Summer Vacation

Believe it or not we went to Paris for our vacation this summer. Cousin/Uncle Ryan got married to his beautiful bride Mandi - and Gavin was 1 of 2 ring bearers. Here are some photos of the wonderful memories we made. Congrats to Ryan and Mandi and thanks to both of them for letting us share in their very special day!

Gavin's playhouse, that is what he called our business class seats on the way to Paris. We flew British Airways.

There was a gas spill (a little scary) and we had to leave the plane. Luckily they had a nice lounge for us to hang out in. Gavin entertained the upset passengers and did a great job taking their mind off the fact that we departed 2 hours later than expected.

A picture with all 3 of us is about as good as we can get; all 3 looking at the camera - now that would be a miracle. Thanks to Barb's mom for making the dress, it was perfect for the little belly.

Waiting for the ceremony to start.

Pictures at the Eiffel Tower, that doesn't happen every day. We voted, Gavin was the most handsome (sorry Ryan, you were a close second).

It rained cats and dogs, but didn't take away from the beautiful bride, handsome groom, and spectacular day. That's what makes memories, right?

The kiss! Pre-wedding photos at Notre Dame.

A little too much excitement; he didn't even make it to dinner. He was a champ though!

Family brunch the day after the wedding. So much food and a beautiful restaurant.

This was inside the restaurant, the wall was covered with plants - way cool!

Playground in Paris.

Gavin's first Merry-Go-Round ride. He picked the train. Didn't really understand he couldn't ride it and ride it and ride it - well without mommy buying more tickets. He loved it!

On top of the Arc de Triomphe. Gavin was obsessed with the Eiffel Tower, asked about it any time he didn't see it in his sight. Still talking about it weeks later - we've created a traveling monster.

A ladybug landed on G's hand, he (and all of us) watched it climb up and down and around his fingers - cutest thing ever. Didn't capture the ladybug in the picture, but it's there.

Jason and Mom in Bruges, Belgium. We took a train; what an adorable city.

Jason and Cole at Versailles. We took a day trip here as well. Got some great family pictures.

Mom & Gram at the entrance to Palace of Versailles.

Gavin called the trees like this party hats. Next to the Eiffel Tower it was his second favorite thing in Paris.

Versailles

Jason took a day trip with Auntie, Uncle, Gram, and Cole to Normandy.

Normandy.

On the flight home we were in First Class. No Gavin didn't have his own seat, he just took over Barb's seat. A regular frequent flyer. Now whenever we board a plane he asks where the TV is.

Kicked Barb out of her seat completely, but who could resist this adorable little guy.

Took us about 2 weeks to get back to the routine and the AZ time zone. It was a great trip and we once again have memories to last a lifetime.

Scrumptious Sundays

Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies by Cooking Light Magazine

with Tomato & Cucumber Salad

1. 4 ounces uncooked ziti
2. 1 tablespoon olive oil
3. 2 cups chopped yellow squash
4. 1 cup chopped zucchini
5. 1/2 cup chopped onion
6. 2 cups chopped tomato
7. 2 garlic cloves, minced
8. 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
9. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
10. 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
11. 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
12. 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
13. 1/4 cup (2 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
14. 1 large egg, lightly beaten
15. Cooking spray

1. 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.
2. 2. Preheat oven to 400°.
3. 3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Add squash, zucchini, and onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomato and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.
4. 4. Combine ricotta, remaining salt, and egg. Stir into pasta mixture. Spoon into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

Chopped up fresh cherry tomatoes and peeled cucumber. Added lemon olive oil and white balsamic vinegar from Queen Creek Olive Mill, a dash of salt and pepper. So refreshing on a hot summer day!

Paris Vacation Preparation

This week we are in Paris...yes France...for a wedding where Master Gavin Hendricks is going to be a ring bearer. We had to make some alterations to the tux, but he looked so cute in it. He didn't seem to mind all the layers either. When we return from our royal vacation we'll have a lot more pictures of the wedding and France.

Scrumptious Sundays

This recipe was so delicious! I was disappointed that I didn't take pictures, but trust me it's worth trying. I'll steal a photo from Chloe, who we got the recipe from. We love it because it really tastes rich, creamy, and delicious - like a typical unhealthy pasta dish...BUT IT'S HEALTHY! Love it!! I should mention it's SUPER easy, takes only the time to cook the noodles to make. Every mom's dream - easy & delicious :)

Avocado Pesto Pasta

1 lb dried linguini

1 bunch basil leaves (about 2 1/2 ounces)

1/2 cup pine nuts (we used walnuts because we didn't have pine nuts on hand)

2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 garlic cloves

1/2 c. olive oil (we were able to get by with only 1/4 c.)

1/4 c. chopped sun dried tomatoes

Salt & Pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, bring water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package. While pasta cooks, in a food processor blend basil, nuts, avocados, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. Season with salt & pepper.

2.) Drain pasta. In large serving bowl combine pasta, pesto, and sun dried tomatoes.

We made it for dinner one night and liked it so much I made it again for our vegetarian friend Samara the next day for lunch.

1st Lollipop

Remember when you were a kid and went to the bank with your mom or dad. They always had a piece of candy to give you...they still do that. Gavin had his first lollipop courtesy of the bank security guard. He chose blue (of course), it was a sticky, slimy mess - but brought back some fun memories of being a kid.

Baseball Buddy

Jason got a UofA baseball frame for Father's Day, so we thought filling it with a picture of his favorite baseball buddy would be a good idea. Getting a wiggly toddler to sit still for pictures isn't easy. But these sure turned out cute.

Practicing the ABC's to get a smile out of him.

A little yard work while we take pictures.

Guilty?

Batting Practice

Great Grandma's Are Xtra Special

Gavin is one lucky little boy, he has several great grandma's. He got to spend an entire week with Great Grandma Blanche a couple weeks ago. Gavin's daycare was closed for vacation and we needed a babysitter, she kindly offered. They had such a great time together. Singing, dancing, laughing, playing baseball - and of course the pool & popcorn...a daily favorite.

Thanks to Grandma Blanche for helping us out.

After all that playing, he was finally pooped.

Scrumptious Sundays

Asparagus and Mushroom Rigatoni

courtesy of Runner's World with a few Hendricks alterations

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 pkgs crimini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch spears
1 pound rigatoni pasta
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, boil six quarts salted water.

Heat three tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add garlic. When it turns gold, add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms until darkened, about five minutes. Add asparagus and toss gently to coat, sauteing a few minutes more.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook 10 minutes.

Turn heat under the saucepan to high and add a cup of pasta water. Cook until water reduces by half, about thirty seconds. Lift pasta from water with slotted spoon and add it to the skillet. Toss over high heat for one minute.

Turn off heat and toss with parsley, lemon zest, and cheese. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Serves six.

Scrumptious Sundays

Ice Cream Cake

(minus the cake)

You will need 3 containers of ice cream, any kind. We did 3 different kinds to get a variety. You will also need one package of Oreo cookies.

Let the ice cream get soft enough you can scoop it out into a saran wrap lined round cake pan. It doesn't have to be completely melted; it actually melts better once it is in the cake pan. The saran wrap will come in VERY handy later so don't forget that step.

As the ice cream continues to melt more, smooth out the top with a spatula.

Oreo cookies come 3 rows to a package. Take one row and place in a ziploc bag. Seal, then roll with a rolling pin until cookies turn to crumbs. Top the ice cream with the crumbs.

Place each pan in the freezer and let harden completely. We did ours over night to make sure they were good and frozen. You may want to put another layer over saran wrap over the top to avoid freezer burn in your ice cream.

Now it's time to stack. Take each pan and pull on the saran wrap. The frozen cake will pop right out. You will loose some of the cookie crumbs because they didn't stick to the ice cream, that's okay there will be plenty still attached to the ice cream. Stack one on top of the other to create 3 layers. Mmmmm, it's starting to look delicious!

Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips to use as 'frosting'. I spread mine on like frosting, but you can actually melt more and

Scrumptious Sundays

Easy Italian Sausage Pie

Makes: 8 servings

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 5 minutes

Bake: 375 for 1 hour 15 minutes

Recipe:

1 lb. Italian Turkey or Chicken Sausage, cut into 1" pieces

5 eggs (we used egg beaters)

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, drained

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

2/3 c. ricotta cheese

1 shallot, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 package refrigerated ready-to-roll pie crusts

1 egg beaten lightly with 1 Tbsp. water

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375. Place sausage in a nonstick sillet over medium-high heat and cook 5 minutes until browned on all sides. We actually cook ours on the BBQ.
2. In a large bowl, combine sausage, 5 eggs, spinach, mozzarella, ricotta, shallot, pepper, garlic powder and salt. Line a 9" pie plate with 1 of the pie crusts. Spoon in the sausage-and-spinach mixture. Top with the remaining pie crust; seal and crimp the edges. Poke a few holes in the center of the pie crust and brush with the egg-water mixture.
3. Bake at 375 for 1 hour, 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

We've made this for dinner twice but discovered via leftovers that it's a great breakfast dish as well.