Smart Aleck

We started the summer strong with Scarlett loving her workbook & practicing school work, but that's all gone now. With school a mere 2 1/2 weeks away I decided we better get back to the grind. I say down with her and the workbook yesterday. "It's SO hard!" I told her if she forgets how to write they will send her back to PreK. She said "Good! I like PK better". Here's a little excerpt from her work yesterday.

We will have to work on that attitude before school starts!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Splash Park

We finally tried out the Lafreniere splash park today. The girls had a really good time! It wasn't too crowded so they played for quite awhile.

Waiting for it to open.

They really loved it!

 

The park had a racket going. Snowball stand right next to the water park. We weren't making it out of there without one!

 

Now it's time for those great naps that come with sun and water play :)

 

Posted with Blogsy

New Recipes

I've tried some new recipes lately and thought I would share. Two days a week we don't get home until almost 6 (gymnastics) so I'm loving slow cooker stuff! The sliders were really easy and the girls loved them too. I love sloppy joes but wanted to try something a little more home made than manwich. These are amazing. We have had them several times. Putting the ground beef in raw freaked me out, but trust me, it works and it's so easy! I love this jambalaya recipe because of all the veggies and I can adjust the heat. The boxed stuff is just way too hot for the girls (and not as delicious as this one!). The jambalaya saves ok in the fridge for a day, but don't freeze it (the rice does not keep well). So without further ado...here they are. Hope you try and like them as much as we do! I halved all these recipes and it was the perfect amount for the 4 of us.

Easy Cheeseburger Sliders

Ingredients:

2 pounds, 93% lean ground sirloin

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I used plain and a little season salt)

3/4 cup chopped onions

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 package (12-count) Kings Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls (or slider buns)

6 slices cheddar or American cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine beef, bread crumbs, onion, and salt. Gently press mixture into a 9-by-13-inch pan so that it makes one large patty of even thickness. Use the tines of a fork to poke holes throughout the meat. Bake for 30 minutes. As it bakes, the meat will shrink away from the sides and liquid will accumulate around the edges of pan. When fully cooked, remove the pan from oven (keep oven turned on) and carefully drain off the liquid.

Top the meat with an even layer of sliced cheese; return pan to oven for about 2 minutes or until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a few minutes. Cut into 2-inch squares (or the size of the buns used), making 12 mini- hamburgers. Serve with dill pickle slices and ketchup. Serves 6 at 2 sliders each.

 

Slow cooker Jambalaya

Ingredients:

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut up into small pieces

1 lb andouille sausage, sliced (I just used smoked sausage)

1 28oz can diced tomatoes with juice

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 c chopped celery

1 c chicken broth

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried parsley

2 tsp Cajun seasoning (I used 1 tsp)

1 tsp cayenne pepper (I omitted this)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 c instant rice

Directions:

Place all ingredients except rice in slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.

Cook rice according to package instructions. Add rice, as desired, into each individual serving of jambalaya. Store rice separately from rest of stew.

*I added about 1/2 cup of chopped carrot the last time I made this.

 

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

1+1/2 pound lean ground chuck (I used 93% lean)

15 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup ketchup

3/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon mustard (optional - I used about half a tbsp)

1-2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

1 tablespoon diced jalapeno (optional - I omitted)

8 hamburger buns, for serving

Directions:

Place raw* beef in slow cooker and break up with a beef chopper or large spoon. Pour all other ingredients over beef. Stir well to combine. Cover and cook on high, 3-4 hours or low, 6-7 hours.

Scoop out with slotted spoon onto buns. Serve hot and enjoy!

Makes 8

*Using lean ground chuck is crucial in this recipe because your meat will be terribly greasy cooking it this way if you use regular ground beef. However, if all you have is regular ground beef, simply brown it in a skillet ahead of time, add it to the slow cooker with all other ingredients, and cut cooking time in half.

 

Posted with Blogsy

iPhone catch up

We've been busy this week! Chick-fil-a with friends on Monday, the park on Tuesday, swimming on Wednesday, Bounce place today. Throw in 3 hours of gymnastics, the grocery store, school shoe shopping and daily play time with the swingset, water table and bubbles and you get the picture for how much the house work has suffered :). Here's a few pictures off my phone of our week so far.

 

Scarlett figured out she can do flips on the trapeze.

 

Early morning water table.

 

Wednesday we went swimming. It was Elle's first time that she could remember. She kept asking if we were going to a beach or splash park. She had no concept of what a pool would be.

 

Waiting patiently (well less than patiently) for her class to start. Scarlett starts at 4 and Elle at 5. Every 30 seconds to 2 minutes between 4 & 5 I heard "is it my turn yet? Is it my class yet?"

 

So maybe you've heard, but Twinkies are back on the market. I bought a box at Walmart simply because of the hype (we don't eat snack cakes any more or keep them in the house). It was the first Twinkie for both girls. Scarlett ate about half. She claimed she liked it, she just didn't want it (translation - she hated it but doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings). Elle ACTUALLY loved it. She turned it lengthwise, ate half, licked the cream out, then shoved the whole other half in her mouth.

 

This morning we were outside at 7am sharp for bubbles, swings and water table.

 

 

We came in to get dressed and have breakfast, then guess where we were again by 9am?

 

 

The girls are sleeping peacefully, so I best see what I can do about that housework situation!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Elle's Party

Saturday we celebrated Elle's 3rd birthday with friends and family at Palm Tree Playground.  The party was a great success.  We had 14 kids at the party including some of our playdate friends and some of Elle's classmates.  She was so thrilled to play with everyone!  

Elle just adores Reid!  

One of the dads at the party was the big bad wolf and had these girls squealing in the playhouse.  

Mini cupcakes were a hit!

Scarlett and William.  They were "engaged" a few years ago, but now they are just friends :o)

Pizza time!

Love this little face.  She was so excited to have her friends sing to her.

Picture time!  We miss having these boys close.  Elle with Charlie and Robert who came down from the north shore for the party.

Everyone wanted to have their picture taken with the birthday girl!  

Elle and Gracelyn

Elle and Lucy

Elle and Elise

Wow!  Look at all those presents!  

Elle and Gigi

Elle is loving that sucker.  Posing with Grammie and Nomie.

Elle and Donk.  Look at that mischievous grin!

Elle got a water table.  The girls soaked anyone that dared to come near. 

After getting drenched, she changed into her new Sophia dress.

A little friendly game of candy land

Almost time for bed.  One last picture with all the grandmas and one great grandma.  

Elle's 3rd Birthday

Elle turned 3 on Monday! She was ready for the big day. She has been saying for awhile "I'm 2. I've been 2 a LONG time." Since her birthday was on a week day, daddy had to work, but the girls and I met Tonya, Grayson & Chloe at the zoo. That's what the birthday girl wanted to do. Luckily it was overcast with just a few sprinkles when we got there, so that spared us from the heat for about an hour. We picked up cupcakes to share at lunch.

 

 

That night we got Chipotle for dinner because Elle wanted "beans and rice and TOMATOES" (I had them dump 2 heaping spoonfuls of pico on our bowl). Then we came home and had cookie cake and presents!

 

Getting ready to open presents from mommy, daddy and Scarlett. These were her "doggy presents". As a bit of a backstory, a month or so ago she was wearing a shirt with a Boston terrier on it and told me "I want him for my pawty." So when I saw this wrapping paper at target in Charlotte I HAD to get it!

 

It's a Lego supermarket! Elle talks about getting stuff from the "supermarket" all the time. She must have gotten it from Bubble Guppies because we never say "supermarket".

 

And the last present was ROSIE! For months she has wanted a "Rosie" (Scarlett's stuffed animal that she got on our last trip to Disney). When you ask what she wants for her birthday, all she has said is "I want a Wosie for my pawty." I even have a video on my phone of her a couple months ago crying her eyes out in her bed sadly sniffling "I need a Wosie". Much to our delight, she was just as excited to open her as we had hoped. There was jumping and hugging and giggling "I got my Wosie!"

 

 

A very happy birthday girl (in new Ariel jammies).

 

Today was her 3 year old checkup. She's 33 lbs (75%) and 39 1/2 inches (90%). Other than needing an allergy appointment for that peanut test, she got a clean bill of health.

 

Posted with Blogsy