Best Recipes: July

Here is a non-exhaustive list of Ambam and Pants approved recipes from July.

Stir-fried Beef and Peach Salad

Image via Country Living Magazine

Polenta with white cheddar, chard and wild mushrooms

Image via Williams and Sonoma

Cilantro Mint Rub

I use this on skewers--chicken or pork

Image via the Food Network

Honey Mint Lime Dressing for Fruit Salad

This is good on any combination of fresh fruit. 

Yellow beans, English peas, Radish and Dill Salad

Image via Eating Club Vancouver

Here's the lemon vinaigrette recipe (not listed on website):

2 tbs lemon juice, 1 tbs balsamic, 2 tbs olive oil, salt & pepper.

Primal Fudge

Love, love, love these! 

Image via Practical Paleo

There they are. 

Please send me links to your favorite recipes.

 I'd love to find some new recipes that have already been vetted! 

3 months past due

A friend reminded me that I never posted these pictures:

My sister-in-law did an amazing job with them. It doesn't hurt that my kids are pretty cute too.

Campin' Out

Nanners celebrated her 3rd birthday with a campout party.

We went camping one time last summer and she hasn't stopped talking about it since.

So nine 3-year-olds in a tent in the backyard with a fake fire is the closest she is going to get to camping for a little while--until we feel brave enough to attempt sleeping in a tent with 2 kids!

I think she had fun. At least we have been telling her it was enough fun

to make it worth all the energy we spent hosting a party for nine 3-year-olds. 

Here are some pictures to fix the memory into her head so years from now she'll 

remember that we really do love her so much.

A tent filled with beach balls and a life-size blow-up dolphin--Oh yes!

 Sweetie boy (his new nickname from Nanners) got into the spirit too!

Both Grandpa's with Sweetie Boy.

 We decorated some scopes to spot birds and plants for "Nature Bingo"

We sang some songs around the campfire courtesy of Daddy.

 

Grandma signed the ABC's for added fun.

A pancake breakfast dinner flipped by the best pancake chef we know.

 And a s'mores cake from the microwave (classy!).

 And lots of fun presents that have kept her entertained lately (Hallelujah!)

 We broke out one of them--the stomp rocket. Best. Gift. Ever.

 Happy Birthday Nanners! 

You are smart as a whip, sassy, a TALKER, stubborn yet malleable, calling it quits on regular naps, constantly doted on and in love with it, trying our patience lately (but you're supposed to), so perceptive and know just what to say to make us know how much you love us. 

We just can't help but love this not so little girl!

Blessing Day

Lewis was surrounded by wonderful family and friends for his blessing this past weekend.

We couldn't help but feel so blessed to have so much support in raising our little guy.

He's proving to be such a good baby!

 If their faces are any indication of the success of this pose... 

How lucky are we!

A LOVEly Surprise

The Pants completely surprised me by doing this at Open Mic night at church:

If you didn't catch the very first part--this song was playing when he proposed to me.

I couldn't help but feel like we've sure come a long way since that day as I looked at 

our two kids sitting next to me. Nanners was captivated by it all and the babe was asleep. 

I happen to love surprises and this one sets the bar high.

What a guy!

We've all made it a month!

iphone Pictures

Happy Birthday to my Modern Woman!

After some good shopping (where I paid), he ate dinner while feeding and rocking the baby. 

He really is quite the modern woman--he can do it all!

And thank goodness he can--I don't know what I would do without him.

Happy Birthday Mr. Pants!

You are loved more than you know.

And by the way, he called himself a modern woman...I did not come up with that.

He's Here!

Look who decided to show up last weekend...

Little Lewis made his debut 5 days before his due date.

Labor was not fun, but much less anxiety-inducing than the first time.

It was total textbook, i.e., water broke. went into the hospital. contractions started. epidural administered. contractions stopped. pitocin started. contractions started. wait 6 hours. delivery ensued. Baby Lewis arrived! 

I am so happy he is here. 

And so happy to not be pregnant. 

Hooray for a healthy, relatively mellow baby...and sleep-deprivation!

Getting Sappy

I'm not very sentimental or sappy, but yesterday I couldn't help myself.

Nanners and I read a stack of books together and laid on the couch and "watched the sun" out our windows.

All day I had a real sense that I will never get this time in my life back.

The time that I was just Eliza's mom. As I plan to assume my new title of Lewis and Eliza's mom, I want her to know that I have cherished this time. And I can't stop crying and crying as I think that she probably won't remember any of it (pregnancy hormones don't help this situation!).

I am so excited for this new phase but I am again mourning the loss of a time in my life that brought some of the lowest lows and by far the highest highs I've experienced. Motherhood never ceases to surprise and refine me. Just when I think I've figured it out I am reminded that I have no clue! I'm so glad Nanners is constantly patient with me and tells me "You're my favorite friend," and "I'll love you forever." I sure hope she does, because I will try to remember this fleeting 2 1/2 years forever.

And on to the next phase...Baby Lewis, please come soon. I'm ready to meet you and be done with pregnancy! Nanners apparently thinks this process is rather swift and easy--yesterday she yelled from the other room (after seeing me a minute before), "Is the baby here? Did you have him?" Oh, if only it were that easy!