Sketched

Having fun using the "sketch" tool on Photoshop Express (online)

Chef Julia

Julia is really into cooking these days. Her favorite show on TV (of the 5 channels we get) is Lidia's Italy.

She will watch cooking shows for hours if we let her.

We have one meal that she makes for us. I got it out of my favorite recipe source, Everyday Food Magazine

Here she is making Chicken Parmesan. They don't have this recipe online and so I will post it at the end.


























2 large eggs
3/4 cup finely grated parmesan
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenders
1 3/4 cups tomato sauce
4 oz. part skim mozzarella shredded (1 Cup)
8 oz. penne rigate (ridged) or other short pasta
1 package (10 oz.) frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1 Tbls. olive oil

Bring salted water to a boil. Heat broiler, with a rack set 4 inches from heat. In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup parmesan and breadcrumbs. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dip tenders in egg, then in parmesan mixture; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until golden brown. 2 to 4 minutes a side.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Then top with chicken, remaining 3/4 cup sauce, and finally mozzarella. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, according to package directions, adding broccoli for final 30 seconds. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and broccoli, and return to pot. Add oil and remaining 1/4 cup parmesan. Toss, gradually adding some reserved pasta water until pasta is lightly coated. Serve chicken with penne and broccoli.

Poll - To cut or not

Should I cut it? Vote in my poll on my sidebar ->

Oh - and ignore how much older I look as you look at my examples

Now - extra long



Nov 2005 - Medium


May 2004 - as short as I'll go (by the way - does this child really have half my genes?)



80's hair - not an option

Birthday Bloom

We recieved this lily at Nathan's memorial service, from his great-aunts. We have somehow managed to keep it alive for almost a year though all the blooms died right away. A week before Nathan's birthday it finally bloomed again. I'll be curious to see when/if it blooms again.

Julia's tooth

She finally lost one of her top front teeth in the airport in North Carolina. It had been loose for weeks and she wanted it out but she had Luke try a little and it wouldn't budge. Finally she was eating a breakfast sandwich and said there was something hard in it. Luke and I immediately knew what it was a fished it out of her mouth.

Birthday

Thanks for the messages for Nathan's Birthday (here and also on his caringbridge page).

We have had a good day. Julia's friend Brady is here with us for a few days and that is a good thing for her. We all went to the beach this morning and for a bike ride to Harbor Town to get ice cream this afternoon. At the harbor there was a barge with some large cranes working on something (this is not a working harbor - just a luxury boat kind of harbor) so it was unusual to see something like that. He would have enjoyed it and I was glad to see them there today.

I wonder how old Nathan is in heaven? His soul was always WAY older than his years and all he ever wanted to get older and become a grown up. I imagine if his body and new life reflects his soul he is a loving, handsome man doing all kinds of interesting and important things in heaven.

Hello from Hilton Head

On Tuesday, very early in the morning, Luke dropped the girls and I off at the airport and we flew to my parent's house in Hilton Head Island, SC.

We have been hanging out - going to the beach and the pool. Here are some of the things that have gone on.

1. My almost 70 year old dad played a song for me from his iTunes playlist that he is currently enjoying - a hip-hop song I didn't really know.

2. The coast guard helicopter went right over us at the beach and I was hit by a wave of pain as it roared overhead that Nathan was not standing next to me enjoying it.

3. Julia was off playing with some other kids at the beach and two "big girls" came over to Lauren and invited her to help them dig some trenches in the sand and she played with them for quite a while - so sweet!

4. Back at home Luke watched landscapers tear apart and slowly start putting back together our backyard - which has been dirt for several years. In a few weeks we will finally have a backyard we can enjoy (and pay for) for many years to come.

Upcoming - Luke will be joining us and we will endure Monday, June 16 which would have been Nathan's eighth birthday.

Leaving you with some pictures.

Big Big Big Loader

A few years ago our neighbors gave Nathan a toy called Big Loader. We so thoroughly enjoyed it we got him Big Big Loader later on and hooked them together to create the Big Big Big Loader. I got it out on a whim and I have to say I enjoy it at least as much if not more than the kids.

May Pictures

Spring Recital Pictures were here

Car

I posted two summers ago about possibly having to get rid of my first car and hoping I didn't have to yet.

Well, since then it has started driving badly, especially in cold weather. It is 14 years old and is falling apart in other ways too. It got to the point where I avoided driving it.

Yesterday, we finally replaced it with this:



We were looking for something small, but not too small for Luke to fit in (he is 6'4"). We were also looking for something used with low-mileage. The PT Cruiser kept coming up in my searches so we went to drive one yesterday and came home with it. A local dealership was selling new 2007 PT Cruisers for less than the used ones I had been eying. I have no clue why they had new 2007's hanging around still. They were all silver and manual transmissions so maybe no one wanted them. Luke is thrilled to have a stick. I have to relearn to drive one.

I am not sure we will get 14 years out of this one - I told Julia I plan on having her learn to drive on it in 10 years though. My favorite feature is the aux jack on the radio for the iPod.

Luke noticed that the Barbie Car Julia picked up at a garage sale this weekend is actually a PT Cruiser. So the Barbies are riding in style too - but they have a purple one with a sunroof. So we still have a purple car I guess.

Mean Mom

We went to Kansas City last weekend which is quite a hike for a weekend. So, today the girls and I have been laying low. They played around the house, Julia played a little bit on the wii and then they played outside until lunch and for a little while afterwards. Lauren took a nap and I let Julia play the wii for another HOUR.

Then she proceeded to follow me around while I did my things pouting and sighing until I told her to go find something to do or clean her room. Then I told her I really meant it and she went off and painted.

We have a lot of travel planned for the summer and I guess it is good because she gets bored very easily. Maybe I will just let her keep her room messy so I can pull that one out every day at naptime.