Sara at the Park

We've been hitting up the park by our house as often as possible. Sara is really starting to enjoy the play structure....she's just so much fun....I can't stand it! I took a few shots with my cell phone to show Brian and I thought I share them here, too.

Letters to Sara: 1.2 years

Dear Sara,

I'm not sure how you do it, but you are getting more and more fun everyday. There's a small part of me that whispers, "stay little, stay little, stay little" as I rock you before tucking you in for the night. Little by little, you are slipping from baby to toddler. While I will always long for that tiny baby that made me a mom to return, I am anxiously looking forward to watching you turn into a little girl. You have such a kind, sweet spirit and I know that you are going to do great things! Lately, you have been giving the greatest hugs. You are so cuddly....and I eat up every second. Here's a sampling of what you are doing at 14 months:

You laugh....the funniest, sweetest laugh. You are starting to crack yourself up. In the last couple of days, you laugh every time you fart (or perhaps I should say, pass gas). Not just a little laugh, but a crack yourself up, full-blown, belly laugh. I love it.

You pull yourself up. You still like to play on your knees the best. However, you can pull yourself up.

You are really starting to "get" toys. You like your hammer toy and laugh every time you get a ball to go down the shoot. You are imitating like crazy. We have tea parties and you love taking a sip of "tea" every time I do.

You are super crawler and have free reign of the house.

You really like books. Often I will find you in your room looking at books. I'll call your name and you will peak your head out into the hallway....I love it.

You suck your thumb....just like mommy!
You are using a spoon..sometimes. You are pretty good at eating out of a bowl/plate without tipping it over onto the floor.....thank you!

Oh Sara, I love you more and more. Nothing will ever change that.....

xoxo,

your mommy

Annie's Eats rarely disappoints me. Here's another super simple, super delicious recipe from there. It's so simple that I'm thinking about prepping extra packets and freezing them for later use....just thaw and throw on the grill for an easy weeknight dinner. Sara loved these...she couldn't cram it in her mouth fast enough. Enjoy!

Halibut with Chipotle Compound Butter in Foil Packets

Ingredients:
4 skinless white fish fillets (such as halibut), 6-8 oz. each
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp. minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, divided
1 tsp. grated orange zest
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups corn kernels
½ red onion, diced
2 scallions, chopped
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro, divided

Directions:

Heat a grill to medium-high heat. (Alternatively, preheat the oven to 425˚ F.)

Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Season the fillets with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the butter, half of the chipotles, the orange zest, half of the garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Stir with a fork until well blended. Spread the mixture evenly over the top of the fillets.

In a medium bowl combine the remaining chipotles, the orange juice, the remaining garlic, the beans, corn, onion, scallions, and half of the cilantro. Add in ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Mix well to combine. Lay four 14-inch squares of foil out on a work surface. Divide the bean mixture evenly between the pieces of foil, placing it over the lower half of each piece. Top each mound of the bean mixture with a fillet. Fold the foil over the fish and fold up the edges to seal the packets.

Place the packets on the grill, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the fish registers 160˚ F. (You can poke the probe of a thermometer directly through the foil rather than opening the packets.) Alternatively, bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes just until the fish is cooked through.

Open the packets carefully to avoid contact with the steam and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro. Serve warm.

Source: Annie's Eats

This and That....

Wow...it's been a busy month! Sara's daycare was closed for a couple of days for staff development at the end of August, so I took a couple of days off and hit the road for Chico to visit my friend OJ. Her daughter, Morea, is just 6 weeks older than Sara. They had fun playing together.

Brian's mom and niece, Kate, were in town. We headed to Tilden Park to ride the carousel.

And some pictures of the happy girl....man, I love her!

Bacon Ranch Pasta

Every once in awhile, I stumble acroos a recipe that makes me want to shout from the rooftops...."GO MAKE THIS...NOW!". The gem happens to be one of them. We had it for dinner tonight. It's super easy and super yummy. It might not be the healthiest, but it's good. I tried to make it a little healthier with fat free 1/2 and 1/2, whole grain pasta, and peppered turkey bacon. Yummy!

Ranch Pasta with Bacon, Spinach and Tomatoes
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
Olive oil
4 garlic cloves minced
2 cups heavy cream (I used 1 cup cream and 1 cup fat-free 1/2 and 1/2)
1 bag baby spinach
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used peppered turkey bacon
1 lb short cut pasta, cooked according to package directions
Grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

Combine first 6 ingredients (through dried thyme) in a bowl and mix together. This is your Ranch seasoning. You can also use a packet of pre-made dried seasoning.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet large enough to hold the pasta over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and add Ranch seasoning, spinach and tomatoes. Cook until the spinach wilts. Add pasta and cooked bacon and toss to combine. Add grated cheese and taste for seasoning.

Source: Bacon Ranch Pasta

National Day of Service

I can't believe that 10 short years has past since 9/11/01. I remember that day like yesterday. It's easy to remember the images that we all saw on the TVs that we couldn't pull away from. It's easy to remember how we felt. Though it was a day that was marked as a tragedy, it caused a nation to unite under extreme duress. In the days that followed 9/11/01, I remember everyone seemed a little nicer, a little more patient, a little less hurried.

Beginning in 2002, family members who lost loved ones in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and support groups began to seek a forward-looking tribute to honor the sacrifice of those who were lost and pay tribute to those who rose in service in response to the tragedy.

By encouraging Americans to participate in service and remembrance activities on the 9/11 anniversary, family members wanted to provide a productive and respectful way to honor those who perished and rekindle the spirit of unity and compassion that swept our nation after 9/11 to help meet the challenges we face today.

Because of their efforts to build support for this idea, September 11 has been designated a National Day of Service and Remembrance. The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance was established into law by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act in 2009, and is consistent with President Obama’s overall call to service, United We Serve.

I'll be honest...I don't have a ton of time to volunteer right now. I wish I did....but I don't. However, when I stumbled across Operation Shower, I knew I had to help. Operation Shower is about celebrating and honoring military families. Operation Shower is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides joyful baby showers for military families to ease the burden of deployment. Check out their website and their Amazon Wish List and help make a service family's day just a little bit brighter! Together, we can make a difference on this 9/11

Operation Shower website
Operation Shower Wish List