Crock pot

Who isn't always looking for new ways to use their crock pot?

Oh, no one? Well, I guess I'm a weirdo then.

Well, in any case, if any of you know any other weirdos who like to use their crock pot then pass on this site to them. I haven't looked through it much yet, but a friend just sent it to me. There are tons of recipes, including one for Pumpkin Bread!

Here it is.

Rascals

Carter is over today playing with Alton. They haven't played together for a while since we were out of town. One of Carter's favorite things to do is to JUMP. On anything. The couch, the bed, whatever. So, a few minutes ago I heard Carter jumping on Alton's bed. Then, a few seconds later, I heard Alton say to Carter, "Honey, please don't jump on the bed!"

These are old pictures (but, still very cute). I can't find the usb cable to import the pictures from my camera. So, the new ones will have to wait. (Okay, I can't figure out why everything is underlined. I can't make it stop. Ack!)

Good Sport

Everyone needs to play...This is Fun!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember--it can be funny, weird, awkward, random, etc.!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Victory

If any of you know Alton, then you know that he rarely is willing to consume anything remotely healthy. Most nights he will actually opt out of eating dinner just so he doesn't have to try something other than PB&H or Mac 'n cheese. It's quite ridiculous.

This morning for breakfast I really wanted a smoothie so I started tossing stuff into the blender. Some milk, yogurt, ice, frozen strawberries, frozen mango, banana, and...here's the kicker....about 2 cups of fresh spinach. I remembered that I had just bought a big bag of the stuff and that I have put it in my smoothies in the past and they tasted great. My plan was to try and get some extra nutrients in there since I knew that Alton would ask for some. The kid won't touch a single vegetable. I thought he might have a cow when he saw me dumping the dark green spinach into the blender, but he didn't flinch. I thought the greenish color of the drink might deter him from trying it. However, to my surprise and satisfaction, he guzzled down an entire cupful. Victory, ladies and gentlemen! This morning I feel like I have a little something to celebrate. I managed to sneak a little extra nutrition into my 3-year-old's body. It's not an easy thing to do!

Speaking of breakfast, hop over to visit Pioneer Woman to check out her Migas recipe. It looks great!

Mini Trip Part 1 / Other Random Photos

Several months ago we decided to take a mini vacation to Chattanooga. We had so much fun! The first thing we visited was the Aquarium. We can hardly wait to go there again! Alton definitely loved seeing all the sea creatures. There was so much to see that we wished we had had another day or two to take it all in!

We also went to the iMax to watch a movie about whales/dolphins. Little did we know that it was 3D. Alton got scared right at the beginning and asked to leave during the remainder of the film. I had to keep pushing food at Evy to try and keep her quiet. We thought the movie would be a nice breather, we could all sit for a while, relax, we figured the kids would love watching the big movie. We decided that we definitely could have done without that experience. But, now we know! (That sure was a lot of "we"s in one paragraph).

We weren't 30 minutes into our trip before Alton was already getting into the treat bag. I don't blame him because I'm the same way. I strongly dislike being in the car and having a treat always makes it a little more tolerable.

We left something in the car (maybe the camera), so we waited here on this bench and had snacks while Barry went to retrieve it. Outside the aquarium, there were little pools all over the place. There were tons of kids and grown ups alike in their swimsuits or just clothes wading, cooling their feet in the pools. It was such a beautiful, family-friendly place.

My He-man (those kids are heavy)!

Don't ask me what we were standing in front of here. I just couldn't resist this sweet picture of me with my mini-sweetheart.

This was one of those touch tanks where you could "pet" the stingrays and little shark thingies. And, NO, I did not touch them. I touched a stingray at Sea World when I was in middle school. It was slimy. Once was enough.

This penguin was so funny. He kept swimming right up to the glass, almost like he was looking for a photo op. I think I could watch the penguins (and the otters) all day.

Here are some random cute pictures. Most of these are a couple/few months old. Evy was playing with a bunch of toys that our friend, Kim, gave to us. Alton was already down for his nap, or else she wouldn't have gotten to play so peacefully.

Here's Aunt Carli playing Play-doh with Alton. She was making all sorts of interesting things. This kid is extremely creative!

Chalk outlines. We all had to take a turn. Alton would crack up every time he'd stand up and look at his outline. Good idea, Carli!

Evelyn loves music. Anytime she sees the lid up on the piano, she rushes over to play. She also loves this xylophone (Odd that they make a xylophone with only 5 keys, instead of an octave. Does this bother anyone else??). The outfit she is wearing used to be Carli's (who is 8). I remember Carli toddling around in this ensemble!

There is never a lack of help when I need to get the groceries sorted and put away!

A couple of months ago we had a silly face contest while we patiently *ahem* waited for our freshly baked cookies to cool.

Alton is also a big fan of music (I guess most kids are, eh?!). He especially enjoys playing "the shark song" (think "JAWS") on the piano. He is always so proud.

Cheerio time.

I just love these gorgeous hair bows! I have five different color (removable) bows that I can clip onto the headband. They're so girly and cute! If you're interested in purchasing some, then visit my friend's website.

Recipe

This Chicken Taco Cornbread is what we had for dinner last night (it's the first place winner recipe). It was absolutely delicious and loaded with flavor! Not to mention that it was very easy to prepare. Give it a try!

Plain Yogurt Alert!

Until this summer, I don't think I even knew about plain (nonfat) yogurt. Pioneer Woman has discovered its many wonders and decided to share them with us. So, if you are interested in finding many new ways to use it in place of sour cream, mayonnaise, and even butter in your cooking and baking, then check out Pioneer Woman (just look for her entry in the cooking section from September 11th) I'm certainly going to give these a whirl! I could stand to shave some fat and calories for the sake of better health and weight-loss (still have 20 "pregnancy" pounds to lose)!

Recipes

Last night for dinner I made these. They may look simple and boring. But, believe me when I say they are not boring! They were so light, refreshing, and full of flavor. AND, they were super easy to put together! I served them with fresh mango.

Last week I made this and this, which were also a hit. Again, very easy to prepare and really delicious!

I'm really having fun trying new things. It makes cooking dinner a little more exciting because I have something new to look forward to!

Go make some!

P.S. Great pancake recipe here!

Amazing!

Okay, everybody, get out your tissues! You may have already seen this (video is at the end of this post), but it is worth watching again! I sobbed through the whole thing (but in a good way).


"' ...do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is
no path and leave a trail...'

A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?' The father who, despite having a heart condition, said 'Yes'. They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together. One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Iron man
together.' To which, his father said 'Yes'. For those who don't know, Iron man is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180 .2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island.

Father and son went on to complete the race together."

Here's the video!

Computer Trauma

So, this week our computer has almost been out of commission. It would work for a few minutes at a time, then would need to be shut down for several hours. Barry finally backed everything up, wiped the computer clean of everything, then started over installing all the goods. The pictures haven't made it back on yet. So, for now I'll use that as my excuse for not posting all the fun pictures that I want to share with everyone! =)

Can I just say that I have totally become addicted to food blogs?! I have recently discovered that there is an endless supply of wonderful blogs with beautiful pictures and delectable recipes! Who needs another cookbook when you can access any recipe you could possibly ever want (with 200 variations) online for free?!???! So, yes, I love love love to look at recipes. I could do it all day long (when I'm not reading about Mr. Darcy....). In the past I could look at hundreds of recipes and never try anything new (I know it's weird). But, I have made it a new goal to not just look at the recipes, but to actually try them! It's exciting to have new things to eat for dinner. Not just the same ole tacos, meatloaf, and spaghetti (don't get me wrong, I still love those, too)!

Over time (basically, whenever I remember), I will be adding new links to my blog so that you all can see for yourself.

Tah tah for now.