So, I am not sure why this has taken me so long. However, here are some of my favorite vacation pictures from our trip to New England.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Vacation Pictures
So, I am not sure why this has taken me so long. However, here are some of my favorite vacation pictures from our trip to New England.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Breakfast
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Here are some of the reasons why.
1. I love coffee. I admit, it is an addiction. When I was pregnant it was so disgusting to me. I was repulsed by the thought of it. However, my love for coffee it back. Most of the time I drink it black, but I also like a plain latte too.
2. Cereal, almost all kinds. You can keep the Raisin Bran.
3. Milk and Juice are two more favorites that come with breakfast.
4. Some times I make pancakes on Saturdays. By the way, here is the recipe I use.
Yummy Pancakes (they are as easy as the mix, just try them!)
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1/4 to 1 cup of milk (depending on how you like your pancakes. I use 1 cup)
Mix and fry.
OK, back to the list.
5. Fruit, eggs, bacon, oatmeal, grits, toast, french toast. Okay, I think it is safe to say I just like breakfast food!
My family knows that I love breakfast. So, for my birthday last week my mom took me to my favorite place for breakfast. The Sunrise Cafe in Yellowsprings
Now on to the reasons I love this little place. First, they have great coffee. Second, everything is organic and fresh! Finally, they have the best pancakes on earth. Go to the website and just look at the picture of the pancakes. They are THIN, not thick and they have really crispy edges. They are served with melted butter and maple syrup. They are just outstanding!
1. I love coffee. I admit, it is an addiction. When I was pregnant it was so disgusting to me. I was repulsed by the thought of it. However, my love for coffee it back. Most of the time I drink it black, but I also like a plain latte too.
2. Cereal, almost all kinds. You can keep the Raisin Bran.
3. Milk and Juice are two more favorites that come with breakfast.
4. Some times I make pancakes on Saturdays. By the way, here is the recipe I use.
Yummy Pancakes (they are as easy as the mix, just try them!)
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1/4 to 1 cup of milk (depending on how you like your pancakes. I use 1 cup)
Mix and fry.
OK, back to the list.
5. Fruit, eggs, bacon, oatmeal, grits, toast, french toast. Okay, I think it is safe to say I just like breakfast food!
My family knows that I love breakfast. So, for my birthday last week my mom took me to my favorite place for breakfast. The Sunrise Cafe in Yellowsprings
Now on to the reasons I love this little place. First, they have great coffee. Second, everything is organic and fresh! Finally, they have the best pancakes on earth. Go to the website and just look at the picture of the pancakes. They are THIN, not thick and they have really crispy edges. They are served with melted butter and maple syrup. They are just outstanding!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Crawling and Cereal
It is hard to believe that Elyse is 6 months old and she is crawling already. As my neighbor says, 'she is doing the Desert Storm.' Indeed, it is a very fast army crawl. Her little arms and legs just move as fast as they can.
Last week, she was doing nothing Monday-Thursday. She was rolling around, but not moving. On Friday, a switch in her little body must have switched on. The switch said, "I have got to move." And move she does. She wants to move all the time!
I am so thankful for a healthy baby. When I look at her I think about the following verses:
Psalm 139: 13-18
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.
Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!
God, I'll never comprehend them!
I couldn't even begin to count them—
any more than I could count the sand of the sea.
Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!
On another note, we started cereal about 3 weeks ago. She started like a champ and gradually declined. We have tried, cereal and warm water, cereal and breast milk, cereal and apple juice. All of it would go in and back out again. So, yesterday I thought I would try really cold water and cereal. It was ice water and cereal. She loved it! She ate the whole bowl. Tonight I made about 4 veggies into baby food and put them in the freezer. I wonder if I will have to give her ice cold veggies too?
Last week, she was doing nothing Monday-Thursday. She was rolling around, but not moving. On Friday, a switch in her little body must have switched on. The switch said, "I have got to move." And move she does. She wants to move all the time!
I am so thankful for a healthy baby. When I look at her I think about the following verses:
Psalm 139: 13-18
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.
Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!
God, I'll never comprehend them!
I couldn't even begin to count them—
any more than I could count the sand of the sea.
Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!
On another note, we started cereal about 3 weeks ago. She started like a champ and gradually declined. We have tried, cereal and warm water, cereal and breast milk, cereal and apple juice. All of it would go in and back out again. So, yesterday I thought I would try really cold water and cereal. It was ice water and cereal. She loved it! She ate the whole bowl. Tonight I made about 4 veggies into baby food and put them in the freezer. I wonder if I will have to give her ice cold veggies too?
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Salsa
I really like homemade salsa this time of year. Everything is so fresh!
Recently, some people have asked me how I make salsa. The answer is that I make it a few different ways. Sometimes I make a more basic salsa and other times I make a corn and black bean salsa. Here are recipes for both types.
Basic Salsa
8- Tomatoes (Roma tomatoes are best)
1- Medium Onion
2-3 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 of a bunch of Cilantro
2 T Olive Oil
1-2 T Lime Juice
1 t Salt
1 t Pepper
1 T Sugar
Hot Sauce to taste
You can change the amounts of anything based on taste and what you like the best. And I like everything chopped small, so I use a food processor to chop and blend everything.
Corn and Black Bean Salsa
1 can of White Corn, rinsed and drained
1 can of Black Beans, rinsed and drained
6 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
5 Green Onions, chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1/4 c. Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 c. Olive Oil
1 t Garlic, minced
1/2 t. Cumin
3/4 c. Cilantro, chopped
Hot Sauce and Salt to taste
I put everything except the Corn and Beans into the food processor. Then combine the two parts.
If you try them, let me know which one that you like the best!
Recently, some people have asked me how I make salsa. The answer is that I make it a few different ways. Sometimes I make a more basic salsa and other times I make a corn and black bean salsa. Here are recipes for both types.
Basic Salsa
8- Tomatoes (Roma tomatoes are best)
1- Medium Onion
2-3 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 of a bunch of Cilantro
2 T Olive Oil
1-2 T Lime Juice
1 t Salt
1 t Pepper
1 T Sugar
Hot Sauce to taste
You can change the amounts of anything based on taste and what you like the best. And I like everything chopped small, so I use a food processor to chop and blend everything.
Corn and Black Bean Salsa
1 can of White Corn, rinsed and drained
1 can of Black Beans, rinsed and drained
6 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
5 Green Onions, chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1/4 c. Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 c. Olive Oil
1 t Garlic, minced
1/2 t. Cumin
3/4 c. Cilantro, chopped
Hot Sauce and Salt to taste
I put everything except the Corn and Beans into the food processor. Then combine the two parts.
If you try them, let me know which one that you like the best!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Yard Sale and Kroger
First, I would like to say that I am sorry for being such a bad blogger. Maybe I am not really a bad blogger, but I think I should do it more often. I most certainly have enough to write about, but I just have not had a spare minute. This week I cleaned out our house to get ready for the yard sale, had family over for dinner, unpacked and did laundry from vacation, cleaned the house, worked on some homework (I am taking two classes), ran a million errands, took Elyse for her 6th month check up, went to Columbus, filled out paper work for my new job, finished a big project for Miami Trace and so much more. It has just been a crazy week!
Elyse is 6 months old! She weighed 16 pounds and 4 ounces. She was 25 1/2 inches long. At the appointment she had to get two shots. When the nurse gave her the first one she let out a LOUD scream and by the end of the second shot she was done. It was like the switch had been flipped. Ryan and I joke that she is able to go from 0 to 60 very very fast!
Okay, on to the yard sale...
I have had a few yard sales in my life time. When I was little, my baby sitter was my great grandmother and my great aunt. THEY LOVED YARD SALES! I would hate to think about how many we went to. They loved going to them and they loved having them. If you have read this blog from the beginning then you know about my self-professed poor memory. However, I have to believe that I can remember seeing the same junk that continued to cycle. I think they would buy junk at one yard sale, then have their own yard sale and someone else would buy it and on and on until they probably ended up with the same junk they once had. And let me clarify, 'Junk' is that item that one person sees as trash and you see it as that one item that you really need to have. There are many more things I could say about yard sales, but I will try to keep this short. Here are a few thoughts on yard sales:
1. Whenever my dad sees a yard sale he says, "I wish I could buy everything there and get rid of all of it for them." HE HATES CLUTTER and that is what a yard sale is to him.
2. Why is it that the biggest piece of junk that you price, the one that you think should go in the trash, is always the first to sell?
3. One mans trash is TRULY another mans treasure.
4. You've gotta love the people who bargain at a yard sale. Today multiple people held up items that were priced $1 and asked if I would take $.50. (I will take anything, I just want to get rid of it)
5. Why do I always think I will make much more than I actually do?
6. I had one lady today that came three different times. I had the same junk out all day. I am not sure why she made three trips. I did not receive any new shipments.
7. Another lady told me that I had a high priced yard sale...I didn't know what to say to that.
8. One lady held up a blanket and asked me how many times it had been used.....really?!
9. A friend of mine came by today. As she was shopping, a old lady with LOTS of questions about yard sale items thought it was my friends yard sale. So my friend had the privilege of answering all of the questions.
10. Don't have a yard sale and try to take care of a 6 month old at the same time....what was I thinking?! Actually, she was very good and the neighbors were GREAT help!
Okay, enough about yard sales on to my KROGER experience. Please make sure you are sitting down when you read this next part...it is GROSS!!!
So after the yard sale, I cleaned the down stairs and then went to Kroger to get just a few things. As I was walking into the store, I saw and heard a lady yelling at her three kids. If I were guessing I would say that they were around ages 5-8. I heard them talking about watermelon as I followed them into the store. Once inside the lady called someone on her cell phone and began completely ignoring the kids. Well the kids took off for the open container of pineapple samples. After using their hands, and not the provided toothpicks, to eat all of the pineapple they followed their mother to corner of the produce section.
She was still talking on the phone and ignoring them while placing some pre-sliced watermelon and pineapple in her cart. The kids had each picked up a toothpick at the sample stand. (prepare your self....this is when it gets really GROSS) I really could not believe my eyes. I saw the little girl stick her toothpick into a bright orange pepper, pull it out and lick it. Then she choose a strawberry, then a packaged pineapple, then an orange, then a tomato. IT WAS LIKE A CAR CRASH. I wanted to look away. I wanted the mother to notice and repremand her. I wanted the toothpick to fall to the ground. I just watched as she continued to poke the produce with her toothpick, lick it and do it again.
Some of you will not understand the rest of this story. However, if you deal with children often, I think you will understand. I tell Ryan sometimes the 'teacher' in me just comes out! As the mother walked on back to the meat department, leaving her little 'pokers' to prod in MY produce, the little girl, in slow motion raised her toothpick to a bag of grapes. She poked and licked again as I yelled, "HEY! That is so gross. People are here to buy stuff and you have poked your little toothpick into other peoples food. How would you like someone to do that to your food? Are you going to buy everything that you have poked with your toothpick? Don't do that any more!" I wasn't yelling, but I was stern. It was the teacher voice. They all ran to their mother.
I am sure they told on me.
Moral of the story, watch for small holes in your produce!
Elyse is 6 months old! She weighed 16 pounds and 4 ounces. She was 25 1/2 inches long. At the appointment she had to get two shots. When the nurse gave her the first one she let out a LOUD scream and by the end of the second shot she was done. It was like the switch had been flipped. Ryan and I joke that she is able to go from 0 to 60 very very fast!
Okay, on to the yard sale...
I have had a few yard sales in my life time. When I was little, my baby sitter was my great grandmother and my great aunt. THEY LOVED YARD SALES! I would hate to think about how many we went to. They loved going to them and they loved having them. If you have read this blog from the beginning then you know about my self-professed poor memory. However, I have to believe that I can remember seeing the same junk that continued to cycle. I think they would buy junk at one yard sale, then have their own yard sale and someone else would buy it and on and on until they probably ended up with the same junk they once had. And let me clarify, 'Junk' is that item that one person sees as trash and you see it as that one item that you really need to have. There are many more things I could say about yard sales, but I will try to keep this short. Here are a few thoughts on yard sales:
1. Whenever my dad sees a yard sale he says, "I wish I could buy everything there and get rid of all of it for them." HE HATES CLUTTER and that is what a yard sale is to him.
2. Why is it that the biggest piece of junk that you price, the one that you think should go in the trash, is always the first to sell?
3. One mans trash is TRULY another mans treasure.
4. You've gotta love the people who bargain at a yard sale. Today multiple people held up items that were priced $1 and asked if I would take $.50. (I will take anything, I just want to get rid of it)
5. Why do I always think I will make much more than I actually do?
6. I had one lady today that came three different times. I had the same junk out all day. I am not sure why she made three trips. I did not receive any new shipments.
7. Another lady told me that I had a high priced yard sale...I didn't know what to say to that.
8. One lady held up a blanket and asked me how many times it had been used.....really?!
9. A friend of mine came by today. As she was shopping, a old lady with LOTS of questions about yard sale items thought it was my friends yard sale. So my friend had the privilege of answering all of the questions.
10. Don't have a yard sale and try to take care of a 6 month old at the same time....what was I thinking?! Actually, she was very good and the neighbors were GREAT help!
Okay, enough about yard sales on to my KROGER experience. Please make sure you are sitting down when you read this next part...it is GROSS!!!
So after the yard sale, I cleaned the down stairs and then went to Kroger to get just a few things. As I was walking into the store, I saw and heard a lady yelling at her three kids. If I were guessing I would say that they were around ages 5-8. I heard them talking about watermelon as I followed them into the store. Once inside the lady called someone on her cell phone and began completely ignoring the kids. Well the kids took off for the open container of pineapple samples. After using their hands, and not the provided toothpicks, to eat all of the pineapple they followed their mother to corner of the produce section.
She was still talking on the phone and ignoring them while placing some pre-sliced watermelon and pineapple in her cart. The kids had each picked up a toothpick at the sample stand. (prepare your self....this is when it gets really GROSS) I really could not believe my eyes. I saw the little girl stick her toothpick into a bright orange pepper, pull it out and lick it. Then she choose a strawberry, then a packaged pineapple, then an orange, then a tomato. IT WAS LIKE A CAR CRASH. I wanted to look away. I wanted the mother to notice and repremand her. I wanted the toothpick to fall to the ground. I just watched as she continued to poke the produce with her toothpick, lick it and do it again.
Some of you will not understand the rest of this story. However, if you deal with children often, I think you will understand. I tell Ryan sometimes the 'teacher' in me just comes out! As the mother walked on back to the meat department, leaving her little 'pokers' to prod in MY produce, the little girl, in slow motion raised her toothpick to a bag of grapes. She poked and licked again as I yelled, "HEY! That is so gross. People are here to buy stuff and you have poked your little toothpick into other peoples food. How would you like someone to do that to your food? Are you going to buy everything that you have poked with your toothpick? Don't do that any more!" I wasn't yelling, but I was stern. It was the teacher voice. They all ran to their mother.
I am sure they told on me.
Moral of the story, watch for small holes in your produce!
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