Vertuccio Farms

Fall Festival at Vertuccio Farms proved to be everything we hoped it would be.  Although it was a little warm for a fall day; Gavin had fun just the same.  We went mid-October, but the temperatures were still in the 90's.  We also did not expect it to be so buys - tons of families out enjoying fall festivities.  We actually went back recently to pick up some things from the farmer's market.  The weather was much cooler and the crowds smaller - next year we'll remember November vs. October.

 "Bounce, Bounce, Bounce"

 No intimidation whatsoever when it comes to a crowded bounce house; fall down and get right back up again.

 Jason and Gavin show their strength at some typical carnival games.

 A grown-up size bounce pad, it was huge and they both loved  it.

 Slides...

 Swings...

 Pumpkins...

A corn maze...

What more could you ask for.  Thank you Vertuccio - we'll be back!!

Anniversary #4

A weekend getaway is a must for any relationship; especially important to remember after you add children to the family scene.

With the help of Grandma Patti we were able to get away to one of our favorite resorts.  JW Marriott Starr Pass in Tucson is a little slice of heaven for us.  It's even more relaxing when you're kidless.  We started the weekend with spa treatments:  hot stone massage for Jason and a prenatal massage for Barb.

Several hours spent relaxing by the pool working on our tans (HA, now that summer is over).  One of the great things about Arizona.  Also, so much more relaxing when you're kid-less.

Our first night dinner was divine!  We went to Hacienda Del Sol restaurant and dined at The Grill.  Wow, talk about awesome!  Jason did all the research and this place was the perfect setting for a special occasion dinner.  They left no detail undone.  The staff greeted us by name and congratulated us on our anniversary and the upcoming baby.  Dinner was so good we thought for one minute "we could come here again tomorrow".  And then just when we thought the evening was over out comes this beautiful, thoughtful, and of course delicious dessert.

Our last night we went to Tavolino for an Italian dinner.  The food was good and the atmosphere was ok; it was really hard to beat the dinner the night before.  The service didn't come even close to Hacienda Del Sol.  Of course we still enjoyed ourselves and our meal.

*Note to self (and others)*

Weekend getaways are a must!!   - or even a simple date night, day out together, etc.  Don't let kids, work, life get in the way of taking time for each other.

Scrumptious Sundays

**Fast and easy**

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN 

(courtesy of Food Network Magazine)

The ingredients look complicated, but really this is an easy recipe and a great way to use up some veggies you may have taking up space in the fridge.

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 teaspoons cornstarch

4 teaspoons peanut oil

12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pint small, sweet mixed peppers, quartered, or 2 mixed bell peppers, cut into 1-inch strips

6 scallions, whites cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, greens cut into 1-inch pieces and thinly sliced vertically into thin strips

8 ounces snow peas, trimmed

Serving suggestion, cooked brown rice

Chopped peanuts for sprinkling, optional

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, chili-garlic sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, orange juice and cornstarch; set aside.

Meanwhile, coat the chicken with 2 teaspoons oil and heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper and cook, turning occasionally with a wooden spoon, 2 minutes. Transfer the partially-cooked chicken to a plate. Reserve the pan.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the pan; add the peppers, scallion whites, and snow peas. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the reserved chicken; whisk the sauce again and add it to the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve over rice and sprinkle with the scallion greens and peanuts, if using.

Not Your Average Joe's 10K

Yep, that was the name of the race.  We were looking for a local race to get out and enjoy the cool weather.  This one was right around the corner from our house, looked like it was a great cause, and it was a 10K - perfect!  Maybe not....Joe Gibson's Memorial Foundation is a great cause, however it was hot, hot, hot.  Jason and Barb participated in the 10K and Gavin did the kid's obstacle course.  Although it was a hot fall day, we still had a great time.

 

 

 

 

 

Gram turns ????

Yes she would kill us if we posted her age, but her daughter turned 60 this year and this was a special birthday, so you might be able to figure it out.  We traveled to Orange County for a weekend full of family, friends, and fun.  Cousin Cole also got married that weekend (but we forgot the camera at the wedding).  We celebrated Gram's bday at a Mexican food restaurant and she was SO surprised!

 Waiting for the birthday girl to arrive.

 Auntie Susie was in charge of the cake, so unique!

 Gram and Gavin coloring

 Some silly tradition at the restaurant, gave us all a good laugh

 Grandma Patti and Cousin Jonny

Gram and her favorite grandson (oops, don't tell the other boys).

And one courtesy cell phone picture from the wedding.

Left to right:  Aunt Alice, Jason, Grandma Patti, and cousin Debbie

Beautiful, beautiful wedding!  It was great to see all the family.

Scrumptious Sundays

A twist on Rocco Disporito's Lightened Fettuccine Alfredo.

CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

8 oz. whole wheat fettuccine (regular if you can't find whole wheat is fine)

1 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp cornstarch

Pinch ground nutmeg

1 package sliced mushrooms

2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

3/4 cup low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

3/4 cup 0% Greek yogurt

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

1)  Bring large pot of salted water to boil.  Add fettuccine and cook according to package directions, usually 9 to 11 minutes gives it the perfect doneness; drain.

2)  While pasta is cooking, put olive oil in large sate pan over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and nutmeg in a small bowl.  Whisk in chicken broth until smooth.

 4)  Pour mixture into sauté pan, raise heat, and bring sauce to simmer, whisking occasionally.

 5) While sauce is simmering sauté mushrooms, drain excess water.

 6)  Whisk in 1/2 cheese until melted. REMOVE FROM HEAT.

 7) Whisk in yogurt until sauce is smooth.  Mmmm, looks sinful doesn't it!

 8)  Add cooked chicken and mushrooms (or other ingredients like broccoli) and toss with pasta noodles.

9) Top pasta with remaining 1/4 cheese and serve.  Makes 4 (small) servings.

Bon appetite!  This dish is so so so good this is the 2nd time we've posted it on the blog.  We actually made this recently and did it 2 weekends in a row, not to mention at a family members' house while out of town.  It is, if not as good, better than any high fat, high sodium dish you would get at a top Italian restaurant.  CHALLENGE - try it!  You'll like it.

Another tip - we double the recipe, it seems easier with the amount of ingredients and we love the leftovers.  A box of pasta is 16 oz, a small container of Fage greek yogurt is 1 1/2 cups, etc.  Seriously even the leftovers taste like you just made it fresh.  As a matter of fact, I think this just might make the menu again this week - I'm hungry :)

Enjoy!!

Gavin's 2nd Birthday

It was small, but fun.  It's a good thing we planned small because any more friends and he would have been overwhelmed.  As it was he has a short breakdown when Marcus started playing with his Legos.  Hmmm, guess we're going to have to work on that sharing thing when baby #2 comes around.  We had the Keane Family, Grandma & Grandpa Hendricks, Joy's son Matt & his family, Grandma Patti, and of course mom & dad all here for the party.

Started the morning by helping mommy test the cake batter.

Are you all singing to me?  Please don't stop! 

Yummy cake for Gavin and his friends

A few presents before everyone leaves.

Nap time, not the best time to pose for pictures - but at least we got one.

Grandma & Grandpa Hendricks came down from Prescott 

A quick kiss for the baby (so sweet), then back to opening presents.

Post nap presents; opening presents drug on for hours! 

Mr Gavin Scott - The Birthday Boy

Pregnancy Progress

Every woman loves getting photographed...especially when it's progress of how much fatter she's getting. Seriously though, this is the only time getting bigger is better.  And it's fun to document the progress.  At 27 weeks the baby was estimated to be 2.7 lbs (an average 27 week old is 2 lbs).  Doesn't seem like much of a difference, but at this rate we're putting our money on another big baby!  Grow belly grow - healthy is all we care about!

25 weeks 

15 weeks

Pooh & Gavin

We've been taking pictures of Gavin with Pooh Bear since he was born.  The plan is to take one every year on his birthday to see how he's changed.  You can see how big he is getting already at only 2 years old.

Gavin & Pooh - 2 years

Gavin & Pooh - 1 year

Gavin & Pooh - Birth