Menu and Grocery List

So....yeah....I am a terrible blogger ...

Klint has been in tax season and things have been crazy at school with year end things. We have not had a really good week of cooking at home and our bodies and wallets are showing it. So, I am posting a menu for the first two weeks of May. I'm sorry that I have let this slip for more than just my family, but for other families too. I heard many people out in my community talking about my blog and saying with excitement that I do menus and grocery list and then I just stopped. I am getting back on the bandwagon and doing it right.

Something I am trying to do this go around is do healthy meals that are kid friendly. Sophie has not been a good eater lately and it is something I want to change. I looked at a few websites to try to figure out some recipes that she may like that aren't chicken nuggets and grilled cheese. I kind of put them throughout the menu.

May 1st - Chicken Lo Mein
May 2nd - Chicken and Rice with Vermicelli and slivered almonds, black beans and collared greens
May 3rd - Crispy Chicken Roll-Ups with steamed brocolli
May 4th-  Leftovers (I am eating with my aunt.)
May 5th- Shepard's Pie (I know! I know! But Klint has been begging me to try to make it.)
May 6th - BBQ sandwiches (Throw pork or beef in crockpot. Cook all day! Shred and add sauce! Yum!)
May 7th - Leftovers
May 8th - Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy with Herbs & Lemon Marinated Chicken and Cherry Tomatoes
May 9th - Sandwiches
May 10th -Pot Roast
May 11th -Garlic Lemon Chicken Kabobs with a salad and twice baked potatoes

The link for the menu is here. Sorry no fancy calendar this time!

Happy eating!

St. Augustine: A great family getaway!

Klint and I had been married almost a year after his second tax season, and it was a doozy of a tax season. I was in grad school and he was driving an hour to work and an hour back everyday. We needed a reconnection trip. So we decided to go to St. Augustine. My family used to go all the time as a kid and Klint couldn't really remember if he had ever been. So, we found the cheapest hotel we could find (yuck) and we went. It was great! Well, the motel wasn't the best, but our trip was wonderful. We just had one-on-one time together which was just what we needed. We kind of made this a tradition. Once we had Sophie, just the two of us would go and leave her with a willing sitter (my aunt or Klint's parents). Last year we did a cruise which was wonderful. Any trip to just be together is great after a stressful time.

This year, tax season was really hard on Sophie. She recognized that daddy wasn't home when dinner was ready or that he wasn't home until after she had a bath and was ready for bed. She asked me a lot where was daddy or just simply say "Daddy is at work." She would say she missed him a lot. Even after tax season Klint noticed she was a little standoffish around him. She is a total Daddy's Girl so this was hard on Klint. We decided that Sophie needed this trip just as bad as we did.

We booked our stay at the Holiday Isle Oceanfront Resort (aka the old Holiday Inn). Something I like to do when looking for somewhere to stay is go to tripadvisor.com and check out the reviews. They also have a way for previous guest to post pictures to let you see where you are staying. We had booked at another place before and then upon further research on tripadvisor, we changed our reservations. We were not disappointed with Holiday Isle. The rooms were a little outdated design wise, but they were clean which is what we really cared about. The bed wasn't the greatest, but what bed can beat your home bed??? The elevators were a little slow, but not a deal breaker. I also got a discount for being a state employee. I highly recommend them.

Our motel

The things I love about St. Augustine is there is so much to do as a family. There is a putt-putt course right on A1A which we didn't go to this time, but will definitely do when Sophie is a little older. There are so many great places to eat. There are two huge outlets just minutes from the historic downtown. The World Golf Villas are about 30 minutes away. It is close to Jacksonville. I can't say enough about why we love
St. Augustine.

Our favorite thing this trip was  the beach! The beaches are very pretty for an Atlantic beach. Sophie told Klint that she wanted "Sophie, mommy, and daddy" to make a sand castle. So we made several. She had the best time. Here are a few pics of our beach time fun.

One of my faves of the weekend!

Book your next family trip for St. Augustine! You won't regret it!

Something New!

I made another Jessi original tonight and I am so excited to share it! I love cooking with fresh spinach! And my best friend Jaime has talked about the Philadelphia Cream Cheese cooking sauce. So I thought I would give it a whirl! Turned out great!

Creamy Spinach and Chicken with Bacon
1 container Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cooking Sauce Italian Herb and Cheese
6 pieces of bacon cooked and chopped
2 boneless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 bag of fresh baby spinach
1 box of favorite pasta
Shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to directions.
2. Cook bacon and set aside to drain on paper towels. Crumble. Reserve grease.
3. Take garlic and put in bacon grease. Cook for about five minutes.
4. Add chicken. Cook until a little brown (or done on the inside).
5. Add spinach and cook until wilted.
6. Add the sauce and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
7. Serve over pasta with bacon and Parmesan cheese on top.

Yummy!

Easter Time with the Guess' Family!

So this is the first year that we get to have a traditional Easter with Sophie and I am so stinking excited!

Growing up, we always did the same thing for Easter. It was our tradition! We would wake up that Sunday to our Easter baskets. We never said they were from the Easter Bunny per se, but we knew we would get one. Then we would dye our Easter eggs. Kind of made for a hectic Sunday, but that is what we did. Then we would put on our Easter dresses that we had never worn and we had saved ecspecially for that Sunday. We would then go to church. After church we would go to eat at my Aunt and Uncle's house and then hunt eggs. That was our tradition when I was a kid. I want these same kind of traditions for Sophie, but it hasn't been that easy!

Her first Eater she was only a few months old and we just made sure she had a new dress and got her picture taken with the Easter bunny.

               

Easter Bunny...she did so good!

First Easter Dress

Her next Easter, she was one and old enough to hunt eggs, but our church was participating in Lads to Leaders and I went to support our kids. Sophie came with me and went to hunt eggs with my parents at my Granny's house. Klint and I were pretty bummed we missed her first Easter egg hunt, but we did get to hunt them at my aunt's house. She was really still young and didn't quite get the point...he he!

The next year was the same story. Sophie went with my parents and hunted eggs, but we did get to hunt them with her at my grandma's too which was great because she got the point and really went after them!

 

So, in all of this, Sophie has not gotten to dye eggs and she hasn't never gotten her Easter basket on Easter Sunday. We have always done the new dress for Easter, but she is little and that doesn't really matter. I am so excited that this year we get to color eggs with her and do her Easter basket on Sunday and all of all the other fun Easter stuff!

Saturday, we decided to dye Easter eggs so we wouldn't be as rushed for church Sunday. She loved it! She would watch the eggs and tell me when she thought they were ready! It was a lot of fun!

Sunday, I woke up feeling awful and got sick! I didn't get to go to church and I hated missing on Easter Sunday. I stayed home and rested and then woke up feeling fine. We did let Sophie go through her Easter basket and she was so excited about it. She stopped and asked me if I made the basket and we explained that I gave the Easter Bunny some of the stuff, but the Easter Rabbit brought it. 

We made it to Valdosta and ate with my family and Sophie got to hunt her Easter eggs (probably her favorite part of the day). All in all it was a great day and we started some traditions that I hope we keep for a long time! 

Happy Easter!

Georgia Aquarium...a trip worth making!

This week is my spring break and between fighting fevers and recovering from a week away, I haven't had a whole lot of time for fun. My mother-in-law wanted us to go with my sister-in-law and my nephew. We got an early start and got there around 11:30. We have gone to the aquarium previously when Sophie was almost two.  She loved it then and I was ready to go back and see how she reacted to it this time. I was not disappointed! Right away she squealed at the fish that were in the tanks at the very front.

So, I learned a couple of new things today about the aquarium:

1. Get there early...like when they open. We got there at lunch and it was already packed. The last time we went, we got there right after they opened and it was great! We went through the exhibits quick and had plenty of time. This time, we had to wait in line for about 15 minutes before we got in and that was after buying advanced tickets. Then it was already crowded, there was a along line for lunch...it was crazy! My other suggestion would be, come after lunch if you can't get there first thing.  Here is my reasoning. After lunch, most people are done or they are in shows. The exhibits seem to clear out a little and it is easier to move.

2. Buy advanced tickets! I bought our tickets on Monday and then we had a family emergency come up making it impossible to go on Tuesday. It was a quick, fairly cheap fix ($5) to get the tickets transferred. Also, we were worried because our tickets for for 11:00 and we knew we wouldn't get there until after 11. I called and they said you have an hour window from the time on your tickets to get there.

3. Definitely go on a weekday, but not during spring break! The last time we went, we went on a Monday or Tuesday and it wasn't busy at all. It was during the summer too...crazy! Today, it was a mad house! You couldn't make it to the window of some of the exhibits. Trust me with a 3 year old who wants to walk around...it was very stressful. 

4. Go to the ballrooms for a wonderful view! We learned this trick the last time. If you go up to the ballrooms or the rotunda area, there are two huge windows to view the Beluga Whales and Whale Sharks. A lot of people aren't aware the viewing areas are up there and you can easily get a good spot and sit for a long time and not bother anyone. That is my favorite area of the aquarium. This is where the following pictures were taken!

5. Plan to attend the Deepo 4-D show and the Dolphin Tales show (if it is available)! It is great and somewhere that you can rest from all the walking.

I definitely think that if you get the chance you should go to the Georgia Aquarium! It is a great time and I can't wait for our next trip!

Chicken and Rice with Vermicelli and Almonds

This is the first meal I have cooked since I got back from Philadelphia. The day I left, Sophie had a stomach bug and the day I came back, Klint had one. I have avoided it thus far...knock on wood. So tonight, I decided some good ole chicken and rice was in order, but I wanted to do it a little differently. I once had rice that had slivered almonds and vermicelli in it and I absolutely loved it. So I took that idea and ran with it and added chicken to make my chicken and rice. I also made revamped black beans and I used canned collared greens. Here is what I did!

Chicken and Rice with Vermicelli and Almonds

2 chicken boneless chicken breasts

1/2 large onion diced

1 small handfull vermicelli

1/4 cup slivered almonds

2 cups of uncooked rice

1. Boil the chicken breast in five cups of water with the diced onion. I read in a blog that the onion just adds a little flavor to the chicken and it really does make a difference.

2. Shred the chicken.Take the chicken out of the pot and keep four cups of the water that you used to cook the chicken. You will use it for cooking the rice. I use my Kitchen Aid mixer to shred the chicken.

My stock with onions in the bottom. I added the
 onions to the rice as well.

Shredded Chicken

3. Break the vermicelli and brown with almonds. I took the vermicelli and broke it into 1 inch to 1/2 inch pieces. I started using my kitchen shears and when it was small, I just broke it. I used a small handful (as shown below. Then I poured a little olive oil in my pot and browned my broken vermicelli and almonds.

5. Slowly add water to the pot along with the two cups of rice. Stir in the rice and let it sit for a few minutes. Then add your shredded chicken and bring to a boil for five minutes or so.

6. Simmer until rice is tender and there is no water in the pot. I am really going to sound like my grandma on this, but you just have to keep checking it. My grandma is notorious for just telling you to cook something until you smell it and then start checking it. I didn't smell this, but I did keep a close I on it. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve it up!

Okay, for my black beans, I did something really simple. I added the other half of my diced onion and a teaspoon of crushed red pepper to two cans of the beans. I tasted it and it had a good bite. I was a little worried that it would be too much for Sophie so I added a little vinegar to take the heat out. Just a splash. It made it perfect. I let the beans simmer until the onion was tender. I served with a dollop of sour cream.

The greens are good all by themselves. We discovered them from a lady at church. She brought them to a fellowship dinner and we loved them! We asked her how she made them and she confessed they were canned. Now, I do not eat canned food unless it is in soups or casseroles, but these greens (and the black beans) are my exception. They are just good!

So, my rice wasn't completely awful health wise, but the two canned sides are completely out of character for me. Needless to say it was all good!

Yummy!!!

I am not aware if there is a recipe like this out there. I just had something similar to this the one time. I can't take complete credit. If you know where the original came from, I will gladly give credit!

Happy cooking!

Sophie Rae's 3 Year Old Pics!

I still am in shock that I am the mother to a 3 year-old! She has completely changed our lives and we can't imagine her not being here! Our photographer is Hope Baldwin. She has taken Sophie pictures since she was about 8 months old! We absolutely love her! She is in Nashville, TN now, but makes the trip down to see family when she can and she squeezes in a few clients while she is here! We are blessed to know her and have her as a friend and photographer!

Here are a few of her pics!

Love this face!

I painted this sign for her room before she was born!

Looking like her daddy!

Love this little girl!

                          

1 year old

2 years old

3 years old

                     













Two other places to see Hopes work are here and here! I am not sure they have been updated in awhile, but it can give you a sample. The best way to get in touch with her is through Facebook! Tell her I sent you...he he!