Tasty Tuesday on Wacky Wednesday!

Yes, I missed Tasty Tuesday! So sorry!!

And, yes, I'm going to post about food today! Not sorry!

It's been a weird crazy week already!

Monday was totally wonderful! Our first day on the rented pontoon boat! The summer "lake season" has officially started for the Winslow family! Monday was great fun! The weather was perfect, the water was warm-ish, the company was great! It was a great way to start a week.

But that of course has messed me up. I'm having trouble keeping up with what day it is this week! And then on top of that, I was a chaperone for Luke's class end of the year trip yesterday. It's his last week of being a first grader. SO HARD to believe!

Needless to say, I didn't have much time at home - all of which brings me to Tasty Tuesday on Wacky Wednesday (today seems like Tuesday to me anyway!)

But, before I move forward with the food... a couple of pictures of the kids at Safari Nation yesterday. It's a big indoor bounce house kind of place. They also have a zip-line type thing, which Luke LOVED!

Luke waiting in line for the zip line.

Look at that smile! 

He did not want to let go! 

 Avery just being stinkin' cute!

Playing in the ball pit.

Cute aren't they?!?! Yes, I think so too!

On to some yummy.

This week, I had two ideas to post about, one breakfast and one dinner. Since I did breakfast last week, dinner wins for today!

This was one of those meals that wasn't hard at all, and that I kinda made up on the fly and that isn't on the super healthy side, but all in all, not too bad either!

I call it Pesto Chicken and Broccoli with Pasta.

You'll need:
Pasta of your choice
Chicken (since I was making it up as I went, I used a package of the pre-cooked butterball chicken breast)
fresh (or frozen and thawed) broccoli. I used "just some" about a cup and a half or two maybe.
Jar pesto (I used what I had in the fridge)
Parmesan Cheese (I like freshly shredding my own, but didn't have any, so I used the Kraft stuff)

* I didn't take pictures of each individual thing before I cooked it, but I did take a few and here they are!

This is the pesto I used

I always have some in the fridge! 

How to make it:

Since the chicken was precooked, I just warmed up a skillet, added a tiny bit of olive oil, dumped in the chicken, and added the pesto.

While that warmed up, I cooked the pasta.

After the pasta cooked, I ladled it out right into the pan with the pesto chicken and sprinkled a bit of the cheese on it. Then I added the broccoli to the boiling pasta water. Like this...

Let the broccoli boil 2-3 minutes, ladle it right from the boiling water into the pasta mixture. Mix well and there ya go... ready to serve...

Even the kids loved it. We finished the whole pot. I don't think the 4 of us have ever done that before. It was a hit!

Yum!

Happy Wacky Wednesday!

Friday Eve

That's what I'm calling today. Not because it was a bad day, because it wasn't, it was actually good, but because tomorrow is Friday, and that's even better!

Friday is Avery's last day of preschool for this year. She's had a great year and made some really wonderful friends in her three year old class. It's hard to believe she was even 3 at all this year. She seems so "grown-up" lately and the year passed quickly, it's hard to believe she'll be going 4 days next year in preparation for kindergarten the following year. YIKES! So tomorrow will be fun for her as she starts her summer!

And Friday is Luke's last day for this week, and after tomorrow only 4 DAYS LEFT!!! Today I'm jumping up and down for joy at the prospect of the end of the year. Check back in about 2 weeks and ask me how I feel about it then! But for now I'm excited about the ending of a good first grade year!

AND tomorrow night is date night. And there folks is the best reason to be thinking of today as Friday Eve! My wonderful in-laws are coming to get the kids (I've found this is an important part of the "staying with Meme and Papa experience" - Papa must come get the kids its not as much fun if Mommy takes them there!) and they are keeping them overnight!

Yes, this means date night! With free babysitting! And sleeping in on Saturday! It's a wonderful thing!

Tomorrow evening we'll be going to a locally owned and operated joint in the High Point/Jamestown area. It's called Southern Roots and you can check them out here. It's a smallish place with a wonderful atmosphere and some great food! We're going with some good friends of ours (who also happen to be family!) and I'm super excited!

There is one more fun thing about today. It's "parent's night" at the gym. This means that Luke's parent or parents can come and take his Jujitsu class with him. He's SO VERY excited that his Daddy is going to come and take the class with him! It's so cute! Usually while he's in class I run, and Avery goes to the childcare room. Tonight she and I will be doing our usual, while the boys learn some big serious Jujitsu moves! It will be a good time for all I'm sure!

All this talk of Jujitsu always makes me crave sushi...

Wacky Wednesday

I do not like the end of the school year. I like the idea of the end of the year and the coming of a summer of fun in the sun, not having to stick to a routine each day, and of just having some PJ day's if we want to! I am not, however,  looking forward to the last week and a half of "stuff" that comes with the end of the school year! You know what I mean... parties, field trips, teacher gifts, yearbooks, ice cream parties, field days, what to wear each day, what to bring, what to eat, etc...

UGH!!!!!!! It's SO MUCH to do and such a short time to do it all!!!

It's a juggling game of being at one kids school at this time, while trying to be at the other kids school at the exact. same. time!!! Not happenin'!

So today it was first grade over preschool end of the year party. Not because I like first grade lunch duty better than a preschool end of the year party, but because I was previously committed to the first graders before the preschool thing was planed. Luckily, the party at Avery's school was very well covered by other parents, so it wasn't like I was leaving them high and dry or anything like that. So I was able to go and be the lunch mom in Luke's classroom today. Part of me still felt bad for missing the end of the year party at Avery's school. Oh well! What can you do?  I'm only one mommy!

Today was my last day acting as the "lunch mom" in Luke's class. I've done lunch in his classroom every other Wednesday all year long. It's been fun! I enjoy being in the class with the kids and getting to know them! Plus it lets me get a little bit of my inner teacher out while still being able to be a fun, cool mom! And since next week is the last week of school, today was my last day! And boy can you tell we are close to the end of the year! The kids have that "gettin' outta school soon" energy about them! Luke's teacher told me before she left for lunch that another parent had brought in donuts, and I could give them out "as long as they were good enough" to get them.

What a better form of bribery?!?! The minute Ms. Granger left, I told them I knew about the donuts, but that unless they were good and quiet for me, they couldn't have any! (So there!) (Mean - I know!)

Silence.

For almost 10 solid minutes.

Toward the end there was whispering, but still....

I was impressed!

AND - I passed out the donuts! Big smiles and thank you's all around. (Thank you to the mom who brought them!)

Then - no more silence.

Just a bit of craziness! (OK, OK - a lot of craziness!)

But it was fun. The kids loved the donuts, and I enjoyed my last lunch with them.

I was sure happy to have them all back in their seats, and mostly ready when their wonderful teacher arrived back for the rest of the school day. I'm sure she didn't get a whole lot done, as each of her students were loaded with yummy Krispy Kream goodness, but hey, I didn't bring the donuts in to share with the class, I just passed them out, let the kids eat, and then left! (Mean! I know!)

These are good times, all the excitement around the end of a good school year, it's also super busy. And it seems like the more I try to get everything straight in my brain about who's going where when and what they need while they are there, the more confusing it becomes. So from here on out, I'm going to try to just take it one day at a time!

What do my children need for school tomorrow?

Avery? Nothing, she doesn't go to school on Thursdays. Good!

Luke? Just snack and lunch. OK, I can do that.

Now Friday's a different story...  but I won't have to worry about that until tomorrow!

Only one more Wednesday in the 2011-2012 school year!

Tasty Tuesday

Welcome to Tuesday!

It's always way better than Monday, but (at least in my world) not as good as Thursday! On Tuesdays, I try to get a whole bunch of cleaning and such around the house done! So I spent this morning vacuuming, and cleaning bathrooms! Along with, of course, doing laundry and the dishes!

So I though in order to make Tuesday even more fun, I'd post about food - maybe I'll make it a weekly thing - Tasty Tuesday!

I do love food.

A bunch.

Which can be a problem, but it's been my goal over the last couple of years, to eat and feed my family healthier but still yummy meals!

Here's one - SIMPLE - meal that is a regular around here.

As a side note - before I show you the food - if you know me well at all, you know I do not like to bake!

Cooking, love it!

Baking, not so much.

Honestly, it just scares me - all that precise measuring and cutting butter into things and using the mixer. Scary. But for the sake of staying on "the plan" (that's the good eating plan) and adding some variety to our lives, I branched out a bit and baked some muffins.

Laugh if you want, it's OK. Because I know that to some of you, baking muffins is not a big deal. But let me tell you, around here baking anything at all -  that's huge!!! And they were yummy besides!

I was kinda proud of myself.

The first time I made them I followed the recipe (from Weight Watchers), which is blueberry-brown sugar muffins. The second time, and the one the pictures are of - I used strawberries. Just as yummy!

If I can make them, and make the eatable, anyone can.

First you mix your dry ingredients together in a bowl, and the wet ones in a separate bowl (I neglected to get a picture of those two bowls. Sorry). Then you fold the two together and you get this...

Spoon the batter into muffin papers coated with cooking spray. 

Last step, sprinkle a bit of light brown sugar on the tops. And bake!! 

This is just out of the oven. All warm and yummy goodness ready to eat. 

Since eating muffins is totally yummy,but not necessarily the healthiest way to start the day, I made eggs and turkey sausage  to round out the meal.

I do have to say, that when it comes to breakfast foods, my crew is easy to please. Scramble up some eggs, provide salt and pepper and your pretty much good. For that I'm thankful!


This one is mine. Scrambled eggs with salsa on top (cause I honestly don't really like eggs, but I don't mind them with "stuff" on or in them!), Butterball Turkey sausage, and a muffin!

And David's. The same, minus the salsa! 

Good simple eats! Add a mug of coffee and it's hard to find a better way to start a day!

Blueberry-Brown Sugar Muffins 
(from Weight Watchers)

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2    cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2    teaspoon baking soda
1/4    teaspoon salt
1       cup plain low-fat yogurt
2       tablespoons butter, melted
1       large egg
1       teaspoon grated fresh lemon rind
1       cup fresh blueberries or frozen unsweetened blueberries (or one cup cut fresh strawberries)
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon light brown sugar 

Directions:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Set aside. 
3. Combine yogurt and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add yogurt mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Gently fold blueberries into batter. 
4. Place 12 paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups; coat with cooking spray. Spoon batter evenly into prepared cups. Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 24 minutes or until lightly browned and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Makes: 12 

Some nutritional information:
Calories: 144
Fat: 2.8g
Carbs: 26.3g
Sodium: 196mg

You must try to eat one while they are warm, they are really wonderful warm!  But they all get eaten even after they cool, so I guess they are good anytime!
 
 

Inspiration

I know it's been totally FOREVER since I blogged! (I seem to be saying that pretty often lately)

I've missed you all and I'm really hoping to get back into it on a more regular basis!

There's been a ton going on... with school, preschool, being a mom, getting ready for summer, working out on a regular basis again... I've let some of my "side things" (such as blogging) slip by without paying much attention.

But I have some new and wonderful ideas about posts I want to share and things I've been wanting to tell you! It's gonna be great! So to get us started I'm gonna share a small bit of inspiration I've had lately.

I've started running. Yes, actually chose to do that. All on my own. Well, ok not ALL on my own. I started boot camp a couple of months ago - and on the second (yes, just the second) day, we did the equivalent of a 10K. My boot camp is only 45 minutes long, so how you ask did be complete a 10K? Well we could do 2 miles on the stationary bike and the rest had to be run (jogged) or done on the 3 flights of stairs. 10 trips being roughly equal to 1 mile.

So I got in line with some of the other ladies and ran 2 miles. Yes, just started and off we went. Haven't really run since I'd say P.E class in middle school. I hate running. I forget to breath and end up with all sorts of cramps and such. But I'm not one to be outdone, so I ran with the rest of the girls! I completed it, and then 2 miles on the bike and the equivalent of one mile on the steps. Then it was time to get home (bummer, I know) and I still had one more mile to complete. Oh well!

So after that it was kind of like a game with myself to see if I could actually do it. You know, run alone. Not in a group, with other ladies, but all alone. So I went back to the gym, and ran 2 miles. All on my own. It was really kind of cool! To do something that I didn't think I could do - had never done before, it was good. I gotta be honest though, I didn't much like the running. It took all my effort to think about breathing and my toes got numb and I was panting like you wouldn't believe and the sweat - well, I won't gross you out! But I was proud of myself. And you know what, I went back and did it again.

And again.

And again.

Then I started to think about running an actual 5K. I talked to David about it, and he started running too. So we said we'd work on it and maybe run a 5K together. Well, David found one to run, but it was on a day I couldn't do! But that's OK, cause I've keep running. I also added a few outside runs. (I normally run on the track, inside, at the gym) It's a whole lot harder running outside than it is running inside! But I'm working up to longer and longer distances. It's been good for sure. Good for my body, and my mind and my confidence!

I wouldn't say that I like it just yet, but I don't hate it anymore.

My toes sometimes still get numb (usually around the 2 - 2 1/2 mile mark) sometimes and I still get cramps, and I'm still sweating like crazy, but it's all good and I'm proud of myself for doing it, even though it's hard!

I've also come to realize that it's a lot about the mind and not so much about the body! The body can - and will do - whatever the mind tells it to!

So, I've been inspired - and I'll be adding some more fun and interesting things to my blog about running, cooking, eating, outings and life in general! Maybe something you read here will inspire you!

Another day at home

Yesterday I keep Luke home from school due to fever, coughing and some puking! (By the way, if you don't know, I HATE puking!!!! I hate it for myself, and I don't like it much at all when others do it either!) But with some decongestant and some ibuprofen he perked right up and went several hours with no fever and seemed to be feeling himself. Goodie! Maybe it was just some short lived 12 hour thing. Nope.

Last night at bedtime the fever returned and then spiked up in the middle of the night. So he's home again today. UGH! There was no school on Monday due to snow, he went on Tuesday, and will be home the rest of the week since Friday is a teacher work day and they were scheduled to have off anyway! Oh my goodness!!

The problem is this... he feels bad, but not bad enough to be content to sleep, watch an hour of TV and sleep some more. He feels just bad enough to take one nap, let the meds kick in and then he wants to DO something!!! This isn't good. Since there's not much (other than the boring stuff in his room to play with) to do, and his sister who feels completely fine there ends up being lots of arguing and yelling and general unsettled-ness!

So.... what to do with a sick kid who feels fine when the meds are working (and pitiful when they aren't!) and a non-sick kid who would really rather play outside and scream and yell than lay on the sofa and rest? I'm really struggling here!! It makes for a very long up and down kinda day. Trying to find things to occupy them when Luke feels good and keeping Avery from irritating him when he doesn't!

By the time bedtime came last night I had had enough. My approach for today is going to be a bit different! Less electronics (TV, Wii, iPad, and computer) and more book reading, resting in our rooms, crafty/coloring type things. And it just has to be OK that I might not get a whole lot else done around here!

It's funny how quickly I adjusted to Avery's 3 day a week preschool, and Luke being gone each day until after 3! It all seemed weird back at the beginning of the school year, but now with several days at home in a row, I realized I do really enjoy some quiet time, alone with myself!

But I know I'm not the only one dealing with sickness. It's running ramped through Luke's class and just about everyone else I know has or has had some kinda yuck too! I know spring isn't far off, and I'm holding onto that for dear life! Spring is coming and with it hopefully wellness will come and then soon after that it'll be summer!!!!!

And the weather here isn't helping anything... 30 degrees and snow on Monday, then cold and sunny on Tuesday and on Wednesday sunny and 65... and today's forecast is for 74 and afternoon sun (it's rainy now)! No wonder everyone is sick. This weather is totally weird!

All prayers are appreciated and feel free to let me know if you've got something I can pray for you about as well!

Baby Shower

On Saturday I had the privilege of co-hosting a baby shower for my brother in law and sister in law on Saturday. This is their second baby, but under the circumstances of their daughters birth, we were so very excited to make it to this point and have a shower!

I do SO love a party! I love to host, organize, plan, put on and in general be part of a party! I really enjoy all the finer details of making a plan! This was an especially fun party because I wasn't totally responsible for 100% of it! I had help from David's Aunt and my Mother in Law. I thought we did a pretty good job of pulling a wonderful party together.

 I've attached some (ok a TON) of pictures. I did 4 different "diaper things", 2 diaper cakes, a tricycle and a motorcycle. We used this as center pieces and then Robert and Amy were able to take them home and all the diapers(well almost all should be)are usable. So they make great gifts as well as great decorations!

I cannot take credit for coming up with these ideas, I found them online, but I did make each one by myself, with a little help from Avery!

The first attempt - diaper motorcycle!

The first diaper cake.

The tricycle.

I think this was my favorite!

The "bath toy" cake!

the tricycle with it's rider! Amy's using monkey's in the nursery!

the completed diaper cake, flowers and all!

Gotta have some pretty fruit at a shower!

The candy was the guest favor. It looked really pretty! 

I have some pictures also of the cupcakes that Heather, David's cousin's wife made for the shower! They were not only beautiful but probably the best tasting cupcakes I've ever had! SO GOOD!!!

Pretty and delicious!