Kale Chips

Yesterday, I was excited to walk in the house to find that my mom had made kale chips.  I've seen them on cooking shows and they always look like such a perfect, healthy snack.

After my first bite, I wasn't sure how I felt about the taste.  Crunchy, salty, airy with a hint of kale...so I had to go back for another bite, then another and before I knew it, I had a huge handful.  I guess I liked the flavor after all!  I later found out that Rory, who is quite picky when it comes to strange food, actually nibbled on some and suggested adding garlic next time.

They are super easy to make!  You just need to wash the kale and dry it with a salad spinner and then dab with a paper towel.  Cut off the entire stem.  Toss with olive oil and bake on parchment paper at 325 for 10-20 minutes.  You take them out of the oven when the entire leaf is crispy.  Then you can season it with salt or anything else you may want (garlic, old bay, parmesan cheese, etc.)

Enjoy!

Glow worm no more

So a few weeks ago, Rory and I were able to drive down to Northern VA to spend time with his family.  The visit and trip went really well which was great because it made me realize that visiting friends and family in that area won't be such a pain! While at dinner, Deaglan became fond of his Uncle Ryan and chatted up a storm to him.  He does the same thing to my brother, so I am convinced that he just likes the deep voices of males.  On the way home from our trip, I kept thinking back to when Ryan (who by the way, is an avid reader of the blog) visited us at the hospital and how much Deaglan has grown and changed since then.  Our little glow worm is now becoming more and more human!

Update on our little man:  Over the past few weeks, he has been rolling all around his crib and he still does not like rolling from his stomach to his back.  He loves grabbing things to chew on since he is constantly teething.  He has had a few days of fussy, painful teething....ugh!  He loves making sounds with his mouth and has the cutest laugh when you make a sound he likes.  He has been balding like an old man and his face is becoming rounder (aka getting a cute double chin).  He still has my nose but at times his eyes and profile reminds me of a Brannan.  I do think he is going to be a perfect combination of both of us!

Christmas & New Years

Happy 2013!

As always, Christmas and New Years flew by!  I sometimes wish there were two weeks in between the two holidays to just extend the merriness a little more.  Our days were filled with plenty of food, drinks, and relaxing.  We spent New Years Eve making pizza and playing phase 10 with my parents and my aunt and uncle.  It was nice to have a quiet evening (I guess I am getting old!).  I have the best and easiest pizza dough recipe; the dough doesn't have to rise, so it is quick and works well every time.  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quick-and-easy-pizza-crust/

On New Years Day, I baked homemade biscuits and piled on some leftover fried chicken that Rory couldn't resist getting at Royal Farms a few days before.  It sure did beat Chik-fil-A's chicken biscuit!  My dad and Rory spent the rest of the day cooking Rory's classic pork shoulder recipe.  We love buying pork shoulder because it is cheap and you can make it stretch for a few meals!  Left overs are great in tacos, soup, sandwiches, etc.  I think it was the first time I have had pork, collard greens and black eyed peas on New Years Day.  Hopefully, that means we will have a year of happiness, fortune, and luck!

Yes, that is my husband gnawing on a bone....