This recipe is a summer staple at my house. This recipe came from my Mom. Growing up she always made it for neighborhood block parties. It has quickly become one of my favorite guilty pleasures.
Almond Tea
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp. Instant tea
1 Cup Lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp. Almond Extract
Dissolve the sugar and instant tea in the boiling water. Add remaining ingredients and cold water to fill a one gallon pitcher. Chill and enjoy!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Up on the Housetop
When Jonah was born I made the decision to exclusively breastfeed just as I'm currently doing with Gracie. For whatever reason I felt overwhelming Mommy guilt if while I was nursing him I wasn't singing to him. So I sang. I sang all the time. If he was nursing I was singing. Jonah was born the end of October. So with the holidays right around the corner it was only fitting to sing him every Christmas carol I knew. The Christmas carols quickly became the top songs in my lullaby memory file. As a result of all that singing, to this day when Jonah eats he unconsciously hums. No this is not a joke. He hums while eating, and he has no idea that he is doing it unless someone calls him out on it. We have always thought it was endearing until he started attending school and getting made fun of everyday at lunch. Now whenever he does it we quickly point it out to correct him. Who knew that my crazy mom guilt would create this food related hum that is still going strong at six years old.
Now here I am nursing Gracie and I hate to admit it, but the Mommy guilt is back. So I sing to her as well every time she nurses. The problem is that my lullaby memory file is not very large. I know very few lullabies from memory. So even though it's July, it's Christmas in July at my house. Up on the Housetop, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, & Frosty the Snowman. They all get sung to my nursing baby girl everyday. My husband always walks by me and just smiles shaking his head in amusement. It will be interesting to find out if Gracie turns into an unconscious food eating hummer as well. If you ever stop by don't be surprised if you hear Christmas tunes coming from inside. It's just me singing Up On The Housetop for the tenth time that day. It's Gracie's current favorite.
Now here I am nursing Gracie and I hate to admit it, but the Mommy guilt is back. So I sing to her as well every time she nurses. The problem is that my lullaby memory file is not very large. I know very few lullabies from memory. So even though it's July, it's Christmas in July at my house. Up on the Housetop, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, & Frosty the Snowman. They all get sung to my nursing baby girl everyday. My husband always walks by me and just smiles shaking his head in amusement. It will be interesting to find out if Gracie turns into an unconscious food eating hummer as well. If you ever stop by don't be surprised if you hear Christmas tunes coming from inside. It's just me singing Up On The Housetop for the tenth time that day. It's Gracie's current favorite.
Daddy's Home!
Daddy's home! Something about saying those words sets the whole house in a spin of excitement. Everyone can't wait to see Daddy, and Mama can't wait to have some help to get through the rest of the night. I have heard many Moms talk about the late afternoon hours waiting for Dad to get home being the worst hours of the day. I agree completely! They call this time of day for newborns the witching hour. For us Moms it's simply called survival hour! Poor Daddy walks into the house after a long day and everyone attacks. The kids can't wait to jump all over him and get some Daddy time, and Mama can't wait to have a minute alone for a quick breathe. They wait for him on the bed as he changes clothes, they peek under the bathroom door as he goes to the restroom, and they wait patiently squeezing between his legs as he kisses and hugs Mama. It's amazing the element that one more person adds to a household. It can go from quiet to chaos within seconds. There is no greater feeling than that love whether your a Dad or a Mom coming home from a long day. Opening the door to a household of people who can't wait to get their hands on you and share with you how much they missed you and love you.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Military Cadence
Hail O' Hail O' Calvary! This week started my husbands two week WLC (Warriors Leadership Course) training. His morning starts at 3:30 a.m. and when he crawls into the door late evening he immediately hits the computer to memorize another military cadence to lead the troops the following day. Kevin walks around the house marching with Gracie as he chants cadences like Hail 'O Hail 'O Calvary, & If I Die In A Combat Zone. Gracie looks at her Daddy with smiles and confusion rolled into one. Jonah rolls around on the floor covering his head begging for it to stop. There is no denying it now, we are officially a military family. Our life is filled with cadences, flags, shelves of army issued ACUs, more tan t-shirts then any one human being should ever own, combat boots, MREs, & glow sticks the size of telephone poles. This will prove to be a long two weeks for all of us as the running cadence memorization comes next! If I die in a combat zone are not the words I would typically hope to have running through my head when I close my eyes at night. As I'm humming myself to sleep I'll have a big smile on my face picturing my husband marching around the house with our baby girl in tow attempting to carry a tune while remembering all the words. Left,your left,your left right left.
Who's that baby in the mirror?
Gracie has discovered the mirror. She loves it! She smiles that big open mouth smile, talks to herself, and last night we heard her first giggle upon seeing herself. These moments make it all worth it!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Dude. I've seen hot chicks and trust me they do not look like you!
Dude (aka Mama)! I've seen hot chicks and trust me they do not look like you! When did my six year old turn into a teenager? Hearing about hot chicks is something I was hoping not to have to deal with for at least ten more years. Personally I blame tv and the fact that yes he most likely watches way too much. The Disney channel is now filled with shows like Hannah Montana, ICarly, & Wizards of Waverly Place just to name a few. If you happen to catch an episode from any of the above you'd probably find yourself removing all televisions from the house. Unfortunately my husband is totally against this idea or else trust me it would have been done long ago. I mean what would happen if he couldn't watch all of his shows as well! Shows like, Dirty Jobs, Myth Busters, Deadliest Catch, & Man Versus Food.
Imagine for a minute what your world would be like without tv. We would be forced to read books, play games, eat at the dinner table, go for walks, & talk to each other. I know that's a lot to take in! Getting off of our asses and using our brains. Imagine how your family would be changed. It's pretty overwhelming to think about. Life without technology. In ten more years I can only imagine what we are in for.
On a recent family vacation to my inlaws it only confirmed to me the impact that tv has had on the family unit. The tv never went off the entire visit. We only see this part of the family once a year, and the tv never went off! This quickly drove me insane. We drove fourteen hours in the car to visit with family just to get there and watch tv! What has happen to families? No one knows how to talk to one another anymore.
Husbands and wives don't even go to bed together anymore. One is either passed out in front of the tv or asleep with one of the kids. Remember back to when you were dating. The tv rarely came on, and you always went to bed together. Trust me even if there were kids involved as there were when Kevin and I dated, you always found a way to make it to bed together. What would that feel like to find that intimacy with your spouse again. To lay in bed together at night and giggle and talk. Fall asleep holding hands. Just the two of you talking and connecting like you used too.
This year I plan to work hard on bringing my family out from in front of the tv and back to each other. With Kevin's second deployment right at our heels all of the lost family moments to the tv have really started to show themselves. I may never get these moments back with my family, and when I look back I sincerely doubt that I'll be thankful for that hour I spent watching the newest episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8. Jonah might not agree right now, but someday when he has married that hot chick he talks about and has a couple children of his own he will understand completely.
Imagine for a minute what your world would be like without tv. We would be forced to read books, play games, eat at the dinner table, go for walks, & talk to each other. I know that's a lot to take in! Getting off of our asses and using our brains. Imagine how your family would be changed. It's pretty overwhelming to think about. Life without technology. In ten more years I can only imagine what we are in for.
On a recent family vacation to my inlaws it only confirmed to me the impact that tv has had on the family unit. The tv never went off the entire visit. We only see this part of the family once a year, and the tv never went off! This quickly drove me insane. We drove fourteen hours in the car to visit with family just to get there and watch tv! What has happen to families? No one knows how to talk to one another anymore.
Husbands and wives don't even go to bed together anymore. One is either passed out in front of the tv or asleep with one of the kids. Remember back to when you were dating. The tv rarely came on, and you always went to bed together. Trust me even if there were kids involved as there were when Kevin and I dated, you always found a way to make it to bed together. What would that feel like to find that intimacy with your spouse again. To lay in bed together at night and giggle and talk. Fall asleep holding hands. Just the two of you talking and connecting like you used too.
This year I plan to work hard on bringing my family out from in front of the tv and back to each other. With Kevin's second deployment right at our heels all of the lost family moments to the tv have really started to show themselves. I may never get these moments back with my family, and when I look back I sincerely doubt that I'll be thankful for that hour I spent watching the newest episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8. Jonah might not agree right now, but someday when he has married that hot chick he talks about and has a couple children of his own he will understand completely.
Kevin's Favorite Gouda Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 onions (yellow, red, or white), julienne cut
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 cup flour
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz Gouda cheese (any cheese of your choice works just the same)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove any fat from the chicken breasts. Place them into a zip lock bag and pound them until they are equal in thickness. Heat a large skillet. Add 1-2 Tbsp. EVOO. Add your onions and garlic. Saute over medium heat until well caramelized. Remove onions and garlic from the pan and set to the side. Dredge the chicken breasts in a mixture of flour and salt & pepper until all sides are coated with the flour mixture. In your well heated skillet add 2-3 Tbsp EVOO. Place your chicken breasts into the pan. Immediately take two forks and poke them all over creating holes throughout entire breast. Saute them until well browned on one side. Flip them over and quickly add your onion and garlic mixture, heavy cream, and cheese. Cover with a lid and place in preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes. The chicken will be melt in your mouth amazing!
1-2 onions (yellow, red, or white), julienne cut
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 cup flour
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz Gouda cheese (any cheese of your choice works just the same)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove any fat from the chicken breasts. Place them into a zip lock bag and pound them until they are equal in thickness. Heat a large skillet. Add 1-2 Tbsp. EVOO. Add your onions and garlic. Saute over medium heat until well caramelized. Remove onions and garlic from the pan and set to the side. Dredge the chicken breasts in a mixture of flour and salt & pepper until all sides are coated with the flour mixture. In your well heated skillet add 2-3 Tbsp EVOO. Place your chicken breasts into the pan. Immediately take two forks and poke them all over creating holes throughout entire breast. Saute them until well browned on one side. Flip them over and quickly add your onion and garlic mixture, heavy cream, and cheese. Cover with a lid and place in preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes. The chicken will be melt in your mouth amazing!
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