We are having a blast with family. It's been so fun showing them around and having the extra help with the girls and with housework. The girls attached to them so quickly again and it's just so sweet to see so many hugs and kisses passed between Nana, Poppee, Maddy and Rose. There's definitely a lot of love going around :)
Monday- Stuffed Shells
Tuesday- Chicken Noodle Soup
Wednesday- Leftovers
Thursday- Dinner out for Dad Baylor's Birthday :)
Friday- Baked Mac and Cheese - I just had to let them try it!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Menu Plan Monday~ April 23/12
Well, it's an exciting week here in the Baylor family. Tim's parents arrive tomorrow from Pennsylvania. We are beyond thrilled to have some family visiting for a few weeks. This is our first family since leaving the states about 7 months ago. Tim and I were both starting to get homesick, so their trip out is such a blessing to our hearts!
I have been rushing around a bit the past few weeks trying to get everything in order around here(food, cleaning, planning touristy things to do). But it will be so worth it :)
The Menu's are going to be trimmed down over the next few weeks due to the craziness, but hey - I did them, so that's good. Everyone will have something to eat!
Monday- Baked Chicken, Grilled asparagus
Tuesday- Fajitas, Guacamole, chips
Wednesday- Chicken with Asparagus and Red Roasted Peppers
Thursday- Cheddar Bacon Burgers (466 calories a burger)
Friday- Spaghetti with tomato sauce and salad
Linked up with Orjunkie
Monday, April 16, 2012
Menu Plan Monday~ April 16/12
Monday- Spinach salad with bacon, hard boiled eggs, cheddar cheese and veggies, (250 calories)
Tuesday- Rachel Ray's Quesadilla Casserole, (400 calories a slice)
Wednesday- Cold Sesame Noodles with Chicken
* I got this recipe from a friend and have been looking for a chance to make it :)
3/4 pound spaghettini or soba noodles 1/4 t salt
1 T grated fresh ginger 1/8 t cayenne
1T brown sugar 3 scallions, thinly slices
2 T rice vinegar 1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 1 T toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup soy sauce *I'm also adding chicken
1 garlic clove
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into diagonal slices
1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook spaghettini or soba noodles until tender but still firm, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool. Drain well.
2. In food processor, combine ginger, brown sugar, sesame oil, vinegar, peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, salt, cayenne, puree until sauce is smooth.
3 In large bowl, combine noodles, cooked chicken, and sauce. Toss until combined.
4. In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, scallions, and bell pepper. Toss to mix. Mound vegetables on pasta ans sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Serve at room temperature.
Thursday- Greek Penne Chicken(450 calories if you make meal 6 servings instead of 4), salad
Friday- Baked Mac and Cheese (500 calories for 1 cup), grilled asparagus - I'm bringing a meal to a mama and this one is always such nice comfort food :) And I usually just use all sharp white cheddar because the other cheeses are hard to find here and are more expensive.
Tuesday- Rachel Ray's Quesadilla Casserole, (400 calories a slice)
Wednesday- Cold Sesame Noodles with Chicken
* I got this recipe from a friend and have been looking for a chance to make it :)
3/4 pound spaghettini or soba noodles 1/4 t salt
1 T grated fresh ginger 1/8 t cayenne
1T brown sugar 3 scallions, thinly slices
2 T rice vinegar 1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 1 T toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup soy sauce *I'm also adding chicken
1 garlic clove
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into diagonal slices
1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook spaghettini or soba noodles until tender but still firm, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool. Drain well.
2. In food processor, combine ginger, brown sugar, sesame oil, vinegar, peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, salt, cayenne, puree until sauce is smooth.
3 In large bowl, combine noodles, cooked chicken, and sauce. Toss until combined.
4. In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, scallions, and bell pepper. Toss to mix. Mound vegetables on pasta ans sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Serve at room temperature.
Thursday- Greek Penne Chicken(450 calories if you make meal 6 servings instead of 4), salad
Friday- Baked Mac and Cheese (500 calories for 1 cup), grilled asparagus - I'm bringing a meal to a mama and this one is always such nice comfort food :) And I usually just use all sharp white cheddar because the other cheeses are hard to find here and are more expensive.
For more great menu ideas, check out orgjunkie
Thursday, April 12, 2012
#004 You Might Live in Scotland If...
...you wash all of your dishes by hand.
And in case you were wondering, YES I always look so put together when I wash my dishes :)
I Timothy 6:8, " But if I have food and clothes I will be content with that."
Monday, April 09, 2012
Menu Plan Monday~ April 9/12
Well, I didn't even have a chance to post my recipes last Sunday because I was finishing up my thesis - yahoo! But we did eat, I promise :) It's been a fun/festive week celebrating the Resurrection of Christ! Here are some pics from the weekend. I found some great deals on meat this week, so we are getting a variety - not just chicken like usual :) Some of the recipes have calorie counts, but the others I'll have to figure out this week. I hope to get back on track with posting calorie counts for all of the meals again. I know it helps me in my planning to know ahead of time what my caloric intake will be for dinner so that I can plan my breakfast and lunch better :) Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Monday- Quick Quiche, fresh fruit - Thank you Kelly :)
Tuesday- Asian Tacos- Thank you Emily :)
Wednesday- Garlic Lime Shrimp Thank you Christy :)
Thursday- Sour Cream Noodle Bake, salad
Friday- Grilled Salmon and Oven Roasted Cauliflower (from Snack Girl!)
Find more great recipes at Orgjunkie
Monday- Quick Quiche, fresh fruit - Thank you Kelly :)
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| 291 Calories a slice |
Wednesday- Garlic Lime Shrimp Thank you Christy :)
Friday- Grilled Salmon and Oven Roasted Cauliflower (from Snack Girl!)
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| For one serving = 88 calories, 3.6 g fat, 12.3 g carbohydrates, 4.5 g protein, 5.1 g fiber |
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
The Ending of an Era
You'll have to excuse me for a second while I scream; Yaaaaaahhhhhooooo! I just finished giving the presentation of my Master's of Arts in Teaching thesis via Skype last night :) The presentation went well and I passed with very minor revisions which I will need to turn in by April 15th. Easy Peasy!
There is such a sense of relief that is flooding over me. I started this program in January of 2008 (a full year before Madison was born!) - yea she's almost 3 1/2 now :) So it's been some time in coming! I remember first starting classes when I was teaching in Chicago. I would finish my day of teaching, get in the car and drive straight to class with a 1.5 hour commute - sometimes 3 in traffic! I would be in class one or two nights a week from 6pm-10pm or and sometimes a weekend class. I chipped away at my homework, and little by little finished one class at a time.
Then I got pregnant with Madison, kept teaching and going to class while pregnant. The cohort I was in(Holla Cohort 10!) became such dear friends that they threw me a surprise baby shower. What sweet memories! Love them. Then I had Madison, took a break. Got back to it for a while, got pregnant with Rose then took a break when Rose was born. Then got back to it again.
Then we moved to Scotland in September and I wasn't sure how hard it would be to finish things up being over seas. But because God is so gracious and the wonderful people in Trinity Graduate School were so helpful, I was able to finish! Well, I do have just one little requirement to actually walk for graduation. I need to study for and test out of a Health class. and THAT is it. It's a little hard to believe the end has come!
I have decided to postpone the actual graduation ceremony until December because we can't make it back to the states before then. But at least I'll get to do it!
Just for fun the other day I was looking at the Looooong list of classes and requirements they give you going into the degree and feeling such sense of accomplishment knowing I had one by one checked each of those of my list over the past 4 years! Wow. I honestly can't believe I did it. Haha - I know that sounds sad. But there were a lot of times that I thought it would have been a whole lot easier to just turn in the towel. SO glad I didn't.
Here is the list for posterity and fun:
ID5001 Foundations of Integrative Thought
ID5002 Foundations of Cultural Engagement
ED 5210 Educational Technology
ED5551 Teaching in Culturally Diverse Settings I
ED6911 Research Methods and Design I
Ed 5350 Advanced Educational Psychology
Ed 5400 Foundations of Special Education
ED 5552 Teaching in Culturally Diverse Settings II
ED 6260 Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum
Ed 6700 Integrated Methods of teaching in Elementary and Middle School
ED6912 Research Methods and Design II
ED 67450 Clinical Practice for Elementary Certification (ie: Student teach AGAIN)
ED 7460 Advanced Seminar in Education
* Field Experience Practicum
* Basic Skills test
* Content Area Test
* APT test
* My final portfolio/presentation
* Action Research poster project/presentation
* Video (of my teaching) analysis and presentation
* Lesson plan binder,
* Exit Interview
* Outstanding General Ed Credits ----> This mean I had to take Algebra and Zoology at a local community college in the summers. I Honestly thought I wasn't going to pass that College Algebra class!
I could not have finished this degree without my sweetheart Tim. Seriously, there were so many assignments he stayed up late helping me with, or times he hugged me and told me I could do it while I was in tears on the couch, or watched the girls extra hours so that I could get extra study and writing time in. He's the best partner I could ask for. But of course the highest praise goes to the Lord who gave me strength each step of the way. He is so good!
There is such a sense of relief that is flooding over me. I started this program in January of 2008 (a full year before Madison was born!) - yea she's almost 3 1/2 now :) So it's been some time in coming! I remember first starting classes when I was teaching in Chicago. I would finish my day of teaching, get in the car and drive straight to class with a 1.5 hour commute - sometimes 3 in traffic! I would be in class one or two nights a week from 6pm-10pm or and sometimes a weekend class. I chipped away at my homework, and little by little finished one class at a time.
Then I got pregnant with Madison, kept teaching and going to class while pregnant. The cohort I was in(Holla Cohort 10!) became such dear friends that they threw me a surprise baby shower. What sweet memories! Love them. Then I had Madison, took a break. Got back to it for a while, got pregnant with Rose then took a break when Rose was born. Then got back to it again.
Then we moved to Scotland in September and I wasn't sure how hard it would be to finish things up being over seas. But because God is so gracious and the wonderful people in Trinity Graduate School were so helpful, I was able to finish! Well, I do have just one little requirement to actually walk for graduation. I need to study for and test out of a Health class. and THAT is it. It's a little hard to believe the end has come!
I have decided to postpone the actual graduation ceremony until December because we can't make it back to the states before then. But at least I'll get to do it!
Just for fun the other day I was looking at the Looooong list of classes and requirements they give you going into the degree and feeling such sense of accomplishment knowing I had one by one checked each of those of my list over the past 4 years! Wow. I honestly can't believe I did it. Haha - I know that sounds sad. But there were a lot of times that I thought it would have been a whole lot easier to just turn in the towel. SO glad I didn't.
Here is the list for posterity and fun:
ID5001 Foundations of Integrative Thought
ID5002 Foundations of Cultural Engagement
ED 5210 Educational Technology
ED5551 Teaching in Culturally Diverse Settings I
ED6911 Research Methods and Design I
Ed 5350 Advanced Educational Psychology
Ed 5400 Foundations of Special Education
ED 5552 Teaching in Culturally Diverse Settings II
ED 6260 Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum
Ed 6700 Integrated Methods of teaching in Elementary and Middle School
ED6912 Research Methods and Design II
ED 67450 Clinical Practice for Elementary Certification (ie: Student teach AGAIN)
ED 7460 Advanced Seminar in Education
* Field Experience Practicum
* Basic Skills test
* Content Area Test
* APT test
* My final portfolio/presentation
* Action Research poster project/presentation
* Video (of my teaching) analysis and presentation
* Lesson plan binder,
* Exit Interview
I could not have finished this degree without my sweetheart Tim. Seriously, there were so many assignments he stayed up late helping me with, or times he hugged me and told me I could do it while I was in tears on the couch, or watched the girls extra hours so that I could get extra study and writing time in. He's the best partner I could ask for. But of course the highest praise goes to the Lord who gave me strength each step of the way. He is so good!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Aberdeen Update ~ March 2012
If you are interested, here is our quarterly update letter we send out to our supporters. We are so thankful for the body of Christ and the support it provides, allowing us to prepare for future ministry. God is so good. You can choose to download it or just view it in your browser.
Spring has come to Aberdeen and we sure are glad to see the flowers and SUN again :)
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| Maddy, Rose and I walking in front of King's College |
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| Rose loved the open grass and flowers |
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| Maddy making a run for it! |
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Menu Plan Monday~ March 26, 2012
Tim leaves Monday morning for to attend SST conference in York, England. He'll come back home Thursday around 2pm. In the meantime, I am finishing up technical edits on my thesis (during nap time and bedtime). If all goes well, I will be giving my presentation on Monday April 2nd at 9pm my time. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. So if you think about it, I would appreciate your prayers for me this week!
Due to several husbands being gone for the conference this week, the AWF (Aberdeen Women's Fellowship) has decided to organize combined dinners and play times for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night to help us get through the "witching hour "- oh I mean dinner hour without husbands :)
Monday - Dinner out at Burger King - We'll all meet at a park nearby and let the kids play outside for an hour or so and then treat ourselves to NOT cooking :)
Tuesday - Spaghetti Dinner - We are all meeting at a friend Melissa's house for some spaghetti and sauce. We'll all bring sides
Wednesday - Hot Dogs - Everyone is coming to my place for hot dogs. Others will bring sides. I'm so thankful for the body of Christ and a wonderful community like this that rallies around one another when we are most in need of help and encouragement! I'm not sure how I would survive without these wonderful AWF ladies!
Thursday - Baked Mac and Cheese, Salad
Friday - Chicken Fajitas
Saturday - Baked Chicken
Sunday - Chicken Noodle Soup
I'm linked up with orgjunkie
Due to several husbands being gone for the conference this week, the AWF (Aberdeen Women's Fellowship) has decided to organize combined dinners and play times for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night to help us get through the "witching hour "- oh I mean dinner hour without husbands :)
Monday - Dinner out at Burger King - We'll all meet at a park nearby and let the kids play outside for an hour or so and then treat ourselves to NOT cooking :)
Tuesday - Spaghetti Dinner - We are all meeting at a friend Melissa's house for some spaghetti and sauce. We'll all bring sides
Wednesday - Hot Dogs - Everyone is coming to my place for hot dogs. Others will bring sides. I'm so thankful for the body of Christ and a wonderful community like this that rallies around one another when we are most in need of help and encouragement! I'm not sure how I would survive without these wonderful AWF ladies!
Thursday - Baked Mac and Cheese, Salad
Friday - Chicken Fajitas
Saturday - Baked Chicken
Sunday - Chicken Noodle Soup
I'm linked up with orgjunkie
Monday, March 19, 2012
Preschool Quiet Time Ideas
In the past month or two I realized that Maddy wasn't getting in enough quiet time activities in a day. This girl loves to run, dance, jump, sing (just about anything but sit still ;) I really do love that about her because it's just like me-ha!
But I realized that I wanted to spend more some purposeful time(maybe jut 30-45 min) in our day where she and I did a quiet activity together, teaching her to sit still and focus for a period of time on a project as well as getting in some quality one on one time :). I am also hoping to work on her letters, number, shapes etc during this time. It fits in best in our day when she wakes up from her nap and Rose is till snoozing. That way, she and I can do something a little more involved. I've come up with a pretty limited list of ideas(sometimes I mix a few ideas into one day). But I would LOVE to hear some of your ideas :)
* painting (letters, numbers, shapes, pictures)
* glue/glitter
* Tea Party
* coloring books
* white board
* chalk board (can you tell I was a teacher?)
* baking/cooking
* play dough
* reading
* spreading shaving cream on the table and writing letters, numbers or shapes with our fingers
* puppet shows(we each did our own). It was much more fun than I thought it would be :)
* playing make believe with her ponies
* sorting colored beads
* puzzles
* threading beads on thick string
But I realized that I wanted to spend more some purposeful time(maybe jut 30-45 min) in our day where she and I did a quiet activity together, teaching her to sit still and focus for a period of time on a project as well as getting in some quality one on one time :). I am also hoping to work on her letters, number, shapes etc during this time. It fits in best in our day when she wakes up from her nap and Rose is till snoozing. That way, she and I can do something a little more involved. I've come up with a pretty limited list of ideas(sometimes I mix a few ideas into one day). But I would LOVE to hear some of your ideas :)
* painting (letters, numbers, shapes, pictures)
* Tea Party
* white board
* chalk board (can you tell I was a teacher?)
* baking/cooking
* reading
* spreading shaving cream on the table and writing letters, numbers or shapes with our fingers
* puppet shows(we each did our own). It was much more fun than I thought it would be :)
* playing make believe with her ponies
* sorting colored beads
* threading beads on thick string
So does anyone else have any FUN ideas for me?
Menu Plan Monday~ March 19, 2012
It's been a bit of a "sick week" for the Baylors. In the beginning of the week, Rose spiked an almost 104 temp and was sick to her stomach with a nasty nose. Poor girl. She just laid there staring for a couple of days! The immediate care nurse relieved my concern by checking her out late one night. The fever broke and in about 3 days or so she was back to normal. Then of course slowly each of us caught the bug. But fortunately for Maddy, Tim and I it was only a nasty head cold type of flu. I think we are all on the upswing now. I am never as thankful for health as after we have all been sick!
On a positive note, we are getting more and more light back each day! It's been so refreshing and uplifting to our spirits! The sun is coming up now at about 6am and going down around 6pm - woohoo -10 hours of sunlight! But before we know it, there will be more light than dark. So I need to get moving on finding some black out blinds for the girls so they will still sleep :) But I'm not complaining!
I was able to use plenty of leftovers last week and we were also invited over for a few meals, so I have 2 repeats this week. Hope you have a great week of cooking in your house!
Monday~ Broiled Parmesan Haddock (402 calories a fillet), crispy broccoli
Tuesday~ Pat's Famous Beef and Pork Chili (469 calories per 1 cup), cornbread
Wednesday~ Beef Tacos, guacamole(105 calories per serving), chips
Thursday~ Coconut Chicken (419 calories per 4 strips), parmesan green beans (green beans cooked in olive oil and salt and pepper in a skillet for about 10 min, then sprinkled with Parmesan.
Friday~ Spaghetti and Meatballs(303 calories for 1/4 of the meatballs in recipe, then add calories for whatever pasta you use), Salad
For more recipes check out orgjunkie
On a positive note, we are getting more and more light back each day! It's been so refreshing and uplifting to our spirits! The sun is coming up now at about 6am and going down around 6pm - woohoo -10 hours of sunlight! But before we know it, there will be more light than dark. So I need to get moving on finding some black out blinds for the girls so they will still sleep :) But I'm not complaining!
I was able to use plenty of leftovers last week and we were also invited over for a few meals, so I have 2 repeats this week. Hope you have a great week of cooking in your house!
Monday~ Broiled Parmesan Haddock (402 calories a fillet), crispy broccoli
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| The recipe uses Tilapia, but it's easier to find Haddock here. So use whatever sturdy white fish you can find :) |
Tuesday~ Pat's Famous Beef and Pork Chili (469 calories per 1 cup), cornbread
Wednesday~ Beef Tacos, guacamole(105 calories per serving), chips
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| We cannot seem to get off this guacamole train - so yummy! |
Friday~ Spaghetti and Meatballs(303 calories for 1/4 of the meatballs in recipe, then add calories for whatever pasta you use), Salad
For more recipes check out orgjunkie
Thursday, March 15, 2012
R.L.B. is 18 months :)
Oh our sweet Rose Bud! I can't believe she's already 1 1/2 years old. She has certainly won the hearts of our family! She's endearing, lovable, thoughtful, snuggly, smart, and HAPPY :)
*Her language skills have really started taking of this past month. She's trying to copy words that we say now and is so proud of herself. She has a slew of words that she knows and uses them! I'm so glad too. There's not much more frustrating than a toddler screaming (for some unknown reason) and they can't tell you why. YAY for words :)
* She LOVES to dip her food into anything(humus, ketchup, dressing). As soon as I put food on her tray(it could be anything from a carrot to a piece of cheese) and she'll say, "dip dip," and repeat it until I give her something to dip her food in. It cracks us up!
*She tries to count, but only comes out with Wun(1) Wee(3) Wun Wee, Wun Wee - over and over. She grins ear to ear and is so proud of herself. I love it!
*Her new favorite toy is her baby doll stroller. From the minute she wakes up she is busy busy pushing that little stroller around. Now mind you, it seldom has a baby in it. It's contents are more likely to be a brush, toy, sippy cup, granola bar, or her favorite blanky.
* Her all time favorite food is oranges - but unfortunately she gets a nasty diaper rash when she eats them :( But when she can't have an orange, she'll take some baked beans(I know, weird right?!)
* She loves loves loves to eat! It's hard to believe for as tiny as she is, but this girl basically eats all day. She has several different ways that she will tell us that she is hungry:
#1 She'll climb up into her chair and say, "foo" (food)!!
#2 She'll open this low cabinet we have and pull out the crackers, raisins or granola bars and bring them to me to open. When I ask her if she wants to eat it she says loudly, "yea!'
#3 She will stand by the fridge door and yell, Peese!(please) as she tries to pry the door open with her little fingers.
* She will often run to me with open arms and when I kneel down and scoop her up she hugs me and lays her head on my shoulder. ahhh ... I tell you what, that will get you through a tough day!
* She loves to spin and dance with her sister to Princess music, but she does NOT like her sister to lead in the dancing- which totally annoys said big sister :)
But at the end of the day they are all hugs and snuggles.
* Whenever I come to Sunday School to pick her up after church, she runs with open arms to me saying, "mama!" squealing sweetly. I kneel down and she runs into my arms and gives me the best snuggle in the world!
* When Daddy come home from work she jumps and squeaks and spins shouting, "Dada! Dada!". She looks up at him with those BIG BLUE eyes and he can't help but give her whatever she wants :) This is her looking up at him asking him to read her a book - which of COURSE he did!
* She has gotten more spunky and has started to throw little fits when she doesn't get what she wants. She just melts to the floor and flails a bit. Sad to say, but it's pretty hysterical.
* She has also started to stand up for herself more with Maddy, which is great! I think Maddy is learning that she has to be kind and fair if she wants to co-exist well :)
* She is still as teeny as ever. She can still fit in this little back carrier and is happy to do so(well, most of the time).
*Her language skills have really started taking of this past month. She's trying to copy words that we say now and is so proud of herself. She has a slew of words that she knows and uses them! I'm so glad too. There's not much more frustrating than a toddler screaming (for some unknown reason) and they can't tell you why. YAY for words :)
* She LOVES to dip her food into anything(humus, ketchup, dressing). As soon as I put food on her tray(it could be anything from a carrot to a piece of cheese) and she'll say, "dip dip," and repeat it until I give her something to dip her food in. It cracks us up!
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| Playing with a stick at the park. Looks a little like a "Harry Potter" stance to me :) |
*She tries to count, but only comes out with Wun(1) Wee(3) Wun Wee, Wun Wee - over and over. She grins ear to ear and is so proud of herself. I love it!
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| This is with our friend Stacey. I love that she looks like such a big girl here! |
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| Chasing Pigeons in Edinburgh. She has recently gotten her "toddler run" down. I just love it! |
* She loves loves loves to eat! It's hard to believe for as tiny as she is, but this girl basically eats all day. She has several different ways that she will tell us that she is hungry:
#1 She'll climb up into her chair and say, "foo" (food)!!
#2 She'll open this low cabinet we have and pull out the crackers, raisins or granola bars and bring them to me to open. When I ask her if she wants to eat it she says loudly, "yea!'
#3 She will stand by the fridge door and yell, Peese!(please) as she tries to pry the door open with her little fingers.
* She loves to spin and dance with her sister to Princess music, but she does NOT like her sister to lead in the dancing- which totally annoys said big sister :)
But at the end of the day they are all hugs and snuggles.
* When Daddy come home from work she jumps and squeaks and spins shouting, "Dada! Dada!". She looks up at him with those BIG BLUE eyes and he can't help but give her whatever she wants :) This is her looking up at him asking him to read her a book - which of COURSE he did!
* She has gotten more spunky and has started to throw little fits when she doesn't get what she wants. She just melts to the floor and flails a bit. Sad to say, but it's pretty hysterical.
* She has also started to stand up for herself more with Maddy, which is great! I think Maddy is learning that she has to be kind and fair if she wants to co-exist well :)
* She is still as teeny as ever. She can still fit in this little back carrier and is happy to do so(well, most of the time).
We are just so thankful for you Rose Lillian Baylor! You truly are a blessing from the Lord and special gift to our family! We love you sweetheart!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Menu Plan Monday~March 12/2012
Monday- Pat's Famous Beef and Pork Chili (469 calories per 1 cup) and corn bread- I froze half last time I made it. So YAY! No cooking :)
Tuesday- Chicken Lettuce Wraps, and Broccoli Lo Mein
Wednesday- Chicken Enchiladas, salsa and chips
Thursday- Coconut Chicken with sweet chili dipping sauce (419 calories per 4 strips, plus 25 calories per 1 T dipping sauce), corn, chopped potatoes baked in olive oil and salt and pepper. We LOVED this last time we had it and we're trying to do it again!
Friday- Pasta with homemade sauce and salad - the recipe link will take you to a chicken parmesan recipe that we love, but I am just using that sauce recipe and going meatless on this one to save money.
Find more recipe idea's at organizing junkie
Tuesday- Chicken Lettuce Wraps, and Broccoli Lo Mein
Wednesday- Chicken Enchiladas, salsa and chips
Thursday- Coconut Chicken with sweet chili dipping sauce (419 calories per 4 strips, plus 25 calories per 1 T dipping sauce), corn, chopped potatoes baked in olive oil and salt and pepper. We LOVED this last time we had it and we're trying to do it again!
Friday- Pasta with homemade sauce and salad - the recipe link will take you to a chicken parmesan recipe that we love, but I am just using that sauce recipe and going meatless on this one to save money.
Find more recipe idea's at organizing junkie
Thursday, March 08, 2012
#101 Maddy Says
* In a rental car with our friends the Barkers on our way to Inverness, Maddy shouted out, "It smells like poop in here! Mama - you need to to change Rosie's diaper!". The hilarious part is that Rose's diaper was clean. The car actually did smell like poop!
* After watching a "Diego" episode she said, "I wish I could be a chinchilla and have big ears to hear scary animals in the woods so they won't get me!"
* Rose had a stuffed animal that Maddy really wanted and we told Maddy that she needed to wait until Rose put it down and then she could play with it. Well as soon as we were out of sight we heard Maddy say to Rose, "Wosie! You can't come in hewre(into the bathroom) unless you give me that aminal!" We could not believe it! What a little briber!
* When I found Maddy's coloring book in the fridge, I asked her why she put it there and she told me, "So Rosie won't get it and rip it up" - well then girl - mission accomplished :)
* She will often say, "Here's my deal: You drink the Coke all, then I drink the last sip".
* After evening prayer Maddy says to me: "Daddy, why did you pray for me to have a new heart?"
Tim: "That's what Jesus does for us, sweetie. He gives us a new heart to serve God and love others."
Maddy: [eyes widening] "I made a heart for YOU today, daddy. It was red and I put stickers all on it. And I'm gonna stick it right on your belly and you'll look just like a Care Bear!"
Tim: "Uh . . . "
Precious moments:
*Maddy and I were watching "Tangled" together tonight when the song "Now I see the Light" came on (we both LOVE this song) and she grabbed my hands just as the two main characters held hands. Then she says, "Mom, lets hold hands and sing to each other". We sang the rest of the song holding hands looking at one another and smiling. I totally burst into TEARS! It was such a precious moment! Love that girl!
*Rose, Maddy and I were sitting up in the window sill watching for Daddy to come home from the office one day. We were playing the, "That's not my Daddy" game. It goes something like this: A woman walks down our street and we say, "That's not my Daddy, he's not a girl; he's a boy". Then Madison followed this statement up with, "Mom, your a gurwl, I'm a gurwl, and Wosie is a gurwl. Then with a very sad and concerned face, "But Daddy is NOT a gurwl! He's a boy! He needs us gurwls so he won't be alone!" It was just so precious!
* Rose had a stuffed animal that Maddy really wanted and we told Maddy that she needed to wait until Rose put it down and then she could play with it. Well as soon as we were out of sight we heard Maddy say to Rose, "Wosie! You can't come in hewre(into the bathroom) unless you give me that aminal!" We could not believe it! What a little briber!
* When I found Maddy's coloring book in the fridge, I asked her why she put it there and she told me, "So Rosie won't get it and rip it up" - well then girl - mission accomplished :)
* She will often say, "Here's my deal: You drink the Coke all, then I drink the last sip".
* After evening prayer Maddy says to me: "Daddy, why did you pray for me to have a new heart?"
Tim: "That's what Jesus does for us, sweetie. He gives us a new heart to serve God and love others."
Maddy: [eyes widening] "I made a heart for YOU today, daddy. It was red and I put stickers all on it. And I'm gonna stick it right on your belly and you'll look just like a Care Bear!"
Tim: "Uh . . . "
*Maddy and I were watching "Tangled" together tonight when the song "Now I see the Light" came on (we both LOVE this song) and she grabbed my hands just as the two main characters held hands. Then she says, "Mom, lets hold hands and sing to each other". We sang the rest of the song holding hands looking at one another and smiling. I totally burst into TEARS! It was such a precious moment! Love that girl!
*Rose, Maddy and I were sitting up in the window sill watching for Daddy to come home from the office one day. We were playing the, "That's not my Daddy" game. It goes something like this: A woman walks down our street and we say, "That's not my Daddy, he's not a girl; he's a boy". Then Madison followed this statement up with, "Mom, your a gurwl, I'm a gurwl, and Wosie is a gurwl. Then with a very sad and concerned face, "But Daddy is NOT a gurwl! He's a boy! He needs us gurwls so he won't be alone!" It was just so precious!
Sunday, March 04, 2012
Menu Plan Monday
Our friend Stacey from Chicago has been here this week with us and we have been enjoying showing her around the area a bit and just enjoying spending time with her. It's always fun to have a familiar face around and to step out of the normal routine to see a few different things. We're enjoying our time! We just found out that Tim's parents will be coming to visit at the end of April for 3 weeks - yay!
Monday- Chicken Noodle Soup and Salad
Tuesday- Stuffed Shells (210 calories for 2 shells)
Wednesday- Cheddar Bacon Burgers (466 Calories a burger). A juicy American style hamburger is hard to come by here. The beef just tastes different is prepared in a "funky way" at the restaurants. By that I guess I mean that the meat seems very dense and pack together with very little seasoning or flavor - much like a hockey puck of meat - blah. So I scoured the web for a burger that infused flavor and "juiciness" into the burger - haha :) We love it!
Thursday- Beef Tacos and Homemade Guacamole (105 calories per serving-not including chips.) I love this recipe-so zesty and flavorful!
Friday- Orchard Chicken Salad - I didn't get a chance to make this last week and really want to -looks so fresh and tasty!
I'm linked up with orgjunkie
Monday- Chicken Noodle Soup and Salad
Tuesday- Stuffed Shells (210 calories for 2 shells)
I make mine by memory from an old recipes, but I includes: 1 container of cottage cheese, 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, an egg, oregano, browned ground beef, salt and pepper- all stuffed into cooked pasta shells. Then I just pour spaghetti sauce over top,
sprinkle with a little mozzarella and bake til bubbly.
Wednesday- Cheddar Bacon Burgers (466 Calories a burger). A juicy American style hamburger is hard to come by here. The beef just tastes different is prepared in a "funky way" at the restaurants. By that I guess I mean that the meat seems very dense and pack together with very little seasoning or flavor - much like a hockey puck of meat - blah. So I scoured the web for a burger that infused flavor and "juiciness" into the burger - haha :) We love it!
Does anyone else have a good burger recipe they love?
Thursday- Beef Tacos and Homemade Guacamole (105 calories per serving-not including chips.) I love this recipe-so zesty and flavorful!
Friday- Orchard Chicken Salad - I didn't get a chance to make this last week and really want to -looks so fresh and tasty!
I'm linked up with orgjunkie
Monday, February 27, 2012
Menu Plan Monday
Monday - Chicken Fajitas with black bean salsa (can you tell we like mexican?)
Tuesday- Crockpot pulled pork sandwiches (263 calories a sandwich), fresh veggies
Wednesday- Turkey Avocado Baguette Sandwich with Chipotle Mayonnaise (344 calories for 1/6 baguette) - her recipe has each sandwich as 1/3 of the whole baguette, but I cut the serving size to save on calories.
Thursday- Easy Baked Chicken, grilled broccoli (last week they had a deal on whole chickens 2 for 7GBP's, so I figured I should use the one in my freezer before I bought more chicken :) Plus we just love this recipe! It's so easy and tasty and I'm able to use the extra meat for a few days after!
Friday- Orchard Chicken Salad
There are a lot more great meal ideas at Orgjunkie!
Friday- Orchard Chicken Salad
What are you cooking up this week?
There are a lot more great meal ideas at Orgjunkie!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The Jesus Storybook Bible
When Maddy turned 3, Tim and I realized that Maddy was ready for a little more in depth Children's Bible. We did a little research and at Christmas time, got her the "Jesus Storybook Bible".
It is just a tad above her reading level and takes a little effort on our part to keep her sitting still for a full story (we also have a very active child). But sitting still quietly for longer periods of time is something we are working with her on, so I guess we are hitting two birds with one stone.
I'm happy to see that she is intrigued by the stories and the pictures(although she wishes there were more :). She really gets into it and asks so many good questions! Tim and I really like that the constant theme points towards Jesus Christ. It's kid friendly and interesting and still maintains the facts of the scriptural stories. That's a hard thing to find in a children's Bible book! I think it's something that we will continue to re-read with her for many years to come, gleaning new and deeper truths as she grows in her understanding and, Lord willing, faith. I would recommend it to anyone with children!
Missionary friends of ours in London (David and Annalisa Wilson) wrote a blog post on the book recently including this great article written by the author of the book, called "Teach Children the Bible is not About Them". It's a quick and excellent read -such good reminder as a parent. Her main point is that we don't need to "pull a moral" out of each and every story in the Bible to teach children how THEY must act. The story of the Bible is bigger than that. It's about Christ and His work on the cross!
This quote from the article says it best, "When we drill a Bible story down into a moral lesson, we make it all about us. But the Bible isn't mainly about us, and what we are supposed to be doing---it's about God, and what he has done!"
It is just a tad above her reading level and takes a little effort on our part to keep her sitting still for a full story (we also have a very active child). But sitting still quietly for longer periods of time is something we are working with her on, so I guess we are hitting two birds with one stone.
I'm happy to see that she is intrigued by the stories and the pictures(although she wishes there were more :). She really gets into it and asks so many good questions! Tim and I really like that the constant theme points towards Jesus Christ. It's kid friendly and interesting and still maintains the facts of the scriptural stories. That's a hard thing to find in a children's Bible book! I think it's something that we will continue to re-read with her for many years to come, gleaning new and deeper truths as she grows in her understanding and, Lord willing, faith. I would recommend it to anyone with children!
Missionary friends of ours in London (David and Annalisa Wilson) wrote a blog post on the book recently including this great article written by the author of the book, called "Teach Children the Bible is not About Them". It's a quick and excellent read -such good reminder as a parent. Her main point is that we don't need to "pull a moral" out of each and every story in the Bible to teach children how THEY must act. The story of the Bible is bigger than that. It's about Christ and His work on the cross!
This quote from the article says it best, "When we drill a Bible story down into a moral lesson, we make it all about us. But the Bible isn't mainly about us, and what we are supposed to be doing---it's about God, and what he has done!"
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
#003 You Might Live in Scotland If...
...you boil your water for coffee, tea, oatmeal, etc. in an electric kettle.
Yup, just about every flat in Aberdeen comes with one of these babies on the counter. Tim and I both agree that this invention is genius and we should get one straight away upon our return to the States ;) You just fill with water, press the button and you have piping hot water in a matter of minutes!
Monday, February 20, 2012
MPM + review of last week's menu
So it's a busy time right now with trying to make some changes to the first draft of my thesis. I handed it to my reader a bit ago and he gave it back with some needed change, but not a ton - which is SUCH a blessing. So i'm trying to polish it up right now to get to the technical reader by Wednesday, then all that's left is a 2nd draft and a presentation via Skype-woohoo!
All that to say, my menu is pretty simple, not very many pics and not all the calorie counts I normally have. Hopefully I'll be back on track with that next week.
Monday - Cobb Salad: Romain lettuce topped with grilled chicken, bacon, hard boiled eggs, and cheddar cheese - yum!
Tuesday - Baked Chicken
Wednesday - Chicken Noodle Soup
Thursday - Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole, (410 calories a serving)
Friday - Meatball Subs
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quick review of last week's new recipes:
Lemon Dill Salmon - Tim and I both rated it a 9/10 -yum! -WILL do again :)
Lemon Dill Vinaigrette - 5/10 - too sour - Will NOT do again :(
Cheddar Bay Biscuites - 7/10 - tasty, but so greasy and not that amazing(to us) to be worth all the calories - Probably Will NOT do again :(
Sesame Chicken - 5/10 - Just bland and blah - not worth the effort - Will NOT do again :(
Chicken Caesar Salad - amazing! We both rated it a 9/10. I think the homemade dressing and homemade croutons made it so yum! WILL do again :)
I'm linked up with orgjunkie.com
All that to say, my menu is pretty simple, not very many pics and not all the calorie counts I normally have. Hopefully I'll be back on track with that next week.
Hope you all have a great week and some good cookin' planned :)
Monday - Cobb Salad: Romain lettuce topped with grilled chicken, bacon, hard boiled eggs, and cheddar cheese - yum!
Tuesday - Baked Chicken
Wednesday - Chicken Noodle Soup
Thursday - Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole, (410 calories a serving)
Friday - Meatball Subs
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quick review of last week's new recipes:
Lemon Dill Salmon - Tim and I both rated it a 9/10 -yum! -WILL do again :)
Lemon Dill Vinaigrette - 5/10 - too sour - Will NOT do again :(
Cheddar Bay Biscuites - 7/10 - tasty, but so greasy and not that amazing(to us) to be worth all the calories - Probably Will NOT do again :(
Sesame Chicken - 5/10 - Just bland and blah - not worth the effort - Will NOT do again :(
Chicken Caesar Salad - amazing! We both rated it a 9/10. I think the homemade dressing and homemade croutons made it so yum! WILL do again :)
I'm linked up with orgjunkie.com
Monday, February 13, 2012
Menu Plan Monday + Valentine's Day Menu
Monday- Stuffed Shells, salad
Tuesday (Valentine's Day)
We're having a nice quiet, romantic dinner at home once the kids to go bed!
- Salmon with Lemon and Dill (320 calories per filet) Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette(43 calories)
FUN FOR KIDS :
* Fun little snack/activity for the girls: Valentine's Day Popcorn Balls
Wednesday- Beef and Black Bean Burrito Bar. We try to make ours as much like Chipotle's as possible - yum!
I didn't get to the following two last week because I ended up making some other things based on what we were feeling like and had. So I had to give them a go this week.
Thursday- Sweet and Sticky Sesame Chicken (288 calories, 4g fat, 2.25g fiber per 1 cup)
Friday- Chicken Caesar Salad (227 calories per 1 cup)
Tuesday (Valentine's Day)We're having a nice quiet, romantic dinner at home once the kids to go bed!
- Salmon with Lemon and Dill (320 calories per filet) Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette(43 calories)
Cheddar, Garlic Biscuits (tim's favorite) ~This is our splurge
Dessert:
Homemade Molton Chocolate Cake
(Kindly given by my Friend Stephanie. This will be my first time trying it ;)
Ingredients:
4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 T Cabernet or other wine
1 t vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
6 T flour
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground ginger
*The recipe calls for making it in the microwave, but I always use a saucepan on the stove.
*Melt chocolate and butter together, whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in wine, vanilla, and sugar until blended. Whisk in eggs and yolk. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon evenly into prepared dish (I used the fairy cake mold, but i have used the muffin tin before, though I can't remember how long I baked them, think it was still about 15 min?)
*Bake in preheated 425 degree oven (that's 210 deg C) 15 min or until sides are firm but centres are soft. Let stand 1 min. Loosen edges with knife. Invert onto serving plate. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if desired.
* Fun little snack/activity for the girls: Valentine's Day Popcorn Balls
Wednesday- Beef and Black Bean Burrito Bar. We try to make ours as much like Chipotle's as possible - yum!
I didn't get to the following two last week because I ended up making some other things based on what we were feeling like and had. So I had to give them a go this week.
Thursday- Sweet and Sticky Sesame Chicken (288 calories, 4g fat, 2.25g fiber per 1 cup)
Friday- Chicken Caesar Salad (227 calories per 1 cup)
Find more recipe ideas art Orgjunkie
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