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Blake was practicing some tummy time and the next thing I knew, he turned himself around to watch cartoons. What a strong boy!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Go England!
Go England!!!! This is Blake giggling and sucking his fingers. Caroline's family is from England and Blake's Aunt Delyse sent him this shirt.
Update: Swaddling
So after many trials and a new Swaddle called the Woombie, Blake is no longer swaddled. He breaks free of the velcro kind and he kept us up all night in the Woombie. He is now a big boy and does not have the startling reflex. He can sleep through the night .... some nights.
Meet our New Friend
On Sunday August 30th, we went to our Aunt Christine's birthday party. Josh and Leeann brought their son Christian to the party.
Christian is 6 weeks older than Blake. They had so much fun together!!! It was cute to see them interacting. Christian started to cry so Blake put out his arm and started to comfort Christian.
(Christian had Colic for the first 3 months. He is doing much better now. That is why Blake looks bigger then him. Also Blake is a little higher up then Christian in the play yard.)
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Blake in his Activity Center
This is Blake the first day in his Activity Center. He is still a little too young for it but he had a lot of fun. Blake loves to talk and this is a great example of it.
Blake loves his fingers. He can't get enough of them. We often have at least two and sometimes even five (using both hands).
First three months
One Month
Two Months
Three MonthsI was reading one of my magazines and they said to take a picture every month in the same position next to the same stuffed animal. Wow hasn't he grown!
He is so cute!!!!
So... I hate to say this but the cutest part about Blake is his butt!!!! He has a hairy little patch right above his crack. Isn't he cute???? I was trying to take some cute naked pictures and the last one was my favorite.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Other cute pictures!
Auntie Lynne took this great shot. Blake loves to smile and giggle. He is always very happy.
We just started giving Blake stuffed toys because he is finally touching them and showing interest. The first time we gave him the blue dog "Bluey", he fell asleep on his own in his bouncy seat. We love "Bluey".
Blake loves to cuddle with "Bluey" and pull him to his face and kiss him. What a great stuffed animal! The best thing about this one is that it doesn't fall off of him because it is soft and flat.
Swaddle Me This?
Blake has to be swaddled at night because it keeps his arms still. Babies have a startling reaction when they sleep that wakes them up. Here are some great pictures of how we have put Blake to bed and how we find him in the morning.
Our little Houdini. Often at night you can hear him grunting trying to get out of the swaddle.
This is my favorite picture. He has actually turned the swaddle completely around and managed to get one arm out the top of the swaddle. Look closely at the picture.
Blake put to bed. Doesn't he look cute?
Our little Houdini. Often at night you can hear him grunting trying to get out of the swaddle.
This is my favorite picture. He has actually turned the swaddle completely around and managed to get one arm out the top of the swaddle. Look closely at the picture.
We have now decided to purchase a woombie. It is a competely zippered outfit without any wings that you velcro. Blake can definitely get out of the current swaddle. We will let you know how that turns out.
2nd Swim at Grandparent's House
July 25th, we visited Grandpa Bob and Grandma Carol down in San Diego. We love to visit with them. Blake liked the pool last time, so we thought we would try it again. He had a lot of fun and he had another new outfit to wear in the pool. Doesn't he look cute?
Artichoke Salad
This is a really great different salad. I was watching Barefoot Contessa and it looked so yummy. I am not usally a fan of artichokes but it was so tasty.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the artichoke hearts in a bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss until the artichoke hearts are coated. Dump the artichoke hearts onto a sheet pan and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Place the minced shallot, lemon juice, mustard, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. (I did not use a fod processor so I just made sure everything was minced and mixed really well) Process for 5 seconds. Add the basil leaves and process into a green puree. With the processor running, slowly pour 1/4 cup olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube until the ingredients are finely pureed. (Again, just mince and mix well) Set aside.
Place the roasted artichoke hearts in a bowl and toss with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Add the capers, red peppers, red onion, parsley, 4 tablespoons vinegar and red pepper flakes, if using, and toss gently. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and let stand for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.
Ingredients:
4 boxes (9 ounces each) frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted or 4 cans of artichokes drained
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5 tablespoons white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
6 tablespoons capers, drained
1 jar roasted red peppers, sliced thin or you can do 1 jar of sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 pinches hot red pepper flakes, optional
4 boxes (9 ounces each) frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted or 4 cans of artichokes drained
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5 tablespoons white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
6 tablespoons capers, drained
1 jar roasted red peppers, sliced thin or you can do 1 jar of sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 pinches hot red pepper flakes, optional
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the artichoke hearts in a bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss until the artichoke hearts are coated. Dump the artichoke hearts onto a sheet pan and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Place the minced shallot, lemon juice, mustard, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. (I did not use a fod processor so I just made sure everything was minced and mixed really well) Process for 5 seconds. Add the basil leaves and process into a green puree. With the processor running, slowly pour 1/4 cup olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube until the ingredients are finely pureed. (Again, just mince and mix well) Set aside.
Place the roasted artichoke hearts in a bowl and toss with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Add the capers, red peppers, red onion, parsley, 4 tablespoons vinegar and red pepper flakes, if using, and toss gently. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and let stand for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.
Ale House Burgers with Red Onion Compote
So I have been told to post some more recipes, because everyone enjoyed the Asian Spare Ribs recipe. Here are some more of my favorites. The Burger Recipe is to die for. The burgers stay so moist.
Ingredients For Red Onion Compote:
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 cups beer
1/2 cup brown sugar (maybe only 1/4 cup)
2 red onions, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients For Burgers:
3 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup beer
2 tablespoons grill seasoning
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar
Romaine lettuce
4 hamburger rolls, toasted
Directions For Red Onion Compote:
In a medium saucepan add 1/2 cup water, beer, brown sugar, and red onions. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour or until the mixture has thickened and has reduced to about 2 cups. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely.
Directions For Burgers:
In a large bowl mix together the ground beef, beer and grill seasoning until well incorporated. Reserve half of the mixture for Round 2 Meatloaf recipe. Shape the remaining beef into 4 equal portions and flatten each portion. Place 2 tablespoons of cheese in the center of each and wrap the edges around the cheese to form a ball. Flatten each ball into patties. Place on platter and cover. Refrigerate if not cooking immediately.
Set up grill or indoor grill pan for direct cooking over medium-high heat. When ready to start grilling, oil the grate. Place patties on the hot oiled grill and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium. Serve over lettuce on toasted buns topped with red onion compote.
Ale House Burgers with Red Onion Compote
Ingredients For Red Onion Compote:
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 cups beer
1/2 cup brown sugar (maybe only 1/4 cup)
2 red onions, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients For Burgers:
3 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup beer
2 tablespoons grill seasoning
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar
Romaine lettuce
4 hamburger rolls, toasted
Directions For Red Onion Compote:
In a medium saucepan add 1/2 cup water, beer, brown sugar, and red onions. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour or until the mixture has thickened and has reduced to about 2 cups. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely.
Directions For Burgers:
In a large bowl mix together the ground beef, beer and grill seasoning until well incorporated. Reserve half of the mixture for Round 2 Meatloaf recipe. Shape the remaining beef into 4 equal portions and flatten each portion. Place 2 tablespoons of cheese in the center of each and wrap the edges around the cheese to form a ball. Flatten each ball into patties. Place on platter and cover. Refrigerate if not cooking immediately.
Set up grill or indoor grill pan for direct cooking over medium-high heat. When ready to start grilling, oil the grate. Place patties on the hot oiled grill and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium. Serve over lettuce on toasted buns topped with red onion compote.
July 31st Dinner
I bought these huge mushrooms from Costco the other day and I wanted to make something special with them. So I decided to make this recipe for Brad last night as an appetizer when he got home from work. Aren't I a great wife?
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove stems from mushrooms. Chop enough stems to make 1 cup. Melt 2 tablespoons margarine in saucepan. Brush mushroom cap tops with margarine, place top side down in shallow baking pan and brush undersides of caps. Heat remaining margarine in same saucepan. Add chopped mushroom stems, onion and garlic and cook until tender. Stir in cream cheese, combining with fork if necessary. Add Parmesan cheese, parsley and herb seasoned stuffing. Mix thoroughly. Spoon about 1 tablespoon stuffing mixture into each mushroom cap. Bake until heated through.
Tip: To make ahead, prepare as directed but do not bake. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake as directed.
Since I had so many mushrooms, I thought that it would also be nice to do a chicken and mushroom sauce. So I tried this. It was amazing.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup semidry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Savory Herb-Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
24 medium mushrooms, about 1 pound
6 tablespoons reduced-fat stick margarine
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (3-ounce) package low-fat cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 cup packaged herb-seasoned stuffing croutons
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove stems from mushrooms. Chop enough stems to make 1 cup. Melt 2 tablespoons margarine in saucepan. Brush mushroom cap tops with margarine, place top side down in shallow baking pan and brush undersides of caps. Heat remaining margarine in same saucepan. Add chopped mushroom stems, onion and garlic and cook until tender. Stir in cream cheese, combining with fork if necessary. Add Parmesan cheese, parsley and herb seasoned stuffing. Mix thoroughly. Spoon about 1 tablespoon stuffing mixture into each mushroom cap. Bake until heated through.
Tip: To make ahead, prepare as directed but do not bake. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake as directed.
Since I had so many mushrooms, I thought that it would also be nice to do a chicken and mushroom sauce. So I tried this. It was amazing.
White Wine Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup semidry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Directions:
White wine mushroom sauce: In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter with olive oil. Add onions, mushrooms and cayenne pepper. Saute until onions are translucent and mushrooms are tender, about 8 minutes. Add wine and reduce until it's almost evaporated. Add chicken stock and simmer until reduced by one third. In a small bowl press together remaining butter and flour with fingertips until well blended, then slowly add to the sauce while stirring with a wooden spoon. Simmer until sauce resembles loose gravy, about 5 minutes. Serve warm with chicken.
White wine mushroom sauce: In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter with olive oil. Add onions, mushrooms and cayenne pepper. Saute until onions are translucent and mushrooms are tender, about 8 minutes. Add wine and reduce until it's almost evaporated. Add chicken stock and simmer until reduced by one third. In a small bowl press together remaining butter and flour with fingertips until well blended, then slowly add to the sauce while stirring with a wooden spoon. Simmer until sauce resembles loose gravy, about 5 minutes. Serve warm with chicken.
Friday, July 31, 2009
July 30th Dinner
Since I have been home, I have been watching a lot of the Food Network. Love all of their shows. This recipe comes from Barefoot Contessa. I have never cooked Salmon and I know that Brad loves it. Salmon always smells fishy to me so I have never really enjoyed it, until I went to a cooking show at the Orange County Food and Wine. Our good friend Adam Navidi was in the show and he made a wonderful salad that had Wild Salmon so I decided to buy some at the grocery store. To my amazement (and Brad's) this recipe was sooooo good. I have also seen another version using honey.
Asian Grilled Salmon
Ingredients:
1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)
Ingredients
For the marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good soy sauce
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Ingredients
For the marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good soy sauce
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Directions:
Brush the grilling rack with oil to keep the salmon from sticking.
While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don't worry; it will keep cooking as it sits.
Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don't worry; it will keep cooking as it sits.
Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Wheres Blake?
I took these photos trying to get Blake to smile. After I took them and looked at them, I realized that Blake blends in with his Blanket. I love Brown and Blue together. It is my favorite color combination.
Richard and Christine's Wedding May 21st, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
San Diego Visit
On Friday July 10th, we took Blake down to San Diego to see Grandpa Bob and Grandma Carol. We had such a great time. This was Blake's first time swimming. He wore his new swim shorts and his new hat (which was way too big for him). It made him look like a pirate. He never was upset but he seemed a little puzzled at what he was doing. He probably thought he was having a bath.
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