sun & sand part 2

10 months

happy 10 months ivy!

10 little facts:

1. you're still the world's best sleeper - 8:30 to 8:30.

2. you've mastered the "cruise".

3. you wear size 12 months (size 2 crewcuts) size 4 diapers.

4. you prefer bottles to food, but are slowly coming around. you love cheerios, bananas, prunes, avocado, apple slices and ice.

5. you've been to cabo and charleston twice now, as well as all over texas.

6. you love to be in the bath, pool and ocean.

7. you love children and other babies. you're the happiest church-nursery go-er, i almost feel bad when we have to go home!

8. you're still the only grandchild, but little do you know... baby brock is coming soon!

9. your favorite games are watching for birds and dogs, playing peek-a-boo and being chased by dad.

10. you have a summer tan, baby blonde hair, and no teeth.

i love you a million bajillion x 10!

(doesn't she look like nana in this pic?)

summer sandwich

I looove turkey sandwiches! It's always been my favorite thing to have for lunch. It's had some different styles over the years... ciabatta, pesto, grilled, with soup or with chips?, avocado, smoked turkey/roasted turkey, provolone/swiss/or no cheese at all... but I love it, in all it's shapes and forms. Here's what it's morphed into this summer:

--kaiser roll, buttered and grilled

--shaved smoked turkey

--lots of black pepper

--juicy red tomato, thinly sliced

--crispy bacon

--alfalfa sprouts

--green leaf lettuce

--sliced avocado

and usually with kettle chips.

and sweet tea.

yum.

folly guests

Mom, Gen and Cindy came up for a quick trip to say hi and see ivy, of course. It was much too short but we had a blast. (please note ivy's fashion forward hair accessory. For some reason, this just makes me think of weeza from the funeral scene in steel magnolias. or maybe her friend patrice. haha) thanks for coming!

sugar-n-spice pecans

This is actually the recipe for Emeril's Spiced Nuts, but they're known simply as Sugar-n-Spice Pecans around our kitchen. Emeril uses a combo of nuts in his mix, but I've found that the glaze sticks best to the pecans which are everyone's favorite anyway- so mine's a purely pecan batch, and a double one at that! (4 cups total).

recipe: here

sun & sand

mom's summer chicken pasta

When summer comes around, this is our go-to dish for lunch, dinner, snack... it's quick & easy to throw together, not to mention healthy and fresh! Mom created it several years ago, and it's been a favorite since.

--1 pack of tri color fusili pasta (sometimes called garden pasta)

-- rotisserie chicken, shredded

--3 bell peppers, diced (i use green, red and yellow)

--cup or so of black beans, drained

--2 cups frozen corn, thawed

--la martinique french vinaigrette (no substitutes!)

cook pasta and put into a large bowl. add shredded chicken, saute veggies until tender and add them in and toss with vinaigrette, salt and pepper. serve hot, warm or cold!

with parmesan crostini.

and sweet tea.

yum!

we dig fig

Tonight we tried a new to us restaurant, per the in-laws recommendation (and babysitting offer)and had a great time. I love how so many eateries around here take advantage of local ingredients and farms, etc. It's nice to have an idea of where your food actually comes from (what a concept!) and enjoy a menu that changes seasonally. The best part of the meal may have even been just the bread & butter which comes from Normandy Farms - YUM a million times. But actually I think the spring green soup took first. Anyway, blah blah blah.... check out FIG!

{a blurry iphone pic. but i love stamps and i love menus, so a stamped menu?! ... had to}

tjb turns 28

memorial day in cabo

Kevin & I haven't been down to Cabo since we were here with all the family after Christmas last year, so we were looking forward to another long visit. We arrived on Monday, a bit jet-lagged from a trip overseas we returned from oh just THE DAY BEFORE. We came with G&P to spend the week with my parents & Ivy who are already here, and Logan who gets in this evening. T & K can't make it, but we don't feel sorry for them, with their "weekends in the country" and all. (Is anyone else confused by my family's whereabouts? I can't keep track and I have like 4 calendars.) Anyway, I hardly recognized my daughter at the San Jose airport with her tan and beach-blonde hair! She's been here almost a week with Grandma & Company (6 crazy friends. Shout out to Aunt Barbie -Thank you!) The friends have gone back home, and the family is trickling in. It's been perfect weather, and I plan on doing nothing but lounging by the pool, getting massages, eating, and lounging around some more. Oh, and lifegaurding my new water bug!

yes, she goes under!

so here we all are having dinner in the most beautiful backdrop ever and does it even cross my mind to snap a group photo? no... think i'll just take a 156th one of ives... because she's eating pineapple... and it's just so darn cute.

bananagrams = addicting

We had a fun dinner at Tequilas and lunch at Cynthia's. Other than that, we stayed at home... playing bananagrams... and taking pictures of Ivy. Can't wait for next time!

{sorry gentry, pravin and logan for not getting one single photo... agh!}

goodbye texas, hello summer!

(don't be fooled by this tiny load)

Well, we've packed up every last drop of our life on Eaton Street - the place where we spent our second year and a half of marriage... Sept 08-May 2010, to be exact. The place where I walked around and around our little neighborhood, expecting our first babe, and then around and around again with stroller in tow :) Although it's always felt transitory, we've enjoyed our little life here, and I'm regretting that I didn't take pictures before packing it all away, but I'm sure they're captured somewhere.

It's a little sad to leave life as you know it, but actually, it's mostly exciting! We're ready and looking forward to starting the next chapter in Scotland. Kevin is going back to school to grab another Masters at the University of St. Andrews. We loooved the little town (and by little I mean the smallest town I've ever seen) when we visited a few days ago. It is quaint and charming, green and ancient, right on the coast of the North Sea. We found a little place (and by little I mean the smallest place I've ever seen) that will be just perfect for our family. School starts in September, so in the meantime we're basically on summer break (aka we're homeless). There's plenty going on to keep us occupied and we'll just be here and there (aka wherever we want). Here's to the next adventure and a long, happy summer!

Here's a peek of our lovely future town...

And the charming bed & breakfast we stayed in. Hi Jackie!

FiVe Pilmour Place

our cool bathroom

and bedroom {excuse kevin's hiney}

curried zucchini soup

I subscribe to Martha Stewart's Everyday Food email which sends me a dinner idea every morning. I've been receiving them for months and have honestly probably only made 2 or 3 actual recipes! Not because they aren't good, but because I rarely feel "in the mood" for whatever particular dish they're sharing that particular day. Ya know what I mean? Well, my sister-in-law informed me that Everyday Food is also a cookbook {Great Food Fast} and that she loves it and uses it all the time! Strange coincidence! I immediately ordered one because I'm addicted to cookbooks, especially recommended ones, and a good old fashioned book is always better than emails piling up in my inbox. There's also a website with tons more than the books offer. Thank you Kathryn!

I followed the recipe except used stock instead of water and added extra seasonings. Serve with naan, and lots of it... yum!

recipe: here