Can you believe this was Henry a year ago at this time!

TGIF

So, I cleaned today. If you all are reading my daily blogs you will know that fridays are cleaning day. Just the usual washing the floors and scrubbing the bathroom and 4 loads of laundry that cost us $10. I can't wait to own a washer and dryer someday.
Tomorrow is my second "savory saturday" recipe. I'm trying to decide which one I should post. Should it be a chicken dish, pasta, or and appetizer...... if someone wants to suggest one, please do. Thats's all I really need to talk about. Jason posted what our evening looked like. Hope everyone had a nice friday.

A lamb dies for Taitx3

Kara grilled a hunk of lamb for dinner, diced it and mixed it into fried rice with eggs. It was delicious. If I was a seminary student, I'd try to make it into a spiritual analogy. Lamb = Jesus. Eggs = birth. Rice = cluttered souls. Soy sauce + sin. Eating it all, well, I don't know ... but I'm sure a smart theologian could make it work. In other news, Kara just cut Stephen's hair so he looks handsome for his interview Monday at the Jackson, Mich., newspaper. We watched Friends as she worked his mane. Linsey almost had a road rage incident against me, Jason. I drove past her today while she was backing into a parking spot. I honked several times and she gave me the "you're an idiot" look and raised her hands in anger, but upon seeing me, she turned her frown upside down. Have a good weekend, everyone.

Henry showing off his new front top teeth

Time goes by.......

I can't believe it's already thursday. This week went by fast!
I love my new job. It's really easy. Tuesday and today I worked
3:30-6:30 and I had 1 kid both days for about 1 hour. The most
work I had to do was taking care of Henry. Tomorrow is friday
and it's cleaning day for me. I usually clean the house and do the laundry
on fridays so I don't have to worrry about it on the weekends.
This weekend supposed to be beautiful. No plans for anything yet.
Anyone have any plans this labor day weekend?

Cupcakes makes me smile

Nothing much to talk about

Henry outside of Starbucks

Work work work.

Today was the first day of my new job. If you don't know already, I got a 10 hour a week babysitting job at my gym. It's great because I can take Henry with me and both Jason and I get a free gym memberships!!! Jason is excited that he gets to sculp his guns. The job was pretty easy, just dealing with Henry was the hard part. Henry got a little upset a first when I was holding other babies and playing with the kids. He was very clingy. I think it will take a couple days for him to get used to it. Anyways, it was a great first day. That's all I have to report for today.

Lazy Sunday

The title of todays blog is not Lazy Sunday, like the Chronicles of Narnia from Saturday Night Live. It was the theme for our day.
We went to church this morning followed by yet another yard sale on our way home in which I bought an adorable clutch purse for a couple bucks. Then we just lounged around the house for pretty much the rest of the day. I baked chocolate chip cookies and we watched the Track and Field World Championship. Then Jason and Henry went to go feed the ducks with stale bread from Market Basket while I took a 20 minute needed nap. I am very excited. I am starting my new job tomorrow morning. I'll let you all know how it goes. Now we are wrapping up our evening with a movie playing in the backround "Wicker Park" with a cold glass of milk and a couple cookies.


Clutch Purse & Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sunday Sweet

Tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts besides the obvious cupcakes.
Let me know if any of you make this.

TIRAMISU SUNDAE

1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
3 tablespoons brandy (optional)
8 store-bought ladyfingers (about 4 ounces)
1 pint ice cream or gelato
Directions

Whisk cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form; cover with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Combine espresso and brandy, if using, in a medium bowl. Break 4 ladyfingers in half; dip into espresso mixture until soaked but not falling apart, several seconds. Arrange two halves in a layer at the bottom of each parfait glass. Top with a scoop of ice cream. Repeat with another layer of soaked ladyfingers, and top with a scoop of ice cream. Garnish each glass with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of chocolate shavings, if desired. Serve immediately.
From: Martha Stewart

Hot Summer Day

We started our day with coffee and crepes and a morning movie, "Shallow Hal" and ended with a movie and an iced cold tea.
It was a hot day in Newburyport, high about 97 with a constant cool breeze from the ocean.
Some highlights of our day was driving to Plum Island and standing on the beach getting soaked by the
crashing waves...... It was refreshing. Then we went to a yard sale, I bought a cute small serving bowl for 75 cents.
Then a 25 cent hotdog lunch from Richdale's eaten down by the River. After lunch my mom and I watched "50 First Dates"
while Jason ate licorise and read his book, "Killing Pablo Escabor" A few minutes after the movie ended my mother left for
her hour and a half drive back to Brockton. It was nice having her with us. Later on in the evening Jason and I had dinner,
a nice big salad with chicken, corn on the cob and bruschetta on the side. Then we partook in a evening walk where we meet
Stephen and Linsey and her parents that are visiting from Michigan. Now Henry is fast asleep and I am blogging with "Billy Madison" playing in the backround and my iced cold tea right beside me.


MY GLASS OF ICED COLD TEA AND 75 CENT YARDSALE BOWL

First savory recipe of the week!!!!

This recipe is perfect for a picnic. I made this for Jason and I when we went on a picnic and an out door movie date one evening in July. It was delicious!
I got this from my cooking light magazine.

Steak Wraps with Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onions.

1 teaspoon olive oil
5 cups thinly sliced onion (about 2)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
6 ounces Blackened Grilled Flank Steak
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup cooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, and salt; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth; cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Stir in vinegar and sugar; cook 5 minutes. Add Blackened Grilled Flank Steak to pan; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Set steak mixture aside; keep warm.
Warm tortillas according to package directions. Top each tortilla with 1 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup rice, and 2 tablespoons cheese. Divide steak mixture evenly among tortillas; roll up.

Blackened Grilled Flank Steak

1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (2-pound) flank steak, trimmed
Cooking spray

Combine first 7 ingredients; rub spice mixture over both sides of steak. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours.

Prepare grill.

Place steak on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

Friday

Friday was a nice day for me. My mother came over to babysit Henry while Jason and I went to a 25th anniversary party for his boss Bill. It was nice having her in Newburyport. She stayed the night. A small vacation for her.
The party was fun. I listened to Jason and his co-workers talk "work stuff" and witnessed the longest speech on record.... I'm sure. It had to have been at least 15 minutes......
Today we plan on going to the beach. It going to be a hot one today!

Coming Soon....

Recipe of the week. I thought this might be fun. I plan on posting on saturdays, a savory dish and sundays a sweet. If anyone has any recipes they want to share please do.

Busy Thursday

I finally did it! I Created a blog! I'm very excited about my accomplishment. I am not computer savvy whatsoever, so this is a big deal for me. So basically, I plan on using this as a daily journal of our exciting life here in Newburyport. You can find out what's going on in our lives day to day. I am excited to update every evening and looking forward to any comments and stories you have. Kara xoxoxoxo

Henry and his Daddy

This is a picture of Jason and Henry watching the "bed races" during Newburyport's Yankee Homecoming festivities.

Our Family

This is a picture of us in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. February 2007