Tucson Trip

We were able to get away for a few days and go to one of our favorite destinations JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort.  We got a 2 room suite and had Grandma Patti and Grandma Blanche with us too.  It was a fun long weekend for everyone!

Trying to get a picture with both boys facing the camera is never easy!

 

 

4th of July Fun!! 

 

 

 

 

Visit to U of A

 

 Pool time, lots and lots of it!!

Scrumptious Sundays

Wild Mushroom Risotto
from QCOM
1 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp Truffle Olive Oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup arborio rice
2 cups sliced mushrooms your choice
1 cup dry white wine
20 oz hot chicken broth
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 tsp sea salt or to taste
freshly ground pepper

Heat olive oil and truffle oil in a 4 qt sauce pan on medium high heat.  Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Mix in 1 c rice and cook 1 minute.  Add mushrooms and wine and stir until wine is absorbed into rice.  Add chicken broth one ladelful at a time, stirring between additions until the broth is absorbed. Rice should be al dente.  Melt in mascarpone cheese.  Salt & pepper to taste.  Serve finished with truffle oil.

Scrumptious Sundays

Turkey Meatballs
This recipe was altered from a Williams-Sonoma recipe

2 large eggs, beaten
3 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese (1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
6-8 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 plaine fine bread crumbs
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Form into 1- 1 1/2" meatballs.  Place on cookie sheet and bake 20-30 minutes.  Add meatballs to your favorite marinara sauce and serve over pasta.  So easy, healthy, and delicious!!

Easter Day

Approximately 2 months after Easter we're finally getting around to blogging about it.  Better late than never.  Despite the crazy winter we had and the snow that showed up in May; Easter day was beautiful.  A chilly breeze, but nice enough for a hunt outside.  Gavin LOVED it, and Liam was just trying to figure out how to carry the basket that was twice his size.

We had our friends the Clayton family over for dinner.  They brought this adorable cake that was made with the Pampered Chef mixing bowl as a mold and 3 cupcakes.  So darn cute!

Easter Eve

Nothing like saving the dying of eggs until the night before Easter.  We don't have a lot of hard boiled egg eaters in the house so we took our chances and dyed raw eggs.  We think they turned out pretty darn good.  Maybe next year we'll do them a little ahead of time.

On Easter morning Gavin was very concerned that we were going to use the eggs to cook with.  He has a special appreciation for eggs; we're not quite sure where it came from.  He definitely does not eat them.

After we went to bed the Easter Bunny came in our house and left some treats for the boys.

Easter Bunny Hunt

That's right, we didn't type it wrong.  This was not an Easter EGG hunt...so we hunted for the bunny, found him, and never left his side.  The neighborhood egg hunt was scheduled for Saturday March 23rd; temperatures were in the 20's and we were expecting 10"+ of snow that night.  What a perfect day for an egg hunt.  We bundled up in our winter digs and went anyway.  When we arrived they had decided to have the hunt inside...not a good idea.  I appreciate their efforts for trying to please the families, but they should have had some better planning.  They had 0-8 year olds in one room (the gym), and 8+ year olds upstairs and some outside.  Liam didn't have a change.  The poor kid didn't get one single egg.  Gavin on the other hand went outside with the big kids and had a great old time in the cold!!  Thank goodness for all the other parents, Barb was solo and running in 2 directions wasn't happening.  Gavin was good and followed the crowd, then found us later.

 Woody was Gavin's prize.  The funniest part of the day is the baskets.  Check out Gavin's tiny basket compared to Liam's.  I think we sized them up wrong when we bought them last year.

 Nothing but love for this fuzzy white ball of fur.  Liam chased him all over the place and hugged him every time he saw him.  Bunny Love!

Never easy to get 1 kid to look at the camera, let alone 2.  At least no one was screaming.

Thanks to Cedar Creek for the pancakes, sausage, and orange juice!  Despite the crazy hunt, we had a good time.  We're going to have our own egg hunt on Easter!  Cross your fingers for some sun!!

15 Month Stats

As big, and strong, and thick, and heavy as we think Liam is...he's weighing in at only the 30% for his age.  He is officially our small fry, but his smallness does not stop him from trying to be a big boy.  He runs, plays, laughs, and argues the best he can with Gavin.

Liam 15 months
Weight 23 lbs 4 oz (31%)
Height 31.14" (52%)
Head 18.9" (74%)

Gavin 15 months

Scrumptious Sundays

Shadow Glen Cooking Class = aka Date Night

(I have recipes for all if anyone is interested)

Double Tomato Bruschetta

Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates (that we put in the salad)

Goat Cheese Date Salad

Butternut Squash Risotto

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

 

Tarte Aux Poire

Scrumptious Sundays

Pasta Primavera

Fresh & flavorful, this pasta primavera chock full of vegetables makes a lovely entree for spring.  A combination of equal parts milk and cream, half and half creates a silky, full-bodied sauce.

Yields 4 servings (2 c. ea); 9 WW points plus

Every time I see this picture I want to make this recipe.  So colorful, and tasty!

Ingredients

2 cups green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise

2 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 2 ounces) $

6 ounces uncooked fettuccine

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

2/3 cup half-and-half

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

1. Cook green beans in boiling water 1 minute. Add broccoli and asparagus; cook 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Return water to a boil. Add pasta; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and add to vegetable mixture.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup onion, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper; sauté 3 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Add peas, and sauté 1 minute. Add tomatoes; sauté 2 minutes. Combine half-and-half and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium. Add half-and-half mixture and salt to pan; cook 1 minute or until sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Pour sauce over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with basil and cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

Calories: 338

Calories from fat: 29%

Fat: 10.8g

Saturated fat: 4.7g

Monounsaturated fat: 4.4g

Polyunsaturated fat: 0.8g

Protein: 13.7g

Carbohydrate: 49.6g

Fiber: 7.1g

Cholesterol: 20mg

Iron: 2.9mg

Sodium: 607mg

Calcium: 205mg

Family

We recently went to Washington to attend Grandma Jane's memorial service.  Although the occasion was sad, it is always great to see family.  It has been a very long time since everyone was together like this.  Pictures were taken in Grandma's backyard.  We miss you Grandma