a puppy, pox and provisions

1.  I have no idea why the letter P is working it's way into all of my posts (see there it goes again)

2.  Last Monday Lee came home with a puppy.  This was not something we had planned or prepared for...in fact we haven't even so much as discussed getting another dog since our Max died.  Losing him was more painful than we expected and I remember saying that I didn't care that we ever had another dog because it was just setting us up for loss.  We still have our other schnauzer, Molly, who is one of Max's puppies.  Lee and I got Molly as soon as she could leave her mama...I guess you could say she was our only "little girl!"  Until now.... 

Introducing 'Mae' 

       3.  Last Wednesday, Lee noticed a few bumps on Jackson's back....which led to a thorough inspection that only led to more bumps...we called the nurse, we "Web M.D.'ed" and decided that Jackson either had chicken pox or had gotten into poison ivy or oak.  The chicken pox seemed unlikely due to the fact that he has been vaccinated  and the "poisons" seemed unlikely because it's January.  A quick trip to the doc the next day revealed that it was CHICKEN POX!  Come to find out you can still get the pox after being vaccinated, but should have a much milder case, which he did.  He was out of school Thursday and Friday.

4.  During our lunch together Thursday, right out of the blue Jackson says to me,
          "Mom, when I go to heaven I want to help God with the babies."  
          "What do you mean, buddy?" I questioned.
          "I want to bring them from up there {points to sky} into peoples bellies."  

    I was speechless.  Not only does this precious child already know that he's going to heaven, he already knows what job he wants to ask for.

5.  Last week our new recipe to try came from the website Annie's Eats...It was delicious Chicken Gyros!  I did not go to the trouble of making the tzatziki sauce because it looked pretty involved and we don't love it.  Please TRY THIS and let me know when you do!!!  I could not believe this chicken came from my kitchen it tasted that good!

pictures and a project

Micah and her camera came to the rescue {again} when I found myself out of days to have picture made for Christmas!  It also helps that she's my best friend and loves me....these pictures captured Christmas 2011 for me just perfectly.

While out Christmas shopping with my mom this year, I came across the neatest treat for winter...Hot Chocolate on a Stick!  I immediately purchased the two boxes I found and when I brought them home, the boys loved them! However, at $5 for 3 sticks, that hot cocoa was a little high to become a staple around here!  I started poking around and found several recipes online for making Hot Chocolate on a Stick at home.  As with most crafty/baking ideas that I have, I immediately called Ashley, my future sis-in-law, and we made a date to create!  We used this recipe... Hot Chocolate on a Stick...ENJOY!

 

Southern Baby: Month 5

Dear Hampton, 

My precious boy....you are 5 months old!  

We are still just in awe of the fact that you are here and you are ours.  The best word to describe you right now is HAPPY!  You are the happiest baby on the block and we love to see you smile and hear you laugh! I took a video of  you laughing on my phone and your brothers have probably watched it one hundred times.  You light up when Daddy comes home from work, if I just leave the room and come back in, and when Tradd and Jackson get down on the floor to play with you.

You are healthy and are growing just perfectly.  

You weigh 16 pounds 14 ounces and are 26 inches long. 

 Our doctor gave us the go ahead to start you on some rice cereal and baby food.  We started with the cereal and you could not figure the spoon out.  You are drinking it from a bottle instead.  I am hoping {praying actually} that this will help you to sleep through the night.  Your daddy and I have decided to try to make your baby food...we'll see how that goes!  

 You are still in a size 2 diaper and are wearing 6-9 months clothes.

Everyone still comments that you look like your brothers and your daddy, but I do think you look like some of my baby pictures, especially this month. I don't care who you look like, you are precious to me!     

Hampton,  you have found your LOUD voice and your feet!  I had a hard time getting your picture this month because when I took your socks off, all you wanted to do was put your feet in your mouth!  It's also become almost impossible for mommy to talk on the phone in the car because you squeal a loudly as you can.  

 My favorite part of the day is in the early morning when we are snuggling in my bed...you just talk and smile and play with my hair.  Sometimes you will even put your little hands on my face and it's in that moment that I know you know  that I am your mama and you are my baby.  

Always, 

Mama       

Prehistoric Pinterest

Before the days of Pinterest, I had to have a way to keep up with all the "inspiration" that I came across in magazines.  I found this cute notebook at Target, loaded it up with some sheet protectors {or "paper condoms" as one of my girlfriends in Junior League called them after seeing my Holiday Market notebook.  I may or may not have a slight obsession with sheet protectors} and started ripping!  I am not a hoarder, so where some people keep volume upon volume of their Southern Living, I just can't do it.  Plus the magazine is just not useful to me if I don't take our the parts that appeal to me.  I look through each magazine a few times, leave it out for a month or so and then comb through it for recipes and house ideas.  

One of my goals for 2012 is to try one new recipe that I have in my notebook each week!  I started this week with Stacked Burrito Pie that I ripped from a magazine called Family Fun at a doctor's office.  I don't typically rip things from other people's magazines because I find it annoying when I try to read an article and half of it's gone!  However, this magazine was completely beat up and after lamenting over to tear or not to tear, I just did it.  And boy, am I glad I did!!  It was amazing and the boys ate it up!  Jackson kept saying, "Mama! I love this stuff!"  

Stacked Burrito Pie

 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup water
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup salsa
• 8 ounces Cheddar or Monterey Jack, grated

Instructions

1. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
2. Increase the heat to medium, then add the ground beef, chili powder, and cumin. Cook the mixture until the beef is browned and no longer pink, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add the salt, water, black beans, and corn, and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow it to continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
3.  Heat the oven to 350º. Using the rim of a 9-inch springform pan (see "Tools of the Trade" above) as a template, trim 3 of the tortillas to the size of the pan. Leave the fourth tortilla untrimmed. Note: You can also bake this dish in a 9-inch round cake pan and serve it like a lasagna.
4. Butter the bottom and the sides of the pan. Press the untrimmed tortilla evenly into the pan's bottom. Spread 2 tablespoons of the sour cream over the tortilla, followed by 1/4 cup of the salsa. Spoon and spread a quarter of the beef mixture over the salsa, then sprinkle a quarter of the grated cheese evenly over the top.
5.  Place one of the trimmed tortillas on top of the cheese, then repeat the layering of the sour cream, salsa, beef, and cheese. Continue this way until the ingredients and tortillas are used up. You should end up with four layers, topped with the final sprinkling of cheese.
6. Bake the pie until heated through, about 30 minutes. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the rim from the springform pan, if you used one. Slice the pie into wedges using a sharp knife. Serves 10.

Nutritional Information:

Per serving (10 servings per pie):
Calories 363
Total Fat 18 g (28% DV)
Saturated Fat 8 g (40% DV)
Cholesterol 48 mg (16% DV)
Sodium 766 mg (32% DV)
Total Carbohydrate 31 g (10% DV)
Fiber 4 g (17% DV)
Sugars 4 g
Protein 19 g (37% DV)
Calcium (21% DV) 

**Just a note- I changed this recipe to use what I had on hand...I used Jennie O ground turkey instead of ground beef, olive oil, and fat free sour cream.  I also mixed the sour cream and salsa together.  Next time I will also use whole wheat tortillas, but used flour this time because it's what I already had in the fridge!

                          ENJOY!