Our Weekend Recap

I'm not sure if it was the weather, or the family time, but this weekend was filled with so many blessings.  We were on the go all weekend long, yet our days seemed to be moving in slow time, giving us lots of opportunities to stop and capture the beauty of our life at this stage of it.  And Cruz was in the center of it all, this little person beside us, making everything so much sweeter.  He loves everything right now, and this weekend was a glimpse of just how much fun we are going to have with him this summer.  

I found myself laughing to myself numerous times this weekend, just thinking about the amazement of this life.  At one point yesterday afternoon, we were driving to Lowes to grab a few more items for our garden.  Fun's "We are Young" came on the radio and Beau and I were singing along with the windows down when I looked back at Cruz, this perfect mixture of Beau and I, sitting contentedly in the backseat, swaying his head to the music and singing right along with us.  This little person, this little tag along, joining us on this adventure through life.  And I'm so honored to have a front row seat.   

If only I had a freeze button.  

I would freeze Mom and Dad's Friday night.  I love the comfort and anticipation of traveling home after a long work week, the look on Cruz's face when he spots his Grandma and Papa through the car door, and the way we all gather on the front porch and take turns chasing the kids around the house.  I had the baby itch Friday, and snuggled my nephew Hayes as much as I could.  Sitting at the Amvet Hall, surrounded by generations of family, watching Cruz and Charly run around upstairs, and holding that tiny baby was so special.  As if this little voice was whispering, 'this is it, Ashley - this is what you've waited for.'

I would freeze Saturday's trip to Stillwater Greenhouse.  Cruz and I left early Saturday morning and stole Mom away for a trip to buy our annual supply of flowers.  It's become a tradition for us, a road trip to this quaint little greenhouse in the country, filled with gorgeous flowers that you just can't find at your local Home Depot.  Last year, we brought Cruz along Mother's Day weekend, and he loved everything.  He squealed in delight at the colorful flowers, and locked eyes with one of the pretty girls watering her family's plants in her long dress and white bonnet.  

This year was no different, well, except for the fact that Cruz preferred to explore the greenhouse on his own two feet instead of from the cart.  I was happy to see he didn't pick the flowers, but spent his time asking his famous high-pitched 'what's this?,' waving at patrons, and stomping in puddles.  He even scored a dollar bill from a sweet old man who thought Cruz was a kill.  We spent the greater part of the morning there, and like always, managed to fill the entire back of the Kia with the most gorgeous flowers.

I would freeze our impromptu picnic in Charles City before venturing back home.  It was lunchtime, Cruz was hungry, sitting inside at McDonalds sounded boring, and I'm just not ready to let Cruz go nuts with a container of fries in the backseat of the car.  So, we relived childhood memories of meeting Dad for lunch in Charles City, threw a quilt over a picnic table by the river, and let Cruz dip fry after fry into a packet of sweet n' sour sauce.

  

There he sat, right on the top of that picnic table, eating his fries and drinking his milk while a weeping willow danced beside us.  We came pretty close to feeding a few ducks, but Cruz ate the fries instead.  There will be a lot of picnics this summer, I'm sure of it, only next time I think we'll bring a loaf of bread and a life jacket --- just in case ;)

(on me ... dress - American Eagle, sweater - Target; on Cruz man ... shirt - Crew Cuts, shorts - Little 77)

I would freeze Saturday night's Cinco de Mayo party with Beau's family.  Drinking margaritas and mojitos, serving grilled fajitas family-style around our kitchen table, and watching Cruz laugh at us when we passed around a couple of sombreros.  I love watching Cruz interact with his grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, and am pretty convinced he's got everyone wrapped around his little finger.  And Grandpa Ray?  Beau and I were both shocked and pleased to see him go back for seconds on fajitas and sample each of our gourmet cupcakes from Scratch. 

The PB and J and Margarita were thee best!

I would freeze the super moon, or more importantly, the four of us, Gabe, Gina, Beau, and I, standing on our driveway at 11:00 Saturday night, sombreros on and mojitos in hand, checking out this so-called super moon in the middle of our heated and hilarious game of 'Game of Things.'

And while I'm sure many were interrupting their Saturday evening plans to check out the super moon, I'm not sure any of them were interrupting their nights to weave together a blanket of bacon.  Yes, Beau and Gabe proudly secured the outer sides of their 'Bacon Explosion,' otherwise known as 'Porkgasm,' before smoking it on the Big Green Egg for our Sunday morning breakfast. 

I would freeze our lazy Sunday morning, reading Cruz books, sampling the very delicious, but very (very) meaty bacon explosion, and lying around in pajamas while the rain fell outside.  We said goodbye to Gabe and Gina, cleaned our kitchen, and took a morning nap after an episode or two of Restaurant Impossible.

Wow, lots of pictures!  Have a great week! 

Favorite Photo from April - Paper Mama Challenge

Stopping in after a jam-packed weekend to take part in The Paper Mama's weekly photo challenge.  Since this week's challenge is 'Favorite Photo from April,' I had some fun sifting through last month's photo explosion in order to pick a favorite... 
 

    
I love this one for lots of reasons, but mostly because it tells such a true picture of our Cruz.  I had to turn it to black and white because the bright red strawberries on his shirt were a little distracting.  He rarely sits in his anywhere chair, but will frequently stand on it, jump from it, and push it over on its side and climb to the top.  But, just as soon as he climbs up the side of his chair and dives head first into the carpet below him, he's giving out hugs, kisses, and snuggles like it's his job.  He's a wild man, but such a little lover at the same time.

Other favorites from this month???

 

Too tired to write tonight!  So much fun this weekend and lots of pictures to document --- coming soon :)
 

Skinny Cilantro Chicken Recipe

Last night's meal proved a couple of things to my husband and I: 1) Beau does indeed take me into account when he grills; and 2) you can cook something delicious, flavorful, AND healthy!  

My husband LOVES to grill, possibly more than he loves anything else on earth.  Frankly, I'm a little surprised I haven't caught him spooning his Big Green Egg in the middle of the night.  His friend referred to him as the "meat hero" the other night on the phone, and Beau said it was the best thing that's ever happened to him.  Take our first date, our honeymoon, and the birth of our first son, and they all get a back seat to his now 'meat hero' status.  And I thought his head was big to begin with...

At least a couple times each week, and especially more at the onset of summertime, Beau calls me after school and asks if he can grill for dinner.  And because my meal plan always leaves some wiggle room for leftovers, pizza, and Beau, I usually welcome this request.  I welcome his request with my usual reply of...

"So steaks, a potato, and grilled asparagus it is, huh babe?"  

Now don't get me wrong.  I love a man that can cook, and love that my husband shares these roles with me at home.  I also love that he grills thee best asparagus out there and prefers charcoal over gas.  All I'm saying is that when he decides it's a sit-on-the-deck-and-grill-a-steak night, he keeps me in mind about as much as a vegetarian.  He sort of hitches a ride back in time to Apartment 504, khaki cargos and no shirt, bean bags, and four male roommates, tipping back a long neck and thinking about the glory days and a perfectly cooked steak.  And because I love my husband dearly, I let him have these nights (and the hour conversations about pork butts and bacon explosions with his college buddies, now strewn across the country), and try to class up the dinner with a fresh salad or savory side.  

So, much to my surprise last night, I arrived home to chicken tenders, cilantro pesto, and quinoa.  Quinoa, what?  Beau said he knew I was interested in trying healthy and fresh alternatives to some of our favorites, and thought this sounded good.  He handed me a Pacifico, complete with a tasty lime wedge, and shooed me out to the backyard to lay on a quilt with Cruz while Beau devised an amazing aroma in our kitchen.  

The food was fabulous.  Fabulously easy, fabulously refreshing, and fabulously healthy.  We'll be making this again, and I think the cilantro pesto would pair perfectly with a ribeye or t-bone ;) 

  

Grilled Chicken Tenders with Cilantro Lime Pesto
 

          

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lime juice 

1/4 cup soy sauce 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 teaspoon chili powder 

1 pound chicken tenders 

2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, (1-2 bunches) 

2 scallions, sliced 

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Preparation:

1.  Whisk lime juice, soy sauce, oil and chili powder in a large bowl. Reserve two tablespoons of the marinade in a small bowl. 

2.  Add chicken to the remaining marinade; toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or up to 1 hour. 

3.  Preheat grill. Meanwhile, place cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds and the reserved marinade in a food processor and process until fairly smooth. 

4.  Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard marinade) and grill until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, about 2 minutes per side. 

5.  Serve the chicken with the cilantro-sesame pesto.

*We also spread the pesto on yummy pieces of sourdough bread, and decided to save our quinoa for another time and used up some minute rice instead.  

Until next time!

Blue Jeans and a Good Hair Day

Some days, that's all it takes. Those little things every day that makes us smile, or sometimes, just make the day a little more bearable. The mornings where I begrudgingly drag myself out of bed, and tiptoe across the icy cold bathroom floor after a quick shower, only to take a sigh of relief when I remember it's Friday. I throw on my favorite pair of jeans and instantly feel ready to face the day. Or the simple fact that some days, a good hair day is all it takes to make you feel like a million bucks. It's the simple pleasures and everyday comforts of this life that are perhaps most important, yet often the most neglected. 

Inspired by Gretchen Rubin's book, The Happiness Project, I know there is pleasure to be found in writing what makes one happy - even if it's just one sentence (or photo) a day. Thus, starts a Friday ritual of mine - to document the good in every day, through words and pictures. 

"5 years. 365 days. 1825 happy moments captured."
 

Saturday: It was a rough week, with a couple bits of bittersweet news at the end.  Saturday morning, I received notification that my proposal for the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference was accepted.  This will be my first time presenting solo at a national conference.  I'll be traveling to the city that never sleeps in November, presenting on my fairytale J-Term project I created this January.  I'm hoping Beau will accompany me to Vegas!

The same day, I received news that I was chosen as one of NCTE's Emerging Leaders, which scores me a year fellowship, a mentor from NCTE's Executive Council, and two free passes to the Vegas and Boston Annual Conference.  While I still have no idea what next year will hold for my career, I trust that next year will be a growing year for me professionally, in some way or another.  

Sunday: I relished a lazy day at home --- a mid-morning nap with Cruz, three episodes of Restaurant Impossible, and tomato bacon cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.  Lots of comforts for a rainy spring day.  

Monday: making May baskets with cute spring papers and leftover ribbon. All of Cruz’s favorites – puff corn, teddy grahams, vanilla cupcake goldfish, and some ‘smarties’ to offset the ‘dum dums.’

Tuesday: Yoplait French Vanilla Yogurt and Target's Archer Farms Granola Packets - a light, delicious snack to go with a morning of grading papers. 

Wednesday: Reading Catcher in the Rye with my amazing 10th grade students.  I am so thankful for this group of kids - during a time when motivation and morale are at an all-time low, I'm blessed to have a group of kids that leaves me challenged, excited, and smiling at the end of every school day.  They are dreamy.

Thursday: A perfectly peaceful night - Pacifico and cilantro pesto on chicken, being tackled on our patchwork quilt by a rosy cheeked little boy, and a family walk before bedtime.  Tonight feels like summer.

Friday: A gorgeous morning and Cruz in a pair of 'jorts.'  Awesome.      

Happy Weekend!

A Pizza Pie

There are three essentials to every delicious pizza:

1.  the sauce

2.  the crust

3.  the wine you pour with it.  

And because I'm just one of the millions of humans who think a good pie is about as good as it gets, I've decided to master the art of cooking a perfect pizza.  We started this quest a couple of years ago and it seems we've tried it all - baked pizzas, grilled pizzas... homemade crusts, bread machine crusts... red sauce, white sauce, and pesto sauce, and what we've discovered thus far is that the key to a good pizza is versatility.  When you're in a pinch, keep it simple; when you have some time, go all out.  Even when you skimp on the homemade crust, you can still class it up with some fresh ingredients, and sometimes, what looks like an utter mess might actually taste like a masterpiece.  Have fun, experiment, and don't forget the wine. 

Here are some simple tips for an easy, yet authentic, homemade pizza night... 

A fun pizza cookbook.

  

I scored this one for a little over $10, and like it for it's simple, but unique ideas and strategies.  We have tried so many of their recipes and have loved them all.  They give lots of ideas for fresh crusts and sauce, but I really love their creative ideas for toppings.  My favorite has to be the caramelized onions and prosciutto pizza.

Fresh mozzarella.  This is a must for us.  You can find fresh mozzarella balls at your local grocer that range from a variety of styles and prices.  Just buy a ball, slice it into 1 inch chunks, and sprinkle to your liking. 

   

Skimp on the sauce.  We're big fans of Classico's pizza or pesto sauce, and use about a half of jar for each pizza.  Last night, we decided to go with their green pesto, and topped it off with a simple spread of halved cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella chunks.

There you have it!  Spread your ingredients on a pre-made crust, sprinkle with kosher salt and rosemary, and pop it on a preheated baking stone at 425 for about ten minutes.  It's done when the crust is golden and mozzarella has started to brown. Bon appetite!

           

May Flowers - My List for Summer

(Cruz's toes - May 2012)

I told my students that after yesterday, we only had two more Mondays of the school year.  The end of the school year always has this way of creeping up on you.  I have a lot to do before I can call it another year done, however, I'm itching for a summer break more than ever before.  I've got plans, baby, and cannot wait to savor my summertime favorites.  I'm ready for walks around the neighborhood, sun tea smoldering on the deck, Saturday morning Farmers' Markets, and barefoot picnics at the park.  And most of all, I'm ready for a little simple, a little carefree, and a little tan.

My Lazy Days of Summer Bucket List

Summer 2012

1. Make homemade ice cream and cover it with sprinkles

2. Hang out by the lake at Uncle Gabe and Aunt Gina’s

3. Build a sand castle at George Wyth

4. Make fresh fruit popsicles - eat them with our toes in the pool

5. Blow bubbles - lots and lots of bubbles

6. Go to the strawberry field - see if Cruz still eats more than he picks!

7. Farmer’s Market Saturday mornings and smoothies from Cup of Joe

8. Spend a morning at Barnes and Noble

9. Sleep in a fort
10. Plant flowers

11. Play in the rain 

12. Throw a banana split party

13. Have a camping night - roast hot dogs and marshmallows and lay under the stars

14. Try a new park - every week
15. Re-stain our back deck

16. Get crazy with sidewalk chalk

Cruz's toes - last summer (2011)

17. Plant our garden (and keep it alive)
18. Make DIY garden labels like these and these

19. Canvas handprints with Cruz

20. Eat watermelon 

21. Movies Under the Moon 

22. Go on a bike ride 

23. Go to a baseball game 

24. Sno-cones
25. Get Cruz's new room ready

26. Get in a water balloon fight 

27. Have a grilled pizza party

28. Eat outside at night 

29. Cribbage and Jeremiah Weed on the deck with Beau 

30. Find a flea market - buy something outrageous

31. Have a picnic and feed the ducks

32. Catch fireflies in mason jars

33. Watch a parade 

34. Go on a walk at moonlight

35. Watch the sunset 

36. Visit the Des Moines Farmer’s Market 

37. Make dirt cups 

38. Have a fun photo shoot with props 

39. Take Cruz to the Butler County Fair - eat funnel cakes and watch the ferris wheel

40. Fourth of July fireworks 

41. Spend a day at Jordan Creek

42. Play with some balloons

43. Read books under a tree 

44. Go explore our secret garden

45. Make quinoa 

46. Watch a movie outside 

47. Spend a Saturday morning on Main Street – shops, Scratch, and a cup of joe

48. Summer potluck with friends 

49. Drink lemonade from mason jars 

50. Make lots of flavored waters

51. Make something with homegrown lavender 

52. Go to a sale or auction 

53. Paint a piece of furniture a funky color 

54. Wisconsin pizza farm 

55. Take Cruz to the waterpark
56. Clean out my closet
57. Take a nap in the hammock
58. Bake three homemade fruit pies
59. Finish my living room
60. Go on a fun date with Beau - drive-in movie, perhaps...
61. Build a tent out of a bed sheet

I've had so much fun putting this little list together.  It sits just below my weekly to-do list, and I add to it almost daily when I think or hear of something fun to do this summer.  While the finished product of just how much we actually accomplish isn't really the goal, the process of dreaming it up was so much fun and has given me so much to look forward to.  I hope I inspire you to write your own summer list and comment with the link at the bottom of this post.  Hoping we can share some fun ideas along the way.  Can't wait to read what's included on your list! 

April showers bring May...baskets!

I realized around Cruz's bedtime last night that today is May Day and that the day would indeed not be complete without May baskets for Cruz and his friends at daycare.  I have fond memories of filling simple plastic cups with puff corn and chocolate, securing little pipe cleaner handles, and setting them on the doorsteps of our neighbors when I was little.  I also have fond memories of the May Day celebration in my hometown.  Each class at school would take part with a little skit or song, all building to the fifth grade year and your turn to dance with a partner around the May Pole.  It's funny, but I remember waiting and waiting to be in fifth grade, anticipating my (boy) dance partner, and perfecting the simple routine of weaving in and out of the white plastic pole propped in the middle of Main Street.  My teachers must have known just how excited I was because I was paired with Jason, the greasy haired, smelly boy with the largest probability of not showing up for my long anticipated dance.   


And of course, he didn't show up.  I cried.  But fortunately, my
first cousin Ryan's partner was awol, too, so the two of us ended up dancing together.  We danced in the middle of our Main Street, and together weaved the perfect satin braid down the May pole.  

I digress.  

These paper cups were super simple to make.  I scored 1/2-off sheets of 12x12 paper at Hobby Lobby last night, and had lots of fun picking out sheets with pretty pastels and fun prints.  Then, with nothing but the paper and some scotch tape, I worked them into cones by taking the two bottom corners and sort of rolling them together until they were fairly tight at the bottom.  I wound a piece of tape around the bottom, secured a couple pieces inside, and stapled cute ribbon handles using leftover ribbon I had at my house.  Finally, I cut the tops off, leaving plenty of room for a little hand to reach toward the bottom for a piece of melt-in-your-mouth puff corn.

I filled them with toddler treats: puff corn and goldfish, teddy grahams, and a few m and ms, and snuck them in to Cruz's friends during play time.  Someday, Cruz can help me with the filling and decorating, but this year, he'd just eat too much.

There they are.  Cute, simple May baskets to welcome spring and the beginnings of summer.  Hoping the 'showers' that seemed to fill much of our April results in some pretty blooms this month.
 

  
Happy May Day to you and yours.