Easter Dinner Ideas

We had our Easter dinner a little early at our house.  I knew we'd be at Wes' parent's house for Easter and I love any excuse for turkey, so we had it last week.  You know, turkey is one food that seems to be reserved for holidays but it's really quite versatile, easy, and always delicious.  Oven turkey is easy enough but when you're not home all day to babysit it, this crockpot variety is a delicious alternative.  It's actually more juicy and tender and retains more flavor that traditional oven baking.  The only downside is you don't have the crisp, delicious skin, or the wow-factor for presentation but I'll take taste over those 2 things any day.  The recipe is so easy; only 3 ingredients and you're good to go!  I plan to attempt my own Onion Soup Mix variation next time though because every option at the grocery had MSG and that's no good.  Don't worry if you don't like cranberry sauce, you don't actually eat it, it's just there for flavor and to keep the turkey moist.  Enjoy!

Cranberry Onion Soup Mix Turkey

Author:  Some genius on the interweb

3lb. turkey breast (frozen or thawed)

1 can cranberry sauce (jellied type)

1 envelope onion soup mix (dry)

Place thawed turkey breast in slow cooker.  Mix together cranberry sauce and soup mix and pour over top (spread).  Cook on HIGH for 2 hours, then LOW for 7 hours.  If breast is still frozen, cook on HIGH for 2 hours, then LOW for 10 hours or more.

*****

I have a love hate relationship with things that involve yeast.  I generally try to avoid them but every once in a while I get brave and declare I'm going to overcome my fears and anxieties.  You can't have turkey without yeast rolls, so I decided to give it another whirl.  I was pleasantly surprised how well these turned out.  I ended up halving the recipe but then forgot I was halving when it came time to divide out the rolls.  Oh well, they turned out fine, just a little small.  The recipe is called KitchenAid's 60 Minute Dinner Rolls and while it was pretty quick, I think it took a little longer than that.  Either way, it was a recipe worth keeping and trying again...with the right sized rolls!

Food Revolution

As many of you know, or can tell from my incessant recipe posting, I put a lot of emphasis on a healthy diet.  Wes and I are constantly amazed at some of the things that Colin not only will eat but actually loves (just tonight he ate roasted zucchini and squash).  I'm sure part of it has been luck but I think another big part of it is that we eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and have fed Colin the same since the beginning.  We try to never say the words, "he won't eat that" or "he won't like that" or "x is yuck".  Accordingly, we have a great, healthy eater.  It's so nice to not have to worry about fixing him a separate meal because he will always eat at least some portion of what we're eating.

Like I said, I know part of this is luck of the draw and we were fortunate enough to have a good eater and not a picky one.  I have friends who have tried everything to get their little ones to eat to not avail.  I was once one of these picky eaters, so I completely understand the frustration and reality of it.

There are, however, plenty of other families who haven't tried anything else.  Fast food and other convenience items are just far too, well, convenient to try any alternatives.  The problem is that they are virtually eliminating fruits and vegetables from their children's diet and are doing a severe injustice to their bodies.  The kids are rendered helpless because not only do they not have the insight to make better decisions, they lack the means as well.  Enter Jamie Oliver and his Food Revolution.  Jamie is on a nationwide quest to end childhood obesity and teach Americans how to eat healthier, including how to cook at home - what a concept!

Jamie began his quest in the unhealthiest city in America, Huntington, West Virginia.  He, along with his co-producer, Ryan Seacrest, document their journey in a series being aired on ABC.  In case you missed Friday night's premiere, you can catch the 2-hour video here:  Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  He starts in one of their public schools and it is amazingly disheartening how unresponsive and unwilling these adults are to change the future for our children.  I shed some tears and got angry several times but in the end I was encouraged because he appears to be making a breakthrough with at least a handful of individuals.

Like I said, I'm pretty passionate about this subject, so I'm just trying to do my part in spreading the word.  If everyone will just consider each bite before it goes into his/her mouth and make a conscious decision to eat healthier, that would be a great start!  If you feel really compelled, you can go sign Jamie's food petition here.

Review: Wallace Station

Even though I try to eat healthy every day, even I fall off the wagon and crave some less healthy things from time to time.  We generally reserve these "treats" for the weekend, which makes the weekends that much sweeter!

Every year when Lent begins, we start craving fried fish because of the numerous Fish Fry signs we see throughout our town.  Since we're not Catholic, we would feel a little awkward showing up to consume their food.  Wallace Station takes care of that for us.  Spring ushers in their Friday night Fish Frys and Monday night Fried Chicken Dinners.  Both are good but I prefer the fish and of course Wes prefers the chicken - typical that we couldn't possibly agree.

Last weekend we both had a hankering for fish and the weather was so lovely that I though Wallace Station would be perfect because we could enjoy the beautiful drive down the scenic Old Frankfort Pike and then we could eat outside once at the restaurant.  The drive didn't disappoint but we found out that flies are present no matter what time of year it is.  They were swarming and quickly kicked us out of their territory and we were forced back inside.

The inside is very rustic and what you would expect of an old country store.  No frills, just good country cookin'.  During the week Wallace Station serves ginormous specialty sandwiches that you would never expect to find in a place with such character.  They are only open for dinner on Mondays and Fridays for their special dinners.  On this particular Friday, the handful of tables had already begun to fill up by 5:30 and were completely full by the time we left at 6:15ish.

On to the good stuff, the food.  The fish choices are catfish, bass, or oysters - all of which are served fried with a side of hushpuppies and fries.  It's worth mentioning that when I called earlier in the day to see what the sides would be for the evening, I was told that tartar sauce was one of the sides.  Hmm, I didn't realize condiments were now considered sides.  It is so darn good tarter sauce but mayo with pickles just doesn't cut it in the vegetable category.  I digress.  We both opted for the bass and we each got a generous portion of 3 pieces each.  The filets were very thin and perfectly fried, surprisingly not overly greasy.  The batter is lightly dusted on the filets and tastes like the typical flour/cornmeal batter.  The fries and hushpuppies were standard fare, actually a little disappointing considering the quality of the other items I've had there.  Overall, we were pleased and the fish hit the spot.  I believe the price is $10.99 per person, which I think is a little high all things considered but it sure beat randomly showing up at someone's fish fry.

Part of the explanation for the crowd, besides the obvious Lenten season, could have something to do with this guy.

Yes, apparently Guy Fieri was in town the day before we were there, filming a future episode of Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives.  He had one of their burgers and declared it one of his "Top 5" of all time.  He also had their fried chicken and a ham and pimento cheese panini (I told you their sandwiches were unique and somewhat gourmet).  The show is set to air sometime in the next 2-5 months, but before September.

Little Boy Blue

A few weeks ago I posted a progress report for both me and Little Boy Blue. I failed to attach any images because I forgot they had given me a cd with the pictures from the ultrasound. Well here I am over a month later to share the pics with you. I could blame it on a lot of things but at the top of the list is forgetfulness (that won't go away). Here he is in all his glory. I believe he would have been about 18-19 weeks at this point and he weighed like 9oz.

Now for the scary alien-like 3-D image. I'm not particularly a fan of these but she did it before I could protest. I'll admit it is pretty amazing to get to see an image like this.

And while we're on the topic, I wanted to share a post from another blogger who provides a lot of humor to many of my thoughts and feelings regarding pregnancy. Here's the link if you're feeling the need for a laugh. This is her first pregnancy but I've reassured her most of her observations apply no matter what number you're on.

Now for my updates.

- I'm getting really large but some days I feel bigger than others.

- My belly button has popped but to be fair it never went back in after Colin.

- Bending over is becoming increasingly more difficult. Take for instance today when I was taking a walk and some nice guy decided to let me cross in front of his truck. I go to wave in appreciation and knock my cellphone out of my other hand. So here I am in the middle of a fairly busy street, having to bend over to get my cellphone. I was just praying I wouldn't have to pick up a million pieces but my hair was in my face and it took me a while to determine that it was, in fact, still in one piece. I literally picked it up and ran across the street.

- We still don't have a definite name but we've marked a lot off the list. It goes something like this. I make a suggestion to Wes and he quickly says no. I've basically given up and am just waiting on him to tell me the final verdict.

- Colin is still convinced the baby's name will be Pete. He asked when Pete would be here and seemed very perplexed when I told him that wasn't going to be his name. I told him he could call him that and that seemed to appease him for the moment.

- The little guy is moving and kicking at more frequent intervals and with more force. This must be a growing stage for both he and I (of course I can't remember) because I've been feeling a lot of stretching.

Those are the only things that come to mind right now. Oh and his room has made no progress. What's the hurry, July is still a long ways away, right?!

Weekly Recipe: Seared Scallops over Bacon and Spinach Salad

I just love when you try a new recipe and it actually tastes better than you even expected. But what really caps off a great meal is to have your family repeatedly compliment you throughout the meal and declare this to be a new "go to" recipe. It puts a big ol' smile on this cook's face! This recipe for Seared Scallops over Bacon and Spinach Salad is a definite keeper. If you're not a scallop fan, you could easily substitute grilled chicken, shrimp, or even salmon. It's just a good combination of flavors, using ingredients we almost always have on hand. It's almost a complete meal in and of itself. We had it by itself but it would be great paired with a whole grain bread.

I did make a few alterations worth mentioning. I omitted the sliced red onions at the end because mine had turned a nice shade of black and I decided the 1/4 cup of shallots in the dressing would be sufficient for providing that flavor. I also used apple juice instead of the cider but it's important to note I only buy the juice that still has the pulp in it. It's slightly thicker and much cloudier in appearance than traditional apple juice. I only used 1 tsp of sugar and next time I would omit this entirely. I omitted the salt from the dressing entirely, as I figured the bacon drippings would more than be enough. And speaking of salt, I used the full 1/2 tsp for the scallops but I would decrease this substantially next time to almost nothing. I enjoy the sweet and silkiness of scallops and the salt sort of diminishes that for me. The curry and the red pepper provide an unexpected punch. Be sure to pat your scallops dry before seasoning and searing them. Also, make sure your pan is super hot in order to get a nice sear. I only used 3 scallops per salad but if your a Rockefeller, feel free to use 5!

Seared Scallops over Bacon and Spinach Salad with Cider Vinaigrette

Adapted from Cooking Light

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 slices center-cut bacon
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apple (about 1)
• 1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 12-20 sea scallops (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Preparation

1. Combine cider and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 9 minutes). Remove from heat.

2. Cook bacon in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan; set bacon aside. Add chopped shallots to drippings in pan; sauté 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; stir in cider mixture, cider vinegar, and black pepper.

3. Crumble reserved bacon. Combine bacon, Granny Smith apple, and spinach in a large bowl.

4. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, curry powder, and red pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle salt mixture evenly over both sides of scallops. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done.

5. Drizzle cider mixture over spinach mixture; toss gently to coat. Place about 2 1/2 cups salad mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 5 scallops.

Because I love you all...

I wanted to give each and every one of you something special to show my appreciation for your thoughtful comments, insight, and encouragement. It's nice to know to have friends and acquaintances on this journey. So to show my gratitude, I want to treat each of you to a free pastry at Starbucks. The catch is a) you have to go today and b) it's really not me providing the funding for this, Starbucks is. Don't be alarmed when you go in and see a really long line. Yes I have a lot of followers but I assure you all 412 in line in front of you are not there because of me. Only 397 of them are. So off you go. Enjoy!

Be sure to take this with you in case you get some barista who doesn't know me. As if!

http://assets.starbucks.com/assets/1ac43f0b737a4b778Ba9c80ee14715ec.jpg

On, on U of K

Any non-KY fan, this is your fair warning to turn the channel and wait for a different post. Our Cats have worked hard and more than deserve a congratulatory post on my tiny little blog. If you follow college basketball at all, you are well aware of the huge upset from Saturday night. Wes cheered so hard for Northern Iowa that I was beginning to question his loyalty to his precious Cats. It was sad to see the Kansas players crying but bittersweet in that we won't have to be challenged by the overall number 1 seed!

Let me back up for a moment and explain a few things regarding sports, specifically UK sports, in our house. Basically what you need to know is we live and breathe blue and white. I've always been a fan in the sense that I didn't cheer for another team but growing up I certainly didn't watch every game, much less know when the games were being played. I did work at a KY store in high school and that kept me in the loop as far as their winnings and losings but I still didn't watch them religiously. Enter into my life Wes and everything changed. I know more about KY sports than I ever thought imaginable - and I only retain a small fraction of all the random (and sometimes useless) factoids Wes imposes on me daily, sometimes hourly during March! Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching and cheering but my world doesn't fall apart if we lose a game - unlike some people I know.

For those of you not from KY, I'm sure you hate Kentucky fans and that's fair. We love to show our pride of the blue and sometimes to an obnoxious extent. While I don't own any of the checkerboard blue and white overalls, I do own my fair share of blue attire and have seen my fair share of games, both regular season and tournament play. The birth of our dear Colin has put a halt on our travel but we both look forward to the day he can join us in cheering on the Cats, as does he!

Wes has wasted no time getting Colin acclimated to the Wildcats. Colin often asks as we're putting him to bed if Daddy is going to the "bae-ment" to watch the wildcats. One night last week he asked this and then said he wanted to be on tv one day. Wes told him maybe he would be. He then said he wanted to be John Wall and Wes told him to get good sleep so he could keep growing. I'm not sure where he's supposed to pick up the coordination and quickness that both Wes and I lack but those are just the details. Yes, he proclaims to be John Wall now and when he's playing with his doctor's kit, he's Dr. John Wall. He likes to make this assertion as he slams the ball into his miniature basketball net and it provides Wes and I with hours of entertainment. If only there was an ounce of truth in his proclamation. I could begin dreaming of retirement, a beach house, traveling the world, and dining somewhere different every night. Oh let's not get carried away. I guess President of the United States would be okay too.

Back to the reason for my post. The Wildcats have given us quite an impressive show in their first 2 wins of the tournament. With all the buzzer-beaters and upsets, it's been a bit of relief to see our Cats finally turn it on and have a couple decided victories. Here's to the next round and more of the same excitement! I hope Syracuse is ready for the sea of blue that's about to explode in their city!!

Oh what a beautiful morning...

Oh what a beautiful day! To quote an adorable redheaded 2-year old, "Today was wonderful!"

Thank you Mother Nature for finally having some mercy on us and providing some much needed sunshine relief after the overflow of snow this winter. Someone told me we totaled 38 inches of snow this year. Don't we sort of live in the south? And aren't we supposed to be semi free and clear of the white stuff? I guess it was just to make us all appreciate spring that much more. Mission accomplished! I've seen more shorts, white legs, flip-flops, tank tops and other inappropriate summer gear than necessary over the last couple of days. I understand the excitement people but seriously, 60 is not the new 90!

With the increase in temps and sunshine comes the eagerness to get outside. Whether it's to eat dinner alfresco style, take a walk, play, or collect leaves as some us prefer to do, you can't deny the calling for long. Colin has learned quickly that sunshine equals outside, which equals running free, which equals a worn out little boy and a good night's sleep.

This weekend alone we've hit up the school playground, our neighborhood park, the Arboretum, and of course our own backyard. Let's hope the days of being cooped up inside are over. I know one little boy who thrives on sunshine and all the fun activities associated with it.

@ the U.K. Arboretum:

Discovering his finds.

Storing his finds.

A closer look. I sure am glad I pushed that stroller around for this!

Stopping to cheese for the camera.

Looking completely thrilled to be posing yet again for a picture.

"Is this a good smile, Mommy?"

Weekly Recipe Roundup

With only 1 new recipe a week, the old roundup is becoming increasing harder and harder to glamorize. Then there's always the chance that the one new recipe I try ends up being a dud, leaving me with nothing for you all. Thank goodness for desserts and my uncanny ability to pick out the good ones almost every time - well that and are there really bad sweets?

The recipe I tried this week was Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice. I'm posting it not because it was 5-star worthy but rather it has potential. I was initially very disappointed in the taste of the dish as prepared according to the recipe. However, it's very versatile and with some spices, it could easily be made much better. I appreciate that it uses a crockpot, dried beans for less sodium, and smells wonderful upon entering your house after a long day at work. The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of Creole seasoning and while I didn't have a bottle that said those words, I did look up a recipe online and ended up going with someone I thought might know a thing or two about Cajun food - Emeril. One tablespoon was just not enough. I would at least double it, if not triple it. I would also add a few dashes of hot sauce and consider subbing some of the water with brother, either chicken or beef. I would also not use turkey kielbasa, as it rendered no extra flavor to the dish. A spicy polish sausage or kielbasa would be much better suited to jazz up the flavor a bit. I took comfort in knowing my version was healthy and with several shakes of hot sauce it was just fine. I served mine over brown rice. Just as a side note, this was one of the first dishes that I haven't agreed with the comments on Southern Living's site. I'm hoping this was just a fluke.

Now onto the dessert that actually did turn out great, just as written, Peanut Butter Squares. I'm not going to pretend, there's a lot of sugar in these babies. Maybe you can rationalize like my husband and convince yourself that the peanut butter is healthy, thus negating the mass quantities of sugar. It seems to work for him, maybe it will for you too. These are seriously good though and SO easy.

Free Entertainment

It's no secret, nor should it come as a surprise to anyone, that having children puts quite the damper on your extra-curricular activities. Oh, come on and get your mind out of the gutter, not those kind of activities. Think more along the lines of date nights, reading (well for some of you this one applies), going out of town on a whim, movies, and you get the idea. Sure you give these activities up for the time being but you are rewarded with creating lifelong memories with your little offspring(s). And if you are fortunate to be blessed with a comedian, you can just look at it as free entertainment.

I remember when my sister's oldest was a toddler. Just as kids are bound to do, she often made us laugh at the things she did or said. And just like one would expect, we would laugh. Well bless her heart, she wore her feelings on her sleeve and considered our laughter to be making fun of her and the waterworks would quickly ensue. After countless counseling sessions (with us, not trained professionals), she has since grown out of this and now looks for attention anyway she can.

Colin, on the other hand, takes pride in making people laugh, especially mommy and daddy. If he says something we find funny enough to laugh out loud at, he repeats it then about 10 times and then recites it back when you least expect it. He's proud as a peacock to get a rise out of us, no matter how big or small. He's a hoot and we love hearing what he's going to come up with today.

Here are a few of my favorites (and the only ones I can actually remember) from the past week or 2.

- "When I finish my lunch I'm going to have a baby inside my belly." After finishing said lunch I ask him if he has the baby. He answers by sucking in his tummy, holding his breath, and proclaiming, "I just squirted it out!"

I could barely contain myself. Please tell me how he knows that babies are, in fact, "squirted" out?!

- Along those same lines, he has renamed Super Baby to Pete. Not only that, he now has a baby that resides in his belly named Butch. Never fear, Super Baby is still in Daddy's belly. For those of you not privy to watching Mickey Mouse daily, Pete is the giant and Butch is his dog. It really is quite sweet though because he talks to Pete and Butch daily to check on them and has started rubbing/petting my belly to show affection.

- I'm not sure where this next one came from because I promise I've made no such threats to him! Out of the blue, one day in the car, he told Wes and I that he wanted to trade us in. We both tried to explain to him that a) that wasn't nice and b) that meant he'd never see us again and have to go live with someone he didn't know. As I would expect for a 2-year old, he thought this sounded like a lot of fun and quickly agreed without hesitation. Incidentally, when we stopped next to a car and I asked him if he wanted to get out and go home with that lady, he paused for a moment and then said no, not her.

When we got home I asked him if he wanted to live outside? With the bears? He eagerly said yes and when I told him we couldn't do that, he started to tear up and said, "But I really do want to go live in the yard with the bears!"

Lesson learned, be careful what you offer or suggest!

- Just this weekend we were in the car and Lady Gaga was on the radio. He asked who was making that noise and I told him it was Lady Gaga. I told him she also sang Paparazzi and Poker Face. When we got home and were eating lunch, he told Daddy that he wanted to tell him something. This usually ranges in importance from "I had a good day with Buff and Grandpa" to "I love you." No, this time he told him that Lady Gaga sang Paparazzi and that he liked that song. Sadly, he does know the song and sings it from time to time. Parent of the year alert!!

Bling, Bling

I'm no stranger to costume jewelry and actually tend to prefer it over the "real" stuff. I'm such a practical person that I just can't justify spending a ton of money on an accessory that you don't even wear every day. I'm also a very visual person and generally need to try something on before committing to buy it. I see other women wearing great jewelry but just because it looks good on them doesn't mean it's going to look good on me. That doesn't stop me from looking online and occasionally purchasing online without seeing trying it on. I mean with Forever 21 and Sam Moon, it's easier to justify with their super low prices.

On one such recent online visit to Forever 21, I was taken with this ring:

Online the ring looked big but not gargantuan. As a friend of mine pointed out, they did disclose the dimensions and I guess it was my responsibility to see what those dimensions actually were but why? How big could it be, right? This big:

I forgot to factor in my petite hands and fingers. But I still chose to rock it out - well that and it was a final sale. I had several comments, both verbal and with the eyes. One of these said comments was from my husband. He clearly wasn't a fan and expressed his dislike with the classic eye roll and the "it looks like an egg" comment. I reminded him I don't like everything he wears and he agreed.

So the lesson to be learned is more a warning: objects may appear smaller online than in real life!

Weekly Recipe Roundup

I feel like I'm letting you all down by only posting a couple recipes at a time, but I must admit I'm enjoying the new game plan. Simple is good and while I wouldn't call my menu simple, it is a step back for me and I have a feeling in a few short months I'm going to appreciate the change even more!

Some recipes are new and still very easy. This Creamy Cajun Chicken and Mushroom Pasta is one of those. Wes, nor I could really determine where the "cajun" came into play but we both agreed the dish was tasty nonetheless. I subbed 1/2 and 1/2 in place of the heavy cream and it was undetectable. You could easily add other veggies, such as spinach, asparagus, or even broccoli without harming the integrity of the recipe.

My week wouldn't be complete without at least one dessert. Lately I haven't been able to get enough apple pie. I decided since I had never made one, I'd give it a try. I found this Sour Cream Apple Pie recipe from All You (a Southern Living publication) and decided it was the winner. I didn't have a full cup of sour cream so I replaced about 2/3 of it with plain yogurt. While the pie is certainly good and more than edible, I wouldn't consider it the perfect Apple Pie recipe. I realize this is a category like chocolate chip cookies where there are lots of opinions and just like cc cookies, there are a ton of recipes out there waiting to be tried. I'll try another but I plan to wait several weeks!

Big Boy Bed

Yesterday I posted pictures of the pink room but I was only able to include one of the twin beds. That's because the other one is now Colin's big boy bed. I had every intention to purchase the new bedding before we made the move but some things don't go as planned. Wes joked that he'd probably like the pink bedding just as much because of his love for the color red. He was right, Colin never knew the difference and adores every aspect of his new bed. For what it's worth, I do plan to buy his new bedding this weekend.

No matter what's covering the bed, Colin is a rough sleeper. The bed rails are in place and I can only imagine how many times he would have fallen out by now if they weren't. We had a birthday party to go to this weekend and I was trying to quietly wake him up. I peered in and saw this:

One click of the camera and he raised up and immediately posed and grinned for the camera. I wasn't quick enough to snap that but here are a few others that I thought were just too precious. Completely upside down and just as comfy as can be. I guess the rails will stay up a bit longer!

The "Pink" Room

When I found out Little Boy Blue was a boy, I soon thought of my "pink" room and that it would need some major modifications. I decorated this room many years ago after seeing an inspiration in a decorating book. The room has served as a guest room to a few (not too many people choose a twin bed over a queen) but mostly it's just been a sunny spot for me. It has allowed me to let the little girl in me come out but it's time for a change.

I wanted to share the before pictures before it gets covered in blue. If you know anyone needing matching twin bed bedding, let me know! I have lots of accessories to go with them. Some things I'm hoping to be able to salvage (the curtains/cornice boards) but that's about it. My mom is on the "have another child in hopes of having a girl" kick but I'm not so convinced. I'll admit we haven't completely ruled it out but the thought of 3 boys is a little much for me to grasp right now! I want to see what it's like with 2 first and then I'll be able to make a better decision. Until then, here's the parting pink room.

Updates from the Colin front

I posted my updates so I wanted to share about Colin today. He's doing great with sleeping in his big boy bed. Thanks to those of you who offered suggestions but this one just seemed to need time. He has gotten out a couple times at night but one was to tell me he had to go potty (he had already gone in his diaper) and I couldn't discourage that. We'll see how well he naps in it though. I'm thinking the pitch black at night might be a deterrant but in the daylight, there's nothing stopping him.

The potty is not going as well. I should admit up front that I'm not exactly patient. I realize that's almost mandatory in parenthood but I'm still searching for mine. I wanted him to be potty trained with the snap of a finger but unfortunately it's not that easy. He understands the concept of it all but he needs to work on his timing. He consistently tells us right after he's peed that he feels like he has to go to the potty. He has had a couple of successful attempts but we still have quite a bit of work to do. I tried the reward thing last night and offered him a magic capsule if he went to the potty - if he won't do it for one of those, he really didn't have to go! We'll just keep practicing and sticking with it.

He's talking more and more about "Super Baby". He loves to help me cook dinner (I can only hope he's on his way to becoming a chef!) and his latest catch phrase is "I can help 'cause I'm a big brother now." Yes, if only it were only that simple. I should be expecting souffles in a matter of days! He also enjoys sharing all of the things that he'll get to teach his brother. And my favorite is his recent discovery of my belly. This morning he lifted up my shirt to "see" the baby. So sweet! Now we need to start the sharing exercises and we should be well on our way!

Pregnancy Progress Report

Well I'm a little over 21 weeks today - yes, I did just have to get the calender out and figure that out but more on that later. Here are a few notes about this pregnancy thus far:

• I think I'm about the same size as I was with Colin at this time. I'm carrying Little Boy Blue the exact same as I carried Colin.


• I accomplished my own personal goal of making it through February without switching to maternity pants! I'm not sure why I set such a goal for myself but I found myself saying, "just one more day" like every day. Maternity pants are actually quite comfy but I guess my mind knew I'd be in them for a while so I might as well delay the inevitable as long as possible. Oh and don't get me wrong, not all of these pants have been fully buttoned - thank goodness for belts and long shirts (:


• My nausea is nearly a thing of the past, although I do have flare ups from time to time (last night, for example). I still don't feel exactly right but then again I am carrying a foreign object in my belly and that's not exactly normal. I have a strange taste in my mouth nearly every day that is only cured by eating. That doesn't make for a very good diet plan.


• The first trimester energy zapping days are over, thankfully. I still don't have a ton of energy but I manage. Colin gets heavier by the minute and yet I still have to lug his 33 pound body up and down the stairs on a daily basis. He understands some things but why mommy can't carry him isn't one of them.


• There are days I have to remind myself that I'm pregnant. The second, and subsequent children, really get the short end of the stick in many ways. Having already gone through all the newness of pregnancy and the different milestones, I already know what to expect and it takes some of the fun and excitement out of it. Thankfully, it also takes a considerable amount of the worrying and uncertainty away too. I haven't read a single book this time, subscribed to a single website, or kept up with how far along I am in days/weeks. I haven't been obsessed with a baby registry, reading reviews of every gadget, or making sure we have everything we need for his nursery, life, etc. I have no doubt the same nervousness will overcome me the day we arrive at the hospital but there will be some solace in knowing what's to come. I'm hoping this time around I won't be as excitable when he cries but I've recently discovered (don't know why it took me so long) that I'm not one of those that can tune crying out - I can't tune anything out, much less a crying baby/child. Hopefully though I'll be better equipped mentally with what to do and not worry about people judging me that I'm doing something wrong. I just pray this little guy doesn't have colic or spit-up as bad as Colin did. If he does though, we know what to expect and hopefully that will make it a tinge easier.


• Wes is especially great to me when I'm pregnant. I remember now how caring and sweet he was with the first one and now he's just as great this time around. He lets me rest frequently and tries to explain to Colin that mommy can't play as much or as hard right now. He will literally drop everything to go get me something that I'm hungry for. He helps a ton with Colin and has been doing a great job trying to get him ready for Little Boy Blue. He's eager to rub my back, massage my feet, or whatever else he thinks might help me. I think he feels kind of helpless during this phase and so he's just trying to do whatever he can to make it easier/better for me. I'm so lucky!!

I realized I hadn't posted any baby bump pictures. I'm sure you are all just dying to see my rapidly expanding belly, so here ya go! I apologize for the blurriness but you get the idea.

Weekly Recipe Roundup

I have 2 quick entrees and another pancake recipe - I promise we don't eat pancakes every day. Although, would that be a crime?!

I had a half of head of cabbage sitting in my fridge that I knew would go to waste unless I found a recipe to use it. When I came across this recipe for Cabbage Roll Soup, I knew I had to try it. Wes and I both like cabbage rolls but for whatever reason, I never make them. I had actually never heard of them until he told me his grandmother used to make them and I looked for a recipe (this was many years ago when I was trying to win his heart through his belly!). This soup is perfect for a cold winters day. It's hearty, comforting, and has lots of healthy goodness in it. I actually forgot to add the salt and although Wes added some to his, I thought it was just fine without. This is a keeper in our house!

Each week when I make my menu, I try to utilize as much from our freezer, fridge and pantry as possible. I love the feeling of using something up or emptying out the freezer! This next recipe for Combination Fried Rice appeared in Southern Living as an post-Thanksgiving idea to use up leftovers. I guess I wasn't far from the mark in my thought process. I love fried rice but I also know how much fat and sodium is in the typical Chinese version. This recipe definitely lightens it up, yet it still manages to retain it's taste. I used brown rice, added some diced carrots, and topped it with some sweet chili sauce. I paired it with our favorite Bok Choy Salad and it was a very filling meal.

I've been reading the Pioneer Woman for a long time. She amazes me. I would love to know how she cooks, cleans, helps on the farm, home schools her children, photographs, and now travels with her cookbook and her fame. Has she found a way to add hours to a day? No wonder she's developed the cult following that she has! As much as I've read and bookmarked her recipes, I've never actually tried one. That is until I made her Sour Cream Pancakes a couple of weekends ago. They were divine. SO light and fluffy that they almost dissolved the minute they hit my tongue. I was a bit skeptical as I was making them though because the recipe called for 1 cup of sour cream and only 7T. of flour. That's quite a ratio. Don't doubt Ree, she knows what she's doing. I don't often have sour cream in the fridge but the next time I do, these bad boys are getting whipped up again. The only downside to the recipe was that it only yielded 6-7 smallish pancakes. That was probably a good thing though!