May 17, 2010

right around the corner...


Wednesday is the last day of school for the girls

part of me says
"uh oh!"

but mostly I'm getting excited
I have to be more creative with my girls with getting work things done

but after the first week of them home
I'll get a schedule down

and it is always great!

Bobby has a little surprise for the girls on their last day of school
I am so excited he made it happen
and can't wait to see their cute little faces with the excitement

Today was water day for Madison at school
so they had to wear their swim suit under their clothes

she was so excited because everytime we pass the pool on my run in the neighborhood...
she asks me
"Is it summer yet?"
"The pool is still empty!"

"Not quite sweetie..."
but she was just thrilled today to put on that swim suit the first time this season

granted Daddy is already having heart attacks that she is in a two-piece
if you recall
Madison did not have a two-piece until her Auntie Monica purchased one for her
last summer
it was so very fun to play a joke on Daddy with it
because he freaks out about the two-piece issue already

so he said he was not spending money on a two-piece
 Monica gave him a good laugh
at the big family "C" weekend at the lake that is every summer
Aunt Monica gifted Madison with one cute two-piece

and once you give a little girl {or any child for that matter} a gift...
there is no taking it back
I knew it was happening and was so excited about it
because we all couldn't wait for Bobby to get a bit in a hussie
because he is being silly about such a little thing

this morning...
I e-mailed Bobby a quick picture of Madison in her swim suit this morning
{he obviously didn't know it was water day at school}

I got the "ummm....Martha"
"that's cute and all but why is she in it...?"
It made him laugh in the end because he knows it is not something to seriously get bent out of shape about...
I think it is hard for him to have little girls because he doesn't like to think about all that comes with them getting older

I very calmy told him
"a 4 year-old in a two-piece...that's nothin' honey to what is ahead of us!"
he knows that
He always ends up laughing about it
and I surely laugh at him getting his feathers a little russled.

the picture of Madison was so darn cute!
she was so excited

Summer here we come
{or so I say now}
I'm hoping it will be a bit easier to take the girls to the pool this year
with Hayley a bit older

I really and seriously want to freeze time with them and always keep them this age
actually...with a bit of honesty
I'll wait to freeze Hayley until she is out of the "No" stage...
or out of the
"I'm not going to bed with a dirty look towards us" stage...

I'm looking forward to some water fun
picnic lunches at the pool
Daddy's BBQ with his two little helpers
and a yard full of flowers {hopefully} and fun!

thank you all for the love you give to me:)

Oh and we made one of our favorites over the weekend...
super yummy recipe I thought I would share:)
It's one of Bobby's favorites

Morrocan Chili and 10,000 Grains of Sand
recipe by Rachel Ray

{I always wonder if pictures that show meat actually gross people out...you just never know}
Ingredients
{yes there are a lot...but once you make it once...you have all the staple spices for next time}

2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds of lean ground beef  {I buy the 96/4}

{the recipe actually says to use lamb...but we choose not to eat lamb...and yes to answer some questions...one of the few times I eat ground beef}

Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
1 large onion chopped {I prefer white...it's just what I buy}
1 green bell pepper chopped {and seeded}
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 lemon zested and juiced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 14 ounze can of tomato sauce {we used a 15 ounze can...hubby likes is saucier:)
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chicken stock {I use water}
handful of golden raisins...yes golden!!
4 apricots chopped
1 1/2 cups couscous
3 to 4 Tablespoons pine nuts {we often omit this because we forget}
a handful of fresh parsley leaves
a handful of fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons of chopped chives
8 pita breads, cut into wedges for scooping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the skillet with the EVOO, add meat and brown. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste, chili powder, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and paprika. Add the bay leaf, onion, and bell pepper, and garlic to the pan. Cook until onions are soft ~ around 8 minutes. Add lemon juice and zest, worcestershire sauce, and tomato sauce. Stir and reduce heat to simmer.

Bring butter and water or the chicken stock to a boil. Add the dried raisins, apricots, and couscous. Stir and then turn off heat and set lid in place. Let stand for five minutes and add the herbs and nuts if you prefer.

Toast pita wedges in hot oven or under broiler. Pile chili in bowls and top with "sand" and serve with pita wedges...Bobby actually likes the sand underneath the chili so he can mix it!

A Little Side:


And as a side for veggies we sauteed some cucumbers in olive oil....
add some salt and pepper
Cover for 5 minutes...take off the lid and flip and cook for another 5 minutes...
Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese...the recipe we got from our parents on the veggie said 2 to 4 tablespoons but we add a bit extra:)

it seriously feels like a Thursday to me...
but obviously not...I think I just need this rain to go away!

9 comments:

Chez Zizi said...

Wow, that sounds so good. I will have to try it. Have you ever tried her Indian SUmmer Chili - it's made with ground turkey and some similar ingredients - yummy too!

Zizette
chezzizi.blogspot.com

Laurie said...

The end of school is leaving me feeling a bit "uh oh" too! NO free time is scaring me! :) Bobby should have Allison as a daughter- she says, "I don't want a 2 piece- it shows my stomach and that's PRIVATE!" I'm like- wear a 2 piece while you can, sister! :)

Unknown said...

Hi Martha! I always go with the one piece for the kiddos just because it's less skin to have to slather the sunscreen on! I hope the weather down by you has been better than what we've got up here...what happened to May??! I want my warm, sunny weather...

Your recipes look super yummy!!

Hugs ~

:) T

Suzann said...

I adore summer. I love when kids are home. But mine are much much older.

And for the record, my daughter is 16 and has still not ever had a two-piece and I still don't see one in her future. : )

LuLu said...

Wow school out already, this school year was crazy fast. We have 4 weeks left and it's still so hard to believe. You had me laughing about the bathsuit issues... having girls has my hubby endlessly worrying about them. Your recipe looks soooo good.... i'll be right over for some left overs on this rainy morning!
xo,
LuLu

koralee said...

Yummy looking meal my friend. I can't believe that school is out for the Summer? We go until the end of June! I hear you and two piece bathing suits...just wait until they hit 14! Hugs for a great week. xoxo

Blondiensc said...

That meal looks good, so many ingredients, I was lost on the first couple! :) Ahh so sweet, I wish, wish wish, I could have the summer with my boy, the sound of his laughter, days in the sprinklers, swim days, beach days...maybe one of these days i won't have to work all the time! Have a great summer with your girls! muwahhh!

Mrs. Dunbar said...

I can't believe you guys are heading into summer already. We don't get out of school until the second week in June, but I guess that's not really all that far off either is it? Anyhow... hoping Water Day at school is a blast and man-o-man are you guys going to have your hands full in about ten years!

Julie said...

haha, i can totally hear bobby saying that madison doesn't need a two piece. it will definitely be interesting to see how he handles all that comes with raising two girls :o)

glad you two can laugh about it though! and yum! i may have to try out that recipe, too!