Steppin' Out

Outside of the box, that is.  The same 'ol boring menu box.  I challenged myself to make a new recipe for dinner every night last week.  They were all successful; and I judge that by whether or not my kids will attempt to eat most of their dinner without being threatened.  Thank you Iowa Girl Eats, you inspired me.  Last week turned out to be Thai flavored, while this week was a little more Southwestern.  Semi-planned that way, because how else are you going to use up a bunch of black beans, salsa, guacamole, green onions, or cilantro???  Here's what I've made so far:

*If I got the recipe online, I've linked it to the site*

Thai Fried Quinoa
Farfalle with Kale and Bacon
Turkey, Ham, and Apricot Panini
Thai Tofu Pizza  (I used chicken, ssshhh!)
Chicken Burritos with Cilantro-Lime Rice
Southwestern Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries
BLT's with avocado spread instead of mayo
Pork Tenderloin in a soy/ginger marinade

I've also been trying to bring back the simple summer pleasures that I remember from growing up.  This week the kids and I made strawberry Jello.  "It wiggles in my mouth!" according to Aidan.  They devoured a 9x13 pan in two days.  Other snacks include freeze pops, ginger cookies, and banana ice cream.  Seriously, you have to try this.  SO easy.  Peel and slice up a banana or two.  Freeze the slices for an hour or more.  After nap I take them out, pop them into the food processor, and voila!, creamy banana ice cream.  That's all there is to it.  Just bananas!  We also experimented by adding some peanut butter and cocoa powder.  Also delicious.

We're going to the lake with some friends on the 4th of July, and I'm trying to decide what easy, kid friendly recipe to make.  I was thinking of these Brownie Fruit Kebabs....yummy, right?    

Summer Excursions

Week 1 of summer vacation is complete.  We visited the YMCA, library, splash park, and the MN Zoo.  Busy and enjoyable.  Well, as enjoyable as could be with a 2-year old and a 4-year old.  The adjustment of not going to daycare seemed like Armageddon some days.  We survived.  Aidan is much better this week, Aubrey is a typical 2-year old.

We also enjoyed spending some quality time with my friend Annie and her family. It blows my mind when I think about how long I've known Annie. We met in preschool when we were 4 years old. That's Aidan's age! Annie and Brian also have two kids, Avery (2 1/2) and Quinn (8mos.). Aidan LOVED playing with Avery. He was so sad that they couldn't have another playdate soon. Maybe when we go visit Nana and Poppa in July...

Here are some shots of the fun we had during our first week of summer.

Giving Avery a tractor ride

Two little chickens

Going for a tic-tac-toe, but Aubrey popped her head out as I snapped the picture.

GO SEE THE DINOSAURS!  They are COOL!

Which is scarier?  The dinosaur, Aidan, or Aubrey's "cheese" face?

Dino Dig.

The newest addition to our backyard.  A dinosaur SANDBOX!

Word Association

Instead of writing an ode to the men in our lives, the kids and I sat down and did a little word association.  I threw out a name; they told me what it made them think of.  You can guess who said what.  Here are the results:


Poppa
Happy
Cupcakes (Aubrey knows him well.)
Play with toys
Rough house
Handy man extraordinaire
Always willing to help
Wrestle
Ride on the lawn mower

Grandpa
Pancakes
I like to play at Grandpa's house. (complete sentence from Aubrey)
Play with Poppa (also from Aubrey)
Makes supper
Chef
Master drink mixer
Eat breakfast
Play basketball at the neighbor's house
Run errands
I like to eat lunch with Grandpa. (from Aidan)

Daddy
Play
Flip
Patient
Great Dad
Hard working
Play football
Hockey
Watch crab fishing

Perfect Kick-Off!

School's out and summer is here! I kicked-off summer by planting a mojito garden. It's kind of like a salsa garden, but I will be harvesting mint and strawberries to make delicious mojitos all summer long. I've already tested out the mint (delicious), but will need to wait a few weeks for some strawberries.

We also met some friends and Kyle's co-workers for a pre-game lunch and then an afternoon baseball game in Minneapolis. Who knew I would have to move to MN to watch the Cubs play? It was a lovely afternoon...thankfully in the shade, then we came home to a surprise visit from Kyle's brother, BJ. Some drinks, appetizers, grilling out, and then dessert, and we were all worn out from a perfect summer day. Good food, friends, and family...how could this summer get any better?