In like a lion, out like a lamb

So far, March has been a busy month!  Sad news first: we had to put our little Finnegan down.  I am still in shock since it happened quickly and he was young but I am trying to just be happy for all of the joy he brought to us while we had him.  On a happy note, we have spent time with good friends from in and out of town, we are settling in our new house in about one week, Rory is still loving his new job, spring weather is finally making an appearance so we are spending time outside, and Deaglan is feeling better after having a cold and an ear infection.

I can't believe Deaglan turned six months old yesterday.  I love that we share half-birthdays with each other!  He is sitting up on his own really well and his first two teeth are actually starting to resemble teeth.  He enjoys playing peekaboo and gets so excited and full of giggles when you try to scare him.  For the past few weeks, he has been sleeping through the night, other than a night here and there.  I am crossing my fingers that he will hold onto this routine!  So far, he loves everything he eats, but he wasn't fond of peas the first time he tried them...

 

                                           

Cellphone Cover

I periodically go through Pinterest spurts where I pin a bunch of stuff and then won't go back on Pinterest for another week or two.  The other day, I realized that I've never actually gone back through and looked at my previous pins.  In my head, I find the best recipe or the cutest craft, but after it's pinned I forget all about it.  It's kind of like the excitement of window shopping and but never actually buying anything...

I was determined to finally do one of my DIY projects that I pinned.  I've had the same cellphone cover for over two years, so needless to say it's seen better days, so this project was perfect.  I bought a clear cellphone case on Amazon for under $7 and found a set of scrapbook paper at Walmart for under $1.  Then I traced the shape of the cellphone on the paper and placed it inside the cover.  Vuala!  Now I have a cute cover with a design I can change whenever I want to.  I went to JoAnn Fabrics the other day and got so excited to see their wall of scrapbook paper.  I have a feeling that I will now have a different case for every holiday and season.

Almond Biscotti

I've always loved biscotti's but could never figure out why I liked them, especially since sometimes, I've had them way to hard and other times I've eaten them without even knowing what the specks inside were!  There is just something about them I've enjoyed and now that I've baked them, I realized why I love them...biscottis are an adult's excuse to eat a cookie for breakfast.  I honestly didn't know that's all a biscotti is, did you?  I was quite surprised and delighted to find out this well-known (other to me) fact while experimenting with a recipe the other day.

I found a recipe for almond biscotti on another blog (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/03/almond-biscotti/) and followed every step but I didn't add as much orange zest as it called for and I may have added just a touch more liqueur...

I think I've found my new favorite thing to bake (I think I say this anytime I bake)! The only part I struggled with was creating two logs of equal size but they still baked evenly.  My hands were a gooey mess but sometimes that is what makes baking/cooking so fun! Most of my family has already devoured them and I passed a few out as some "just because" gifts to my husband's coworkers.  

Fat Cat

My quick thought of the day: we have the fattest, naughtiest cat ever!  Ever since Deaglan was born, Finnegan has taken a backseat to being the center of attention when it comes to playing, cuddling, and something for me to take pictures of.  Every day, he reminds us that he is still around by meowing loudly at 5 in the morning for food and/or by sneaking down into the kitchen to treat himself to a midnight snack (he did the pre-baby as well).  This morning, we woke up to find chocolate cake scattered across the counter!  A few weeks ago, there were little pieces of foil all over the floor because he treated himself to some hershey kisses.  Our cat seriously acts like a dog when it comes to food.  It has gotten to the point where we need to hide desserts and bread in the microwave, oven, and cabinets because if not, he will manage to get his paws on it.  Even though he has an eating problem, he is still the cutest kitty in the world!

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....