Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Trent
Here he is. A whopping 3 months old and starting to coo and sit up a little. He is starting to get a tooth that may take forever to come in and he has Whooping Cough. You may or may not be able to tell that he has a cough in this video, but we are medicated and he is sleeping quite a bit. Here he wants to sleep, I just need to grap a diaper and such before I put him in the ultimate swing. Enjoy.
He is such a big help!
Sometimes when I am making the kids' lunches, I can't very well feed Reagan the bowl of oatmeal that she is after. So, I have enlisted the help of her big brother Taylor. He loves to help with whatever he can. It is too cute to watch!
We tell them everyday they're nuts!
Look at me.
I love this silly face!
Such a poser!
Is this what I am going to look like all growed up?
My turn with the face. Haha!
Being silly.
Keeping busy.
Here he is... now we use an eye-mask. It works on occasion, just like everything else.
Everyone is happy to play playdoh. Reagan is excited because this is her first time. Okay... and her last for a while. She ate some and it was a huge mess and well, she just wants to be where the activity is.
Hey daddy-O.
I love my daddy SO MUCH!
He is a WONDERFUL little boy! Such an angle!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Some really yummy fish recipes.
Ruth's Chris Trout Pecan
4 filets (1 - 6oz. per person) Filet of trout (I used Tilapia here and it was fantastic!)
3 tbs. Pure olive oil
3 tbs. Butter, whole
4 ozs. Pecans
about 1 1/2 cups Breadcrumbs, finely ground
for garnish Parsley, chopped
to taste Salt and pepper
1. Roast pecans in 300-degree oven for 7-8 minutes. Cool and chop. Reserve. 2. Season trout with salt and pepper on both sides and dredge in breadcrumbs. Shake off excess. 3. Heat olive oil in heavy saute pan or iron skillet on medium heat. Add whole butter when it begins to sizzle add dredged trout filets and cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. When fish are done, place on serving plate. Quickly wipe out the pan and return to the fire.
Meuniere Butter:
1/2 stick, cut in small pieces Butter
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 lemon Fresh lemon juice
Add butter. When butter begins to brown, add lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce - pour over filets. Sprinkle 1 oz. toasted pecans per filet. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and lemon wedge. Serve immediately.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 quart cold water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 large bunch dill - coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic - smashed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 salmon fillet - About 2 pounds
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 filets (1 - 6oz. per person) Filet of trout (I used Tilapia here and it was fantastic!)
3 tbs. Pure olive oil
3 tbs. Butter, whole
4 ozs. Pecans
about 1 1/2 cups Breadcrumbs, finely ground
for garnish Parsley, chopped
to taste Salt and pepper
1. Roast pecans in 300-degree oven for 7-8 minutes. Cool and chop. Reserve. 2. Season trout with salt and pepper on both sides and dredge in breadcrumbs. Shake off excess. 3. Heat olive oil in heavy saute pan or iron skillet on medium heat. Add whole butter when it begins to sizzle add dredged trout filets and cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. When fish are done, place on serving plate. Quickly wipe out the pan and return to the fire.
Meuniere Butter:
1/2 stick, cut in small pieces Butter
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 lemon Fresh lemon juice
Add butter. When butter begins to brown, add lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce - pour over filets. Sprinkle 1 oz. toasted pecans per filet. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and lemon wedge. Serve immediately.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Maple and Dill Brined Salmon
1 quart cold water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 large bunch dill - coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic - smashed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 salmon fillet - About 2 pounds
1 tablespoon olive oil
this delicate brine performs magic on a sparkling-fresh fillet of salmon. It plumps the fish with moisture and produces the most tender, succulent salmon I have ever eaten.
1. Combine the water, salt, and maple syrup in a large nonreactive container. Stir to dissolve the salt. Blend in the dill, garlic, and pepper.
2. Place the salmon, skin side up, in the brine, making sure it is submerged.
3. Cover the conatiner with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours.
4. Turn on the broiler.
5. Remove the salmon from the brine and lightly pat dry with a paper towel. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet, skin side down, and coat with the oil.
6. Broil for 15 minutes, or until just cooked throu
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Updates...
Well, tonight, just before dinner, Reagan poo'ed in her diaper. I was on the other side of the counter and just heard her grunt and whine. I peered around the counter to fine that she had unfastened her diaper and one side was still intact and it was hanging around her leg. Miraculously, the poo remained in the diaper. I was shocked and mortified. I rallied the family around to see what she had done and daddy said, maybe she wants to go sit on the potty. So, I thought why not. She doesn't really like to get up there but did and I let her sit there and Taylor came in for moral support. Nothing further happened and she wasn't excited to be in there, but when she was done... SHE SIGNED and SAID ALOUD: DOWN. It took a minute for me to actually catch that she said it. I am not used to that. However, she did on Wed. morning communicate via sign that she wanted to go to bed. She signed NIGHT NIGHT. This has been quite impressive considering she doesn't ever sign or speak. Just in the last 2 days she has noticeably been trying. And succeeding! I think she said daddy too. But I am not sure. I was a ways away from her. We have been excited and she loves to give high-fives when she has done a good job so we encourage her and give her lots of praise when she makes progress like this.
Trent, has not really let up on crying. We thought it was getting better and then he got worse. Two steps forward, three steps back. Let's see. At Taylor's school Trent was screaming LOUDER than normal. A lady followed us out the building and semi-yelled to get my attention and said "Do you need help?" I simply replied no, but thanks and I really appreciate the offer. Then yesterday, a lady in the church parking lot of the Bible Study I attend hollered to me from several feet away the same thing. I thought I was doing an okay job of loading the kids in, and I even thought Trent was quiet or quieter. I don't remember it very well, he cries so often that the details then have escaped me. Anyway, I said no thank you and went about finishing with loading the stroller and such. I want to say here that it has been really nice that people offer their time or services, but what I want to know is do I look that harried? Do I not appear to have it together? I have to this day done all I can to help Trent: warm bladder bags, eye masks, I have rubberbanded his pacifier to his face, I ergo carry him and bounce on the trampoline, we have bought vibrating chairs and swings and tried different formulas, some food, you name it. In the last two days he has spit up all over me and well, Casey has told Trent several times that he is grounded until he is 18. I have gone grocery shopping on 2 occasions with the children and the first time it was just Trent. I had a whole list and ended up just getting maybe 6 items and then just had to leave because Trent wouldn't stop crying while he was strapped to me in the carrier. The manager of the store helped me to scan my items and bag them in the self check-out lane and I couldn't get out of there faster! The next time I went with all 3 kids and the same thing. I got my groceries but once I was at check-out he started his wailing and so that same manager came to help me get out of there faster. I thanked her and have tried to tip her. She is very nice and said she remembers us. Ha! When we get to the car, I have to put him in the car and sometimes he just wails and wails. I have had Taylor try to feed him a bottle, give him his pacifier and such and nothing. It usually ends up with Taylor saying he tried everything and then he plugs both of his ears. We just go home and mommy tries to feed or bounce or snuggle.
Taylor is such a big help these days! He has fed himself and Reagan breakfast while I try and try again with Trent or I am making lunches. He tries very hard to do all of his tasks during the day and have good behavior and such. He wants to be so independent. We are so proud of him. We were trying to potty train him at night, but in his words, he said, "mom, I just don't think it is time, I am not ready for this and it is too hard for me." Maybe one day. Until then, I have a loaded trash bin of smelly diapers from 3 children. YEAH!
For now that is all we have for you. I have many more stories I intend to share, but it is hard to get on here. More pictures to come too.
Trent, has not really let up on crying. We thought it was getting better and then he got worse. Two steps forward, three steps back. Let's see. At Taylor's school Trent was screaming LOUDER than normal. A lady followed us out the building and semi-yelled to get my attention and said "Do you need help?" I simply replied no, but thanks and I really appreciate the offer. Then yesterday, a lady in the church parking lot of the Bible Study I attend hollered to me from several feet away the same thing. I thought I was doing an okay job of loading the kids in, and I even thought Trent was quiet or quieter. I don't remember it very well, he cries so often that the details then have escaped me. Anyway, I said no thank you and went about finishing with loading the stroller and such. I want to say here that it has been really nice that people offer their time or services, but what I want to know is do I look that harried? Do I not appear to have it together? I have to this day done all I can to help Trent: warm bladder bags, eye masks, I have rubberbanded his pacifier to his face, I ergo carry him and bounce on the trampoline, we have bought vibrating chairs and swings and tried different formulas, some food, you name it. In the last two days he has spit up all over me and well, Casey has told Trent several times that he is grounded until he is 18. I have gone grocery shopping on 2 occasions with the children and the first time it was just Trent. I had a whole list and ended up just getting maybe 6 items and then just had to leave because Trent wouldn't stop crying while he was strapped to me in the carrier. The manager of the store helped me to scan my items and bag them in the self check-out lane and I couldn't get out of there faster! The next time I went with all 3 kids and the same thing. I got my groceries but once I was at check-out he started his wailing and so that same manager came to help me get out of there faster. I thanked her and have tried to tip her. She is very nice and said she remembers us. Ha! When we get to the car, I have to put him in the car and sometimes he just wails and wails. I have had Taylor try to feed him a bottle, give him his pacifier and such and nothing. It usually ends up with Taylor saying he tried everything and then he plugs both of his ears. We just go home and mommy tries to feed or bounce or snuggle.
Taylor is such a big help these days! He has fed himself and Reagan breakfast while I try and try again with Trent or I am making lunches. He tries very hard to do all of his tasks during the day and have good behavior and such. He wants to be so independent. We are so proud of him. We were trying to potty train him at night, but in his words, he said, "mom, I just don't think it is time, I am not ready for this and it is too hard for me." Maybe one day. Until then, I have a loaded trash bin of smelly diapers from 3 children. YEAH!
For now that is all we have for you. I have many more stories I intend to share, but it is hard to get on here. More pictures to come too.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Split Pea Chowder
This was so good! I absolutely loved it! So did everyone else. A wonderful one dish meal and easy to freeze the leftovers. You can serve it alone, obviously, or with garlic bread or corn bread or salad or a side of sausages and cheese. Whatever you wish. Anyway, I wanted to share it because I found it to be the best Split Pea dish that I have made to date. Here goes:
1 1/3 cup dried split peas
1 cup Great Northern or navy beans ( I used 1 cup barley)
2 bouillon cubes
7 cups water (I used this amount but it all boiled out, next time cook on low the entire time!!!)
4 celery ribs, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1/2 small green cabbage, chopped (I used 1 (10 oz.) box frozen spinach)
2 cups frozen or canned lima beans (left this out)
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt (optional with bouillon)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 large can whole tomatoes (28 oz), chopped, with juice (I used V8 juice I had on hand)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
heaping 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or a few real garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb chicken hardwood sausage or turkey kielbasa or similar (optional)
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (OOPS! I forgot this!)
1. Sort your peas and set them in a pot with your beans or barley. Add 7 cups of water and cook until very tender. This should take less than an hour. Toss in BOUILLON cubes along the way with bay leaf.
2. While peas and beans are cooking, go to town chopping up CELERY, CARROTS, ONIONS and CABBAGE (and GARLIC cloves.) NOTE: use your food processor. Saute chopped up vegetables in the OIL. Eventually transfer a ladle of boiling water from the bean pot to the vegetables to make sure they don't scorch. Cook vegetables until they are very tender - perhaps 20 minutes or more.
3. When all of that is well on the way, chop up the TOMATOES. I dump the tomato juice in with the peas and beans and the chopped tomatoes in with the almost-cooked vegetables.
4. After the peas are well disintegrated and the vegetables are cooked tender, dump everything together. Add the PEPPER and GARLIC powder (and anything else you think it needs) and simmer until it passes the taste test.
5. At every step of the way, be careful not to scorch the split pea mush. Use very low flames.
Split peas are the convenience food of the bean family because no pre-soaking is necessary, and they cook tender in 30 to 45 minutes. Brown rice cooks in the same amount of time; so it is a natural addition, complementing the protein of the lentils or peas.
Everyone loved this so I can't say that I am biased. I threw out another Split Pea recipe as soon as we were finished. By the way, this made enough for 3 meals. I froze the soup and will reheat it with additional broth for an easy meal on a busy day. Sorry, no photos for this one. I intend to get some. Hope you like it!
1 1/3 cup dried split peas
1 cup Great Northern or navy beans ( I used 1 cup barley)
2 bouillon cubes
7 cups water (I used this amount but it all boiled out, next time cook on low the entire time!!!)
4 celery ribs, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1/2 small green cabbage, chopped (I used 1 (10 oz.) box frozen spinach)
2 cups frozen or canned lima beans (left this out)
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt (optional with bouillon)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 large can whole tomatoes (28 oz), chopped, with juice (I used V8 juice I had on hand)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
heaping 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or a few real garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb chicken hardwood sausage or turkey kielbasa or similar (optional)
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (OOPS! I forgot this!)
1. Sort your peas and set them in a pot with your beans or barley. Add 7 cups of water and cook until very tender. This should take less than an hour. Toss in BOUILLON cubes along the way with bay leaf.
2. While peas and beans are cooking, go to town chopping up CELERY, CARROTS, ONIONS and CABBAGE (and GARLIC cloves.) NOTE: use your food processor. Saute chopped up vegetables in the OIL. Eventually transfer a ladle of boiling water from the bean pot to the vegetables to make sure they don't scorch. Cook vegetables until they are very tender - perhaps 20 minutes or more.
3. When all of that is well on the way, chop up the TOMATOES. I dump the tomato juice in with the peas and beans and the chopped tomatoes in with the almost-cooked vegetables.
4. After the peas are well disintegrated and the vegetables are cooked tender, dump everything together. Add the PEPPER and GARLIC powder (and anything else you think it needs) and simmer until it passes the taste test.
5. At every step of the way, be careful not to scorch the split pea mush. Use very low flames.
Split peas are the convenience food of the bean family because no pre-soaking is necessary, and they cook tender in 30 to 45 minutes. Brown rice cooks in the same amount of time; so it is a natural addition, complementing the protein of the lentils or peas.
Everyone loved this so I can't say that I am biased. I threw out another Split Pea recipe as soon as we were finished. By the way, this made enough for 3 meals. I froze the soup and will reheat it with additional broth for an easy meal on a busy day. Sorry, no photos for this one. I intend to get some. Hope you like it!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Pumpkin Patch
So you know, a lot of my posts are out of order and older than when I actually post them. Today, though, I am posting quickly about what we did last week. Wow! It is crazy how quickly the week goes by! Anyway, we still need to go back to the Pumpkin Patch, considering I took all 3 kids by myself and we had to pick out, well, you know, pumpkins for each of our family members. I couldn't carry such a load and I needed daddy's help. We did have fun though, just looking for the biggest pumpkin, the smallest pumpkin and the strangest pumpkins. Taylor saw several of his classmates at the pumpkin patch and had loads of fun with one of his friends. Well, I will show you what I mean.
Running away. No, she doesn't want to stay still for pictures...
"Hey, let's have a hay war!" says Taylor.
This is SO MUCH FUN!
I came prepared and if only one picture of all of them is what I am going to get, I am okay with that!
Checking out all of the strange looking pumpkins.
Okay mom, now I want a ride.
Hey let's play tag. This was so much fun! I stood with the little boys grandmother and we agreed this was great fun for them and perfect to tire them out for naps when they got home.
Pulling the wagon.
Mom, I am going to get you!
Jumping in the hay.
Running away from the patch. How far will she get?
So much fun!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
He is:
Spiderman
A big help! Big brother.
A little strange! He came down to breakfast like this.
Goofy! Wild! Wanting ALL of the attention!
Monday, October 10, 2011
FW: My SharpShooter Imaging Photo!
To: rc2tibbs@hotmail.com
Subject: My SharpShooter Imaging Photo!
From: rc2tibbs@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:56:54 -0600
Photo taken at Biltmore Estate.
Click HERE to view the full image at SharpShooter Imaging, where you can create fun products, and purchase high quality prints.
Visit the Biltmore Estate website
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Out Cold!
Dance to the music
At dinner, (we had yummy chicken enchiladas), Taylor was talking and daddy tried to make him laugh by interrupting and talking louder than normal to see if he could distract Taylor from what he was trying to say. Well it worked! Ha! Daddy started singing his version of a song we all love around here called "Fish Heads." That lead to us watching the song on YouTube and at the end of the song there was a quick video insert of Rhianna's song "Please Don't Stop the Music." So we played that song and of course, the kids wanted to dance. Why not, in order for the kids to get their energy out, we played it loud and all started wiggling. Even Trent, who is in my arms while I am videoing, moved along even while sleeping like a log! Hope you enjoy Reagan's quick step and Taylor's booty shake.
Cutest Picture Ever!
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