Have you ever had one of those days?

Wednesday night, after a particularly trying day, we went out to dinner. On the way out of the restaurant, we looked up and saw a double rainbow in the sky! It was so pretty, we all stood in the parking lot for a minute enjoying one of nature's true gifts, and it made me forget for a moment about the day. We are blessed, and sometimes it takes a simple thing to remind me of that.

My little Pooper Scoopers

Ah, one of the cold hard facts of having a dog. In order to have a usable yard, you have to scoop. Fortunately for George and me, Zachary did a wonderful job of training Megan (passed the shovel, you could say). Now, it is a responsibility not to be left off the chart. Every weekend, they trudge out to the back yard to complete their duty, and they look awesome doing it. Love the stylin' anglophile shirt, Megan! Can you tell whose daughter she is?

Chicken Pad Thai...Mmm mmm.

I know, I know. I am going against the whole make everything fresh from scratch philosophy that I would love to live by 100% of the time. But, due to full time employment syndrome, I have to come up with portable healthy meals that I can heat up and eat at my desk 5 days a week. While at the store last weekend, I stumbled upon Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers - Chicken Pad Thai. I am a big fan of Asian food of all kinds, and they make especially tasty frozen dinners. Seriously, this is the best frozen meal I have ever had! If you like Thai, or Asian flavors in general, and it does not offend your sensibilities to eat frozen meals, you won't be disappointed.  

Organization Junkies Unite!

Let me start by saying that I am NOT an organization junkie. That being said, I do plan my menus weekly, shop once a week, and try to schedule everything I can. Routine is the norm around here and any break from it is kind of stressful. I even go through phases when I need, crave, even dream about cleaning out, labeling, and making my home a maze of pretty rubbermaid containers. No, I am not crazy, and thanks to my friend JoAnn Creamer, I found a site for people much more addicted to organizing than me (and who obviously have way more time). Orgjunkie.com is my new favorite site, and while doing some research on it, I came across some downloads that are so me. Menu planning, travel checklists, labels, and my favorite of all - Responsibility Charts! I immediately created one for Megan and one for Danny. It has become a competition for them to complete everything. Excitement for everyone!  :)

Mini Lasagnas with Sweet Corn and Mascarpone

I'm crazy with inspiration this week! Tonight, I made Giada's Mini Lasagnas with Sweet Corn and Mascarpone, and they were FABULOUS! George loved them, and said they tasted like cream corn - high praise from him. This is a great meatless meal and relatively easy, but so tasty if all of your ingredients are fresh. I love Giada's recipes - have I said that before?

Pomegranate and Mint Sorbet

While we're getting our windows replaced, and while I am working at home, I decided to take my lunch break and make a recipe (see Julie & Julia post on Literary Corner for inspiration). I had bought the makings for Giada's Pomegranate and Mint Sorbet to make in my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker that George  and the kids got me for my birthday. I cut some sprigs from my sweet mint on the front porch, and made the simple syrup. While it was cooling, I mixed the juices, and then poured the syrup in. I placed the whole mixture in the fridge to make it extra cold as it is a little warm in the house. Then I poured everything in the ice cream maker, and I continued to work on the computer. Five minutes before it was done, I poured in the mini chocolate chipe and Presto! Done. It did need a little extra freezing to make it firm, so I just had a bowl of it. It was amazing. So cool (it is sorbet) and minty. I continue to be impressed with the quality of Giada's recipes. Definitely a summer favorite.  

Goodbye windows...

We are in the process of getting our 70s-era metal windows replaced today. Yea!!! I can't wait until they are finished. This is something we've been looking forward to since we bought this house almost 7 years ago. Our dream is finally about to come true - it is a small dream, but our check book will thank us.

Danny's Muscle Mix

As we walk through the snack isles of the grocery store on Saturdays (Danny says "We are totally snack people"), the lure of the trail mix bags always draws them in. Both Danny and Megan are drawn to the nut/M&M/raisin mix like ants to a mound of sugar, even though Megan could leave the raisins. Every time, I tell them that we already have all of the makings for the trail mix that they would like, and Danny argues with me that he wants the bag of trail mix from the store. So, after the last trip, we came home, and I made him trail mix with Planters peanuts, plain M&Ms, and Craisins - I personally like Craisins better than raisins and they provide important cranberry antioxidants. It sounds like a simple thing to do, but I am now Danny's hero(ine). While I was making it, George told him that this mix would give him big muscles like Daddy, and the name was born. I wrote "Danny's Muscle Mix" on the bag, Danny's smile was all I need to make my day. The fact that I can control what goes in it and I save a lot of $ helped a little, too. 

More from the front porch garden...

The gardenias in the front garden with my roses have just started to bloom...three weeks later than usual. I think the heavy freezes this winter and spring set them back a few.  But, late though they may be, they smell heavenly. Speaking of heavenly smells, I know I mentioned my jasmine the last time, but I just can't get over its fragrance each time I enter or exit the garage. Divine. My front porch garden is doing very well. I have a few ripe, and a lot of green, cherry tomatoes on my tomato plant. Can't wait for them to ripen. I am going to take off the first two this weekend and see how they taste. My sweet mint, chives, basil, rosemary and lavendar are all flourishing, and I am going to have to start using the herbs in all of those new recipes I'll be trying (please see my last Literary Corner post for this reference). I am so excited the plants are doing so well. I have been watering them like crazy as it is already reaching the 90s during the day, and I hope they survive (I do not have a green thumb, and it is even darker black due to full-time employment syndrome). As I am making an effort to get back into the blogging, I hope that I can come up with some new recipes to share.

See - all better!

Danny's lip looks great, doesn't it!

An update on my Danny Boy

Wanted to give everyone an update on Danny. He was bitten by a dog on April 19th, and had to have six stitches in his lip. Thanks to Papa and Aunt Debbie, he was seen quickly, and the physician's assistant at TMH Urgent Care managed to do a really decent job with the stitches. This pic was taken the same day, and now, you can't even tell his lip was damaged. He was a trooper, too! He layed still for nearly 2 hours during the stitching. I don't know that I would have been so brave. I am so proud of him, and so happy that he is completely healed. I love you, Danny!

I love our garden!

Right now, our garden is in full bloom (except for the azaleas, which sadly have all bloomed for the year). For Mother's Day weekend, I picked some roses, lavender, and cilantro flowers from our front yard, and some hydrangeas from the back and side yards. The kids gave me some beautiful roses for Mother's Day, and I have enjoyed all of the blooms being in the house. Our confederate jasmine next to the garage is also blooming, and I can't get enough of that scent. I love this time of year.

Mother's Day Survivor Series

My friend Jen sent this to me for Mother's Day, and I just had to share. This is too funny.

SURVIVOR SERIES
Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 3 kids each for six weeks. Each kid will play two sports and take either music or dance classes. There is no fast food. Each man must take care of his 3 kids; keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money. In addition, each man will have to budget enough money for groceries each week. Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time--no emailing. Each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment and a haircut appointment.He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Emergency Room.He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a school function.Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside, and keeping it presentable at all times.The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done. The men must shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn themselves with jewelry, wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished, and eyebrows groomed During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, backaches, headaches,have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties. They must attend weekly school meetings and church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting.They will need to read a book to the kids each night and in the morning, feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair by 7:30 am.A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: each child's birthday, height, weight, shoe size, clothes size, doctor's name, the child's weight at birth, length, time of birth, and length of labor, each child's favorite color, middle name, favorite snack, favorite song, favorite drink, favorite toy, biggest fear, and what they want to be when they grow up.The kids vote them off the island based on performance. The last man wins only if...he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice. If the last man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years, eventually earning the right to be called Mother!