George

As many of you know, Whitney LOVES Curious George! I believe she has seen every episode there is multiple times and when we go on long car trips she gets to watch the Curious George movie. She has a stuffed Curious George that travels with her and must sleep with her. She has received many Curious George themed gifts and of course there was no other option than to have a Curious George Birthday party. Though Whitney is still working on more simple words like dog or cat, she can say George as clear as day. Below are many moments Whitney has shared with George. Also, her latest gift from Aunt M (Marguerite) was Curious George PJ's and slippers. If we are at home, Whitney must have them on!

Waffles!

My very good friend, Sam, has introduced me to several great blogs. She and her husband also have a blog about their family and specifically there precious baby girl Nicolette. I love reading their updates, as she is growing so fast. One blog Sam passed along is called Weelicious. A blog about foods to make for your little ones. From pureed foods to lunchbox foods and foods that everyone in your family will enjoy. Finally, we tried a recipe this weekend! Well, Tim made them, but I bought the ingredients and had planned on making them. The recipe was for waffles. Now, if I told you they were whole wheat waffles with no sugar, you may think how awful that sounds. But they were perfectly sweetened with some honey, vanilla and greek yogurt. They were so hearty and delicious! All three of us devoured them down fast. We did make the whole recipe and were able to freeze half the batch for another day. Definitely give them a try!

http://weelicious.com/2011/05/11/whole-wheat-waffles/

Girl's Weekend

All girls need a good girl's weekend every once in awhile! This past weekend my friend, Lara, graciously hosted a fantastic girl's weekend in Richmond. Rebekah flew in from Athens, GA and Olivia and I drove down from DC. We spent the weekend talking about old times and celebrating how far we have all come. We all go back 15 years or more and there is something so comforting about being with people who know your past, have seen you grow, and you can still pick up like old times. A highlight of the weekend was our dinner at the Jefferson Hotel. Lara's younger brother, Garth, is a chef there and he prepared a delicious 4 course meal just for us. The main dining room was closed for the night so we had the whole room to ourselves. A few of Lara's friends also joined us and we were all truly impressed with Garth's talent as we filled our belly's with decadent food and wine. Your mouth may water as you see our amazing meal below!

Escargot is definitely stepping out of the box for me. But I just didn't think about and it was so delicious!

The strawberry vinaigrette was a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness.

Most of you know that meat is not top on my list. But this duo melted in your mouth. My favorite of the whole night was the short ribs. The layering of cheese, braised cabbage and sweet potato puree made for the perfect bite!

The chocolate marbled cheesecake was a great finish to the night. Not too rich but just enough to satisfy the sweet tooth. The key lime "ice cream" was a surprising and divine touch.

This chocolate stout was quite a unique experience. It smelled like hot chocolate but the chilled beer was smooth and could satisfy any chocolate lover.

We finished off the weekend with a hearty breakfast prepared by Lara! Thank you so much for having us...till next time!

Face Painting, Trains and Other Things

This past week Tim's parents spent the week with us. Whitney loves a visit from Grandma and Grandpa. I love it too! Since they live far away in Charlotte, we always enjoying having them with us for a good visit. They also spoil me :) I was able to get away to go to appointments, do some everyday shopping and visit with Ingrid, Sean and Rhys before they headed off to London. Though I love having Whitney as my little buddy everywhere I go, it is also nice to run about on my own!

Whitney had some fun adventures last week. Monday night we went to Ledo's for dinner and they have face painting for the kids. Whitney looked through the book and picked out her face painting choice and sat patiently while the nice lady did her work. Also, she left with a fun balloon arm bracelet!

Later in the week Whitney took Grandma and Grandpa to the mall. The week prior she had seen the train, so I told her that she should wait and bring Grandma and Grandpa. She eagerly agreed. Sue said, as soon as the stepped into the mall, Whitney asked for the train. It wasn't running yet so she played in the play area and had some lunch. But that was quickly interrupted when she heard the "choo choo". By the look on her face you can see she was beyond thrilled!

To finish off the trip to the mall, they made a stop at the Disney store. This was Whitney's first time. The story goes, that Whitney was in heaven. She went through the store picking something up, taking it in, maybe giving it a little hug and then putting it back on the shelves. Then she got the news that she got to pick TWO friends to come home with her. She took this decision making very seriously. Picking up several friends and coming back to these two...

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for a fantastic week!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

My Dad turned 60 last week! I think the best part about birthdays is you get to spend them with your family. We had a fabulous night out in Leesburg at the Lightfoot Cafe. We got the special treat of eating in the kitchen and were served a delicious 5 course meal. My sister and I worked here growing up and my parents have been frequent diners over the years, so we are friendly with the two sisters that own the place. They helped us toast the night by serving us a complimentary bottle of Dom Perignon champagne. Cheers to you Dad, for being so amazing!

Auntie Ann...second time around!
Ahh...to be the only grandchild!


Loving her ice cream!
Hurried home to see Lolli!

Squash Casserole

This past weekend at the lake we had a great time rummaging through Steph's Mom's garden. We did get to enjoy some veggies while there. The boys were very inspired and even made homemade salsa. Roasting the tomatoes and other vegetables. And served us a very delicious salsa with a hint of peach. At the end of the weekend we all got to take home a huge bag of goodies. Squash, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Also, we were lucky enough to bring home delicious pickles and relish made by Steph's mom. This week I have been enjoying my omelets with the freshly picked tomatoes and green peppers. Oh, and did I mention the squash! The squash were in abundance! I quickly knew I wanted to make some type of squash casserole. I remembered this delicious one that I had at Boston Market way back (like high school). When I was living in NYC I lived right behind a Boston Market. I probably ate there twice a week and I must say I overdid it and haven't eaten in one since! I always hoped I would go in there and there would be this delicious squash casserole, but they never had it:( The other day while looking for a good recipe I found one claiming to be THE Boston Market casserole. I was so excited to make it. So, yesterday I did and it was mighty good. I will say it wan't as mouth watering as it was, oh 15 years ago, but it was very tasty. I think when I saw how much butter went into it, my "healthy" brain said, oooh can't make this again! Either way, Tim and I enjoyed it last night with our perfectly grilled (by Tim) barbeque chicken. Here's the recipe if you are interested:

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/511/Boston_Market_Squash_Casserole38627.shtml

The zucchini measured over 14 inches!


All the buttery goodness!
Baked to golden perfection!

Annual Labor Day Trip

Our good friends,Steph and Eric Bowlin, have graciously invited us to their family lake house in northern PA for the past 6 years. We are joined by the Swearingens and Gallos. It started out as just us couples but obviously a few kids later, we have a full house! The weekend is filled with good old fashioned fun. Fishing, canoeing and kayaking, ATV'ing, s'mores (though this year rained out), fireworks and of course delicious food, lots of laughs and cherished memories. The six JMU grads (Maggie and I are the outsiders) reminisce over very inappropriate college stories while we create new unforgettable memories with our families. We look forward to the many more cherished moments in the years ahead!

Lots of delicious vegetables to pick from!


Whitney rode the ATV countless times!

Ainsely was a pro at jumping in the lake. Whitney not so sure...maybe she was mad she was wearing the dorky life jacket.

Family outing...we sang Row, Row, Row Your Boat...of course!
Our own Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer
Dixie got many hugs this weekend Yummy breakfast crepes!
Uh-oh...I know where these types of pictures can lead!

A little down time with Auntie Amy!
Collecting sticks for the fire that never happened:(

Not so sure about the fireworks...we soon left for the house with tears.

Whitney in the Kitchen

Tim and I love to cook, so we have gotten Whitney workin'! She was always at my feet in the kitchen as a baby. She would always want to see what Mama was cooking on the stove. She also loves looking through her Sesame Street Cookie Cookbook that Aunt M got for her. If there is flour involved, Whitney is ready to go! Some things Whitney loves to help with are homemade muffins,cookies and pizza. Lately, I thought I would get her more involved in helping make meals specific to her. So far english muffin pizzas and quesadillas are on her personal menu. I hope to add many more!