Joslyn Art Museum (223:365)

Scott got home today from his conference trip and after I picked him up from the airport we went on a date. First we went out to lunch and tried some new food at Wheatfields in Omaha, then went to a cool vinyl store and found some great band shirts.

Then we went to the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, for the first time.

Ah! It was so NICE and fun to go to an art museum. I haven't been to one for sooo long. I was an Art History minor in college, so I really miss art and studying up about it, so I was in my element and loving it.

They had a really great exhibit called The Glory of Ukraine, featuring tons of beautiful byzantine religious icons and artifacts.

Their permanent collection was also amazing. Scott was able to see his first Monet, Degas, Pollock, among others.

We had a really great time walking around together talking about art and being alone.

And the best part, we got in for free because there was less than 1 hour until it closed!

Drop One Off, Pick One Up (219:365)

The last few times Scott has gone on conference trips, my mom has been able to come out and "replace" him. She has even been able to plan her flights to line right up with his, so I literally drop him off and pick her up at the same exact time. 

We did another airport swap today. 

Dee is soooo excited for her grandma to be here.

Goose was terrified of her, but soon got over it.

For dinner, Goose ate her first broccoli trees and strawberry chunks. She LOVED it. She is at the point right now where she eats more than Dee at just about every meal. She can really pack it in, even weighing in at only the 25% for her age.

I am about to start a reading program with Dee. Per my friend Anna's recommendation, I bought the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, and am working my way through the introduction. I never read intros, I just don't have the patience, but I'm so glad I'm taking the time to do so here. It explains a lot of really important aspects to the program that are key to Dee's comprehension of it all.

I think we will start the program tomorrow. I am so excited about it!

Dee's First Dance! (211:365)

Our YMCA had a Valentine's Daddy Daughter dance tonight and Dee and Daddy pants went together. Goose was asleep already...

They had so much fun!

Dee requested "Talk About It" (Funky Town) from Shrek and had a lot of fun dancing to one of her favorite songs. She then kept wanting to request different songs, but daddy was a little bashful about bugging the DJ. 

During a slow song she kept yelling to Scott that she wanted them to change the song (like mommy like daughter-boo slow songs!). 

At the end of the night they gave Dee a rose which she was so excited about!

Dee and Scott had a really great time on their "date". I'm so grateful to have a husband who cares about his girls enough to spend quality time with them doing things the girls want to do!

The After Party

Interview (190:365)

Our daddy is interviewing today.

We are growing up!

Almost ready to fly out into this big world, away from the "cushy" life of students...if he gets this job that is. Good luck honey on your big day! You are in our prayers.

Just for kicks, a fun daddy flashback.

Date Night (184:365)

We met up with some friends in Omaha for dinner at Bonefish Grill. 

I tried Chilean Sea Bass for the first time.

It was good, but not amazing.

Our friends at Wolf fish which was described as an "ugly fish that eats lobster for dinner", so, that one sounded a little too scary for my taste buds. And I just googled "wolf fish". GAG! Just about made me scream. Videos of one eating a crab about made me loose it. I think I will stick with my wimpy fish, thank you. 
Eeesh.

After dinner, Scott and I went to Old Navy and got our growing preschooler some cute clearance size 5 shirts. Then we came home to find that our babysitter had done a wonderful job and had the kids in bed on time and happy! Couldn't ask for more.

Baby Boy Blowout (166:365)

Scott watched my friend Heather's little baby boy today while she and I took someone out to lunch. (He volunteered to do it without my asking! - He's the best honey around!)

Our kids don't really have blowout diapers, but this little one does, so Scott had a lovely surprise after we left, yet handled it well. Poor little baby, he ended up in girl clothes for the ride home!

Decluttering (162:365)

You all know we got a garage yesterday. Well, today we started filling it up! Our house is becoming more zen-like. I can breath a little easier. We aren't done yet, but we cleared out a lot of stuff so far. I can already imagine all the space we are going to have and how we will be rearranging furniture and toys. 

Scott did all of the grunt work, carrying everything out like a mad man. He was so into it though! We are both really excited about having a more comfortable and inviting home. 

Hooray for calmer and cleaner spaces!

Goose's First Mac & Cheese (141:365)

Today we went to a local restaurant called Fireworks to celebrate Scott being ABD.

ABD means All But Dissertation, which basically means he can officially start applying for jobs even though he still needs to write his dissertation. So, it's a really big and exciting time for us!

At the restaurant Goose ate her first Mac & Cheese and LOVED it.

She kept wanted more and getting frustrated with my slow feeding abilities.

It was super cute.

Also, Dee found a book I bought about teaching your baby to swim and she was looking at it while I was getting ready to go out. She started yelling fratically for me. I ran out and she showed me a picture of a baby swimming underwater and said, "It's adorable!". She's such a little sweetheart. She is always surprising us with how smart and grown up she seems.

ABD Baby! (140:365)

All But Dissertation.

That's what my hot man is.

Booya!

He passed his comprehensive exams and defended them with flying colors!

Congratulations honey!

We love you and are so proud of your smart brains.

Thank you for working so hard to support your family.

xxoxo

Black Friday (135:365)

Black Friday has become a tradition in our family.

Before I'd met Scott, I didn't even know it existed. 

This year was our 6th year or binge shopping.

It was my first year of visiting the Gap.

50% off everything! 

Luckily, my honey was able to come with me and hold the spoils in line while I picked up more things. A lady in line behind him kept complaining out loud about it, but she was just jealous her husband wouldn't come shopping with her at 1am like mine did. 

He's a keeper!

It sure is bizarre to bump into a friend at 1am at the Gap. It made the madness more fun!

After that, we realized we could buy most of the DVD's we wanted from Amazon for the same price as the crazy stores, and did just that.

Then, at 3:15am I braved Target alone to get a couple of things for myself and Jane.

And at 11:30am I got my sister to come to Old Navy with me to scope out those sweet deals.

We survived Black Friday 2010 injury free and now need to filter through stuff and make returns tomorrow.

There are always hasty purchases that must go back to their place of rest.

Anyone else indulge in Black Friday that has a tale to tell?

Great Grandma Carlsen's Raspberry Jello (133:365)

Today I finished our jaunty cranberry sauce hats.

My sister, Scott and I worked on Thanksgiving too. We made a Chocolate Pecan Pie (a family favorite taken from Emeril, which he has now added an extra 1/2 cup pecans to), Pumpkin Pie, Mashed Potatoes, and our Great Grandma Carlsen's Raspberry Jello.

With thanksgiving in my heart, I share my grandma's recipe with you all.

May you hearts and tummy's be filled with gratitude, turkey and raspberry jello.

Great Grandma Carlsen's Raspberry Jello

1 large box of raspberry Jello

2 cups boiling water

1 cup cold pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple)

One 2/3 size can (not the regular size) of pineapple chunks or tidbits, drained.  --be sure to save one cup of the juice as per above. 

(I usually just buy the large sized can because you don't get enough juice even with that. You can also buy pineapple juice to make sure you have enough.)

1 cup of frozen raspberries

1 cup of whipping cream (prior to whipping)

1 Tbs powdered sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

Add Jello to boiling water and stir until dissolved.  Add pineapple juice.  Stir and chill until almost set.  In the meantime, whip the cream and combine with powdered sugar and vanilla.  Once the Jello is close to being set, fold the whipped cream into the Jello and then fold in the drained pineapple and the frozen raspberries.  Add chopped pecans to taste.  Continue chilling until firm. 

Serve and enjoy!

Missing you today grandma Carlsen.

Flowbee (116:365)

My mom and step dad recently sent us a Flowbee.

You remember those things, right?

It's basically a vacuum with blades that cuts your hair.

Works for boys, men and grandmas, according to the pictures in the manual.

Well, you need to be able to hook it to your own vacuum to get the suction for hair cutting, and our vacuum is currently out of commission. It is clogged and I haven't been brave enough yet, or remembered to tackle it while Goose is asleep, so that's why our carpet is gross, for those of you who have recently seen my house and felt repulsed.

Anyway, Scott didn't realize that we needed to use our own vacuum for the Flowbee until he'd spent 30 minutes trying to figure it out (why don't boys read instruction manuals? but I digress...) so that is why you will not be seeing a real Flowbee haircut on here tonight. You won't be seeing one until I get that dang vacuum unclogged. Anyone a wiz at that and want to come fix mine? I'll make you something delicious...

(P.S. I hope Scott looks as cool as that guy "Rick", as stated on the image info, when we are done with him!)

Sneaky Chicken Nuggests (114:365)

I mostly (because some of the recipes are too healthy/"sneaky" for the likes of me) like the cookbook Deceptively Delicious that was written by Jerry Seinfeld's wife. Also, her all-knowing tone is kind of irritating too, but that issue is for another day.
I use the Banana Bread recipe from her book all the time and we love it.

Today I made a Chicken Nuggets recipe from that cookbook for the first time and everyone loved it! On her own, without any questioning, Dee said that they nuggets were "really good", and Scott also declared the same. I read reviews online where everyone that used the broccoli puree said it was a nightmare and didn't work well at all. I like the sweet potato in baby food jars because it is easy and fast!

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (or panko) 
• 1/2 cup flax seed meal
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 cup broccoli or 1 cup spinach or 1 cup sweet potatoes or 1 cup beet, puree
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or 1 lb chicken tenders, rinsed, dried and cut into small chunks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, flaxseed meal, Parmesan, paprika, garlic and onion powder on the paper or foil and mix well with your fingers.
2. In a shallow bowl, mix the vegetable puree and egg with a fork and set the bowl next to the breadcrumb mixture.
3. Sprinkle the chicken chunks with the salt. Dip the chunks into the egg mixture and then toss them in the breadcrumbs until completely coated.
4. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil.
5.  Place the chicken nuggets in the skillet in a single layer, being careful not to crowd the pan, and cook until crisp and golden on one side, 3 to 4 minutes.
6.  Turn and cook until the chicken is cooked through, golden brown and crisp all over, 4 to 5 minutes longer. (Cut through a piece to check that it's cooked through.) Serve warm.

 

What I did:

I used panko breadcrumbs, not whole wheat.

  

I didn't add any Parmesan Cheese because I wanted to be able to dip the nuggets into a Tikka Masala dip and a Thai Sweet Chili dip. Both went really well with the nuggets and made them seem a little more grown up.

 

For the egg and veggie wash mixture I used Sweet Potato (baby food puree in a jar!) since we have TONS of those right now.
Honestly I sneak baby food veggies into all kinds of recipes and no one (usually) notices. I've used the Sweet Potatoes in pancakes (with added brown sugar), Carrots in a Quinoa Chile, and would put Carrots into a Spaghetti Sauce too. It's all about hiding the healthy stuff in a way that no one notices the extra veggies they are getting. I've also seen pureed veggies in the freezer section at Costco and Target, stuff like beets and spinach, that would be a good thing to have on hand as well.

Oh, anyone else excited for Trader Joe's? I seriously think about it a few times a day! I know that I am super obsessed right now, but I can't help it! I'm totally going next weekend to one that is opening over an hour away. Boo-ya! 

Covered Button Earrings and Beef Stew (106:365)

I made more fabric covered button earrings today for the upcoming holiday bazaar. One pair in particular is hot! I'm totally making a ton of them. Even better, they are made from vintage fabric I got at an estate sale. 

And I made a beef stew from the trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I have to say, I was not a big fan of the stew (my favorite from that cookbook is the Polenta and Beef Stew - Yummy!), but Scott liked it. That's all a wife can hope for, a happy honey bunch.

Also, we had Buttered Rosemary Rolls from The Pioneer Woman website.

They are super yummy and really easy. 

A family fav.

Also, have you tried The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti?

I HEART that stuff. Even Scott likes it and there is cheese in it.

Although, I don't think he realizes how much cheese is in it, so hopefully he isn't reading this post or he'll likely stop eating it altogether (mostly out of "principle" or something)!

Regardless, that is going on our menu next week.

I'm already salivating.

Dee's First Jack-O-Lantern (104:365)

Paletas (95:365)

Have you ever tried a Paleta?

I am a timid experimenter of foreign ice cream.

I didn't have much luck with the Brazilian type.

Didn't have much luck in the Czech Republic.

Apparently Mexico didn't get the "bad foreign ice cream maker" memo.

Thank goodness.

Today we tried some of these delicious and creamy concoctions of gastronomical delight.

Mango was my flavor. It was creamy and sweet with a hint of tartness.

I could have used a little more tartness, but overall, it was delicious.

Scott tried a flavor not listed on their website, perhaps a vintage flavor?

Piña colada was his muse. It was better than I thought it would be. Perhaps even better than the Mango. Goose sure liked it!

Have you ever tried the Mamey flavor? I am dying to know what it tastes like.

This is a mamey according to Mr. Wiki,

"The fruit's flavor is variously described as a combination of pumpkin, sweet potato, and maraschino cherries with the texture of an avocado. Some consider the fruit to be an aphrodisiac."

Sounds delightful.

Scott's First Kid Crisis (85:365)

Today while attempting to quickly purchase some crafting supplies, I left the entire fam in the car and ran quickly into the store.

I came outside a few minutes later to find Scott in crisis mode. 

This is the story I got:

While trying to feed Goose a bottle, she barfed all over herself, him and outside on the asphalt.

Then a little girl and her mom came up near the car and the little girl started having a conversation with Scott while he was covered in barf. She kept asking him questions and he was irritated but polite, hoping the mom would encourage the girl to get into their car. Instead, the mom just watched (noticing the barf everywhere and not flinching,) saying, "she's very sociable, it will help her get ahead in life".

Once they finally left Scott alone, little Dee declared she had to go potty.

Exclaiming that she needed to wait, and putting Goose rapidly into her carseat, Scott ran around the car and pulled Dee out of the car in the nick of time to let a little puddle form under our car.

Cue me:

I come walking out, seeing the front door of the car wide open and empty and frantically look around for my husband and child. Scott starts to get exasperated saying, "Why didn't you answer your phone? I called you 5 times!". I look at my phone to see that I have no service. Lame old phone. (Thinking about getting a new carriers, any suggestions?) "Sorry!", I say, "I had no service".

Then we clean up, and drive away, leaving 2 little nasty puddles surrounding our parking spot.

Good Times.

Scott's First Paper Doll Craft (79:365)

Scott did his first craft with Jane today.

Really, that means he did the craft 90% on his own, since her attention span is like 5 minutes long.

We got this giant paper doll kit from someone for her birthday and Scott invested his morning is creating stylin' outfits for "Jared".

He is very proud of it and I felt that it needed to be shared.

Good Job crafty daddy!

Creamy Corn Chowder (67:365)

It was a chili day out today, so I decided to make some soup!

This little number suited me best.

We had not a single potato on hand, so I substituted turnips for

potatoes again. The smell literally had Scott acting giddy (I think it really was the smell  of bacon that did it more so than the soup. Doesn't bacon make you giddy?)

After eating it for a little while, I told Scott that I used turnips in place of potatoes. He response was, 

"I think the turnips have worn out their welcome."

Note taken.

They sure do last forever though and, I think, they work in a pinch

when no potatoes are on hand.

Oh well, soup turned out pretty good, but would be better with fresh  sweet corn and potatoes. We also added a little cheese (yes, Scott DID have about a tablespoon of cheese on his, perhaps just for show for Jane. Whatever, it suits me just fine.
He will become a cheese convert...)

Scott's First Comps and an FHE Activity (60:365)

Scott begins his comprehensive exams tomorrow. We spent the evening studying, which entailed my quizzing him and him answering with things I couldn't understand. I felt a little useless,
but he said it helped. 

Good Luck Honey! You are going to rock your tests!

Also, I'm working on another Personal Progress task, Faith Value Experience #6. Me and a couple of girls from church are all doing this tomorrow in our homes for our Family Home Evening lesson.

I printed off some pictures and some more pictures about the Plan of Salvation and cut them out. Tomorrow I am going to contact paper them and put felt on the back so I can use them on my new flannel board.