The iPhone 6 has created a slow-mo monster (me)

Apparently this has been an available feature on previous iPhones, but I never knew about it until now.  And now I can't stop.  Everything is funnier and more fun in slow-mo.

Meal Planning: Week of September 29th

Review from last week:

I failed to take that many pictures this week...and this week was also kind of light on cooking!  I DID, however, bake my all time favorite pumpkin cookies because it's FALL and it's RAINING and life is good. (Shout out to Callie for introducing these into my life the day Ben was born - I make them several times each Fall now)!

I recently found a slightly modified recipe because I didn't have any Crisco on hand and the end result tasted EXACTLY like the original ones I've been making for 3 years now.

SOFT PUMPKIN SUGAR COOKIES

Here's what you will need:
4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil and they tasted great)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs

For the Glaze:
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons half & half (or milk)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and spices; set aside. In another large bowl, beat together the butter, oil, pumpkin, sugars, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until smooth. Then, slowly mix in the dry ingredient until completely incorporated.

Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop, place the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat). Use a glass to flatten the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. (If the dough sticks, press the bottom of the class in granulated sugar before flattening the dough.) Bake for 8-9 minutes.

Once baked, transfer the cookies to a cutting board to cool.

While the cookies cool, prepare the glaze. Whisk together all of the ingredients until smooth. If your glaze is too thick, add more milk. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Once the cookies are cool, use a spoon and spread glaze over top of each cookie. Let the glaze harden before serving or packing away.

Recipe from www.inspiredbycharm.com 

But back to dinner:

The Chicken Pot Pie served as dinner 2 nights and lunch 2 days - gotta love that.  I joined Rachel for Indian take out on Sunday and loved it so much that Greg and I got it again on Wednesday night :)

I messed up and purchased ingredients for Santa Fe Chicken instead of Chicken Tortilla Soup, but oh well - Greg likes this one more anyway.  It also served as leftovers for a night.

We also finally ate the beef and broccoli (Trader Joe's) that has been in my meal plan for weeks :)

Tonight I am hoping to go out to eat because I haven't grocery shopped yet and this weather has me feeling a little cooped up!

Plan for next week:

Saturday: Going to make something with chicken - I'll throw together using whatever we have.  Hoping it will be the blackened chile-dusted chicken we didn't make last week, but this chicken parmigiana also looks pretty bomb. 

Sunday: Lisa and Evan are coming over for dinner - rescheduled from a few weeks back.  Greg is going to try using his deep fryer for the first time and we are planning to make halibut tacos!

Monday: Our favorite weeknight go to soup - Crockpot tomato basil with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Tuesday: We are doing Blue Apron this week!  Tuesday will be Togarashi-Spiced Tilapia & Jade Pearl Rice.

Wednesday: Blue Apron Meal: Cuban Sandwiches with Sweet Plantain & Kale Salad.

Thursday: Blue Apron Meal: Turkey Meatballs & Linguine with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Pecorino Cheese.

Friday: Dinner at Dan & Jeannette's!

Saturday: My recent obsession just won't quit - so I'm going to try and make Indian food at home.  Butter Chicken with a side of stir fry vegetables. 

3 Years Old

My little big 3-year-old.  

How I wish I could pause our lives right now and continue to soak up every ounce of Ben's sweetness.  One of my biggest fears becoming a parent was that I would end up with a bratty, rude child.  I'm not sure why I was so worried - I think Greg and I are generally pretty nice - but so far, Ben's sweet and polite disposition, his passion for dancing and tickles, and his contagious giggles have proven that I had no reason to worry.  

Our day to day routine is full of moments where I absolutely DIE inside over how much love I feel for this kid.  In the mornings after he wakes up, he will typically walk over to his table to sit down and play with a toy.  He will let me know when he is ready to come out by getting back on his bed and talking straight into the camera and saying "I'm all done going night night - I had a nice nap"!  A few weeks ago, I had noticed he had gotten out of bed but then never let me know it was time to come get him.  I went into his room and he was under the table in the complete darkness and all he said was "peak-a-boo, mama".  Followed by "I want some chocolate milk, please".  

After he finishes his milk it's IMMEDIATELY time to "play Thomas", which is still what he says in reference to the front room/train table/all his trucks.  Monster trucks have totally taken over our house right now and he can entertain himself playing forEVER, (as long as he knows I'm watching him from wherever I happen to be).

One of his favorite activities is to take a morning walk (or drive) to the park to see if any other kids are around to play with/chase.  He absolutely loves any little kid who will chase him or be chased by him.  He engages them by running past them, stopping, looking back with an encouraging smile and then cracks up once the game of chase begins once more.  I love how friendly he is and how quick he is to say "I want SOME MORE".

Once back home, he is a champ at helping me with certain chores.  He is eager to please and loves to be praised for: helping collect the garbage, spraying the Windex when we are cleaning the windows, and wiping various things (he will tell me "Mama, I need to get some of my wipes, please").  He also loves to wash his hands (which is nice, considering potty training MUST happen soon).  

At night time, it is generally fairly easy to get him to bed, as long as he gets to pick a few books out to read.  Recently, we rediscovered "I'll Love You Forever" and Ben wants to read it almost nightly.  He will say some of the words along with me and it takes ALL THAT I HAVE not to break down every time I read it.  Once we are done with books, and Ben starts to catch on that I'm about to turn off the light, he will say "I want some mama", and needs me to snuggle with him for awhile.  And this part is so funny to me: We ALWAYS lay on our right sides, I am (obviously) always the big spoon, and it has been like this pretty much every night since he was born.  

I will often lay with him for a few minutes until I think he is starting to fade, but as soon as I start to back away to sneak out, I'll hear the littlest voice again.  

"I want some mama".

I love his crazy, BLONDE (with a gangsta cowlick) hair.  I love his beautiful, against his genetic odds, blue eyes.  I love how when he sees a picture of a unicorn, he calls it a "popcorn". I love his goofy facial expressions - particularly his furrowed brow.  I love how he tilts his head to the side, makes a "that was so nice of you!!" face, when he says, "thank you"! I love how he asks me "Hey Mama, whatcha doin'" 1,549 times a day - and when he KNOWS exactly what I'm doing, he will tack it on in front of a comment - i.e. "Hey Mama, whatcha doin' you're makin' the bed"!

Ben, in a nutshell

A few other updates:

We had our LAST speech therapy session.  We were both so sad that we would no longer be seeing Katie every couple weeks, but at the same time, feeling so confident in Ben and the massive progress he has made over the past year.  On our last visit, she told me how blown away she was with his speech lately, and even commented that he is conjugating verbs like a champ for his age!  I hadn't even noticed, as I obviously have no idea when that is supposed to happen, but she was right - he does (sometimes)!  She also said that it feels so great to know that he essentially "graduated" the program - in that he isn't continuing on with additional therapy after finishing with her.  

I'll be taking Ben in next week for his 3 year check up and I'm curious to see how he is measuring up in height and weight.  My assumption is still tall and still "medium" in his weight.  His 3T jammies are much too tight, and he is starting to transition into 4T clothing.  It just dawned on me that he will likely be getting shots - which he hasn't had since he was 2!!  Knowing how much more aware he is, I'm curious/nervous to see how that goes.

I (WE) love him more than words.  I worry that I love him TOO much at times, but that is impossible.  The good news is that I think the feeling is mutual :) Ben's frequent, unprompted hugs make me melt inside and I dread the day his bumps and bruises are no longer magically healed by my kisses.

Pics from the weekend

A short and sweet updated from a lovely weekend.  In addition to celebrating Ben's birthday, we had brunch in Bothell (followed by a yoga class for me)!

Ben took a few naps with his monster truck.

And Ben and I spent an evening with Rachel and Raleigh.

Ben's Birthday Party

We celebrated a certain special someone's THIRD BIRTHDAY this past weekend!!!

This marks the first "official" birthday party for Ben.  We have certainly always acknowledged his birthday the past 2 years, but this year we absolutely had to do something extra special and include all of his little friends.

I decided to have his party at Elevated Sportz after we attended our little buddy Oliver's birthday there in April.  It all was amazingly easy and efficient and most important, FUN.  The kids all seemed to have a blast, and Ben was over the moon excited to have the day be all about him.

I did the best I could to prepare him for it and tell him everything that would be happening. I really wanted to build his excitement and have him understand that there would be a time to play and a time to eat pizza/cake.  He was SO great about everything and seriously had the best time.

Thank you to EVERYONE that came out to play and get crazy with our little guy.  He took the longest nap ever that afternoon and has been totally enjoying playing with his new loot :)

And we have been singing "Happy Birthday" on a loop for the past 2 days.

Meal Planning: Week of September 22nd

Review from last week:

I'm sure I have said it before, but I can count on one hand the number of Blue Apron meals that have not been what I would describe as "absolutely delicious".  The eggplant Parmesan was one of them - but really, I'm sure it was more about the fact that it was eggplant and less to do with the recipe itself.  (Not pictured).

I seem to have failed to take a lot of pictures this week - except for the Okonomiyaki.  Yum.

The crockpot pork was SO GOOD that I actually made it twice this week.  Once on Tuesday when Kristin and Craig came over and we all partied like it was a Friday night ;)  Kristin brought over slaw with this dressing, and it was absolutely amazing.  

I currently have more pork simmering in my crockpot right now and will make a big batch of slaw to go with it tonight.

Finally, while this is not dinner, it HAS been in my life every day since I first discovered it.

I tend to get a little obsessive when I find something I like love want to marry and spend the rest of my life with.  This is my new thing.  #treatyoself

Plan for next week:

Saturday/Sunday: Chicken Pot Pie

Monday: Leftovers or something from the freezer.

Tuesday: Blackened Chile-Dusted Chicken with Zucchini Rice Pilaf and Corn-Tomato Salsa.

Wednesday:  AKA BEN'S 3RD BIRTHDAY!  No official plans yet, but I'm thinking something of the Red Robin or Chuckie Cheese variety for dinner that night.

Thursday: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans
• 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 oz) can beer  (or 1 can chicken broth)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
• 3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts  (1lb of chicken tenders)
• shredded Cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS

Place the onion, kidney beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer or chicken broth, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker.  **Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend.  Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours. 
 

Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips

Friday: Leftover chicken tortilla soup

Saturday: Seared Scallops with Snap Peas and Pancetta

Cabo Cancellation and Our Week

On Saturday evening, Greg and I were toasting our upcoming trip to Cabo and enjoying a few margaritas...

...and on Sunday evening, this was happening to our hotel:

#HurricaneOdile has required us to alter our upcoming travel plans :/  In all honesty, I'm SURPRISED I'm not more disappointed....but overall, I'm just SO thankful that we were not there when the hurricane hit.  We are going to reschedule our trip for early 2015 - assuming everything is repaired and back up and running - and spend a few days in Whistler instead.  

My mom and I had a fun afternoon last weekend doing some shopping and having lunch out :)  I had forgotten how enjoyable a trip to the mall can be when you leave your kid/family at home!

We celebrated Bronson's 3rd birthday at the Broady's beautiful new home!  It was so much fun to hang out and catch up with these ladies - Steph and Shauna.  (PS the day after the party, Shauna learned baby Broady #2 is a GIRL - we cannot WAIT to meet her)!

We went up to the track to take turns running (Greg 5 miles, me.....1) while Ben enjoyed playing in the dirt on the baseball field.  

Cowlick in the sun

A little Beats by Dre while visiting the Genius Bar at the Apple store.

Playing at Greenlake Park.

The kitty can only take so much

Meal Planning: Week of September 15th

Review from last week:

I didn't stick to the menu plan as much as I normally do. 

We did, of course, make the blue apron dishes.  The tomato/ricotta pasta was amazingly simple and delicious.  I am SO fond of recipes that only require a handful of items, especially when those are things we usually keep fresh at all times.

The swiss chard and black bean tostadas were out of this world - once again proving that with the right recipe, you don't even miss the meat.  (Although, to be honest, it would have been bomb with some carnita meat mixed in).

One night I didn't feel like cooking at ALL so I just made arugula salad.

Another night Ben wasn't feeling well and required my attention, so Greg picked up Spaghetti Factory take out.  Yum.

I never made the sweet potato/lentil soup, but I DID make the potato leek - which I loved and Greg didn't care for.  I also repurposed the shrimp from one of the blue apron meals and made Thai/shrimp salad instead.

Plan for this week:

Monday:  Making the Eggplant Parmesan I haven't yet made from last week.

Tuesday:  Crock Pot Kalua Pork and Kristin and Craig (The Headlee's!!) are coming over for dinner.

Wednesday: Left overs

Thursday:  Trader Joe's Beef and Broccoli - I SWEAR I will finally make this.

Friday:  Okonomiyaki

Saturday: Chicken Pot Pie