Paper tastes better when you're young...

As I'm typing this, I'm singing super girly songs to Haiden; but, he doesn't care. He is in the midst of eating and battling paper. I swear, he is the most joyous thing in my day to day routines. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband...but I doubt I would be smiling ear to ear if Zach were to be drooling all over paper. Every day Haiden is just growing before our eyes. He is finally rolling over for us to see, as well as in his sleep. Every morning this passed week I have gone in to get him and he is either sleeping soundly on his belly, playing on his side, or bawling because he is on his belly. I can't believe that this month is half way over, and that means he is almost 7 months!!! Half the time I still feel pregnant lol. I can't wait for him to start talking though...he understands sign language (which I'm looking into taking classes for more vocabulary) and he tries, we think, to sign to us. The sign for 'milk' he has known for a while, and if you do it he starts kicking and smiling out of pure glee. He has also started to slam his fist down on his leg, which would seem like nothing to most people who have little ones (it's a normal developmental step) but when Haiden does it, it means 'milk'! I'm so glad our hard work at learning and using the signs is starting to take effect. 

We have been on a few big boy adventures:

Haiden out grew his infant stroller so we got a big boy one! That is convertible to grow with him as he grows, and changes into a booster seat once he is big enough to be out of a car seat.

We went to Biloxi and Haiden got to fly an airplane that was broken...but he still rocked out in it and even turned the wheel! It was one of the cutest things ever.

Haiden and I went to the grocery store and it was raining, and since he now gets to sit in the car seat, and we hadn't received our shopping cart cover, I ran inside to get out of the rain and the only dry cart around was the big boy truck one! He again had a blast, and sat very contently trying so hard to reach the wheel. 

Haiden is so excited about exploring the world around him.

I have stopped training for the time being for the half marathon. Haiden is super allergic to mosquito bites, and since you can't put bug spray on him, of on me so it doesn't get in his mouth, we can't go outside for any length of time. After we got back from Biloxi, where Zach will finally get his tooth next month, we went right to the doctor here. Haiden's entire foot had swelled up to almost double its normal size and had little yellow blisters all around it, and he had another bite on his side that was doing the same thing. He was prescribed ointment to relieve the pain as well as Benadryl. So far the bites look like they are getting better, but not by much :/ I have tried going to the gym, but Haiden has been a minion and won't let me stay for long. So for the time being I am just doing a few exercises around the house.  Hopefully we will get back to training once it gets cooler out side and not so rainy, as well as seeing how well the medicine works. 

I have also started to do little craft things around the house, to see about selling potentially. This is my meditation and sanctuary for being home bound for the most part. I am also going to start a little catalog where I will have a holiday cooking section, for specialty desserts for people to have over the holidays and for parties. I will also make holiday wreaths and decorations. There will also be a ribbon tin section, as well as scarfs and purses, and candle votives, all made from recycled products :) I would love to get into carpentry or restoring furniture with a touch of my crafty painting skills. I'm also getting back into art work, right now I'm making an owl collection, made out of different medias and paper. 

Ravioli with Sauteed Butternut Squash

2 TBS canola oil

1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled/cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used an entire one)

salt/pepper

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 TBS thyme

1 16 oz package frozen ravioli (I used cheese)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the squash, season with salt and pepper and cook, covered, stir occasionally for 8 minutes.
2. Add thyme and garlic, cook uncovered, tossing occasionally until squash is tender and beginning to brown, 2-3 minutes more. 
3. Meanwhile cook ravioli according to package directions. Transfer ravioli to plate and top with squash mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

So this is a very simple and yet gourmet delicious meal! I've never really been a fan of sweet potatoes, but I love sweet potato fries. We have tried it several times to incorporate sweet potatoes into our diet, but there is just something about them...maybe seasoning them with sugars just makes me want to gag. But butternut squash, as well as yellow and summer squash will totally be regular menu items, so simple and delicious!! I still need to get a good spaghetti squash to make (the last and only one we got here was rotten inside). 

Pork Ragu

1 28 oz whole tomato drained

4 cloves garlic

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tsp oregano

salt/pepper

2-1/2 lb pork shoulder, trimmed and quartered

12 oz pappardelle or wide egg noodle

1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped

1. In 5-6 qt slow cooker, combine tomato, garlic, carrots, onion, wine, oregano and salt/pepper. Add pork and cook 6-8 hours low, 4-5 hours high. 

2. 20 minutes before serving, cook pasta. Break up pork mix, stir, and serve over noodles and sprinkle with Parmesan (optional).

 Sunny Eggs

Make eggs sunny side up, put over toast and add sunflower seeds!! This would also be great with a nice layer of hummus over the toast. This was my breakfast this morning and it was oh so good!!

After a year of serious craziness, Zach and I have celebrated our one year anniversary!! We are going to be going to Pensacola this weekend, to have our 'date night'. Zach's mom is driving up to NOLA right now, to accompany us as we exchange our own written vows on the beach tomorrow night! She will be graciously taking care of Haiden for the night while Zach and I get to have our first alone evening since Haiden has been born. I cannot wait to eat our wedding cake, neither Zach and I really wanted to keep it, because we thought it would be totally gross by now, but the cake lady said it would hold up if it was wrapped correctly, so whoever wrapped our cake, better have done a great job :) I've been looking forward to the cake since our wedding night when I realized how amazing it was, and that I had only gotten the one small bite when we cut the cake. Zach had gotten a few pieces of his grooms chocolate cheese cake by the end of the night :/ I totally missed out. 

For all those married and making it passed that first year, this song goes out to all of you. It started playing as I started typing this and I had to go back and listen to it again...Don't Give Up on love and always make sure you are putting in the effort and passion you want to receive. So I guess even if you found love, don't let it pass you up, life is too short to let anything slip away. Whether it be friendship, a job opportunity, that college application, moving where the wind takes you, or love...I say go for it!! Try everything you want to try and Don't Give Up.

I Won't Give Up: Jason Mraz

When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
Well, there's so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?

Well, I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space
To do some navigating
I'll be here patiently waiting
To see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn
Some even fall to the earth
We've got a lot to learn
God knows we're worth it
No, I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use
The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake
And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend
For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn
We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not
And who I am

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up
Still looking up.

I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)
God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)
We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)
God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

Here's to looking up to the next 50 and more years!

  

New do, new food!

I've been on a smootie kick lately. I used to have them for meals back in the day and now I make them instead of eating ice cream :D They are my sweet addiction:

**I've been wanting to try spinach in smoothies, because I've heard its good...and I think it's fabulous! I also like to make my smoothies thick, and eaten with a spoon...it's more like ice cream that way! So if you want to drink them with a straw try using more juice, or non-frozen fruits.

For two servings- Peaches'n'Spinach Smoothie

2 handfuls of organic spinach, chopped in a food processor (I have a Magic Bullet that I use)

2 frozen peaches

1 cup frozen pineapple

1 cup frozen strawberries

16 oz white grape juice, frozen (FYI the frozen juices with the yellow lids, are healthier for you, they are great for breastfeeding mothers!) 

Very Berry Smoothie (2 servings)

16 oz frozen grape juice mix

 1 bag of mixed berry frozen fruit 

Berry Berry Spinach
2 handfuls spinach, chopped in a food processor
1 cup blueberries, frozen
1 cup pineapple, frozen
2 peaches, frozen
16 oz grape juice, frozen

Cottage Cheese Omelet

So I bought cottage cheese for Haiden, to mix with his food...but the chunks aren't his thing yet. I found a way to utilize it as is, and then I can puree it for Haiden. 

I basically made a trashcan omelet using things leftover in the kitchen. 

Green onions

Green bell peppers

Onion

Mozzarella cheese

^ All of these when in the 2 egg omelet

Then I put the omelet on a large spinach tortilla and put cottage cheese down the center. Wrapped it up and ate it!! 

Cheesy Shells and Greens 

Active time: 20, total: 30

Serves: 4

12 oz medium pasta shells

1 Tbs unsalted butter

2 Tbs flour

1-1/4 cup whole milk

1 Tbs Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp nutmeg

pinch cayenne

6 oz extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated

salt/pepper

1 bunch spinach, thick stems discarded, leaves roughly chopped

1. Cook the pasta according to the package.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes; whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 5 minutes. 

3. Whisk in mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, 1 cup cheddar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add the pasta and spinach, toss to combine.

4. Heat broiler. Transfer mix to a 1-1/2 qt broiler-proof baking dish or four 12 oz ramekins. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and broil til golden brown, 3-4 min. 

**Add crispy bread crumbs to the dish: pulse 4 slices of bread in a food processor. Stir in 1/4 cup parsley and 2 Tbs canola oil, sprinkle over pasta before broiling.

This dish is great! I added some rotel for extra spice, and if you like spices, add them!! It will only add to this dish!

 Spaghetti with Roasted Zucchini

12 oz spaghetti

3 Tbs canola oil

2 1/2 in thick slices fresh bread, torn in 1 in pieces

2 cloves garlic, smashed

4 small zucchini, sliced in thin slices

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

salt

1/4 grated Parmesan

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1 Tbs lemon zest

1. Heat oven 425. Cook the pasta according to the package. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Toss the pasta with 1 Tbs oil. 

2. Meanwhile, in food processor, pulse bread and garlic until coarse crumbs form. 

3. In a large bowl, toss zucchini, red pepper, 2 Tbs oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Add Parmesan and bread crumbs, mix and toss to coat. Spread the zucchini mix on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until the zucchini is tender and golden brown, 10-12 minutes.

4. Toss pasta with parsley and lemon zest. Add zucchini to the pasta to serve.

Zach received an award at work! Our base had a huge drill a while back, where the entire base closes down for a few days; Zach worked ASF (security) for the drill. We didn't see him for the whole weekend!! And everything on base was closed...it was a lame weekend, but he got an appreciation award! Here he is in his peanut butters with Haiden, after he got the award!

Haiden has been so cranky lately, he is doing some intense teething!! We are hoping they seriously start coming in soon. He has grabbed his ear to the point of scratching the inside and making it bleed a little!! We had to cut his nails and give him medicine. So he does a lot of cuddling, mainly with Zach. By the time Zach gets home he is so sick of me, he just lights up and laughs and laughs when he sees his Daddy!! Here he is lounging with Zach while making our reservations for our vow renewals, and munching on Robot Ralph, his favorite teething toy :D

This is my new do!! A wife of a husband who works with Zach gave me my new do today :) It's a dark brown with copper under the bangs and around my ears!! I have always wanted a cool hair do, that was more than just one color all over, and this is so perfect!! Now I can't wait to chop it off and get another do in a few months! My hair has gotten so long, it's now more than half-way down my back, so I shouldn't be too much longer! 

Just for starters...Haiden is 6 months old, and cuter than ever!! There I said it! But seriously, check out this cutie-pa-tootie!!! >>

<3 him!!!

On another note...training...will not be happening today :/ due to an injured leg. I pulled or strained the back of my calf and have been trying to pamper it for the passed few days. I still hasn't gotten better, and it bothered my sleeping last night. So, alas, I will be taking a break today to see if that helps it so we can keep busting out this training!!

August 1

Time: 40:37

Distance: 2.43 miles

Calories Burned: 183

Last night I made a super delicious recipe as well as for lunch today!! Yummy!!! I want to go back and eat them all over again :D

Seared Steak with Red Onions and Spinach

1 Tbs plus 1 tsp canola oil

2 12-oz sirloin or strip steaks

salt/pepper

1 red onion, sliced into rounds, rings separated

2 bunches spinach, thick stems discarded (I would double the spinach if you want more spinach than onions) 

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

2 oz blue cheese, broken into small pieces (optional)

1. Heat oven 400. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large cask-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steak with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn the steak.

2. Scatter the onion rings around the steam drizzle with the remaining Tbs oil and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook to desired doneness, 4-5 minutes for med-rare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.

3. Add the spinach to the hot skillet with the onions, season with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper, and toss with the onions until beginning to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the spinach and onions to plates and drizzle with the vinegar. Serve with the steak and blue cheese, if desired. 

Spinach Tortilla with Veggies

1 package of large spinach tortillas

1 package of frozen corn (yellow and white)

1 can black beans, drained

1 can rotel, drained

2 Tbs cheese

1. Heat oven to 350. Meanwhile, place tortilla on a baking sheet, sprinkle with cheese. Add 2 spoonfulls each black beans, corn, and rotel. 

2. Place in oven (not needing to preheat fully) 10-12 minutes. Cook until cheese is melted or tortilla is slightly golden brown on edges. 

3. Let cool 1 minute, and roll up the tortilla and enjoy!!

I'm ready to Rock'N'Roll this marathon...sort of

Haiden got his 6 month shots today, and was a bit cranky, but nothing that some yummy fruits wouldn't cure. I made some more homemade baby food, this time green beans! I added a little apple sauce and barley (as always) and with in 5 minutes it was gone! I can't believe what a great eater Haiden is, and I can't wait to make him more food, and start adding spins on things to help develop his young pallet. 


The entire family took naps today, I know why Haiden wanted his naps :D Zach and I both crashed out with Haiden for 2 hours today! And I had already taken another nap for 45 minutes with Haiden earlier in the morning. I felt so out of it today, I think I need to really make sure I'm staying hydrated. Between walking around on base everywhere, and now training in the evenings, I have to up my water intake like crazy. Which means more bathroom runs, and waking in the middle of the night...but I will feel better during the day, so it kind of equals out. 


Around dinner time, I was NOT feeling training, the thought of running made me feel even more out of it than I already did (my stomach was in knots and my head felt foggy). But after dinner Zach suggested we go for a walk, and I thought...why not. I was thinking that if I ended up feeling better once we got out and were walking, that we could end up training. I jogged after the second mile of walking, and said oops! I hadn't changed my clothes and wasn't wearing an essential clothing item, all girls need to do sports! So we just walked close to 4 miles, and watched the sun set, even saw a little family of raccoons and a few other raccoons here and there! All in all, even though we skipped training and will have to make it up later, we had a great, long walk. 


July 30
Time: 33:15
Distance: 2.00 miles
Calories Burned: 149


Time: 45:09
Distance: 2.3 miles
Calories Burned: 1.76


July 31
Time: 19:41
Distance: 1.13 miles
Calories Burned: 77


Time: 1:15:12
Distance: 3.84 miles
Calories Burned: 294


Along with our training we are still trying to eat fully rounded meals, here are some we've had so far this week:

Beef, Potato and Onion Stuffed Peppers

 

1 14.5oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
salt/pepper
4 large red bell peppers (the ones at our market looked shady, so I went with green)
1 small onion. chopped
1 small potato. chopped
1 cup parsley
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 pound beef


1. In the bottom of a 5-6qt slow cooker combine: salt, pepper, crushed tomato and oregano. 
2. If the peppers do not stand upright, slice off a thin piece off the bottom, finely chop the piece and place in a large bowl. Add onion, potato, parsley, and crushed red pepper to the large bowl and toss to combine. Add the beef and mix.
3. Using a paring knife at a slight angle, cut off the tops of the peppers; discard the seeds. Spoon beef mix into peppers.
4. Arrange peppers in slow cooker, place tops back on top of pepper. Cook, covered until beef is cooked all the way through and peppers are tender. 3-4 hours on high, 5-6 hours on low.

Garlicky Roasted Shrimp, Red Peppers and Feta

1-1/2 lb large peeled and deveined shrimp

1 12oz jar roasted red pepper, drain and cut 1in slices

4 scallions, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs dry white wine

1 Tbs lemon juice

salt/pepper

2 Tbs canola oil

4oz feta cheese, crumbled

flat bread for serving

1. Heat oven 425. In a 1.5-2qt baking dish combine the shrimp, peppers, scallions, garlic, wine, lemon juice and salt/pepper.

2. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with feta. Bake until shrimp are opaque 12-15 minutes.

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbs canola oil

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch cayenne

salt/pepper

4 lb small sweet potatoes, cut 3/4in wedges

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1. Heat oven 375. In a large bowl combine sugar, oil, cinnamon, cayenne, salt/pepper. 

2. Add sweet potatoes, sprinkle with Parmesan and toss to coat. Divide potatoes between 2 large rimmed baking sheets and arrange in even layer. Sprinkle with Parmesan and roast, rotating pans 1/2 way through. Cook until deep golden brown and tender. 50-60 minutes. 

Half-Marathon training is ON!

I'm not sure if it's the fact that we are watching the Olympics, and everyone on the screen makes me feel so out of shape, or the fact that we got new shoes and Haiden is now 6 months old...but Zach and I have started our marathon training. It is a 12 week program, and the race is in February. I downloaded an app, and it was so misleading!! I got very frustrated. The app said the first day would go something like this: walk 30 seconds, jog 30 seconds, walk 60 seconds, jog 90 seconds. And since it has been OVER a year, since I have done any serious jogging (I have jogged here and there, but mainly ride my bike and walk), I wanted to start with a schedule I could actually keep up with. However, we walk to the track at 11am (holy spicolli it was freakishly hot!!) and I open the app, it says: warm up 5 minutes, jog 15 minutes, cool down 5 minutes. Um...I 1. just got new shoes and was going to try and break them in, 2. I CAN'T RUN! lol! Seriously, I thought I was going to pass out and just fall over the jogging stroller! It was pretty horrible, so I tried power walking for the "jogging" part after my new shoes said stop, and it was so horribly miserably hot! We are now going to run at night, and if this app keeps up the impossible, then I will have to get another one. My thought is, this is a training schedule, therefore I should accomplish each task every day, and if I'm not able to do even that, then it seems like I'm not advancing from day to day. It is more like advancing every couple of days, once I catch up with the days I didn't do the whole training. 

Zach and I both got a bit burned, and are good to go now, but again we will be running at night now, and if it rains, we can do the treadmills at the gym. I did stretching before and after the training and the again before I went to bed for the night, along with 200 crunches. This morning I feel a bit sore in my shoulders, I guess from the jogging stroller and I feel so tired. But, overall, I feel great!! 


July 29
Time: 1:07:02
Distance: 3.22 miles
Calories Burned: 238


Along with training, or I guess as part of it, we went shopping last night for groceries, and have made a few changes, but not many to our diet. I am going to only make desserts and sweets, when we have company, or for holidays. And we are trying to clean out the cupboards to make room for healthier food (ie better for fueling your body for long distance runs). 

Smoothies (my new ice cream substitute) 

16 oz 100 grape juice
1 peach sliced, frozen
handful of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries (each) frozen
6 large strawberries, frozen


Blend everything together in a blender, make sure all fruit is frozen. Do not add any more liquid, just blend well. Eat with a spoon :D

Fried Mozzarella (trying to clean out the kitchen)

Frozen egg roll, rolling paper, thawed
string cheese
1 TBS canola oil


Wrap up the string cheese in the egg roll paper, and place in a frying pan. Using a bit of oil fry each roll 3-5 min each side. If the cheese starts to really pour out, remove from pan to let cool. You want the cheese to just start to pour out, to know they are done. 

We only get one of these a day lol, but they are delicious!!

Activity Log

July 25
Time: 43:44
Distance: 2.52 miles
Calories Burned: 171


Time: 22:18
Distance: 1.39 miles
Calories Burned: 100


July 28
Time: 26.29
Distance: 1.53 miles
Calories Burned: 103


These were all my walks with Haiden :) And today when I walked I finally got my new shoes!! 

I feel like I'm walking on clouds! And if it hadn't been all thundery and lightning on our way back from getting them, I would have taken Haiden for a jog with me. And even though I wasn't able to get the barefoot shoes, I am still going to try and jog as if I had them. That way my feet absorb the shock instead of my legs. I also cleaned off the jogging stroller and aired up the tires earlier this week so it was all ready to go for our first spin today! 

As you can see, Haiden loved it! And I'm glad we met Zach and his friend after their half day at Habitat to eat Subway in the air conditioning and then get my shoes!!! 

When we got home I make Haiden his first homemade baby food!!

Corn!! I didn't see any corn baby food at the store, and we love corn, so I went ahead and used our Magic Bullet (which we got just for this purpose) and after I steamed the corn, I pureed it and then mixed it with some carrots and barley! Haiden ate it like a champ, until he started playing and not eating, so we stopped. Tomorrow we are going to get the silicon ice cube trays so I can start stocking up on homemade baby food, that we are going to mix with our WIC baby food. 

I am super excited, and taking baby steps in order to get things done that I want to get done. I have gone through a ton of Woman's Day magazines, my mom saved for me, and have been writing down recipes like crazy! They also have a few awesome craft ideas I can use the formula containers for, and maybe some of the baby food jars! That is going to be my task for next week, do a project! I already bought all the ribbons and things a week or so ago, so all I have to do is DO IT! 

This weekend we are also FINALLY making our reservations for our trip to Pensacola, Florida to have a re-commitment ceremony for our one year anniversary. We are thinking about doing it every year, just taking a weekend to go out and do something fun. 

Family Reunion

As I'm posting this, I'm reading some follow up stories of the shooting in Aurora, Colorado at the Batman premier Friday night...please keep all of those family's involved in your thoughts and for a safe recovery for those still left in the hospital, along with those family's who lost loved ones as well. Be safe everyone.


Now on to something a little more up-beat...
HAIDEN CAN GIVE KISSES!!!!
This makes my day! We have thought he was attempting to do them, when it looked more like he was trying to say "Bah, Bah", without saying anything...he now makes the kissing smoochy sound with his tongue, but it is totally an all out KISS!!! 

On the few days before he actually turns 6 months he is giving kisses, and has rolled over twice (when no one was around to see it happen). I am convinced there are elves in his room that mess with me when I step out for a second to grab the clothes from the dryer, and flip Haiden over!  He is a master at eating his solid food dinners, which we are needing to add a few more of those into his day, as these next few weeks unfold. He says "Da-Da" when he is happy, and "Ma-Ma" when he is sad, with a side of "Baatle", which we are convinced he is crying bottle! We are so excited that we have such a cute and awesome baby :) 




This passed weekend, my cousin Josh came to town with his loverly fiance', Vanessa! They came in Friday evening and we invited another couple over to play games with us! We played TrueColors and Balderdash (the new version with five categories: definition, laughable laws, movie meaning, peculiar person, and silly abbreviations) they were sooooo much fun! I made some yummy snacks too!

Microwave Fudge (via Elyssa Grant's Grandma)

In a large bowl, put:

3-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup milk

1 stick butter-cut into 8 pieces

1 Tbs vanilla

DO NOT STIR! Put in microwave for 1-1/2 - 2 minutes on high. Beat until smooth, Add in nuts if desired (I just plopped some pecans on top). Put in greased 8 in square pan. Freeze for 15 minutes, or refrigerate for 45 minutes. Cut and Enjoy, it is freaking easy and so amazingly delicious!

S'mores Bars 

8-10 Graham Crackers

1 pkg brownie mix

2 cups mini-marshmallows

1 cup (6oz) chocolate chips

2/3 cup chopped peanuts

Arrange graham crackers in a single layer in a greased 13X9X2in baking pan. Prep brownie mi according to package. Spread over graham crackers. Bake 350 degrees 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with marshmallows, chocolate ships and peanuts. Bake 5 minutes until marshmallows are slightly puffed and golden brown.

California Black Bean Dip (via Mrs. Sherry)

No picture because this got hoovered while we made the pizza and pepperoni rolls!

2 cans black beans, drained

2 cups corn, drained

1 cup Ranch dressing

1/2 cup Italian dressing 

2 Tbs parsley/cilantro

1 Tbs Tabasco

1 Tbs chili powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1 small onion, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Chill for 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips. Party it up and Enjoy!! This has been one of my favorite dips ever since I've known the Sherry family...so going on 21 years! And now I have the recipe; it makes me so happy!

Then the next morning, everyone slept like champs; except Haiden, Zach and I :D We went to lunch, which we decided to name Brinner since it was a breakfast-lunch-early dinner at Parrot Pete's which is our favorite place to take people when they visit! 

We took the ferry from our side of the Mississippi, right onto Canal Street, in the middle of New Orleans! 

Everyone riding the Algiers/Canal Street Ferry! Keeping the car in Algiers, ready to walk all over NOLA! 
Then we walked aaaall over NOLA, just seeing the sights: 

First stop Jackson Square

And there was a wedding right in the middle of the square! So we stayed to watch, to end a debate over "how to do a proper wedding kiss" 

It was such a picturesque day, perfect for a wedding!

And in the Square, there were also banana trees, which also coincidentally ended another debate we were having from Parrot Pete's that morning!! 

The weirdest thing that I saw, were the "horse"
drawn buggies for tourists...that were
 ALL driven by MULES! And there were white
 ones-never knew there could be white mules either!! 

Across from Jackson Square is this huuuge church, with about 30 or so fortune tellers out front and this little alley...

   

 And then we headed to Bourbon Street, which even during the day is full of crazy characters! 

Then some more walking happened, we stopped by the Mask Shoppe, a place Josh and Vanessa always stop at when they come to town, to get a skull. 

Zach and I got a coffee mug and some post cards to send to our parents!

We ended up back on Bourbon after some more walking around to eat dinner. We ate at a balcony cafe place, that I can't remember the name of right now! But we saw boobies!!! I had no idea it was an all time thing, but at the bar next to us, they were throwing down beads...and women were flashing their titties!! 

 Then we left Bourbon Street
to give Haiden to the neighbor
to watch (first time he has ever had a babysitter that wasn't family!!) and then we headed back out to Bourbon for the night life!
There were kitties living under the ferry terminal, with beds and kitty food everywhere!! 

And this was Haiden after his long day around NOLA

NOLA Night Life!!!

We head back to NOLA with our neighbor Q in tow, and first we get Vanessa a sash, since this is her last weekend in Louisiana before the wedding, and we wanted to send her off the right way! Then all got hand grenades!

 Me, Zach and Q with our Hand Grenades in tow, on our way to the Beach! At the Beach, as soon as we walk in, the shot girls attack us, and Vanessa and I both take one from her, and then we took more shots from Zach and Josh. The shot girl was like "Take one from him [Zach]" to Vanessa and I was like "That's my husband!" And Vanessa was like "He's not mine!" lol! Then we headed to the dance floor to dance it up! 

I went up to the DJ at the Beach to request 80's and for the first time EVER, he said NO! "That was like 40 years ago!" What a lame DJ to not be able to mix some 80's dance music like MJ or Whitney Houston in with today's dance music!  

A pic with the girl we were dancing with, and we 

were off to Coyote Ugly! 

 

At Coyote Ugly it was pretty dead, but they made Vanessa and me do body shots! I accidentally spit mine all over the poor girl! 

Vanessa saw this girl in the bathroom at some random bar/restaurant and wanted to take a picture with her and her awesome shoes!  

Heading back home at 5:30 am without Q, who grabbed a cab earlier, a girl on the sidewalk asked us to use a phone, because she was new to town and stranded without a phone. While we were talking with her, waiting for her friend to find her, Vanessa realized she was sitting next to a rabid pigeon! Look at those beady little eyes!! 

We made it home around 6:30 am and picked up Haiden who was sleeping like an angel! And promptly all went to sleep. 
Vanessa and Josh left around noon-ish, while I was still in bed lol. My body ached for a whole two and a half days, too much walking, dancing, and having fun for this momma! All in all, we had a freaking fantastic, even if it was freakishly expensive, and finally partied down town for the first time since we've been here! (At least for me, everyone else had already been there and done that. But we did it together and had a BLAST!)