Pineapple Chicken & Corn Slaw

Getting out of the food rut and trying some new things around here. Here was our tasty dinner from tonight.

Pineapple Marinade
1/3 cup canned pineapple juice
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsps cumin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Combine in a small bowl, mixing well. For added flavor reserve some marinade to brush over the chicken just before its finished cooking. Pour marinade over chicken breasts and let sit at least 1 hour before cooking.

I served ours with brown rice topped with canned pineapple.

Corn Slaw
1 can of no-sodium-added corn, drained
1 medium cucumber peeled and chopped small
1/2 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 tbsp ranch dressing
handful of fresh chives, snipped

Combine all ingredients, chill in fridge at least 15 min.

I thought I'd get creative with our veggie dish tonight and I've been wanting the kids to try garbanzo beans anyway, so this is an original. It turned out really tasty... I'm thinking about adding Feta cheese to the leftovers.

14 of 52

Nothing too exciting this week. We all took turns being sick for 3 days in a row. This was after weeding the yard and playing with ice in the front yard yesterday. As you will see all Diego wanted to do was look in my mouth and make me stick out my tongue.

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Are you the Mom who's always taking pictures and look back only to realize you aren't IN any of them? Do your kids look through photo albums and ask "Where were you Mommy?" Well, Carin over at Forever in Blue Jeans decided to change all that and challenges any one who's interested to do the same. So hand over the camera, or at least figure out the self-timer and get on the other side of the lens more often. Post your photos of you enjoying time with your family every Thursday and share the link with other Mom's by posting it on Carin's blog. You can start any time with week 1 of 52, don't worry about being "behind" just jump on in.

Icy Cold Fun

Cheap, easy, chilly entertainment. It's 95+F every day here now so this is how I've been entertaining the kids when we need a break from sidewalk chalk, bubbles and the kiddie pool. Today it gave me chance to weed the yard for a bit then a nice refresher when I was all done.
You will need recycled plastic containers of various sizes or plastic storage containers. Really anything you can freeze water in. I really like the square edamame trays we get from Sam's Club and applesauce cups or yogurt containers. Ice from the freezer is fine too, but smaller ice melts quickly and then the fun's over. When I give them the freezer ice cubes they call them "minnows" and have fun catching them out of the (emptied) sand table. Make a variety of shapes & sizes. The bigger chunks will have to freeze for several hours so its best to stock up your freezer the day/night before.

Once you have the ice ready give them the fun of figuring out how to get it out of the containers. Then you can...

• break big chunks into smaller ones
• draw on the sidewalk like you would with chalk
• get hands/feet wet and make prints on the sidewalk
  
• give yourself a chill by putting the ice on your toes, nose, belly, neck, etc.
• pretend its a bar of soap and give yourself an ice bath
• try stacking into a tower or attempt an ice castle (depending on the ice and your kids interest/determination level)
• mention the properties of water and point out that as the ice gets hot it melts and turns back into water, then as the water gets hot it turns to vapor and diappears from the sidewalk
• add food coloring (just a drop!) for added fun, beware of potential stains
• toss chunks of ice into the kiddie pool or bathtub, if you use two colors point out how the color changes as they mix

If you have any more icy ideas please leave a comment!

Nerodia

Out of curiosity I emailed my snake picture to a TX snake expert - Bayou Bob of the Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch - for his professional opinion.

- it is a Nerodia, harmless water snake often called a Fish snake or sometimes a Diamondback Water snake and other local cutsie names....but NOT to worry any. Emits strong musk when aggravated or threatended, strikes readily, blusters quite well....but in the end flees away as it knows it is harmless!! Soooo, keep the faith, continued good luck, it coulda' been worse, stay safe, and 2 U there...

Happy Trails,

Bayou Bob

Kite Fest - 10 photo Layout

I love it when I don't have a plan but it all works out anyway. I started this layout on Tue night at Emily's and had it mostly done when D started crying and crying and I had to keep going upstairs to comfort him so he wouldn't wake the girls. I liked it well enough but the whole bottom right corner was a blank spot that could use something. I thought I'd add some journaling but was drawing a blank on the details of the day. Then I had an "aha!" moment and remembered my family journal. Sure enough there was a full page entry for the day and a little picture which reminded me I had some other kite pictures I wanted to add. So here it is, 10 pictures in all.

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Another practice shot by Cali. I really like it!

I squeezed in a few pics while we were on dry land (for about a minute) at the water park.

From our hiking trip yesterday. Thanks for taking this one Emily.

*************************************************************************************

Are you the Mom who's always taking pictures and look back only to realize you aren't IN any of them? Do your kids look through photo albums and ask "Where were you Mommy?" Well, Carin over at Forever in Blue Jeans decided to change all that and challenges any one who's interested to do the same. So hand over the camera, or at least figure out the self-timer and get on the other side of the lens more often. Post your photos of you enjoying time with your family every Thursday and share the link with other Mom's by posting it on Carin's blog. You can start any time with week 1 of 52, don't worry about being "behind" just jump on in.

Mini Vacation

Headed south for a little overnight visit to my good friend Emily. She showed us a good time in the great outdoors of Austin. It stormed in the wee hours of the morning but turned out to be a beautiful, perfect day with only a handful of other people to be seen. Thanks Em!

Spotted by Cali...

Cali: Look Mommy, a snake!
Me: Really? A REAL snake?
Cali: Yes, look its an Anaconda
Hamilton PoolNext, off to picnic and swim in the Pedernales River.