Breakfast at Tiffany's

And I said, "What about breakfast at Tiffany's?"
She said, "I think I remember the film?
And as I recall, I think, we both kinda liked it
And I said, "Well, that's the one thing we've got"
                                  -- DEEP BLUE SOMETHING

French Toast Casserole

What you need:

6-8 slices of bread, any kind you like. I like french bread best, but what I used tonight was 6 slices of Trader Joe's Organic Wheat bread. It was simply yummy.
4 large eggs
1 1/2 milk (whole is best!)
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of nutmeg, optional

What to do:

Grease an 8x8 glass dish.
Cut bread into large cubes and place in the casserole dish.
In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs and milk. Mix in sugar and cinnamon, and nutmeg if you choose.
Pour over the bread; cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until golden brown on top.  Let cool for 5 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.

Serve with sliced fruit for more yummies.

Boys of Summer

I can tell you
My love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone.
                                 -- DON HENLEY

Lime Pepper Chicken with Three Pepper Rice

What you'll need:

Lots of limes
Boneless chicken breasts (one per person)
1/2 onion, sliced
Rice
Sweet peppers - red, orange, and yellow
1 clove garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

Slice limes into thick slices, leaving a couple cut into halves for juicing. 

Chop peppers into small pieces and mince garlic.

Salt and pepper the top of the chicken breasts. Spray grill pan with non-stick spray. Place chicken top down onto the hot grill pan and place lime slices on top; leave alone for 3-4 minutes. Also, place the sliced onion on the grill pan off to the side and grill until cooked and marked. The chicken will release when it is time to flip and has the pretty grill marks on it. 

When the chicken has released, flip the chicken and the limes, carefully, so that the limes are now underneath the chicken breasts.  Place new lime slices on top of the chicken with more salt and pepper.  Place a cover over the grill pan so that most of the pan is covered, leaving spots for steam.  Cook over low to medium heat.

While the chicken is cooking, go ahead and cook the rice, per box directions.  Place the chopped peppers and garlic into a small fry pan with olive oil. Cook over medium-low heat until peppers are soft, stirring often.

When the rice and peppers are cooked, pour peppers into rice and mix well.

Serve with the grilled onion on the side.  Delicious and refreshing! Great summer dish that will carry on into the cooler months.

Move It

I like to move it, move it
I like to move it, move it
I like to move it, move it,
Ya like to move it, move it!!
                               -- Reel 2 Real

Well, my little fella is on the move.  He started crawling just one day before he turned 7 months old.  His incredible pediatrician, whom we love to pieces, predicted he'd be crawling before 7 months. How right was he?? Chad started to get up and take one or two crawling steps that day, but he didn't even realize he was doing it. Since then, he has perfected his crawl and can now move across the house to get exactly what he lays his eyes on. So far, his three favorite things to run for are his sister's hair, books to eat (and yes, I mean EAT), and golf clubs.  He's so cute when he crawls, he has a very mechanical look to him.  And, not surprisingly, he doesn't take advantage of his mobility.  He likes to stay quite near me.  *Big surprise*  I guess I won't have to worry about him running off and out of sight!  Here's cute little video.

In the meantime, other random things that have been going on....

Cari decided to join the Blues Brothers.

Chad watched his very first British Open with his Daddy and celebrated in full fashion showing off his African lion to congratulate 2010's champion South African Louis Oosthuizen (yes, I had to look up his name to check the spelling).

Poor little Cari came down with a fever.  It was randomly brought on and it randomly went away. But while it was here, it was a booger.  She was in so much pain - writhing, twisting, whining, crying, whincing, shaking.  She moved from the couch to the chair, to Mommy and Daddy's bed, to her bed, to the floor, on the pillow, off the pillow, tried juice, milk, Gatorade, ice water, popcicles, yogurt. Nothing would take the pain away. It reminded me of when I was in labor with each of the kids. I want to sit. No, I want to stand. I need to walk. No, I can't walk. I don't want to lay down. I need to stand. I'm going to pass out. Please get me water. I'm hot. I'm shivering it's so cold in here.  I felt so horrible for her and wished I could take all of her pain away.  She finally found a spot on the floor with Daddy, right where the air vent blew cold and refreshing air onto her.

All the while, her little Kermie was right by her side.

Chad was a good sport and played very well by himself while we cuddled our sick little bunny.

He also discovered the precious little Bitty Baby. He is such a love. He pulls her out of the stroller, grabs her around the neck, squeezes tight, and plants a big slobbery kiss right on top of her head.

But, no worries.  He lays it on thick, and then tries to take her seat. 

Not too happy that he can't quite get his bottom up high enough to get in that stroller.  Maybe next time...

Chad is also very, very enthralled by the golf club.  Daddy's very proud.  When Daddy picks up the club to take a swing, Chad never takes his eyes off of him. He's already studying technique. And very excited to get some practice of his own.

Chad is happiest right when you pull him out of the bathtub. I guess it is getting out of the warm water into the fresh cool air and being completely nakey, then getting all snuzzled up in a towel and squeezed tight by his Mommy, carried to his room, laid on the bed and tickled until he can't handle it anymore.  In any event, he likes after-bath time.

And yes, the little bugs is feeling much better!

Chasing Cars

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life
Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads.
                                 -- SNOW PATROL

My sister and her family are on assignment this summer just over an hour north of us.  Thankfully, they were able to come down and spend some time with us so that the kids could chase each other up and down the stairs, build people tunnels for Emily, Ben, Thomas and Rosie to chug through, leap from the mattress to the floor with such force that we though the light fixtures would fall out of the ceiling, blow bubbles on the front porch, and cool down with popcicles.  We also had a chance to take them to the park for a few minutes to run around in the hideous heat so that they get the real feeling of what the concrete jungle of Atlanta is like in the middle of July.

We had a fantastic time.  The kids love each other and can't get enough. I hope that we are able to do this more often!

I cannot believe I got that perfect action shot of Ben's little toes stepping on the bubble. 

After throwing goldfish at the kids and begging them to sit still for a moment, we were actually able to get one good shot of all of them!

Thank you Dana, Mary Grace and Ben for spending part of your summer with us. We love you!!!

Country Road

Walking on a country road
Walk on down, walk on down, walk on down
Walk on down, walk on down a country road
Country road
You can feel it, you can feel it,
You can feel it too on a country road
                                     -- JAMES TAYLOR

Country Style Squash Casserole - Lots of creamy deliciousness!! It's what you do when you clean out the fridge. Use up your leftover zucchini, summer squash, onions, carrots, and cheese.

What you'll need:

• 1 large zucchini squash
• 2 large yellow summer squash
• 1 small sweet onion
• 1 sprig green onion, chopped





• 1 cup water
• 1 shredded carrot
• 1 tube Ritz crackers
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• Just under 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

• Cut zucchini, summer squash, and sweet onions into slices.  Place in a pot of 1 cup boiling water and cook until soft.
• In the meantime, crush up the tube of Ritz crackers and mix with the melted butter until all of the crackers are just moistened.  Press into the bottom of a 2-quart glass baking dish.
• In another bowl, mix the cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, shredded carrots, and green onions.
• When the squash and onions are softened, strain very well to get all of the water out.  Mix wth the soup mix thoroughly.
• Spread on top of the crushed crackers.  Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
• Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.  Enjoy!

Hey Soul Sister

Your sweet moonbeam
The smell of you in every
Single dream I dream
I knew when we collided
You're the one I have decided
Who's one of my kind.
                               -- TRAIN

This is the final segment of our trip to Michigan.  I cannot believe we were there a month ago already. Summer is moving all too quickly.

My parents live on the 13th green of their golf course. Each night, Andy would take his clubs up to the green and putt his little heart out until it was too dark.

And each night, Cari would open the door on the back patio saying, "Daddy pway goff.  Cari's cwubs??" and she'd go looking for her little pink set of clubs that Grandaddy got her.

She'd hike the bag over her shoulder like a natural, and off they would go, through the trees, over the cartpath, up the hill, around the bunker, to find that little 4-inch hole to sink their golf balls in.

Cari has watched Daddy do his pre-golf stretching so much, that she's got it down to a T.  She knows the routine. Pull out the club, hoist over the shoulder, and twist.

Next, you pick out a ball, and make sure you know which one is yours so you can identify it down in the fairway.  Yes, it will be in the fairway.  She comes from a long line of incredible golfers.

And, speaking of the long line of incredible golfers, the ball she chose tonight is none other than her Grandaddy's.

Look at her form! She's bound to excel.  They hit balls from the green to the tee, from the tee to the green, and everywhere in between.

They'd head up to the green and practice their short game and Cari had a blast with the flag. She'd try to lift it up to the best of her ability to get it back in the hole, where it should be. 

Daddy would hit his ball and as it disappeared into the little hole, she'd say with amazement, "Daddy get da baw out!"

She tried her hand at putting and with all of her practice in the living room at home, she's pretty good!

They'd putt and hit, hit and putt, right up until the sun set and it was finally bedtime.

When it was too dark to see, we'd come in for snuggles and stories before slipping off into dreamy slumber.

Thank you Gramma and Boppa for such a wonderful summer vacation! Can't wait to do it again and next time, Chad will also be out in the sunset swinging his clubs.