Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

My sweet Aiden turned one year old today. I still can't believe it. It's been a YEAR. Really?!? Seriously....really?!?

I have to admit that I have been a little emotional about his birthday. I'm not sure if that's "normal" or not, but it has choked me up several times, however, nothing choked me up more than when Adam and I opened the door to Aiden's bedroom this morning to find our little cutie standing waiting for us!

Now, I realize that he's 1 and you'd think he would be a pro at that by now, but this was the very first time he has pulled himself up to stand in his crib. The fact that he did it for the first time on his birthday morning as we came in with balloons singing Happy Birthday simply brought me to tears. It's his birthday, but he gave us the gift of that special memory... so sweet!

After we got the birthday boy up and fed we headed out the door as a family to get Aiden's one year pictures done. I decided 6 months or so ago that I wanted to bring in a cake and balloons for his 1 year pictures and that's exactly what we did.

After our photo session we headed home so the birthday boy could nap. After lunch we filled up Aiden's baby pool so that he could cool off on this 96 degree day. Adam and I had so much fun watching Aiden splash and play and try to swim like a big boy in a tiny pool. We even got some relief from the heat--we filled up Aiden's other pool and took turns sitting in it. Yup, we're making memories.

We spent the rest of the day trying to make Aiden feel special and loved... I guess besides the fact that his daddy wasn't working on a Thursday, it was a pretty ordinary day.

Tasty Tuesday: Pico de gallo

I used to hate tomatoes, but I've recently became a fan of grape tomatoes--delicious! I was in the mood for a quesadilla the other night so I broke out the griddle and got to work. Wanting to make my quesadilla just like the one I get at Qdoba, I decided to make my own pico and it turned out great.

Yes, I've made pico before, but I usually use Rotel or another canned item. I'm not a huge fan of canned foods, I'd much rather buy frozen fruits and veggies if I can't get them fresh, so I am super excited about this recipe. If you're using canned tomatoes to make your pico--STOP! This seriously is the best, most fresh pico I've ever had.

Pico de gallo:

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 medium red onion

1 jalapeno

cilantro

salt

pepper

Directions:

After washing your tomatoes, quarter each grape tomato and place them in a medium sized bowl. Dice the red onion and add it to the tomatoes. Salt and Pepper the onion and tomatoes to taste. De-seed the jalapeno (unless you want your pico to be super hot! The seeds are the hottest part of the jalapeno.) dice it, and add it to the bowl. Take the cilantro off of the stems and give the leaves a rough chop. Or, you can use kitchen shears to cut the cilantro to the desired size. I love cilantro, so for me, the more the better. About 1 cup of loosely pack cilantro should be enough, but I probably add a tad more. Thoroughly mix the pico, adding more salt and pepper if desired. Enjoy!

I used this both inside my quesadilla and as a salsa on top and it was fantastic, but it would also be great with tortilla chips, in a salad, or as a topping for tacos.

One of those days

I am very well aware that I am abundantly blessed. I have a loving husband, the best baby boy a mother could hope for, and beautiful home. BUT...

I am feeling blue today, which is odd because I got out of the house on my own this morning sans Adam and Aiden AND I actually DID something that wasn't related to being a wife or mommy. I met some women from my church at a local restaurant for breakfast and afterward we went to paint pottery. It was nice to be out of the house and I was glad to get back in touch with my creative side for an hour or so. Then why so blue, you ask? Because I was overwhelmingly aware of how much my life changed almost one year ago.

While I was at the restaurant I realized that while some parts of my life had been temporarily put on hold, everyone else's life has gone on as usual. The Bible Fellowship class that we belong to has grown and although we attend the class, I feel like a stranger to these people. When we got to the pottery place I felt even more out of place. I was sitting there thinking, "Wow, out of all of these girls, I'm the ONLY one who has a baby..." I conversed, making mostly small talk, and I listened to how this one and that one got together recently or how this one is having people over tonight and how everyone was going. Sure, the invitation was extended to Adam and me but I had to decline. "Aiden goes to bed around 8."

Adam and I used to the the ones who loved to have people over for game night or dinner and a movie. That hasn't been so easy for us over the past year but we try to make seeing our friends work when possible. Our get-togethers are scheduled for earlier in the day now and we tend to make sure we are getting home no later than 8 o'clock if we go out. Going somewhere together at 8 has been out of the question for a loooong time.

I came home around 1:30 this afternoon to a sleeping baby and a hubby who was relaxing on the couch. After Aiden woke up we decided to take him out for his first trip to Krispy Kreme. On the way to KK I broke down and my poor husband didn't see it coming...

Between my sobs I told him how hard it is to be a part of a group that you can't really be a part of. I told him that while I love Aiden more than I ever knew that I would, I miss the other part of me, the part that needs to not be a mommy once in a while. I told him that our class has turned back into a class of mostly married couples without children and while these people are fun to be around, it's just a different lifestyle when you have a child to take care of. And while we do have wonderful friends that do have children, we can't rely on those few couples to be our world. Then there's family. We don't have that where we live either, and sometimes it's hard. Really hard. That's why friendships are so important to me. My friends are my local family.

Adam listened and didn't say much, but I know it's not the same for him. He's ultra independent and he also spends a large amount of his time out of the house having constant contact with the outside world. "We can try a different BF class," he offered, "but I don't think that will change anything." Maybe. Maybe not.

Maybe the summer has just been difficult for me because everyone tends to get so busy when the warm weather strikes; graduations, holidays, vacations, barbecues, family gatherings. Maybe I'm just in a funk....

I'm still feeling a little blue, but it didn't take long for me to get over my sobbing fit when I saw the cutest little face enjoying his first ever bite of a Krispy Kreme donut.

I have my days; I'm human. And I really would like some things to change, but oh, man, that boy melts my heart. He certainly has changed my life, and despite my off day, I love him for it.

Tasty Tuesday: Blueberry Gargonzola Salad with Steak

I just came across this recipe a few weeks ago and I've already made it three times. The recipe didn't originally call for steak, but I added it to turn this salad into a meal. This is perfect for both a quick dinner or if you're looking for a recipe for a get together. The presentation of this salad is beautiful and what's best, it's super easy to make!





Ingredients:

1 bag mixed salad greens
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1 cup roasted, salted almonds (Glazed walnuts may be used instead)
3/4 cup sliced fresh chives (about 1 inch pieces)
3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
3/4 cup bottled raspberry-walnut vinaigrette
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh tarragon leaves

(recipe courtesy Southern Living Magazine)

Directions:

Toss together all ingredients in a large serving bowl. Portion out salad onto dinner plates and top with sliced grilled steak.

Bon appetite!

Cleaning House

I grew up in a VERY clean house--everything was always in place. My husband, on the other hand, did not. Now, I wasn't there, but over the eight years I've been with my hubby, I've come to realize that keeping a clean, clutter free home was not something that was made a priority during his formative years. Thus, there is a constant struggle in my home over organization and what each of us considers clean and I have been losing this struggle, especially since we've added a little addition to our family. I can't take it anymore. We've been blessed with a larger-than-we-need-f0r-n0w home with a lot of closets and lots of space and those closets and space have quickly filled up with "stuff". Sometimes I feel like I'm suffocating in my own house from all of our "stuff". I feel like I'm being weighed down and it is affecting every part of me. I want it out.

I was reading an article the other day about reorganizing your home in 7 days. This article suggested tackling one room/project a day for a week so that the overwhelming task of reorganizing an entire house doesn't seem impossible. I'm doing it!

I started yesterday and I've decided to clean/organize the house from top to bottom--literally. I started upstairs in our bedroom, which includes a bathroom and a fairly large closet. I didn't finish our room yesterday (afterall, I still have a baby to take care of) and I recognize that my project may take more than a week, but I'm committed to it because I refuse to raise my son in a home of clutter. I refuse to allow him to think that it's acceptable. And I refuse to let him leave my house when he's grown up to have his wife teach him how to clean.

The husband and I had a few good, lengthy conversations about this, and he's agreed (finally!) that this is indeed important. So what I need now is prayer. Pray that I will be diligent in my task and prayer that the hubby will continue to support my efforts and be mindful about what he's agreed to.

I'm starting to feel the weight lift off of my shoulders...

Tasty Tuesday: Steak Kabobs with Coconut Rice

I made these steak kabobs for dinner the other night and paired them with a fragrant coconut rice. The result? Delish! This is a super easy meal to make!


Steak Kabobs Ingredients:

1.25-1.5 lbs steak, cubed (I used round steak)
2 medium green peppers, cut into medium size chunks
8-10 mushrooms, halved
1 medium red onion, cut into medium size chunks
Salt, Pepper, and Steak Seasoning, all to taste



Directions:



Preheat your grill.



Season your steak with steak seasoning or the marinade/seasoning of your choice. Cut the steak into evenly sized cubes. Set aside.



Prepare your vegetables according to the ingredient list above.



It's time to skewer your kabobs! I prefer to skewer the meat and vegetables in a pattern, but you can skewer them however you'd like, just have fun with it. Season with salt and pepper before placing on the grill.

Cooking time will vary depending on your grill temperature, the thickness of your meat and veggies and your preferred meat doneness. I grilled my kabobs for 8-10 minutes on medium high heat, rotating them once.

Here's how my kabobs looked when they were done

Coconut Rice:



This super simple rice is delicious and it is the perfect pairing for grilled kabobs!



Ingredients:
1 cup Jasmine or Basmati rice (I used Jasmine rice)
1 14.5 oz can coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 cup coconut flake



Directions:

Bring the coconut milk, sugar and salt to a SLOW boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. When the milk comes to a boil pour in the rice and coconut flake and cook for 10-12 minutes as you continue to stir the mixture frequently so that it does not burn. The mixture may begin to absorb all of the coconut milk before the rice is tender. If needed, add water a little bit at a time to the cooking rice until the rice is done. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.

Steak Kabobs with Coconut Rice

Enjoy!