I Heart Food

Baked Pear and Arugula Salad (Barefoot Contessa)

Baked pear halves stuffed with melted Stilton blue cheese, toasted walnuts and dried cranberries, drizzled with a Port wine, apple cider, olive oil, lemon and brown sugar vinaigrette.  AKA heaven on a plate.

Did you know that I have a secret obsession with delicious food?  Cooking it, eating it, photographing it, sharing it.  I'm no pro, but it's true.  I enjoy the art of presentation.  I live for experiencing new tastes together that I never thought would work, i.e. roasted watermelon and cayenne pepper.  This is sort of a new development and just another trait I'm pretty sure I inherited from my dad.  I'll be honest, many nights end in Lean Cuisines or canned Lentil Soup, but when I have the time and energy, I find myself inspired to try something adventurous.  Most of the dishes I try are not attempted in bulk;  Wes is usually my guinea pig for a meal for two.  

My go-to Caprese Salad.  I LOVE a good salad.  This one takes about 2 minutes to throw together: Artisan lettuce mix, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, Texas Toast croutons, Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar dressing, cracked pepper.  De-LISH.  

Zucchini-Potato Pancakes with Prosciutto and Plain Yogurt  (Williams-Sonoma)  This one was a winner with Liam.  So many great tastes together and great for breakfast or lunch.  

Chicken and Artichoke with Garlic Sauce (Primal Blueprint Quick-and-Easy Cookbook)  

With a prep and cook time of less than 30 minutes, you'll still have time to paint your nails and shave your legs before dinner time!  The perfect grain-free/sugar-free dinner dish, or couple with some whole-wheat pasta or garlic bread if you're not into the primal thing.

While I love cooking, I don't have the same enthusiasm for baking.  My family tries not to eat sugar  anyway, so I guess we don't consider it a huge domestic loss.  It's just that I've had SO many bad experiences baking at 7,000 feet;  I can't seem to get the flour/water ratios to work!  And if you don't get things right, you've just wasted a good one to two hours of your life.  I'll leave the cupcakes and layer cakes to someone else.  However, thanks to my mom, I do make a mean pie.  Well, pie crust.  ;-)

Bon appetit!

Third Anniversary

Best. Decision. Ever.

Happy 3rd, baby!  I'd do it again, you know.  

Mad Hatter

I've never seen a toddler so willing to keep a hat (or glasses) on.  I knew we had a slightly metro fashionista on our hands when Liam took one long look at himself in the mirror with his new fedora on, slightly nodded like "yeah, I dig it" and went on with his business.  He may look like Mr. Debonair, but don't tell him most of his get-ups come from garage sales... 

I am in SOOO much trouble if we ever have a girl.

Rawson Reunion: Grammy's House

As the Daniel Rawson's fam visit came to a close, the cousins enjoyed playing together at Grammy and Papa's house.  If there is any indication from the way they interacted with Baby Liam, Kaleb and Isaac are going to be awesome big brothers.  

Beautiful faces.  Great camera work, Papa!

Until about last week, Liam was terrified of this elephant.  We saw it nearly every time we visited T.J. Maxx (twice a week?) Liam would ask to see "el-phunt?", but then not want to get too close.  It makes an elephant sound when you pet its back and moves its trunk around.  To Liam, it is real.  We would ask Liam if he wants us to "make it go" and he responds with a quick, short "No?", shaking his head.  He's much braver now, and "makes it go" regularly.  But Grammy hasn't taken it out of it's packaging, just in case he changes his mind... 

Rawson Reunion: Uintas

This is my idea of camping.  Build a fire, go on walks, play ball, make s'mores.  Who says camping has to involve actually sleeping with the bears?

Daniel made the Chicken-Cordon-Bleu of S'mores by craftily inserting Hershey's squares into a giant marshmallow and then roasting it.  He was very proud.  

The s'mores were SO worth going off of my no sugar/grains program.  I enjoyed every particle.  

Although some of it missed the target...

This little guy was a very happy camper.  He loved the outdoors, especially collecting pine cones (side note: Liam also calls ice cream cones "pine cones.")  I fear trying to actually camp with him...

So wrong, I know...but CLASSIC.  

He's such a tender lil' guy, I mean trained killer.  

We look forward to seeing the Daniel Rawson fam again soon, and next time with a new addition!

Rawson Reunion: Hogle Zoo

Cousins on a horse!

I think they were going for racial stereotypes here...

You can get the kid out of Texas, but...

Liam enjoyed his first corn dog!  No, they're not real dogs, Isaac.  

A little different than his last encounter with Mr. Gorilla...

Kaleb grew about a foot since we last saw him.  He's basically a teenager.