play ground

It has been so so nice out the past few days that I've been hanging outside with the kids. We've been going to the playground and grilling at our house. Playing with the neighbors is also a favorite. Petey is living the fire pole, which he actually jumps down instead of slides, and Liza loves the little slides on the playground. She holds her own pretty well- she does everything the big kids do that she can reach.

Liza is almost 1 year old, and today she officially said "daddy". Not dada, but daddy, clear as day. I cannot believe how fast she is growing.

So beautiful and such a sweetie.

Cold weather food is awesome. This was an amazing salad, and from scratch beef stew and fried chicken. I love cooking! Although coming up with ideas is difficult some days.

 Girls are just chilling.

Liza in church clothes.

My big girl is starting to steal my clothes, its obvi that I'm a super cool mama.

I'm baaaccck

Mikayla is 9 years old. Where does the time go? We celebrated by having 12 of her girlfriends sleepover, it was quite the adventure. For her birthday day we went to 16 handles, and for breakfast she had birthday waffles. What a sweet girl she is turning out to be, she loves her sister and brother sooo much!

Petey is loving his school. He goes two days a week plus Fridays with the 4 year Olds. He gets along with them so well. Petey is so funny... Todaywe baked cookies and after he took his first bite he said, "you've really outdone your self mom". Today as well... I hear the fridge closing... Petey, what are you doing in the fridge? P says, "getting whip cream". I ask, "why are you getting whip cream?" He responds "for my spoon". Can't put anything past him!

Liza is 10.5 months and so happy. She's not fond of eggs but loves cheese! She weighs in at 20.10 lbs, her favorite thing to do is climb in and out of her radio flyer wagon. 

Right now we are smack in the middle of remodeling our bathroom, kitchen and painting the house. It sure is coming along, and we absolutely love the fact that it's ours!

I keep busy with the three kids and am getting back into the swing of things. I can't find the time to run still, but I am starting to eat healthier and get back into cooking and exploring with our meals. 

I cannot believe I'm going to be 32 soon, how fast time flies. I can vividly remember my life at Mikaylas age-living in Delmar, my friends, 4th grade... It is so bitter sweet. Sometimes I wish I could go back, or at least just stop the clock from ticking away so darn fast. some days I just wish I could be a kid again, don't you? I love where I am in my life, but some days I wish I could go back to that security. I loved my childhood and the family I grew up in and some days I wish I could spend it how we used to- always taken for granted. All I can do now is be the best mom I can be to my children and hope one day they can see me just how I see my mom now. I wish nothing but the best for my three little loves- I want God to protectt them throughout their journey and I can only hope they make nothing but good choices. Love you all so much.

Skipping Already

I skipped yesterdays workout... Day 3... because I was tired! I ended up sleeping until 10 (obvi I woke up to get Mikayla on the bus) and it just made me more exhausted, so I decided to "workout later that night".  Of course that never happened.  Who wants to work out at night? Not me.

Day 3 was done today. It was a Cardio Power and Resistance program, and I liked this one as well.  I'm finally learning how to do a push up after 28...almost 29... years of not knowing how! I am very proud of myself.  This was another 40 minute workout, but the moves are already becoming familiar and its allowing me to actually do them the right way.  Theres a pretty long warm up again, then some stretching, then right into the cardio circuits.  Sprinting, Hurdles, Squats, Globe Jumps, Power Jacks, 1-2-3's, Moving push ups, running push ups, etc.  Its really difficult but not as intense as I thought.  I hope I'm doing it right! Its all about form and your own personal pace... I know I don't get as many in as the ripped people on tv, but i know that's OK.  just getting off my butt is good enough.

After Pete made some recovery drink... muscle milk with a can of mixed fruit, a banana, some ice and some water. Then he made a nice green salad, with cukes and pretzels

I topped it off with this new bleu cheese dressing I bought. 

Its pretty good, its half yogurt and it doesn't taste like true bleu cheese, but it actually comes pretty close.  Its nice and creamy and a good, healthy substitute for something that's pretty high calorie.

We also devoured some slices of last nights dinner

Which would be a crescent roll pizza.

One crescent roll unrolled flat into a baking sheet, spread with about 1/2-3//4 cup of sauce.  I topped it with cooked, chopped chicken thighs (also leftovers) and sprinkled about 1/2 cup shredded cheese on top.  Then I baked it for about 10 minutes and voila... amazing pizza-type thing. 

I have a soft spot for crescent rolls.  And really cool 6 year olds. With fake glasses and fake hair.

Its noon and Im eating Ribs

Today was day 2 of the Insanity challenge, it was the Plyometric Cardio Circut.  The entire segment lasted about 45 minutes.  I was nice and sweaty by the end of it! This workout consisted of three different circuts, with about 5 different things in each circut, done three times, with a little bit of a variation in each circut.  Even the warm up for this was 6 moves done three time each, faster each time, with no break in between!! OMG!! By the third round in each circut I was on the floor done for, trying to push myself.  The moves were not hard for me, but I'm not used to not resting in between, so that was hard. I did have to say I enjoyed the moves on Day 2... suicide jumps, jumping squats, skiing moves, basketball jumps, football moves... it was a fun, quick spin on things I would NEVER do!

After, of course, I was super hungry, so I raided the fridge and ate some of last nights leftovers...

I told you I was eating healthy! I had some leftover tilapia, roasted cauliflower, and couscous.  I also had a slice of meaty garbage bread that i made last night, with tons of leftover hamburger in it. These were pics from last night, I was too hungry to take one today.

20 mins later it was time for lunch... heheheee

so I ate more couscous with a rib, then another rib.  All this working out and breastfeeding is killing me on calories, and I find myself pretty hungry lately, even before my two intense days of working out :)

I made Pete a burger melt last night and didn't force feed him Tilapia and cauliflower... and to make it interesting I cooked up some onions, sliced the burger, and stuffed the onions inside the burger.  Then I placed the entire sandwich in the panini maker... and it came out amazing.  Panini makers make the best sandwiches...ever.

Mikayla has cheer after school today, once again she is cheering in the high school homecoming football game... soooo excited!

Long Time No Blog

Today was my first day of Insanity.  I have taken the Insanity challenge, and it lasts for a total of 60 days.  It is 6 days on, 1 day off (Sunday).  My body already feels like jelly, although the workout wasn't as bad as I thought.  Today was the first day, so Pete and I began the first Fit Test.  A fit test in this program consists of eight intense cardio moves, and you count how many of each move you can do in one minute. 

1. Switch Kicks         107
2. Power Jacks           45
3. Power Knees          62
4. Power Jumps          27
5. Globe Jumps            5
6. Suicide Jumps         13
7. Push up Jacks         15
8. Low Plank Oblique 51

Not bad for my first time.  I think the hardest was a Power Jump because you have to jump high in the air with your knees up to the side of you and hit your knees with your hands while in the air.  I think the easiest was the Low Plank Oblique, which you get onto the floor push up style but lay on your arms, and kick your knees to your arms.  Overall, my body feels great... like cooked spaghetti!

After we worked out I made a pretty healthy breakfast... this lil man helped me.

First I coked up two leftover spicy sausages, half a leftover hamburger, chopped garlic, spinach, a chopped green tomato and some black olives

 Then I just cracked 5 eggs right into the same pan, and I like to scramble them as they cook, its so much easier and less to clean!

 I cut a pita in half and placed a slice of cheese on each side, and the cooked eggs on top

 Then squirted on some jalapeno mustard and ate it like a dog! It was so super good!!

I realize when I work out I am so much more careful about the calories I put into my body, since I know how hard I worked to burn calories off.  Hopefully this Insanity program helps me get into shape after having PJ, and provides me with motivation to begin running again, something that I haven't done since the Turkey trot and miss dearly.

School Shopping

Yesterday was a loooong day of school shopping for my super big first grader!! School shopping with her and my mom (and of course PJ) was so fun, Mikayla is into clothes and knows what she likes and what she doesn't.  She got so many new clothes (thanks nana!) and a new big girl lunch box! During our shopping trip to Target I thought Mikayla was shaking the door to the dressing room and kept telling her not to.... I kept saying "Mikayla, get away from the door!"... turns out it wasn't her and it was a 45 second earthquake!! Holy cow!!

When we arrived home last night I quickly got to work making BLT's.  I knew I wanted something fast and easy for dinner, and sandwiches oer the summer are always a favorite go-to meals.  I made mine into a salad, complete with roasted brussel sprouts in it and bleu cheese dressing

I love having kitchen scissors and usually use them instead of a knife, especially to make a "chopped salad".  Its so easy and you don't cut your fingers!

Pete had a BLT with a fried egg, and Mikayla had "Clam Soup", which would be New England Clam Chowder.  On today's agenda is lots of cooking, baking, laundry, and packing! Yay for family days spent at home!! Maybe I will even fix my camera today and finally begin taking decent photos.

Quick Shrimp Tacos

I forgot how crazy life is with a newborn!! No matter what I do, I'm holding PJ and spending time with Mikayla, so its impossible to find time to do anything! Blogging has really been placed on the back burner lately, but I must say I have made some amazing meals that I am planning to eventually write about. I'm also planning to beginning to run again, which makes me anxious. 

PJ is an absolute dream.  He is so so so good, and Mikayla is the best big sissy ever.  I just have two absolute amazing children, I'm so lucky.  Today we stopped by Nana and Poppy's house, where Nana fed me this amazing overnight french toast.  I shall ask her for the recipe and post it, because it was really good and would be great to serve for a brunch.

PJ and I took Mikayla to cheerleading, which she really enjoys.  I try to practice all the time with her, mainly because I think its fun and I think shes the cutest cheerleader ever! She is getting the hang of it, and her favorite part is going up on the pyramid.

When we came home we were all starving.  Cheerleading is just such an awful time, its 5:30 to 7, which is exactly time for dinner.  We came home and immediately began to cook shrimp my favorite way, and I decided to make shrimp tacos.  I also had about 4 pieces of cooked catfish in my fridge, so I reheated that in the oven as well.  I haven't ever bought catfish but decided to buy it at BJ's, so now we have a ton of it! (I do like catfish, and would definitely buy it again).
In the tacos were shrimp, Cajun catfish, re fried black beans, spinach, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, cheese and sliced avocado... so so good!

The fam hung out while I quickly cleaned up dinner because the kiddies needed me to put them to sleep.

You cant see it in the photo but the puppies are hanging out too.  Pete is such a good dad, it makes me smile!

Italian Swordfish Steaks

Sat night at my parents house I cooked dinner and made a few different things.  Its always nice to cook at my moms because I never have to clean up.

We had agreed on steak and something to do with zucchini.  over at Jenna's blog had I seen a recipe for cheesy zucchini pizza and decided it was a must-make for dinner.  I realized we didn't have any pizza dough but had some yeast, so I made my own pizza dough, which was super easy. (Recipe to follow).

while looking trough my moms freezer also found two swordfish steaks and decided to make those.

I actually recently told myself to start eating fish, and this was perfect. I jumped online and googled swordfish recipes, but most had you grilling, which I didn't want to do.  i came across a recipe for Italian swordfish steaks and knew most of hose ingredients could be  found... winner!

First, I soaked some raisins in warm water

and while those were soaking I chopped up about 4 tomatoes and placed them in a bowl. 

I also added sunflower seeds (we didn't have pine nuts... awww, nuts!) and capers.

 In a pan I added some olive oil, and sauteed the garlic and onion.  When that was finished sauteing, I added the rest of the mixture into the pot, covered, and cooked on low for 15 minutes.

When the sauce was finished I spread some olive oil on the bottom of a glass pan, placed the two steaks, and spooned the sauce on the top.

Then I baked the fish on 400 for about 20 minutes.

It was so delish, I will definitely be making the topping again and seeing what else I can put it on!

Swordfish Steaks
2 Swordfish Steaks
1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsp pine nuts (i used sunflower seeds)
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup capers
olive oil

Oven on 400.
1. Soak raisins in water for 30 mins. In a bowl, combine nuts, tomatoes and raisins (drained). 
2. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil in a pan on top of the stove.
3. Add mixture to the pan, cover, and cook on simmer for 15 mins.
4. Take mixture off stove and spoon onto swordfish steaks.
5.  Put in oven and cook for about 20 minutes.

We split 2 steaks between 4 people, they are so filling!

Dinner at Mom's

I enjoy leftovers.  Especially ones I never actually made in the first place.

Whats this you ask?  A leftover taco salad from the beach.  I fried up two eggs and plopped them on top for a semi-healthy breakfast.  I also re-heated the taco meat and fed half of it to the dogs.  Salad for breakfast... is not weird in my book.

Especially when followed by a smiley baby boy.  (Hey, it was dark in my room)

LAst night for dinner I didnt have to cook.  I went to my parents house, and my mom made dinner.  Im here again today, but this time I will try to whip up something healthy using the ingredients my mother has in her kitchen - always a fun task!

Dinner last night was a zucchini quiche... afterall, it is zucchini season and my mother has a garden.

Sure, it fell apart when you dished it out, but it was because she had used fresh cheese.  and, it doesn't matter, it was still as good as ever.

It also consisted of a Chicken Couscous dish thingy, which was so delish I might make it at home.

This was filled with chicken, peaches, tomatoes and couscous.  I'm happy that I found another way to make couscous besides my shrimpy couscous salad, which we love over at the Vottis household.

Always followed by a photo shoot, because, hey, Im a mother.

Sleeping in M's Dora bed @ Nanas

What a great big sissy!!!

Zuccini Quiche
1 large zucchini, diced
handful mushrooms, diced
1 onion, chopped
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup cheese
1 pie crust (or a homemade one here)

Preheat oven at 350.  Saute the onion in olive oil until soft.  Make a pie shell, or roll one out if you're lazy.  In the pie shell place the zucchini, mushrooms, and onion.  Whisk together the milk, eggs and cheese, and pour over veggies.  Bake in oven for 50 minutes, take out and let cool.  We used fresh mozz, so it didn't actually "set" but will if you use a cheese that's a bit more firm.