Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Trying New Things


I have set a goal for myself to try to new things and get out of my comfort zone.  Most of which were trying new recipes, but also stop wearing the same thing to work every day of the week, which consists of black or dark gray pants and dark colored tops.  It is hard not wearing black, it hides a certain area of my body that seems to change sizes throughout the day!  Anyways, last week I did wear a skirt, of course it was black, but it was a skirt! 

Anyways, recipes are fun to try, but I prefer ones that do not have a million ingredients so that limits what I make.  My philosophy is that a million ingredients does not make a meal better, plus the more ingredients equals more money spent on items that I will not use often and lets not forget the time that it takes to make those crazy meals.

Some recipes that I have tried recently are:
Shrimp and Grits : I did a revised version of this because.  I first cooked some bacon and then cooked the shrimp in a mixture of bacon fat and butter.  I did not add parsley or lemon and instead of Parmesan cheese I used a little bit of Colby jack.  Of course to add some richness to it I added heavy cream, just a little to make it soft and creamy.  This is the second time I have had grits, and I must say they are pretty good!
Shrimp and Grits Bites : Because I had leftover shrimp and grits I turned them into an small bite appetizer.  They were really simple, just put the grits into mini muffin tins and bake at 350 for 30 mins.  Probably should have baked only 20-25 minutes but they were still good. Topped with the remaining bacon, shrimp, and green onions.  To try to add some moistness to it I drizzled the bacon butter over it.
Chicks in a Blanket : This is a spin on Pigs in a blanket or the little smokies wrapped in bacon.  It was really easy to make, just wrap chicken with bacon and top with a glaze.  I did not have honey so my sauce consisted of soy sauce, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard. I also used chicken thigh meat instead of breasts. 
Caprese Skewers : I have made these before, but it had been awhile. This time instead of making a vinaigrette I used a prepared salad dressing...The semi-homemade way!
Red Curry Coconut  Noodles : I love red curry when I get it at restaurants...but, my version was not so good. It was still edible, but I tried to substitute the Coconut Milk that we drink instead of the thick canned coconut milk.  I used way too many noodles, who knew a box of rice noodles would fill a whole stock pot! So, needless to say, there was way too many noodles that soaked up all the sauce.  I don't think I will try this again, it was edible but not what I would want to make again.
Skinny Chicken Enchiladas : I was able to change this recipe a little bit so that I could have it during my 10 Day no Gluten and Dairy Diet.  I had to use corn tortillas and Veggie Slice pepper jack cheese.  It was good and I could not even taste the difference between the fake cheese and real cheese.

I have also tried a lot of cupcake recipes, my favorites would be the Coconut Cream Cupcakes and the Lemon Curd Cupcakes.

All of the recipes I have found on Pinterest.  I have some crafts that I would like to attempt, but so far cooking is all that I have achieved and of course wearing a skirt last week!  Baby steps!

Next up, I will be making baby food once my special ice cube trays arrive! Styleberry has inspired me!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Another Month....

It has already been a month since little Miss Lilly was born, so we had to get the kids together to see how much they have changed this last month. And of course, to celebrate Emily, Josh, Randy, and Me turning 30 over the summer!

Kinley (9months), Liam (4months), Lilly (1month)        
Lilly is always trying to snuggle with Liam

Movers ---Kinley is now crawling all over the place and trying to walk, Liam is rolling and scooting all about and Lilly smiles and has laughed for Stacey.

Kinly (8months), Liam (3months), Lilly (1week)


Thursday, August 23, 2012

Liam: 4 Months

Our little man is now four months old.  In the last month he has grown so much and so fast we cannot imagine what the next month will bring.  He brings so much joy and laughter to our household that we all in love him more and more each day.  He is now in daycare about 25 hours a week and the remaining time he spends with his Daddy, and they are both loving the time they get to spend together, just the two of them.  Since I am working full-time again, I cherish each minute that I have with him after work and the weekends.  As of four months he....

  • Weighs 16 pounds (68%tile)
  • Is 25 3/4 inches long (76%tile)
  • has a head circumfrence of 16 1/2 (51%tile)
  • Wears size 2 and 3 diapers
  • Wears 6 month and 6-9 month clothing
  • Is a rolling machine, he started off rolling from tummy to back, but now the second you put him down on his back he immediately rolls to his tummy and now mostly sleeps on his tummy.
  • Sits in the Bumbo...
  • Is a Squealer
  • Retired the play mat and now he his entertained by the Exersaucer.
  • is sleeping around 10 hours a night and is able to soothe himself back to sleep, if he does wake up, by sucking on his fingers!

It's a tie between Papa, Grammy, and Uncle Rick, for who has traveled the farthest to meet Liam (California) 
First workout with Daddy
Great-Grandma Siler came to visit









Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Liam in all his glory

I am sure most days Liam wishes he could say "No more Pictures, Mommy", but  for now the only form of communication he produces sounds like he is trying to communicate with whales!  So, his squeals just add more entertainment for me and produce some very expressive photos.  Last night, while he was napping I decided to practice different settings with my camera and finally figured out how to take black and white photos! Most of the time he was sleeping, but towards the end I think the constant flashing and clicking woke him up. Here are just a few of my favorites....
So content, recovering from a full day of daycare...(unedited, too dark needed more flash)
 In deep thought...probably wondering why his Momma is acting like a paparazzi
Has had enough...although this is just his dramatic fake cry since no actual tears are being shed.
All his glory in full color

Janice and Glenn said that some of the photos that I have and will take of Liam will be great blackmail in the future. Which I would have to agree, plus the photos that I want to take to mimic ones that were taken of Bryan and me when we were little will be priceless.  Especially one of my favorites is when I was wearing a cowboy hat and boots when I was about 2! So cute, can't wait until I get that photo, although Bryan might protest a country type picture, so we will just have to do it when he is not around! :)

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Love

Motherhood has brought about many changes to my life. Although my days are now consumed with dirty diapers, spit up, and nighttime feedings, one thing remains....The one person that can make me smile unconditionally, no matter what kind of day I have had, is my son. His smile just melts my heart.



Saturday, August 18, 2012

To the Big Apple he goes

Not only did Papa and Grammy Morris come for a visit, but Liam also had a visit from his Uncle Rick, who stopped by on his way to NYC.  Liam was able to spend some quality time with his Uncle who even babysat for us while we both were working.  Rick has now moved to NY to pursue his Masters Degree for the next two years, and in a couple weeks Uncle Matthew will also be joining his older brother for their new adventure in the Big Apple...Does that mean Matthew will by stopping by too on his way to NY????  We shall see.
 Proud Uncle and Dad
Liam giving Rick some love
Liam was mesmerized with Ricks tattoo that he got while vacationing in Thailand
Everyone wants in on the fun.

Liam brings the family to town!

August has been a month of Californian visitors to see the newest member of the Morris family.  Liam finally was able to meet his Grammy and Papa Morris and his Uncle Rick!  Unfortunately it was rather warm out so we spent most of their visit in doors.  However, Liam, Jan and I went for a baby shopping marathon to stock up on some more clothes for Liam since he had grown out of almost all his clothes.  Never would have imagined my four month old would already be wearing 6 and 6-9month clothing!  Bryan and Dick also made a trip downtown to the WW1 museum.  It was a great visit and we all look forward to our Holiday trip to California where Liam will meet all the Morris and DeSilva family members!
Bath time with Papa and Grammy

We took a trip to the Overland Park Abortoreum which was probably one of the only places in the area which still has green grass!





Friday, August 10, 2012

He can Roll!


Last week, Liam rolled from his tummy to his back for the first time, while awake, and last night I finally got it on video. And, according to Babycenter this is an advanced skill that only a few babies in their third month can do. We are so proud of our advanced little guy, but he seems to be growing up way too fast.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Working on his fitness

Liam had his first session with his personal trainer this afternoon, aka Daddy.  He was decked out in his Rocky onesie and Under Armour pants and ready to work it!
First a little stretching
A couple push ups
Strengthening those leg muscles with some squats
Standing already....squats must work!
Winners






Thursday, August 2, 2012

Tummy Time

Liam is getting stronger and stronger every day!  The only time he really acts like he likes tummy time though is when he is naked after his bath....Whatever the baby likes he gets, so naked time it is if that is what it takes to work out his back and shoulders!

LLK Play Date

Kinley and Liam had their first play date with Miss Lillian when she was just one week old. We managed to avoid a contagious meltdown this photoshoot, which was a vast improvement from the Breckenridge onesie photo op.
I think he has had enough of girl time....anyone have boys he can hang with? ;)