Birthday Treats

Happy 2nd Birthday Finn, Lem, and Bay!

Two years ago (February 15th, 2010), after one long, stressful, nerve-racking night, Missy Belle gave birth to Boykin Spaniel puppies. Kristen and Tony had first pick since Belle is “technically” Kristen’s dog. Yeah, right. ;) They picked the big boy and named him Lem after Jack Daniel’s nephew, proprietor of the distillery, and distant uncle to us. My parents kept the girl since they already had a girl dog and felt that would be best for their family. They named her Bay after two of our favorite roads in Beaufort. William and I kept the little boy runt and named him Finn after one of my favorite literary characters, Huckleberry Finn.

Sweet Bay

Finn

Lem

I know we are biased, but Boykin Spaniels really are the best dogs. If you have one, you understand.  They are brilliant, good-natured, beautiful companions that truly love their families. William and I couldn’t ask for a better pup.

 



No worries.  The bottle is empty. 

The three of them have kept us on our toes quite a few times. What dog hasn’t, right? Finn is slightly obsessed with water and swam too far out into the river while we were taking a walk on the canal. William had to get in the freezing water, with his clothes on, and get him while an audience congregated. Poor Lem likes to eat socks, onions, and golf balls resulting in many late night calls to the emergency vet. And Sweet Bay loves an adventure and has been bitten by a snake and stung by bees.  Hopefully, their mischievous days are behind us.  But I doubt it. :)

Finn has been unbelievable with Wills, and I know, one day, they will be best friends.

I found this dog cupcake recipe online and decided to try it.  A perfect treat for perfect pups.

I mixed all of the ingredients together and baked the cupcakes on 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Finn loved his birthday treat.  Sissy made Lem his own cupcakes, and I sent two cupcakes back to the beach for Sweet Bay and Missy Belle.  

Be mine.

My sweet Valentines.



Wills got his first Valentines. This mommy will be just fine with these being the only Valentines her little boy receives for a long time. At least 20 years or so. Girls, watch out. :) 

Love, these days, looks a lot like doing the dishes, making the morning coffee, and tag-teaming our evening routine of rice cereal, bath time, bedtime bottle, preparing dinner, changing the last evening diapers, organizing the next day’s bottles, and tucking in our sweet little boy together, as parents.

It’s the little things that make a love so big.

This Valentine’s Day as I sneak away for a few quiet moments over a sushi dinner with my Valentine, kiss my other little Valentine goodnight, and give my furry Valentine a treat, I will remember that love isn’t about romantic trips, a dozen roses (although I'm so excited I got some), or expensive date nights. It’s about being together on this journey, celebrating the ups and embracing the downs of life, hand in hand, with plenty of kisses along the way.

As we’re raising our little boy and learning to juggle work, home, and a social life, I can’t help but agree with my BFF Taylor Swift in knowing that "the stakes are high, the water’s rough, but this love is ours.” God has chosen us and entrusted us with Wills, and the stakes are definitely high. I wouldn’t be telling the truth if I said that the waters are always perfectly smooth. I don’t think that’s possible with a four month old. However, I wouldn’t have it any other way, and I am so thankful that this love, this journey, is all ours.

Happy Valentine’s Day to my sweet boys. You bring so much joy, meaning, and purpose to my life.      



Christy Visits!

One of the greatest blessings in life is friendship.  Christy flew in Friday afternoon and spent the weekend with us.  It was so nice to see her and spend some quality time together.  Although we try to talk once a week and are very involved in each other's lives, it seemed we still had so much to talk about and conversation was endless.  I am beyond thankful for her friendship and so glad she got to meet Wills.

We didn't take too many pictures because, to be honest, we spent most of the weekend drinking coffee, chatting, and hanging out in yoga pants and sweatshirts. 

Kristen and Tony came over Saturday night.  We grilled burgers, drank wine, and listened to a lot of guitar playing.

I was sad to see the weekend end.  I wish Christy and Ken lived closer.  For now we will just treasure the memories, plan the next visit, and read the books that Christy gave to Wills.  She is always so thoughtful, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a perfect way to be a part of Wills' life every day.  Every time we read it we will tell him about Christy. :)

Firsts

Wills had a big weekend!

He had rice cereal and LOVED it! We tried to give him a little about a week ago and didn’t do so well. I don’t think he swallowed any of it. Instead, it seemed we were both covered from head to toe by the end. This weekend was a completely different story. I thickened it up a bit, which seemed to help, and he ate every bite. He even tried to help me with the spoon. I was so proud of him.

He also had his first date! Reyer was the lucky girl. He was pretty lucky too because she is precious! Our friends, Ty and Heather, stopped by for a few appetizers and the first half of the super bowl.

My sweet boy was so shy. This was his first time seeing another baby. He is twice her size and two months younger than she is. She laughed and giggled all night, and he just stared at her. I am working on getting a new mom’s group together once a month. I think it will be good for both of us to be around new moms and babies more frequently. Then William doesn’t have to always hear about bottle schedules, differences in Huggies and Pampers, and every parenting article I’ve read in the last month. Although he is a good sport, and very involved, it will be good for me to have another outlet for "baby" talk.  :)

Wills has another big weekend ahead. Christy, my best friend from college, is coming to visit us all the way from DC, and we are so excited! I can’t wait for Wills to meet her!

After School Snack

I try to live in the moment. Especially now that the last four months have passed by so quickly. But I can’t help but think about what lies ahead for my little peanut.

I daydream about family vacations and his little legs running all over the beach, picking up seashells, and wiping his sandy hands all over me.

I think about conversations we will have about manners, good grades, being kind to others, and always doing his best.

I daydream about after school snacks and doing homework at the kitchen table.

I think about the sun starting to set and calling for him, William and Finn to come out of the tree fort and inside to eat dinner.

I’ve practiced, aloud, my scary mom voice for, “Don’t make me call your dad.”

One time, I caught myself daydreaming about moving him in to Russell Hall in Athens, William telling him how proud we are and me making him promise to make good decisions and call home. Then I started crying and made myself go back to living in the moment.

I look at my seventh graders and wonder which one he is going to look like. I thought I had it figured out. Size wise. I even went as far, last week, to ask one of the boys (that I figured might be what Wills would look like) how big he was as a baby so I could compare. Haha. Like he knew. He just stared at me with this really funny look on his face. “Nevermind,” I quickly said.

The point is, as much as I try to live in the moment, I still daydream about the future.

Especially, when I’m cooking. Lately, I will casually comment to William, “this will be good to make one day when Wills can eat real food,” or “I bet Wills will like this dish,” or “when we’re at the baseball field, guitar lessons, or golf course late one night, this will be good to put in the oven when we get home.” William usually just nods and obliges me with, “Yes, good idea, baby.”

That’s when I decided to try a recipe, from Martha Stewart, that would be perfect for my daydreams about after school snacks.  My little boy will have no idea that his sneaky Mommy filled these cupcakes with zucchini. It will be my little secret. And one I better keep from William, too. I hope they don’t turn out green. If so, I guess that’s what icing is for, huh?

Before I begin, I have a confession. I’ve never made a cupcake before. Ever. Yes, I have aspirations of opening up a Cupcake, Wine and Book shop in a quaint little corner store in Beaufort.  Don't laugh. I’m serious. I don’t know much about wine. Except that I like it. Books, I think I could handle. Clearly, I know nothing about cupcakes. So, I can’t explain this moondream of mine, except to say that these are three of my favorite things. Who wouldn’t want to combine them into a charming little shop in their favorite town? Kind of like The Shop Around the Corner in You’ve Got Mail. Please tell me you know what I’m talking about.

Back to the zucchini cupcakes.  Don't run away yet.  At least give it a chance.  This recipe was really easy, and I have to admit, I'm pretty excited about the outcome.  

 

I cut the recipe in half because I only had one zucchini that we didn't use for our dinner last night.  I mixed 3/4 cup of flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

I grated the zucchini using a cheese grater.  This was a little strange, but I kept on and trusted the recipe.

I mixed the zucchini with one egg, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, and 1/2  teaspoon of vanilla.

I poured this into the flour mixture.  I know it doesn't look very appetizing. 

And then into a greased muffin pan.

I baked them on 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

I made cream cheese icing from the cookbook Tony gave me for Christmas. 

I mixed about 4 ounces of light cream cheese, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon of butter and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla. 

A zucchini cupcake and a glass of milk will be the perfect afternoon treat for Wills.  I can't wait to talk kickball, cooties, and his state capital's quiz before we start spelling homework.  I'm pretty pumped about it. 

By the way, William ate one in the dark.  I made sure the lights were off.  He loved it!  He said he was impressed and, "man, I could eat a bunch of these."  I can't stop laughing, and he keeps asking me why.  I'm a little scared for him to read this blog post.  Until then, I'm not saying a word.

Monsters aren't Scary

It’s not often that I wake up craving something green. Usually, the cravings are more of a golden brownish color – as in a smooth, freshly roasted cup of coffee.  This weekend was different.  I woke up with a big, green, googly eyed monster in mind! 

I needed some fast fruits and veggies in my life. It's been awhile since I made one, but I can’t think of a better way to get a lot in at once other than with a Green Monster.

I did a little research on the history of these nutrient dense, appetite satisfying smoothies, and I believe the original Green Monster and the name came from Angela who blogs at Oh She Glows! Since then there have been hundreds of variations and recipes created.

When I first started making these, I didn’t follow one recipe exactly, I just threw in what I liked, pressed blend, and hoped for the best.

I don’t always make it exactly the same, and honestly, any fruit or veggie you prefer would probably be just fine thrown into the mix. Trust me. These drinks have power and will make you feel oh so good! Tony and Kristen are hooked. My parents are at least thinking green thoughts and about trying a monster. William, on the other hand, is a lost cause I’m afraid. He won’t even kiss me while I’m drinking one. Ha! A little dramatic, don’t you think? :)

Wills watched me while I made this one at Sissy and Tony's house.

Usually, I fill the blender up with two handfuls of spinach, freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice (juice in a carton is fine too), a banana, 5 or so frozen strawberries, 1/2 to 3/4 a cup of fat free plain yogurt, and a handful of ice cubes.

I’ve been known to add half of an Amazing Grass Packet every now and then.  Not always.  Only when I'm feeling extra brave around the monsters.  This is legal, Tony.  They sell them at Earth Fare.  Inside.  Not out back, behind the building.  Uncle Tone likes to joke about my Amazing Grass.  We’re friends, so it’s okay.  It’s just to add an extra punch of weird, granola girl, superfoods (think Organic Alfalfa, Spirulini, Barley Grass, Acai, Beets, Raspberries, and Oat Fiber) that Yogi’s, health nuts, or wanna-bes, like me, eat. 

I wouldn't add a chocolate Amazing Grass to a Green Monster.  I would go with berry or regular flavor, but I'm all out.  I save chocolate for a banana, milk and peanut butter smoothie.  I just wanted to post a picture of what the packets look like.

Delicious.  Refreshing.  Energizing.  Clean. 

Not Scary.

Sneaking in a Nap

You know how we love Fridays!

I’m living in a catch 22.  I want Fridays to hurry so I can be home with my boys, yet I want the days and weeks to go by slowly, so Wills doesn’t grow up too fast.  It’s a dilemma. 

It was all about family last night.  And oysters!  Yeah, baby!

Unfortunately, William had to miss out on the fun.  He’s with his friend Jay seeing Widespread at the Tabernacle.  He’s holding on to this piece of his youth by a thread, but he’s holding tight.  I told you he loves live music.

I ran to the grocery store after work and picked up a few ingredients to make Blue Cheese Bacon Dip.  I wanted to contribute to the night's festivities, so I searched my cookbooks for the perfect dish to impress.  I found this one courtesy of Southern Living. 

Groceries in hand, I walked in the door and started cooking  fell asleep.  Oops.  My mom had Wills, and I took advantage of the time by taking a nap.  I had all intentions of carrying a warm, flavorful dip inside of Sissy's house.  Instead, I carried in the bag of groceries.  

I immediately fed my little boy that I hadn't seen all day, and my mom and sister had to put together the dip that I was planning to cook and was excited to share.  Oh well.  The cost of a nap is pretty high these days.

I did get them to take a few pictures while they worked.  Thanks, Mom and Sissy.

They cooked the bacon, drained it, and sauteed the garlic in the skillet.

After the cream cheese (2 packages) was soft, they put it in a bowl, added a 1/3 cup of half and half and stirred it until it was smooth.

Then stirred in the bacon, blue cheese, garlic, and chives.

They put it in a baking dish and baked it on 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

We topped it with toasted walnuts and served it with crackers.  It was rich, savory and went perfectly with my glass of Cabernet. 

After our appetizers, we feasted on steamed and fried oysters.  They were perfect!

My sweet parents brought the oysters home fresh from Land's End. 

 

Surprise!

Finding a crab in your oyster is supposedly good luck if you eat it.  I tried.  Really, I did.  Who wouldn't want a little luck on their side? 

But I couldn't do it.  The slimy oysters (which I happen to love) are enough of a food adventure for me.

This was Tony's plate by the end of the night.  He loves oysters!

Definitely fist pump worthy.

This was the perfect way to celebrate the end of a work week.  I love my family!