Kitchen Adventures!

So, those of you who know me well know that I don't cook.  I might occasionally "warm something up", or put premade cookie dough onto a cookie sheet, but when it comes to actually cooking a meal - it's far and few between. I've been noticing lately that my very-well-fed-baby has been eyeing my eating habits.  If I'm holding a Coke, she purses her lips and reaches for it as if to say, "Share, Mommy!" It's enough to make me want to eat healthier. Since I've been thinking a lot more about eating healthier I figured I had better start cooking more at home. (Ughhhhhhh!!!!!)

McKinley has the freshest of the fresh when she eats, so I figured I should use that as a good opportunity to eat the freshest foods that I can as well.  Since I'm in the produce section, I'll buy fresh green beans instead of making the trip to the canned food section. (They cost almost the exact same amount!) So here, on the blog of many blogs, I will document my experiences in cooking. I'm sure that along the way there will be many laughs, and many, many tears... and probably a few dinners that end up in the trash while we order chinese.  But for now, my hopes are high and I will try my best. I'll be sure to post recipes along the way for those of you who may want to try them too!

For our first night (last night) of real dinners at home, I made Chicken Piccata with a side of Green Beans.  Along with many other things I've been blessed with (including humility!) I was blessed with the same talent as my father - I don't measure things, I just eyeball measurements.  It can be bad for some people, but it is usually spot on for me.  So anyhow, I'll post recipes here, but they may not be the exact same as mine. 

Chicken Piccata is one of the worlds easiest dinners.  ANYONE can do it.  It is soooooo good too! 

First you start by washing and trimming the chicken.  I like to butterfly my chicken so that it's significantly thinner and cooks faster. Then you coat it in flour, salt, sugar (and I like to add garlic powder).  Brown in a pan on Medium high heat.

(My stove looks like it never gets used!)

Perfect browing is easy... make sure the pan is already hot when you put the chicken in.  Heat the pan with some olive oil and butter. 

Take the chicken out of the pan and put on a plate with a paper towel (drains grease).  Put olive oil, mushrooms, dry white wine, and lemon juice in pan and let simmer.  When the sauce is thick, put the chicken back in the pan and let simmer for 5-10 more minute. 

The finished product it yummy!!!

Some steamed green beans, and we're ready to go! 

YUMMMMM!!!! It turned out so good!!!!

Continuation from earlier...

Ahhh, and back to the drawing board.  She just went down for another nap (that's unusual at our house) so I have a few more minutes to finish up blogging.  Lately she has had a mind of her own and has taken four or five fifteen minute naps every day.  She usually only takes one nap for about an hour and a half mid-morning so this is not a good schedule for me.  I find myself driving around for no reason because she fell asleep in the car and I don't want to wake her by getting her out. haha.

Thanks to my friend Heather who posted on my last post regarding church.  Those are all great ideas!  Unfortunately, she's still at the stage where she doesn't really understand that she needs to be quiet.  We try and show her, so hopefully she will get it soon.  I'll just keep praying and working on it.  :)

I think I figured out the video thing... after a quick google. Blogger really has simplified things since the last time I updated - and to be honest it's a very welcome change!!! I'm not liking having to upload my videos to YouTube.com though, and I'm wondering if I can hide them everywhere else except my blog?  If you have any suggestions, they're more than welcome!



This is the video of McKinley saying Dada, which is kind of cute.



This is the one where she is trying to crawl.  You'll have to forgive me, I took it on my phone and I filmed it upside down so that's how you have to view it.  My bad. 

Everything else is going well around here.  Our business has picked up, which has been nice.  It's mostly because of the home buyer tax credit that's about to expire.  (A special thank you to the federal housing administration for the shrinking home loans - I'm looking forward to that.) 

Jared's work is well, work.  They are closing his store, and opening a new one in Noblesville where he was promised the GM position.  Unfortunately, they just came to him and said they were opening the position up to the rest of the district and that he was welcome to apply.  Anyhow, 5 other people applied too, and they will be having the interviews soon.  It's safe to say Jared is looking for a new job.  We'll see how his search goes.  It's sad since he's been with the same company for almost 13 years.  I guess change can be good though. 

Welp, the sun is shining and I want to get out in it, so I have to run.  I hope it won't be as long before the next time we meet!

Spring Showers!

This morning I decided to spend some time catching up on a few friends blogs.  I took nearly 2 hours (time that I should have used for work) and read and read.  Thank you all for letting us see into your lives.  It can be so much fun reading what others have to say, and yet, I very rarely update our blog.  So here I am, 9:28 am, and am finally sitting down to update.  Go figure, I turn the computer on - log into my blog - and then the kid wakes up.  What are the odds?  : ) 

We've been having so much fun lately.  McKinley is really starting to have her own little personality, and attitude.  She has certainly figured out how to work everyone that's for sure.  The biggest culprits?  Her dad and her grandpa.  They are putty in her hands.  She's saying dada now, which melts our hearts, and is in the beginning stages of crawling.  We had her 6 month check-up earlier this week, and she's gorwing well! She's a little short for her age at 23 inches long, but her weight is right on at 18lbs.  It's funny, I could have swore she was almost 25lbs... haha, maybe I should start working out.

My newest struggle is church. I love it once I'm there (it's always hard to get up and go) but then McKinley is in the stage of wanting to talk and scream.  I don't want to be disruptive, so I'm finding myself standing in the hall a lot.  Someone tell me that it gets easier, please!  Jared and I share her equally for Sacrament, and then alternate each week on who gets her in sunday school and third hour.  This way we each get at least an hour of peace and focus.  But still, I can't wait for the days when she is just quiet and sits nicely.  Does that ever happen?

My last post was about how she is liking being in the kitchen with grandpa.  I had a few people mention that the picture didn't load, so I'll repost it.  She loves her apron, it's her favorite piece of clothing since it means she gets to cook. 

Oh wow, I'm loving the new blogger software.  It's so much easier to add photo's now!

If we aren't friends on Facebook, add me as a friend.  I'm ALWAYS uploading pictures and videos there.

This is my first time uploading a video to the blog, but we'll see how it goes...

 Did it work????

It worked, but it's still not right... let me try another one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Z1SZH12Y8

Hmmm.....

It's harder than I expected... unless there is a trick somewhere that shows you how to do it. I'll google later and find out. 

Anyhow, I'll update later when the girl isn't trying to eat the cord.  :) 

McKinley's 1st Hobby

When McKinley was an infant, we quickly learned that some of the rooms in our house would calm her down when she would cry. At home, when she would cry uncontrollably, we would take her into a dark bathroom and turn on the blow dryer. For some reason that worked to help her calm down. At my parents house there are certain rooms too. The kitchen. Random, but that's her favorite room at their house. Lately, she's been spending quite a bit of time with Grandpa in the kitchen. Not because she has been crying, just because she loves to watch him cook & bake, and is happy to sit and watch. Last week Grandpa made double chocolate chip cookies and McKinley was his Sous Chef.  

I even made her an apron with her name on it, and a big cupcake. Okay, I bought the apron, and embellished it. But hey, I would have made it if I had to! :) I love you JoAnn Fabrics! 

I'll have to update morepictures later today from the computer, but at least you get a taste! :) 

March? Already? No way.

When did March get here and where the heck did January and February go? I think 2010 is going to go too quickly. Maybe that's a good thing, but I'm not certain of that just yet.

I guess now would be a good time to tell you about all of the new things in our lives. I'm almost exactly six months into motherhood which has been absolutely amazing. I'm not too see where the last six months have gone either. In the mornings when I go into McKinley's room to get her, I expect to see this tiny 7lb something baby in her crib and yet that is NOT what I find. She's gigantic. Almost 20lbs already, and I'm not adjusting well. I really need to start working out because my arms are not strong enough for this child.

Speaking of her weight, we just bought her a new carseat. No more for the infant carrier that I loved so much. I hated that carrier, I thought it was such a pain and that I would enjoy the new carseat more. Boy was I wrong! Getting her in and out of the big girl seat while she is asleep is no fun. Or trying to adjust her while she's in the car, yuck. And did I mention that I have to carry her now? Were getting really proficient at getting the stroller out... EVERY TIME we get out of the car. It's a great carseat though, Evenflo 3-1 which means we hopefully won't have to buy another one EVER. Those seats aren't cheap! Poor Jared had to put up with me buying a seat and then returning it because, "it just doesn't feel safe enough for our baby." it's true I returned one after an hour of installation just to but a new one at a totally different store. And I made him go on a Sunday to but it, nonetheless, because she was going to be safe on the car dang it!

Aside from our carseat debachle, she's been doing a lot of fun things of her own. She's rolling over now, and has been for awhile now. She zerbers and gives raspberrys now which are so funny as long as there isn't food in her mouth. (I'm not a fan of crusted baby food on my clothes.) Her hair is getting longer, and she's getting bigger but that's about it. Oh, and she is smiling a lot now and is very tempramental but that's typical for a Vivona-Peyton.

I've been feeding her baby food of course, but because I am who I am, I felt the need to make her baby food. It was a MUST that she eat homemade and organic baby food. It was a huge deal for me. Jared and I went on a date to the whole foods market and bought $70 or fruits and veggies, and then came home and puree'd it all up. And then... I canned it. Word to the wise, it's not meant to be canned. We are finishing it off, and then we'll begin freezing. I'm not sure why, but the can don't stay sealed very well, and apparently it's the acid in the fruits and veggies. Who would have known? We've thrown out half of them, and have about 15 left. There were like 50 of them to begin with. Anyhow, if anyone has any ice cube trays that they would like to donate to the cause, just let me know.

On to work... Work has been great. We've been really busy which is nice. Were on track to double our numbers this year! It's great, but we would still like to do even more so were always looking for great referrals. It's a great business to do with a baby too, she is a great people meet-er and I can do a lot with her. And when I need to meet clients Ashley watches her for menso it's great.

Jared is doing good too. He's still doing his thing at the Noblesville store, and that's pretty much that. We've been watching a friends dog for the past 6 weeks and he's had his hands fun with her.

I think that's pretty much it. I'll email some photos to he blog in a few, I can't upload them into my blog from my phone.

Have a fantastic rest of the week!!!!!