What happens when you leave Dad alone with the baby at a BBQ place?

A BIG FAT MESS!! I went to the bathroom and came back to find my child had been helping himself to BBQ sauce while Daddy was having a conversation with his grandma. He'd caught Grant with it right before I got back, but not before the little cup of sauce was emptied all over Grant. He was pretty proud of himself. He even licked his lips, but the camera wasn't fast enough to catch that one. What a mess!

Downloaded pictures

So, I finally downloaded pictures from my diaper bag camera and was reminded of the fun thigns I've done in the past few months (I think since mid-February. Maybe things do actually happen in my life (it doesn't feel like it most of the time).

Visiting with Grandpa Ron in Bakersfield while we were there visiting Grandma in the hospital. She had meningitis, and it was nasty, but she's all better now. Thank goodness! Happy Valentine's day for us!

Visiting with great-Grandpa Joe in Roseville. It was a fun trip -- we played Wii with Great Grandma and Gramps. Grandma is better than me at the table tilt game on Wii-fit.

With Grant's new mobility, he ends up sleeping in the strangest positions. I think he's actually on his knees in this picture.

Grant's first time on a swing. He wasn't quite sure what to think about it-- he pretty much just hung out, no smiles, no cries.

Diet Inspiration

A quite frightening picture. This was taken 2/10, the day after I started my diet. I'd just gotten my make up done (just for fun), so I think I look scary because of that too, but most pictures of me recently have just reminded me how much weight I've put on. This one was no exception.

So, it's been about 8 weeks and I've lost about a pound a week, unofficially on weight watchers. It's a slow but I'm doing good sticking to it (at least until the doughnuts and brownies I had today). My ultimate goal will be a loss of 30-35 pounds. I wasn't going to tell anyone I was doing it, but maybe I'll stick to it better if people are asking how it's going... anything to make me be good.

My college roommate and I on move-in day, September, 2000. I think this is the picture I should glue to my fridge. I was so thin (and tan too!) I also loved this haircut. This is the goal.

Having Fun!

Grant's new favorite thing to do is stick his hands in his mouth while he is eating. It is so much fun! We have to hose him down when he's done. He just figured out how to feed himself cheerios, and I think he's trying to help with the cereal and mashed fruits and veggies too. This particular day, he also felt the need to rub his eyes. What a mess!

This is a super-cute bomber jacket that Grandma Karen gave Grant before he was born. We've been waiting to grow into it, but it's still huge. I don't think Grant felt like he could move much.

We've noticed that after a certain point, the more tired he his, the happier he gets. Most of the time, he is Mr. Serious, although he laughs often for Daddy.

Grant loves to play with Lily, well, at least her tail and her collar. If she doesn't like it, she'll either get up and move, or kiss him until he stops.

I was having fun yesterday taking pictures of Grant in the tub. He can be super crabby and then you put him in the bath and he forgets what he was whining for. We LOVE bath time.

This week's recipes

I tried two new recipes since the last post. I wasn't a huge fan of either one, but I may try them again with some modifications.

The first I made because our friends were coming over for dinner and she is a vegetarian. It was totally different than anything I'd made before, but good for what it was.

Easy Mashed Potato and Vegetable Enchiladas (thanks allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
8 ounces whole button mushrooms (I used bell pepper instead)
3 small zucchini, chopped
2 cups chopped carrots
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups water
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 (7.6 ounce) package instant mashed potato flakes (I used potato pearls)
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
3 cups enchilada sauce
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, and carrots. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread vegetables in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Roast vegetables in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes; stir halfway through their cooking time. When finished cooking, remove from the oven, and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring water, milk, and butter to a boil in a large pot. Remove the pot from heat, and mix in the mashed potato flakes. Let stand two minutes, then stir the mashed potatoes with a fork until they are smooth. Stir in roasted vegetables.
In a dry, nonstick skillet over medium heat, quickly heat each tortilla on both sides to make pliable. Dip the tortillas in enchilada sauce. Put a large spoonful (approximately 1/4 to 1/3 cup) of potato-veggie mixture into the center of each tortilla. Top mixture with about 1 to 2 tablespoons cheese, and roll tortillas. Place seam-side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour extra sauce over top, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, or until the enchiladas are heated through.

Recipe #2: Lemon Rosemary chicken with vegetables (Thanks Sara) -- I liked the flavor of the chicken but not the lemony potatoes.

Boil 1 lb of red potatoes and 1/2 pound carrots for 5 minutes.
Fry 4 chicken breast filets in 1 TB of oil for 5 minutes/side.
Add veggies to pan and add: 1/4 c lemon juice, 2 TB fresh rosemary, 1 TB honey, 1/4 t pepper, 1/2 t lemon zest, and cook for 5 more minutes.

New Recipes this week

I made a goal a few months ago to try at least one new recipe each week. I have a recipe from my favorite site, http://allrecipes.com , emailed to me every day and I usually print a few out each week. However, the time actually comes to cook and I default to the same old stuff (tacos, chicken honey-nut stirfry, apricot chicken, stuffed bell peppers). However, my Mom and I just started doing Weight Watchers (unofficially, who wants to pay $40/month!), and I can't really eat most of my normal meals anymore, unless I starve myself all day.

So, two new, lower-fat recipes I tried and enjoyed this week:

Apple Bacon Tomato Soup

INGREDIENTS
5 slices bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 cups beef stock
1 (15.5 ounce) can pinto beans
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 medium apple, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red wine (I used chicken broth and a splash of red wine vinegar)
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, coarsely chop, and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute white onion and garlic 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in beef stock, pinto beans, tomatoes, celery, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir the apple in the red wine until soft.
Mix bacon, apple, and remaining red wine into the soup mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until well blended.

Chicken Breasts with Balsamic and Garlic (we don't like mushrooms so left them out, but I think it would be even better with them, if you actually do like mushrooms)

INGREDIENTS
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry. Season the flour with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and saute the chicken until it is nicely browned on one side (about 3 minutes).
Add the garlic. Turn the chicken breasts and scatter the mushrooms over them. Continue frying, shaking the skillet and stirring the mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the vinegar, broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover tightly and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
Transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter and cover with foil. Set aside. Continue simmering the sauce, uncovered, over medium high heat for about 7 minutes. Swirl in the butter or margarine and discard the bay leaf. Pour this mushroom sauce mixture over the chicken and serve.

Grant's Trouble!

Grant 30 minutes into his nap time (pretty unsuccessful nap, huh?)

Grant has decided that he doesn't need naps anymore. Or, he's just too busy to want to nap. We put him in his crib and he rolls over and gets on his knees. Yesterday, he pulled himself up in the crib to stand. So, we lowered the crib down (hence the wrench-- Grant was such a good helper). It didn't do anything, except maybe make him a little safer. Grant still pulls himself up. There's one more setting, all the way down, which I think we may have to do to discourage him from standing when he should be napping. Grant also crawled for the first time last week. He's all over the place, mostly where he shouldn't be. He goes straight for the Wii and PS3, Lily's toys, and the stairs. He could care less about his toys. I think my days of easy parenting are over!

Ohhh. That (the camera) looks like something good to chew on! Let me have it!