tempura Roll! Who knew???!!!
And no fish taste whatsoever.
Justin just started getting into SUSHI because his boss enjoys it. My friend, Leslie, got me started on it at her birthday dinner (I'm not afraid to try anything... or almost anything.).
I really like the Spicy Tuna Tempura Roll! Who knew???!!!
And no fish taste whatsoever.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Miss my girl!
I am enjoying my rest and being able to take care of Justin, but I do LOVE getting calls throughout the day from my little Miss IzzyBoots!
Bein' Spoiled!
Grandpa, Nana, and Auntie Tess took Izzy to Hershey Park on Thursday evening after I was gone. Tess gets in free due to her employer, and she had connections for free tickets for my parents. She said when they got home, they couldn't stop laughing at how they thought every little thing Izzy did was SOOO cute. ;) Doting grandparents and auntie!
Her first ride with Grandpa... eventually she rode on her own!
Just barely all enough to get on all the Kiss rides:
Izzy slept after this evening at Hershey Park until 9:30am this morning when my mom woke her up! That is LATE for her!!!
LOOOONG Story...
Sweaty me after running but before my emergency return to Charlotte, NC... On the phone with Justin's family before leaving to get back to MY HUBBY!
Wednesday, after dinner, Justin sent me a text that his stomach was crampy. (I was in Hershey, PA visiting with my family.) I figured it was his normal stomach issues that he has each week. When my phone started ringing at 2am, I knew it wasn't just his normal issues. He was in a lot of pain, but he didn't want to overreact. I wanted to call people for help, but he wanted to be cautious... even though he really thought it might be appendicitis. Justin got ahold of his sister to see if her office had seen any violent stomach bugs. After talking to Justin, she had him push on certain places in his abdomen, and tears came out of his eyes. Even through the phone, she knew it was not good. I made Justin call our neighbor, Joe, who got up/dressed and was going to take him to the ER. Unbeknownst to us, Justin's sister had already called Steve, a paramedic who goes to our church and lives in our neighborhood, and he showed up at our house. Steve ended up taking Justin to the ER, and his mom met him there around 3am. Eventually, the rest of his family and some friends joined him. It took awhile for Justin to get meds, but eventually he went through the CT and was told he had appendicitis sometime after 9am. The surgery was originally scheduled for 1:30pm, but it was pushed back to 2:30pm. It went very smoothly, and Justin was home around 7pm. He just has 4 small holes from the laparoscopic surgery. Justin is pretty funny in regular life, but apparently if you put him on some serious meds, then he is something else! ;) Clara and I arrived home at 8:40pm. She was so happy to see her daddy, and of course, I was more than happy! Izzy stayed with my parents in Hershey, and she'll be brough back here next week. It's good that she isn't here so that Justin can just rest without her wanting to climb on him, but we do miss our little girl. I have been tired from lack of sleep and driving, so I'm enjoying my rest and just having sweet Clara (who is sooooooooooo easy).
The hardest part for me wasn't that Justin had appendicitis. It was just the fact that I wasn't there. It was so weird to know my husband had an ER trip and surgery all before I could get to him.
Justin is sore, tender, and tired, but he has been resting today and walking around some to make sure the gas pumped into his abdomen doesn't rise into his shoulders. He can't work for a week, and he can't do any physical activity for two weeks. We are very thankful for his family and some of our friends who stayed with him throughout the day yesterday, despite being seriously sleep deprived themselves. Tonight and tomorrow night we have meals from two of my girlfriends, and our friend, Nate, is going to mow the grass tomorrow. It feels so good to have people we can count on no matter how inconvenient for them. Justin was supposed to fly to Chicago Thursday morning, and I'm relieved that this didn't all occur when he was there!
I really LOVE my husband.
Wednesday, after dinner, Justin sent me a text that his stomach was crampy. (I was in Hershey, PA visiting with my family.) I figured it was his normal stomach issues that he has each week. When my phone started ringing at 2am, I knew it wasn't just his normal issues. He was in a lot of pain, but he didn't want to overreact. I wanted to call people for help, but he wanted to be cautious... even though he really thought it might be appendicitis. Justin got ahold of his sister to see if her office had seen any violent stomach bugs. After talking to Justin, she had him push on certain places in his abdomen, and tears came out of his eyes. Even through the phone, she knew it was not good. I made Justin call our neighbor, Joe, who got up/dressed and was going to take him to the ER. Unbeknownst to us, Justin's sister had already called Steve, a paramedic who goes to our church and lives in our neighborhood, and he showed up at our house. Steve ended up taking Justin to the ER, and his mom met him there around 3am. Eventually, the rest of his family and some friends joined him. It took awhile for Justin to get meds, but eventually he went through the CT and was told he had appendicitis sometime after 9am. The surgery was originally scheduled for 1:30pm, but it was pushed back to 2:30pm. It went very smoothly, and Justin was home around 7pm. He just has 4 small holes from the laparoscopic surgery. Justin is pretty funny in regular life, but apparently if you put him on some serious meds, then he is something else! ;) Clara and I arrived home at 8:40pm. She was so happy to see her daddy, and of course, I was more than happy! Izzy stayed with my parents in Hershey, and she'll be brough back here next week. It's good that she isn't here so that Justin can just rest without her wanting to climb on him, but we do miss our little girl. I have been tired from lack of sleep and driving, so I'm enjoying my rest and just having sweet Clara (who is sooooooooooo easy).
The hardest part for me wasn't that Justin had appendicitis. It was just the fact that I wasn't there. It was so weird to know my husband had an ER trip and surgery all before I could get to him.
Justin is sore, tender, and tired, but he has been resting today and walking around some to make sure the gas pumped into his abdomen doesn't rise into his shoulders. He can't work for a week, and he can't do any physical activity for two weeks. We are very thankful for his family and some of our friends who stayed with him throughout the day yesterday, despite being seriously sleep deprived themselves. Tonight and tomorrow night we have meals from two of my girlfriends, and our friend, Nate, is going to mow the grass tomorrow. It feels so good to have people we can count on no matter how inconvenient for them. Justin was supposed to fly to Chicago Thursday morning, and I'm relieved that this didn't all occur when he was there!
I really LOVE my husband.
Grandpa & Izzy
Izzy loves Grandpa, and definitely vice versa.
Eating their Hershey chocolate bars:
Eating their Hershey chocolate bars:
Isn't this picture below just the cutest?!?!?!?
Real Milk Chocolate
Tess was so sweet and drove 3 hours each way to pick up my grandma and bring her back to visit with us in Hershey. She used her days off work to drive quite a bit.
***
Grandpa, Nana, Great-Grandma Beatty, Auntie Tess, and the three of us girls toured Chocolate World along with all the tourists. ;)
Both girls LOVED the singing cows. Grandma got us in the special entrance since she has a cane. She got to ride on a wheelchair, while the rest of us almost fell getting on the moving circular floor for the ride. :)
The 3-D Show was pretty cool! When one of the characters spit, we were spritzed with water, and another time they piped in a strong chocolate aroma during the movie. Pretty impressive!
I never get tired of visiting Chocolate World!
***
Grandpa, Nana, Great-Grandma Beatty, Auntie Tess, and the three of us girls toured Chocolate World along with all the tourists. ;)
Both girls LOVED the singing cows. Grandma got us in the special entrance since she has a cane. She got to ride on a wheelchair, while the rest of us almost fell getting on the moving circular floor for the ride. :)
The 3-D Show was pretty cool! When one of the characters spit, we were spritzed with water, and another time they piped in a strong chocolate aroma during the movie. Pretty impressive!
I never get tired of visiting Chocolate World!
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