Matrale Madness

A Stroll Down Story Book Lane

2012-01-31T14:03:00.004-05:00

Today we got to go to AJ's school to see her in her story book parade. He class read a book called Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner. It was a cute book about snowmen being around all year round and not just in winter where it's cold and snows. The kids all wore carrot noses, green gloves, scarves and then a prop that represented different things throughout the year. One child wore a swim tube, another a Halloween costume, some held flowers and AJ was wearing a party hat! They all looked adorable and did a great job! After the parade we all got to go back to the class to listen to the story and the kids got cookies and lemon aid! Cute, fun afternoon at AJ's school!

Pastalicious!

2012-01-29T15:22:00.004-05:00

Whole wheat pasta salad with grilled chicken that was marinated in italian dressing, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, green peppers, roasted peppers, red onion, baby arugula, black olives, chick peas, carrots and cerlery in a lemon/evoo dressing with grated parm on top! Pastalicious!

Jersey Matrale

2012-01-22T21:59:00.000-05:00

Jersey Matrale
Born 11-4-11
Weight 10lbs

Such a sweet little love!

SHOP TILL YOU DROP!

2012-01-22T15:48:00.000-05:00

Mimi was just in town for 10 days and what do you think we did each and every day? You got it - we went shopping! We found some great stuff for the house, got some stuff for the kids of course, got some some stuff for Mimi and even I got a top & and adorable leopard print coat! We went out for nice meals and I cooked her a bunch of meals too! We all just really enjoy having mimi around spoiling us, playing and hanging with the kids! I love when my mom is in town - the and I kids miss her terribly when she's gone! Come back ASAP Mimi!

Disney 2012

2012-01-05T16:32:00.000-05:00

So on our way home from Fort Lauderdale we had the crazy idea to stop at Disney for a few day - YES, WE ARE NUTS! We keep seeing signs and we figured why not? We called to see if there were rooms available and then called Alex's cousin and her fiance who work there and they were able to hook us up with free 2 day park passes! It was great to see Michelle and Josh - they are such a cute young couple and seem very happy together! We did Epcot day 1 and the Magic Kingdom day 2. Day 2 was a little cold but we did great - got on every ride but Splash Mountain (too cold anyway) & Space Mountain (too crazy of a wait time). AJ did Thunder Mountain for the first time - she rode twice she loved it so much - second time was front row with me! Dylan was finally tall enough to do the race cars and he loved that! We did all the favorites! What a crazy, last minute, fun trip we had - something Alex and I will NEVER forget!

Hotel-

Epcot-

Magic Kingdom-

Fort Lauderdale 2011/2012

2012-01-02T15:34:00.000-05:00

This year we left the day after Christmas to travel down to Fort Lauderdale to visit with Grandma, Pop Pop and Uncle Peter. We were so happy that Uncle Mark was down there two and we got to see him a few times! We went to the beach, the pool, out for lots of nice meals, we did a Duck tour of Lauderdale, celebrated NYE and had a great time in beautiful weather! Finally on our way out of town we got to stop and see Uncle Eddie! WOW we got to see so many family members we miss and love - how blessed was this vacation!?!

Beach & Pool shots-

Lunches & Dinners-

Duck Tour-

NYE-
'

Random Fun-

Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-25T15:22:00.002-05:00

We had a really fun Christmas day - Santa made it and he even brought toys from all my family in NJ with him! We spent the day opening presents, eating and enjoying each other. The looks on the kids faces when they saw all their presents was priceless!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T23:12:00.001-05:00

We had a beautiful Christmas Eve - just Alex, the two kids and I! We went to the children's mass at 4 and were home to eat and relax the evening away. The kids made sure to put on their new Christmas pj's that our elf Santa Christmas delivered that morning and we made sure to sprinkle all the sparkly reindeer food on the front lawn so the reindeer didn't miss our house

!

Happy Birthday Alex

2011-12-18T21:05:00.000-05:00

Happy 34th birthday to the best husband and father in the world - the kids and are are the luckiest! I fell in love with you way back in our senior year of high school, I loved you at College in WV, I loved you when we got married and bought our first house in NJ and I love you even more during our new adventures here in Georgia! Here is too a great year to come baby!

Dylan's School Christmas Party

2011-12-16T14:51:00.000-05:00

Today Alex and I got to go to Dylan's first school Christmas party! He was so cute and did such a good job singing us Jingle Bells! He gave us a beautiful Christmas wall hanging with his hand print as the reindeer and an ornament. I always love breaking these out year after year to display. He had some lunch and some goodies with his friends and it was just really fun getting to see him in action at school! Very proud of my big boy!

AJ's Christmas Concert

2011-12-13T14:37:00.001-05:00

Today we had such a nice time at AJ's school Christmas concert. We got there early, got some good seats and listened to them sing us beautiful Christmas songs. After we went back to her classroom for some cookies and juice and got presents from the kids - they were beautiful Christmas plates with mangers on them made with the kids fingerprints - something I will treasure always!

Founders Day Parade!

2011-12-03T19:31:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday John Creek GA! We had a great time watching the parade today - the kids got tons of candy and other treats and AJ loved all the cheerleaders, Dylan all the police cars & fire trucks and we all loved the bands and music! Thanks for a fun filled Saturday morning!

Dylan's 1st Day of School

2011-12-02T15:43:00.010-05:00

Toady Dylan had his first day of school - I am a proud mama - he did great! Just like his big sister, Dylan didn't seem to be bothered that I was leaving him at all! I sent him in with his Cars backpack, his Cars lunch box and his Cars sippy cup and he got right to playing with his new friends! He barely turned around when I said bye to yell back "bye mommy"! When I came to get him they were just coming back in from being on the outdoor playground - he smiled when he saw me and said "hi mommy"! His teacher told me he had a great first day - she said he has LOADS of energy and he was trying to eat all his friends sandwiches at lunch - LOL! She said he was content all day long! He did some art projects, had story time, practiced the song they will sing at the Christmas party and I sent in donuts so they could celebrate Dylan's 2nd birthday. He even got a birthday crown to wear! So happy my boy had a great first day of school but it's hard not to shed some tears as well - I am super proud of how well adjusted both my kids are and I know they are going to grow up to be great, amazing people one day but it's hard to let go of them and send them out to the world. Days like today make me realize that I need to try harder to slow down, stop and smell the roses, jump in the leaves and the puddles, and treasure each and every moment I spend with them!

These are some shots his teacher took and send to me - SO CUTE!

Grandma, Pop Pop & Uncle Peter in GA!

2011-11-30T19:11:00.015-05:00

We are so happy that Grandma, Pop Pop and Uncle Peter were just here to spend a week with us down in GA. Not only did we have a great Thanksgiving together but we got to do tons of fun things!

They hung out with the kids in the house-

We hit up some stores for shopping-

Alex and his dad got in a round of golf-

We went out for lots of nice meals (even in the pouring rain)-

Went to the park-

Ate a Thanksgiving feast-

Went to Chateau Elan Winery -

Celebrated Dylan's 2nd birthday-

Alex, Peter & I went to the spa for pedicures, massages & facials-

And we just enjoyed being all together! So happy they came for a visit!

Happy 2nd Birthday Dylan!

2011-11-25T21:28:00.003-05:00

Today was Dylan's 2nd birthday and what a great day we had celebrating! AJ greeted him first thing in the morning with her handmade card and a race car present! After that we all ventured downstairs where we had presents, balloons and cupcakes for breakfast waiting. After his cupcake Dylan opened a few more gifts and we decided it would be fun to hit up Chateau Elan Winery for some wine tasting and a French lunch! To our surprise Santa was there when we went through the door and the kids were psyched to sit on his lap and let him know all the toys they wanted. After lunch we walked around the winery and got to pet a horse. Then we ventured home for nap time. After his nap we skyped with my side of the family - they all sang Dylan happy birthday. We had a pizza party for dinner and watched WVU beat Pitt! We had more cupcakes and sang to Dylan a final time before sending him off to bed!

Dylan in 2 short years you have brought Daddy, AJ & I immeasurable amounts of laughter and love. You are a rough and tumble bundle of fun, crazy energy! You make life so much more interesting and keep all 3 of us on our toes - we never know what you are going to do next. You love your "yak-yum", you love to play with your cars and trucks, you love watching the lawn guys, you love waiting for the garbage truck or school bus to pass by, you love to eat, you love to laugh, run and jump off things and you imitate everything your sister does. Right now she is your best friend and I hope she always will be - you two are partners in crime! You have started potty training and are doing pretty well but we have a long way to go. You are starting preschool next week and I just know you are going to do great! At your 2 year doc apt you weigh in at 31lbs (90%), you are 36 1/4 inches tall (92%) and the doc said you are just perfect although he thinks I may need a extra fridge by the time you are in high school! We love you my boy and we can't wait to see what the next year brings - lots more crazy, happy, fun I hope! XO

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T23:33:00.001-05:00

What a great thanksgiving we had today. It's still very hard for me to be away from my side of the family for the holidays but I am very thankful that we had mom & dad Matrale here up from NJ and Alex's brother Peter up from FL! I got up early and baked cupcakes for Dylan's second birthday tomorrow and then got right on Thanksgiving dinner. I put out home made pumpkin rolls early to snack on and they were gone quick! We played outside for a bit - the kids drove around in their new wheels (Grandma & Pop Pop gave them their gift for Christmas early), we watched football, we watched some other shows, skyped with the Matrale's back in NJ, had a awesome dinner and then had a pajama party complete with desserts, games, dancing and simon says! What a great day we had together with loads of laughs, lots of love and tons to be thankful for!

Don't want to forget to mention the special place settings we had. I got the beautiful dishes from my Aunt Margie, the silver from Alex's nana, and the beautiful center bowl & table cloth from my mom, some of the other dishes the food was served on came from my mother in law, and from both of my grand mothers! It made me feel blessed to have a little piece of those near, far and passed with me on Thanksgiving!

LOVE!

2011-11-15T15:35:00.003-05:00

LOVE my 4 year old & almost 2 year old SO SO SO super much and I just love grabbing and hugging them - can't you just feel my happiness?

Potty Training!

2011-11-12T15:38:00.000-05:00

Well we are miles and miles away from being trained but you have to start at some point somewhere!

So, with out much further ado, here is Dylan making his big debut in BIG BOY UNDER PANTS and he looks SO stinking adorable that I can't take it!

Oh, and as you can tell the Mountaineers were playing today and YES, we won - maybe the stars are in our favor!

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad M!

2011-11-11T15:24:00.000-05:00

Today is my mother & father in laws anniversary and we wanted to wish them a very happy one! We made a big sign and sent some pics and as you can see it's finally cold enough here once in a while to wear Uggs and of course this year AJ insisted on BRIGHT PINK ONES! We can't wait to celebrate more with Mom & Dad M when they get here on the 19th - wooo hooo - we've missed them so much and can't wait for some time together!!!

Sunday Best

2011-11-06T14:53:00.000-05:00

Love dressing my kids all cute and going to church on Sundays! AJ goes off to her Sunday school class and Dylan comes with us. We always sit in the kids cry room and Dylan is always the craziest kid in there - weather he's trying to run away to go play on the steps, throwing his sippy cup at someone, announcing "I farted" really loud or smearing chocolate or lollipops all over us, (YES, people he's getting candy at 9AM, don't judge, at least I have him in church and it gets him to behave momentarily - lol) he still looks good and hopefully that helps people just laugh him off!

Sausage Baked Ziti a la Vodka

2011-11-06T14:21:00.001-05:00

Vodka Sauce (put in Cousin N's Penne Vodka in search engine on top of page for recipe)
1bs bulk Italian sausage
1lb ziti
3 cups shredded mozarella
1 16 oz container ricotta
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1 beat egg
dried parsley
s&p

Start water for pasta and throw it in when boiling. Brown sausage in pan and add to vodka sauce. Put some sauce on bottom of baking dish. In a large mixing bowl mix together egg, 2 cups of the shredded mozzarella, the ricotta, parmesan, salt, pepper and parsley. Drain pasta when al dente and mix with remaining sauce and cheese mixture. Dump into baking dish and top with any remaining sauce and the last cup of mozzarella. Pop in a oven pre heated to 350 degrees for about 25 minutes till heated through and cheese on top is all melty! SOOOO GOOD!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T14:41:00.004-04:00

Our very first Halloween in GA did not disappoint! We live in a really fun neighborhood and we really enjoyed running house to house all dressed up in our costumes getting lots of candy! This year AJ insisted on being a "butterfly princess" and Alex, Dylan & I all went at football players! It's really a lot of fun going out and seeing so many people and kids you know all dressed up in a costume! We even figured out how to use the self timer on the camera and got a semi-decent shot of all 4 of us!

Fall Festival

2011-10-28T14:45:00.000-04:00

Today we had AJ's fall festival at school and of course she looked super cute in the t-shirt they made to wear to it and me in my ghost pin she made for me! The kids had so much fun going room to room for different activities and I had fun helping out at it. Alex got there in time with the chick-fil-a platter for the kids and Dylan was able to run around a little and enjoy the class party! LOVE her school, love her teachers, love her friends and love all the other moms!

Date Night!

2011-10-27T14:26:00.000-04:00

Here we are looking good in our leather jackets, about to enjoy date night while Mimi's here! We hit up 5 Seasons Brewery for some beers & tapas and then we stopped around the corner at Adobo for a night cap margarita! Great night with my man! Thanks Mimi!

Mimi in GA!

2011-10-26T12:41:00.000-04:00

We were SO SO SO thrilled to spend the past week here in GA with my mom! We all love when she comes and spoils us rotten! We hit up a family friend from NJ's pumpkin farm, shopped the week away, went out for nice meals, Alex & I got a date night in, Mimi got to come on AJ's class trip to pick pumpkins and she even helped us carved a pumpkin before she left! Time just goes by way too quick when Mimi is here - I wish I had a pause button for all the moments of pure joy and her face and the faces of my two kids when they are together...luckily I have a camera. Come back soon mom - we miss you tons already!

Picture Day Photo Shoot!

2011-10-21T14:29:00.000-04:00

Today is picture day at AJ's school so you know that means I had to take the opportunity to have a mini photo shoot of my gorgeous girl before she left in her adorable new outfit from Mimi!

!

Yak-Yoom!

2011-10-19T14:34:00.001-04:00

Dylan is obsessed (border line nuts) with the "yak-yoom" and since his last one from Mimi broke she decided we must go to Toys R Us the moment she got here and buy him a new one before he electrocutes himself trying to plug in and yak-yoom with mine!

To the Moon & Back!

2011-10-11T12:02:00.004-04:00

I mean really, could a mom be any luckier? When ever I am having one of those not so great moments, all I have to do is just take one look at my two beautiful, fun, happy, kind, loving babes and I instantly realize how blessed I am to be their mom! It's hard to put into words the love you have for you children - the sense of personal fulfillment or the sheer pride you get from them. It feels like even before they were born they were with me - like they always were a part of me - and until they were born I wasn't whole. AJ & Dylan - thanks for showing me how wide my heart could open, what it feels like to love to the moon & back!

Tiramisu

2011-10-11T09:19:00.000-04:00

8 oz container mascarpone cheese
7.5 oz container of lady fingers (you'll need about 20)
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs seperated
1 cup cooled expresso
2 TBS kahlua
2 TBS dark rum
cocoa powder

In a bowl with hand mixer beat together 3 egg yolks, 1 TBS expresso, 1/2 cup sugar, and 2 TBS rum till smooth, add in mascarpone and beat till pale yellow and smooth. In another bowl beat egg whites with a pinch of sugar until stiff peaks form and then fold into mascarpone mixture. Mix kahlua into expresso and dip each lady finger in and layer on bottom of dish covering the whole bottom. You want to make sure to get lady finger fully wet but no too saturated so it doesn't fall apart. Top with 1/2 the mascarpone mixture and a few sprinkles of cocoa powder and repeat with another layer of soaked lady fingers, cream & cocoa powder. Put in fridge for about 4 hours and then ENJOY! SO SO SO SO GOOD! I will be making this again soon!

Sunday Funday Eggplant Parm

2011-10-09T23:41:00.001-04:00

This meal is perfect for Football Sunday Funday! You can assemble ahead of time then lay around all day watching football and about 30 minutes before you want to eat just pop it in the oven!

2 medium eggplants
Tomato sauce
4 cups mozzarella
slices of prosciutto
Grated Parmesan
Italian seasoning
breadcrumbs
2 beat eggs
flour

Slice eggplant and lay out on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and wait about a half hour till you sweat out some of the eggplants moisture. Dust each eggplant slice with flour, dip in egg and coat with breadcrumbs. Lay on oiled baking sheet and bake at about 450 for 15 minutes turning halfway through. Spread some tomato sauce on bottom of baking dish and place eggplant in a layer on top. Top eggplant with more sauce, prosciutto, mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning and some Parmesan. Put down another layer of eggplant, more sauce and finish with cheese, Italian seasoning & more Parmesan, Bake in 350 degree oven for about a 1/2 hour till cheese is all melty, serve topped with some basil & enjoy!

7 Years!

2011-10-08T22:52:00.001-04:00

Happy Anniversary to Alex & I - we've been together 15 years this past June and married for 7 years today! What a crazy ride it's been from high school in NJ to college in WV, where we picked up 2 dogs along the way. Then it was back to NJ where we bought our first house, got married and had 2 beautiful amazing kids together. Now life finds us in here in GA, missing family like crazy but so lucky in love we can get through anything together - happily! We have had some crazy times in the past 15 years but I wouldn't change a thing - we love each other eternally, have a very strong and very happy marriage, we are partners, best friends & lovers! LOVE YOU ALEX - can't wait to see what the next years bring us!

This year we decided to just hang home - AJ was just getting over her walking pneumonia & Dylan was starting to cough a little himself so we decided it was best to lay low, have some delicious home cooked food, drink some champagne & do what we do best - enjoy each others company! We started off around 5 with some champagne & puff pastry stuffed with brie, sauteed onions and cranberries. Then we fed the kids, got them baths and put them to bed early!! From there we moved on to clams in butter, garlic & white wine, crusty bread for dipping in the clam broth and grilled rib eyes! For dessert I attempted my very first tiramisu and it turned out super - it wasn't hard to make and tasted SO SO good! We laid around on the couch, had a fire, watch some football and other tv and just had a really great anniversary! We are truly blessed!

recipe here - http://matralemadness.blogspot.com/search?q=brie+in+puff+pastry

For clams all you do is soak them in water for a few hours, changing the water each 1/2 hour or so to remove the sand. Then you heat up a few TBS butter and a few cloves of garlic, add about a cup of white wine and reduce a little, add the clams and cover. Cook till clams open and discard any that don't!

Tiramisu (will post amazing recipe)-

Mystery Reader

2011-10-07T13:47:00.004-04:00

Each Friday at AJ's school they have a mystery reader come in and read books to the class. The kids come down to the library and are so excited to see who the reader is that day! Check out who the mystery reader was today...

AJ was SO super excited to have her dad there to read 3 stories to the kids in her class. He gave each kid a special treat - halloween stickers, a halloween pencil and a hershey bar and they though he was the coolest! Dylan and I were happy to sit and listen too!

Colleen's Pumpkin Rolls

2011-10-06T11:39:00.004-04:00

So now that it's fall I am craving soups, stews, slow cooked roasts, chili & fall like desserts. This awesome roll that my friend Colleen makes popped into my head and of course I wasn't going to be happy till I made it, so I sent her a email and she sent me the recipe. Make this soon - it's SO good and Alex and I finished off a 1/2 of one of the two I made last night in one sitting and the rest are safely in the freezer till I run off the one I ate last night! My only tip is to use plenty of powdered sugar on your dish towel - I didn't use enough and mine stuck to it a little!

ENJOY-

Get a jelly roll pan (or large cookie sheet) and line with wax paper or parchment paper. Grease the paper.

Mix together -
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
¾ cup flour

Pour all ingredients onto cookie sheet and spread out evenly. It will be very thin.
Sprinkle with chopped slivered almonds (Optional).
Bake at 350 for 6 - 9 minutes. This varies with the type of pan.
Meanwhile, dust a kitchen towel with powdered sugar. When the cake is done flip it onto the towel and remove the paper. From the wide side of the cake, roll with the towel and let stand approx. 45 minutes.

FILLING -
3 tsp butter
(1) 8 oz package cream cheese
¾ cup powered sugar
¾ tsp vanilla

Blend all with a mixer.
Unwrap the cake and spread with filling.
Roll cake back up and cut in half to make two jelly rolls. Refrigerate or freeze.
Best if sliced while frozen. Defrosts very fast.

Playhouse

2011-10-03T11:30:00.000-04:00

Last Christmas (yes almost a year ago - YIKES) Uncle Eddie & Uncle Mark gave AJ & Dylan this huge box that contained a huge put-it-together cardboard clubhouse. Well I put it away for a rainy day and was dreading it ever since - it looked big, complicated and I just never felt like setting it all up. BOY WAS I WRONG - it was easy to set up and the kids are having SO much fun in it! I couldn't have saved it for a better time though, we have been on sick lock down in the house due to AJ's pneumonia and we are all starting to go a little sir crazy so it was SO nice to be able to break this out and breakup our boredom now that she's getting better! Thanks to Uncle Eddie & Uncle Mark for a really cool & fun gift!

Walking Pneumonia

2011-10-03T10:49:00.000-04:00

After over a week of a nasty cough and now a fever for AJ we went back to the doctor to for some answers. On Thursday we were sent home with a inhaler tube thing and a nebulizer treatment but had to go back the next day to see if the wheeze the doctor was hearing was gone - well it wasn't so we were sent for a chest x-ray that came back inconclusive. They did see some fluid on the lungs so they say she was in the early stages of walking pneumonia - GREAT! She was put on a z-pack and a home nebulizer every four hours and tylenol and motrin as needed for her fever. Poor AJ wad miserable and has no appetite for days - she even dropped 2 lbs and the fever lasted through Sunday. Finally Sunday evening we started to see some signs of improvement - the antibiotics were working - YAY! Monday we went back to the doc for a checkup and she agreed she was doing a ton better and that as long as her fever was gone for 24 hours (which would mean she was not contagious) we could go back to school on Tuesday - YAY! Tuesday came and she was still fever free and off to school she went! Like all moms, I HATE seeing my babies sick or in any kind of pain and seeing her like this really took it's toll and I couldn't be happier she is feeling more like her old self and starting to eat again! We still have to keep up the nebulizer every four hours during the day but she's been a trooper and handles it like a old pro!

October = Fire!

2011-10-01T21:00:00.000-04:00

Tonight AJ is slowly starting to feel a little better and she was able to come and hang out with us in the living room for a bit and enjoy our first fire! Us Matrale's from NJ love the cooler, crisp fall weather and are happy to finally get some in GA! It was nice to see the two kids being so nice and cute with each other, it's probably because they have been separated for days because of AJ's pneumonia and I really think they missed each other!

It's the first day of October, we had a nice big Mountaineer WIN & AJ's starting to feel a little better! Thinking it's going to be a good month!

Baseball With Dad!

2011-09-29T13:34:00.000-04:00

Today at school AJ had Baseball with Dad! Alex took her to school and then went outside onto the field and they did all kinds of baseball themed activities. They both had so much fun and Alex even got a few pics of AJ enjoying some of the action! Alex once again got a great portrait of himself and a story about him in her words! She made him some cute arts & crafts and they wore matching baseball name tags!

33 & Loving It!

2011-09-24T14:26:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was my 33rd birthday and I had such a great day! AJ couldn't wait to give me my cards and flowers in the morning and then couldn't wait to sing & have cupcakes after dinner! Alex worked from home, I got to go shopping for some new clothes and then he took me out for a fancy, kid free dinner at Cabernet! Alex reserved us a awesome big u shaped table so we could sit side by side, they gave me a rose for my birthday and we even ran into some fellow Mountaineer fans! We started with AMAZING fried lobster tails (SO SO GOOD) and then of course I had a bone in rib eye and Alex had a filet oscar - both were amazing. For our sides we shared some creamed spinach and asparagus - the asparagus was gilled and had had a little bit of a spicy-ness to them - different & delish! For dessert we had the cream brule & some vanilla ice cream which were presented to me on plates that said happy birthday on them in chocolate! I had such a special day & night! My 33rd year is going to be an amazing one - I look great, I feel great and I have the two best kids and the best husband in the world - I am one lucky lady!

Hat Day

2011-09-23T14:24:00.000-04:00

Today AJ had hat day at school, so what team do you think she proudly sported? THATS RIGHT - WVU - GOOOO Mountaineers!

Here's another without the hat, but too darn cute not to share-

Puppy Love!

2011-09-22T15:14:00.000-04:00

My goodness I love this kid - he causes all kinds of trouble at the doctors office - he had my blood boiling and then I find him like this and forget it all!

Southern Critters

2011-09-18T15:10:00.001-04:00

These are our two new friends in the backyard-

This guy is cute-

THIS gal, NOT SO MUCH-

OH, almost forgot to mention the "palmetto bugs" we have had in the house - we've had 2 in the past month and I hope to never see one again. Oh and the reason I put palmetto bug in quotes is because it's a fancy word for huge, ugly ROACH! Gotta love life in the South! I still have yet to get a pic of one - I am paralyzed with fear when I see these gross critters!

School Spirit Day!

2011-09-15T15:16:00.000-04:00

Once a month at AJ's school they have a school spirit day and have to wear these not-so-flattering-on-girls t-shirts. Well I found a way to make her look cute & girly in hers!

But I mean, come on, with a face like this and curls like that, how could she not look girly cute?

Class Trip to the Art Barn!

2011-09-13T15:17:00.005-04:00

Today AJ had a class trip to the Art Barn. It was a cute little farm out in Canton and all the kids had such a great time! Farmer Sue was great - she had the kids help feed & brush the animals, took us on a tractor ride and had us paint pics of pigs! AJ loved running like crazy all over the farm with all her buddy's from school!

Here is a pic of AJ's painted pig-

10 Year Anniversary of 911

2011-09-11T20:58:00.002-04:00

Today was the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. It was super hard being away in GA and away from my whole family for the first time, but I was happy they posted lots of pics from the memorial and I got to hear from them about the day. I was so happy to hear that so many family members got to go into NYC for the memorial to honor my cousin this year. We love you, we miss you and we miss your smiling face more and more with each passing year - WE WILL NEVER FORGET! I also go the nicest flowers from some neighbors that really brightened up my day!

Today also happened to be AJ's first day of CCD, so heres a pic of the kids looking cute for Church & Sunday School!

15 Bean Soup

2011-09-10T21:34:00.000-04:00

For our first weekend of football we needed a good, slow cooked soup and this recipe for 15 bean soup is turned out awesome!

1 package of 15 bean soup (throw out the seasoning packet)
2 smoked ham hocks
1 large onion chopped up
10 -15 baby carrots chopped up
4-5 celery stalks chopped up
3 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 big box of chicken stock
2 cups water
1 can diced tomatoes
2 TBS EVOO
diced ham steak

Heat your evoo in bottom of big pot and cook onions, celery & carrots over medium heat till softened. Add ham hocks and continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, chicken stock, water, thyme & bay leaves - make sure all the beans are covered or add more water. Simmer on stove for about 5 hours or until all the beans are soft. Remove ham hocks and take off whatever meat you can get from them and add that and your diced ham steak back to the pot and ENJOY! This is a keeper on our house for sure - even the kids LOVED it!

1st Day of Gym

2011-09-08T14:51:00.004-04:00

I love AJ's school for so many reasons - one of them being all the specials they have. Once a week they get taken out of class and brought to another teacher for gym, music, religion, library & science. This is on top of all the other learning, arts & crafts, cooking projects & all time she gets to spend on both the indoor & outdoor playgrounds that goes on her amazing main teachers. Today was her first day of gym and she was super psyched to wear her new kicks that we got in NJ and boy did she look super cute in her purple & pink pumas that she fought me to get!

Tiny Dancer

2011-09-07T18:20:00.002-04:00

AJ was so super excited for ballet to start up again - thinking there may be some tap in her near future too! Alex, Dylan & I got there a little early to watch from the window and when she saw us she was so excited! She was happy to show us all her new steps the rest of the afternoon and we enjoyed watching!

Pre K

2011-09-06T19:00:00.004-04:00

Today was AJ's first day of Pre K! Can't believe my baby girl has only 1 more year left of preschool and then it's off to Elementary School! She was super excited to go and came home so happy!

Last week before we left for our trip to NJ she had her meet and great and was so happy to see some old & new friends and just get back to school!

Bread Salad!

2011-08-15T13:06:00.003-04:00

Some cubed old italian wheat bread
2 TBS melted butter mixed with 2 TBS EVOO
Pepper
2 tsp parmesean
cut up tomatoes
sliced red onion
black olives
chopped up basil & parsley
2 TBS EVOO
2 TBS red wine vinegar

Put bread in a bowl and pour melted butter, olive oil, pepper and parmasean over it and mix around so all the bread is nicely coated. Pop in preheated toasted over or regular oven and cook till browned. Put tomatoes, onion, olives, basil, parsley, 2 TBS EVOO & red wine vinegar in bowl and mix around. When bread is done top tomato salad with it! ENJOY - the way the bread soaks up the yummy tomato juice and dressing is to die for!

Braised Pot Roast (SO SO EASY & SO SO GOOD)!

2011-08-13T13:28:00.002-04:00

2lb chuck roast
2 medium onions quartered
1/2 bag baby carrots
1 cup beef stock
Sea salt
Pepper
EVOO

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Season the meat with salt & pepper and brown it along with the onions and carrots in a over proof pan in hot EVOO. Put in a cup of beef stock, top with the lid and pop in the oven for 4 hours! Normally we serve the fall apart meaty goodness over whole wheat egg noodles but tonight we had it over cut up whole wheat Italian bread with butter - heavenly!

PGA Championship!

2011-08-11T14:47:00.009-04:00

Yesterday we were lucky to attend the final practice round of the PGA Championship that is being held right her in our home town of Johns Creek, GA - we scored free tickets from a neighbor who is a council woman here and were so happy to go! We took the kids and we all had such a great experience! We got there early and hit up the RBC tent where Alex had his swing analyzed and AJ practiced a few puts! From there we headed to the driving range where we got to see the one and only Tiger Woods! I snapped a few pics and we headed off! We followed Adam Scott around for a few holes, saw Old Lefty Phil on the practice green, got autographs from Rickie Fowler & Vijay and saw lots of other players like Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, Rory Sabbatini, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and many more! Can't wait to watch and see who wins from the comfort of our air conditioned house!

Tiger-

Vijay-

Rory McIlroy-

Adam Scott-

Phil-

Padraig Harrington-

Rickie Fowler-

Bubba-

Rory Sabbitini looking cute in his cowboy hat -

Almost forgot to mention that is was great we were at the practice round and not the actual tournament because Dylan yelled right in the middle of Y.E. Yangs back stroke when he was teeing off on the 10th hole which caused him to toally shank it! Oops!!

The signed hat for my father in law!-

Busted Knees!

2011-08-11T14:41:00.003-04:00

Went for a run last week and wound up eating it! Took a nice spill off the curb and had to call Alex to come pick me up! Alex is annoyed because he's convinced it's because I was wearing my old worn out sneakers! For now on I will be wearing my good New Balance sneaks, bought at the NB store where I was properly fitted for my type of running!

Arancini

2011-08-04T18:43:00.003-04:00

leftover cold risotto (I used a parm flavored one)
leftover meat gravy
peas
mozzarella chunks
Italian seasoned panko
olive oil for frying
flour
egg beat up

Grab a meatball sized amount of risotto and form into a ball. Push finer in to make a hole for some stuffing. Stuff with small amount of meat gravy, 2-3 peas & a mozz chunk. Put a little more risotto over hole to seal it up and roll back into ball shape. Dip balls in flour then egg then coat in panko. Place balls in fridge till ready to fry (helps firm them up a bit too). When you are ready heat oil in a pan, fry the balls a few at a time evenly on all sides and place in oven to keep warm till they are all done. Serve sprinkled with some grated parm over your favorite marinara!

Arm Swimmies!

2011-08-01T19:31:00.005-04:00

AJ finally decided it was about time to ditch the tube-shirt and learn how to swim using arm swimmies - it took some convincing but YAY YAY YAY, she did it and we are moving in the right direction - very proud of how far she has come this summer! Well we all know Dylan is quite the dare devil and he decided he wanted to try out these arm swimmies too and he's doing great in them! So proud of my little swimmers!

Almost forgot to mention the other big pool milestone for AJ - as of tonight (and also because the pool water was a little low) her feet touch the bottom in the shallow end! She was so excited!

Sangria!

2011-07-29T19:24:00.000-04:00

it's a double bottle of cheap cab, 1/2 cup brandy, 1/2 cup triple sec, 1/2 cup oj, 1 lemon, lime, orange, peach, apple, some pitted cherries cut up and then you let it sit in the fridge for a few hours - the longer the better!

First Shiner!

2011-07-26T19:08:00.000-04:00

A double piggy back ride seemed like it would be SO MUCH FUN and totally a safe! WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

Before-

After-

The next morning-

Me & My Girl!

2011-07-24T19:27:00.002-04:00

Today AJ and I went to a neighborhood friends Stella & Dot jewelry party and since we were dressed alike and so cute I just had to get some pics and I am so happy I did - they actually turned out great!

Too Cool for the Pool!

2011-07-17T14:47:00.002-04:00

Are these kids too cool for the pool or what?

Love these kids! So lucky to be their mom!

Cheesy Potato Soup

2011-07-14T16:37:00.002-04:00

2 large idaho potatoes peeled and sliced thin
1 onion diced up
1 cup milk
chicken broth
parsley
1 cup shredded cheddar plus more for topping
3 pieces bacon
S&P

Fry up your bacon till crispy and remove. Place bacon fat in a pot and cook onions in it till softened. Add sliced potatoes to pot and cover with chicken broth. Boil till potatoes are soft enough to mash up and mash! Add milk, parsley, s&p and cheese. Use hand held food processor in it and process till consistency you like! Put in soup bowls, top with more cheese, bacon & parsley and enjoy! Excellent & easy!

Del's Pasta w/ Sausage & Beans

2011-07-11T16:25:00.001-04:00

I have lots of parsley & have run out of ideas for it, so I hit up fb and of course my great friend Del came through! This is what we had for dinner last night! It was SO GOOD!

(Wish the pic came clearer!)

1 small onin
2 cloves garlic grated
1 package Italian sausage
1 can cannelini beans
1/2 lb campanelle pasta
evoo
chopped parley
1 cup dry white wine
pecorino romano cheese
red pepper flakes to taste

In a sauce pan brown sausage in a little evoo. Add onion and cook till softened and then add garlic & parsley. Turn heat up to high and add wine. Let the wine reduce by half and then add beans and cooked pasta. Serve topped with red pepper flakes and grated pecorino romano! ENJOY! SO GOOD - thanks Del!

Saturday Eats!

2011-07-10T16:11:00.000-04:00

Well everyone knows how much I just love hanging around the house every once in a while with my hubby & some good eats & drinks!

This drink my cousin Michele told us about and it's from Cooking Light Magazine! She was just in time since we were just at the store a bought a bunch of delicious GA peaches!

Peach Mojitos-

3 cups coarsely chopped peeled ripe peaches (about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 large limes)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed mint leaves
2 cups white rum
4 cups club soda, chilled
Crushed ice
Mint sprigs (optional)

1. Place peaches in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Press peach puree through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids.
2. Combine rind, lime juice, sugar, and mint in a large pitcher; crush juice mixture with the back of a long spoon. Add peach puree and rum to pitcher, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in club soda. Serve over crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.
Note: Use a wooden muddler to crush the mint mixture in the pitcher, if available. The procedure releases the mint's essential oils, melding them with the lime juice

SO nice & refreshing!

Well when your drinking you better be eating so I decided to make this recipe that my mother inlaw used to make for us! Only thing is she uses grapes and I used cherries since they were on sale at Whole Foods!

bunch of cut up cherries
1/2 jar pitted kalamata olives
3 TBS olive oil
3 TBS balsamic
fresh thyme

Combine everything into a baking dish and bake at 350 for about a half hour, let cool down a bit and serve on some bread with a soft spreadable cheese - we used herbed alouetta! SOOOO GOOD!

Me & My Hula Girl!

2011-07-10T15:43:00.000-04:00

AJ was invited to a friend's Luau swimming birthday party this weekend so we dressed the part, off we went and we had a great time! Don't we look cute?

HAPPY 4TH!

2011-07-05T15:36:00.002-04:00

Our first 4th of July weekend in GA did not disappoint! I am still tired days later from all the fun! On Friday night we ordered in some pizza and watched the Green Hornet - after the movie the neighbors caught word about the jello shots I had in the works and so Alex went to deliver some samples! Saturday we had the Middlebrook/Miller BBQ which was too much fun! Great food (BBQ butt made on the Egg's by Tray), great time with the neighbors, some live music and lots of jello shots! Sunday we just hung around, hit up the pool and library and had some good hangover food for dinner - KFC extra crispy baby! The kids were in bed by 6:30 that night and slept till 8:30 the following morning! Alex and I got to view some great neighborhood fireworks right from our living room windows! Monday we had our Windermere Park (WP BABY) pool party which was tons of fun - there was a Kona Ice truck, a airbrush tattoo artist and more food & friends!

Hope everyone had a great 4th and stopped a minute to think about our troops past & present and give thanks to god that we live in the best country in the world! Happy Birthday America!

Quite the Conversations With My 4 Year Old!

2011-07-01T07:48:00.004-04:00

So AJ's become quite the inquisitive 4 year old and our conversations in the car have become quite intense for me. Here are our two most recent conversations and boy do I need help! She's growing up WAY too fast for me!

So our car discussion on the way to camp this morning (6/29) consisted of AJ asking when she was going to "get big boobs" like me and why only girls get them and how she can't wait...fast forward to picking her up at camp and finding her lounging with some boy in a baby pool...rewind to about a week ago at camp and she's on bean bag chair with another boy watching cat in the hat! OH BOY! Daddy get your gun ready!

AJ's car talk today (6/30) - Mommy, was I in your belly when you had your wedding? Nope. Then she asked how she got in my belly, so I explained to her that after mommies and daddies get married they love each other so much and a baby started to grow and she said, oh you grew me and daddy grew dylan to which I then had to explain that only girls have babies and she said, "oh like boobs!" Then she asked if me and daddy still love each other so much because she really want a baby sister!

Alex's Parent Visit from NJ

2011-06-22T15:14:00.004-04:00

We had a nice few days with Alex's parents visiting. We went out for some nice meals, visited the PGA musuem, went to the pool and Alex and I got a night out! Here are a few shots from their visit...

AJ's 4th Birthday

2011-06-21T20:58:00.008-04:00

Happy Birthday to the best, most beautiful girl. AJ we are so proud of the way you have grown these past 4 years and WOW we can't believe how quickly the years have flown by. Thanks for teaching us how to love completely - we never knew this kind of love was possible till you were brought into our world - the love parents have for their children is such a helpless, encompassing and amazing thing. You are beautiful, smart and funny. You can be very competitive and these days you always have to be first! You are a great big sister and couldn't be sweeter to you brother (most of the time anyway)- you are patient with him and love to teach him new things! You love to run and have races, your pretty fast for someone your age. You love swimming, going on walks, and you love to play with your friends. You like cooking, coloring and playing outside. Recently you are into Barbies, Strawberry Shortcake, My LIttle Pony and you still love your Disney Princesses! You are my girly girl with the curly curls! Your father, Dylan and I love you immeasurably - thanks for making life so fun!

This year we had Grandma & Pop Pop in visiting from NJ. You wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese so that's what we did. We brought along your new neighborhood friend Mary Louis and the two of you had a blast! You played games, went on rides, ate pizza, drank juice and had 3 cupcakes throughout the day! One for breakfast and 2 after your pizza!

We love you baby girl - hope you had a fun 4th birthday - Alex and I sure enjoyed it!

The cupcake display I made her-

Birthday Morning - Presents, Traditional Morning Cupcake & More Presents-

Chuck E Cheese, Party Time-

Sketches from Chuck E Cheese that came out really cool-

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-19T20:41:00.000-04:00

First I want to give a shout out to the best father and husband out there - Alex, the kids and I are so lucky to have you! You do it all - your hard working, funny, caring and so loyal - not only do you rock but you are our rock! You are so involved in the kids lives and I know that there is no place you'd rather be then with us. Thanks for all you do to take care of us!

We had a really nice day this year. We started off the day going to church with Grandma & Pop Pop who were here visiting from NJ. Next we hit up IHop for some breakfast and then went home to change into our suits and jump on in the pool. Grandma & Pop Pop brought Dylan home when he got crabby so we could enjoy some time just hanging in the pool with AJ! When we got home it was time to open up some bubbly and cheers to the dads! For dinner Alex grilled up some lobster tails, my MIL made some asparagus in olive oil with garlic and oregano and I made awesome twice baked potatoes! Dinner was great!

Neighbors!

2011-06-12T21:20:00.000-04:00

Guess last night was our initiation into the neighborhood - we got our house toilet papered complete with a big WP (Windermere Park) on the front lawn - so happy to find some fun neighbors to hang out with!

Uncle Richard Visits GA!

2011-06-12T21:08:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday we had a very special visitor come and stay with us from NJ! We were excited to see Uncle Richard and the kids had a blast playing with him! Thursday night we grilled up some burger and drank some wine out on the patio while catching up! Friday he came to see AJ off to camp and was happy to go again to pick her up, we showed him where Alex works and some local sights and then went out for some Smoke Jack! Saturday we took him to see some of the sights in Atlanta, we walked around Centennial Park a bit and visited CNN, that night we went to the Johns Creek Walk festival and then we went on over to Abbots Grill for some dinner! We were sad to send him on his way this morning but hopefully he will be back soon!

Summer Eating!

2011-06-05T11:43:00.000-04:00

Here a few very easy but very good summery eats!

Grilled Corn on the Cob-

Corn on the Cob
Butter
S & P

Boil the corn in water for 5 minutes and then remove. Baste in butter and grill, roll around in more butter, s&p and EAT!

Heirloom Tomato Basil Salad-

Heirloom tomoatos
basil
s&p
red onion
olive oil

Mix it all up and eat it up! SO good!

Steak Salad w/ Frizzled Onions-

grilled NY Stips (rare of course)
frizzled onion (cut onions thin, soak in buttermilk, dredge in flour & fry in oil)
arugula
tomoatos
red onion
blue cheese crumbles
balsamic vinegarette

Put arugula in big bowl, top with tomatos, onions, blue cheese crumbles, balsamic and then the steak cut into strips and then the OH SO GOOD but OH SO BAD for you onions!

Pioneers Woman's Olive Cheese Bread

2011-05-31T11:53:00.002-04:00

can of black olives chopped up
small jar of green olives chopped up
1 stick of butter softened
1 small onion cut really thin and diced
1/2 cup mayo
2 cups shredded mozzarella
loaf of italian bread

Mix everything together and spread all over some Italian bread that's been cut down the middle and bake in the oven at 325 for about 20-30 minutes! AMAZING GOODNESS!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-31T08:22:00.000-04:00

WOW - we had such a great weekend this year! Friday night we just stayed in and ordered up some pizza and watched a little Friday Night Lights. Saturday we hit up the pool, did a little grocery shopping, drank a few arnold palmers and I cooked up some baby back ribs and some coleslaw - ribs came out great! Sunday we were excited to hit up the Windermere Park BBQ - we got to meet so many cool families and the kids had such a blast running around with the tons of other kids! Monday we saw some of our new friends at the pool, we ate lunch up there and then we came home and had some bacon and cheddar sliders for dinner - it was off to bed early for everyone - we were all tired and needed a good nights sleep!

A special thanks to all the soldiers past and present who keep our country safe! Without you we may not get to enjoy nice holiday weekends like this!

Lake Lanier

2011-05-21T22:47:00.001-04:00

Today we decided to finally hit up the beach at Lake Lanier, we packed a picnic lunch and the kids had SO much fun playing in the sand and the water! We will definitely visit again for sure!

Little Ballerina!

2011-05-20T20:03:00.000-04:00

Alex and I couldn't be any prouder of or little girl - she loves her ballet class and tonight we go to attend her very 1st recital!!! She was super excited to have mommy do her nails and makeup and she got to were her special crown in her hair! Dylan's reaction was priceless - I think he was the proudest one of us all! He yelled and screamed "HI AJ" and "YAY" the whole time till Daddy had to take him into the hallway for a little break or the girls would have had a adorably cute blue eyed monster up on stage!

Celebrating #4 at School!

2011-05-17T20:14:00.000-04:00

Today AJ got to celebrate her birthday a month early at school! She was so happy to get to celebrate with her new friends! I made cupcakes and the kids were so excited for me to read them a few stories and to get a special birthday treat!

Mother's Day at AJ's Preschool!

2011-05-12T10:34:00.003-04:00

It was so nice to get to celebrate Mother's Day at AJ's preschool with a nice breakfast and lots of fun surprises from my AJ! I got a to wear a crown she made and recieved some other really special arts and crafts! She also made me a flower pot I will use forever - so beautiful!

Tomato Basil Soup

2011-05-09T15:20:00.005-04:00

2 cans diced tomatoes
bunch of fresh basil
small onion diced
2 cloves of garlic diced
1/2 sick butter
milk
chicken broth
1 TBS whole wheat flour
pinch nutmeg
pinch cinnamon
2 tsp sugar
few hot pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste

Melt 1 tsp butter in a pan and cook onion and garlic in it till soft. Put tomatoes, basil, cooked onions and garlic in food processor and blend till smooth. Put in pan, add sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, hot pepper flakes and s&p and cook over low-medium heat. In another pan melt 1 TBS butter and add 1 TBS flour to make a roux. Add in some milk and chicken broth and cook for about 15 minutes so the flour taste is gone. Add in 2 more TBS butter and mix till melted. Add the cooked roux to the tomato mix and stir. Let soup cook for about 1/2 hour and serve garnished with more fresh basil and some grated parm cheese!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T21:28:00.001-04:00

I had such a nice Mother's Day! Alex, the kids and I went to church and then came home to relax a little before going to brunch at Lucianos! We had a great meal, a few drinks and then came home and relaxed more before going to bed! I missed my mom terribly today but I know she will be here on Thursday and I can't wait to see her - the wind beneath my wings!

Dylan, you are mammas baby boy for sure and always will be, thanks for showing me how fun (and terrifying) it is to mother a boy - I love my crazy and terrible toddler more then words! I can't ever really be mad at you - you have the most amazing smile, laugh and the bluest of blue eyes!

AJ you are the best most beautiful daughter in the world - it's amazing to me to have a best friend that I get to share the world with - you amaze each and every day! You are super smart and super gorgeous and have the most beautiful curly curls in your hair!

Thank you both for making my life crazy, amazing, fun and totally unpredictable!

Cinco de Mayo!

2011-05-05T10:49:00.001-04:00

We celebrated tonight at our favorite Mexican joint around the corner - Adobo - the kids had fun and so did we!

Justice Served!

2011-05-01T23:31:00.001-04:00

May my family members sleep a little easier tonight knowing that after almost 10 years, the murderer behind the death of our beloved Don has been brought to justice - the news broke late tonight. Donnie may you now rest in peace knowing our county fought hard and fought long and we never gave up!

Easter!

2011-04-24T15:04:00.001-04:00

We made it back from Disney just in time to get our eggs dyed and wait for the Easter Bunny! Easter Sunday was really nice - the kids got their baskets from the Easter Bunny, they went on a egg hunt, we gobbled up some eggs and then dressed up and went to mass, we came home and did some yard work, munched up some Pizzagain and mom's awesome leftover spaghetti & meatballs! What a really nice family day we had!

How could I forget to mention how great it was to have our Marley back! We picked him up from doggie camp the minute we got home from Disney! He was relaxed fresh from a spa day!!! We really missed you Mar and were happy to spend Easter home with you!!!

DISNEY 2011

2011-04-23T14:36:00.000-04:00

We just got back from a magical vacation packed filled with fun! Alex & I, the kids and his parents spent the past week in Disney! It was great that Uncle Peter joined us for the last 3 days and we got to spend time with him too! We did it ALL - Magic Kingdom for 3 days, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and Epcot where YES we dined with the princesses - Cinderella, Belle, Aurora, Snow White & Ariel! We stayed at a really nice resort nearby and loved getting to use up some of their amenities - beach, pool, wave runners and drinks at the bar! We had breakfast with Donald, Goofy & Minnie at the Beach Club, lunch at the Polenesian and many other great family meals! AJ went on everything including Dinasours, Test Track & the River Rapid ride - she was such a trooper and was so brave - I was so proud of her! Dylan did everything that he could too including Pirates, Whinny the Pooh and the fast dark river ride in Norway - he too seemed to have such great time! Oh, almost forgot another highlight, we got to have lunch with cousin Michelle who works there - it was so nice to see her! Alex & I really can't wait to get back - hopefully one day soon!

Pizzagaine

2011-04-12T12:35:00.005-04:00

This is something my Italian mother in law always made around Easter and everyone always loves it. Since we will be in Disney till the day before this year I am making it ahead and then freezing for when we get back! Can't wait to dig into this and my mother's left over meatballs that she made for us on her most recent trip her for Easter dinner - it's going to be SO good and what's even better - hassle free!!

Pizza dough (enough to roll out into 8x8 in cake pan and then top with)

3 eggs

1 cup ricotta

1/4 lb ham diced

1/4 lb salami diced

1/4 lb pepperoni diced

1/4 cup parmesan

1/4 lb provolone diced

8 0z mozzarella cubed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread pizza dough out to fit into 8 inch cake pan. Whisk 3 eggs and add to the ricotta reserving a tiny bit of the egg to make a wash from. Add in grated parmasan cheese and mix well. Add all the diced cheeses and meats and mix. Dump into cake pan and top with another layer of pizza dough pinching to seal around the edges the best you can. Cut a hole in the top so steam can vent. Place in preheated oven and cook 60-75 minutes. If top starts browning too quick cover the edges with foil.

Dylan's New Wheels!

2011-04-11T11:07:00.001-04:00

We all love our nightly trail walk and now Dylan comes on the walk in style! He no longer has to ride in the stroller - he now has fun driving away!

Mimi's Visit from NJ!

2011-04-11T10:45:00.006-04:00

This past week we were lucky enough to have Mimi come visit - it was SO nice to have her here - the kids really enjoyed her! It worked out great since AJ was on spring break so it was extra nice to have help entertaining the kids! She came in a day late since her flight was cancelled but a nice ticketer at the airport arranged for her to stay a extra day due to the hassle of being canceled the day before. When she got here AJ was at her last day of school before break and she was SO SO excited to have her in the car when I picked her up - we went out for pizza that night! The next day we went shopping at the outdoor and indoor mall and had a nice Outback dinner! On Sunday we visited the mini feeding/petting farm and Mimi loved all the animals! We had a picnic lunch we brought with us and then headed home - later on that day Alex and I got to sneak out and we hit up Taco Mac while Mimi watched the kids - thanks so much mom - it was so nice to enjoy some alone time with my man! That night we grilled some burgers and dogs, had some corn on the cob and some baked beans! On Monday Mimi, the kids and I hit up Neimans Last Call where she got me a awesome summery Marc Jacobs bag - LOVE YOU MOMMY! We then stopped at Johnny Rockets for a yummy snack and then headed home! That night Mimi cooked her famous spaghetti & meatballs for us and was nice enough to make tons of meatballs so we could freeze some for another meal! It was so nice to have her cook up some comfort food! On Tuesday we hit up Target and just relaxed home - for dinner we grilled skirt steaks to go with our asparagus and oven roasted potatoes! Wednesday we relaxed home till it was time to take Mimi to the airport - we were SO SAD to see her go and can't wait till she comes back! Dylan is still running around looking for her calling out "MIMI MIMI MIMI" and both AJ & D miss all the spoiling that went on and all the books Mimi read to them! Oh almost forgot to mention - I got lots of outdoor runs in with Mimi here - normally I have to do the treadmill unless Alex is home but it was SO nice to get in lots of outside neighborhood runs with all the summery weather we are having here in GA!

Grilled Shrimp Salad

2011-04-11T10:38:00.002-04:00

uncooked shrimp

lemon butter

old bay seasoning

1/3 cup orange juice

2 TBS balsamic vinegar

1 TBS honey

2 cloves grated garlic

little olive oil

baby spinach

clementine orange

tomato

red onion

Combine oj, vinegar, honey, garlic and olive oil in a container and whisk to mix well. Seperate in half and use 1/2 to marinate shrimp in. Make salad in a bowl with spinach, orange slices, tomato and red onion. Put marinated shrimp on skewers, sprinkle with lots of old bay and set grill to medium/high heat. Grill about 3 minutes per side or until pink and brush with some melted lemon butter! Top salad with rest of marinade/dressing and then the hot cooked shrimp - enjoy! Simple, healthy and oh so good!

Creamed Corn!

2011-03-28T12:59:00.004-04:00

2 slices bacon cut up

1 TBS butter

1 cup milk

1/2 TBS cornstarch

1 tsp sugar

s & p

2 cups frozen corn

1/2 white onion, diced up

Fry up your bacon and removed with a slotted spoon to a paper towel.

Add the onion to the bacon grease and cook till softened.

Add the butter, 1 cup of the corn, the sugar, the cornstarch, some s & p, and milk to the pan and mix till thickened.

Run through the mix with your hand held food processor, add the rest of the corn and the rest of the bacon and mix till combined!

YUMMY CREAMY BACONY CORN!!!

Donuts With Dad!

2011-03-24T13:50:00.000-04:00

Today at school AJ & Alex had donuts with dad - AJ was SO SO SO excited to go! The dads got all kinds of cute gifts including a place mat with their pics on it, a portrait made by their child, a cute poem, a paper tie to wear while at school and a mug that the kids decorated themselves! Alex loved going and was so proud to show me all his goodies when he got home. AJ loves her daddy so much and was so happy about her special day at school with him!

Springtime In GA!

2011-03-21T14:43:00.007-04:00

Well it's officially only the 2nd day of spring but in GA we have been experiencing spring-like weather for about a month now! The weather here has been just beautiful (75-85) daily - we are OUTSIDE playing, eating, going on walks, relaxing, dancing, playing more and playing even more! We get to go to the zoo, the park, the mini-farm, some of the thousands of outdoor restaurants, and just enjoy life!