Life is A Journey...Come Follow Our's

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Spring Break

I keep sitting here thinking I'm wasting my Spring Break by going back and forth between cooking, playing with Quinn, hitting up the gym, and just perusing the internet, but then again, there's nothing really I'd rather be doing.  Quinn and I have had a BLAST these past few days despite the rain here in Northwest Arkansas.  We were able to get almost a whole morning of no rain on Monday (which of course we took advantage of) and spent it at this great park in town called MetroPark.  I had driven past it before but never really thought of stopping.  I'm so glad we did on Monday.  This park is PERFECT for little ones.  The playground equipment is great and there's a creek going through it that's never deeper than about 6 inches.  It's perfect for running down the hill to throw rocks, running back up to get to the swings, running back down to throw a couple rocks and running back up in exhaustion ready for a nap.  We made it home just as Quinn was starting to pass out and a three hour afternoon was all mine :)

Tuesday we met friends at JumpZone in the morning.  This place, despite all the rambunctious big kids, is AWESOME!  With 7 massive inflatables (one I swear is 3 stories tall), it's the perfect indoor playground for Mommy and Child to burn a lot of energy.  In true Quinn style, we ran from one to the next to the next jumping, sliding, and bouncing around.  Did the big kids bother Quinn?  Nope..though he looked like a Chihauha in a pack of Greyhounds, Quinn had no problem bouncing the big kids out of his way and being rough and tumbly with them.  I tried to take some pictures of Quinn and our friends Kennedy and Kenna, but he was moving so much these are the best I could do:

 
No baby slides for Quinn

Kenna and Quinn

Quinn and Kennedy (the only shot in focus that I got all morning)

I don't know if I've mentioned that Quinn has been talking a lot more lately, but it seems like it's always the funniest things that he has to say such as "Mommy...it own" (Mommy sit down) and today in the drive thru at Mc Donalds where I always order ice cream, Quinn was in the back seat yelling "Mommy No...Mommy More, More."  I thought nothing of it and drove off with my ice cream and my screaming child.  He would not stop so I asked him if he wanted ice cream.  His response, "YESSSS."  Needless to say, I got 2 licks and my little stud muffin enjoyed the rest. 

Quinn's First Ice Cream Cone

We're heading to Kansas City to enjoy the rest of our break.  I'll be sure to post when we get home, but for now, Bon Voyage!


Monday, March 12, 2012

Our Lenten Promise: A Meatless March

Brad and I are not the biggest meat eaters and he, more than I, have often said we could live without it.  After watching the movie Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead (a documentary about a 60-day juice fast and its health benefits) we decided we wanted to pursue researching a juice fast.  We figured our bodies could use a good cleansing and this seemed like the obvious place to start.

After doing some research, we quickly learned that most juice fasts have you consuming up to 64 ounces of fresh juice per day (think spinach, kale, celery, etc).  Knowing that we love to workout and aware of how many calories our body burns in a typical day we very quickly changed our tune.  But it was almost Lent, so what were we going to do?  AHA...a Meatless March.  Surely the commitment to being vegetarian (your call if you disagree because we are still eating fish, eggs, and dairy), was a sacrifice worthy of Lent.  And so it began, my quest to find amazing vegetarian recipes.

While it has been more challenging to find "grab and go" type items to eat when fruit and vegetables just won't cut it and you do want some protein (we used to just grab a piece of chicken or some turkey and cheese), overall, being "semi-veggie" hasn't been bad at all.  In fact, both Brad and I have found that we have been craving sweets a lot less (though they're not off limits), have found ourselves to have more energy, and just feel better.  Brad has also given up caffeine for the month of March and I, since the new year, have significantly reduced my caffeine intake from 2 cans/day to 7 cans so far this year.

So...what have we been eating?  Check out these recipes...they have ALL been hits


Quinoa with Sweet Potato and Mushrooms
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-with-sweet-potato-and-mushrooms/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=sweet%20potato%20quinoa&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe


Spinach Enchiladas Verde (I added Great Northern Beans to the spinach mix and used flour tortillas)
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spinach-enchiladas-verde/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=spinach%20enchiladas&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe


Homemade Veggie Black Bean Burgers (be careful not to overcook these guys!)
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-black-bean-veggie-burgers/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=veggie%20black%20bean&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe


Allie's Mushroom Pizza
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/allies-mushroom-pizza/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=allies%20mushroom&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe


Tofu Tacos (We were so pleasantly surprised by these though I've been told they don't reheat well)
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tofu-tacos-i/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=tofu%20tacos&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe


Homemade Hummus! (I added some cumin and extra garlic to make this awesome snack and sandwich spread)
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hummus-iii/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=hummus&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe


Shrimp Pad Thai (really good out of the pan, but really sticky when you reheat it)
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pad-thai-2/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=pad%20thai&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Pan Seared Tuna with Avocado Soy Ginger and Lime (the picture is still on my camera but amazing!)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/pan-seared-tuna-with-avocado-soy-ginger-and-lime-recipe/index.html

So...have I inspired you to try some new Meatless recipes?  Maybe a Meatless Monday in your future?

Labels: ,

Sunday, March 4, 2012

But I Don't Want To Nap!

As I write this...pause...the door has just slammed shut for the 14th time in the past hour.  You see, apparently, Quinn is just not needing a nap today, but of course, Mommy is needing Quinn to have a nap today :)  Pause...15 times now that I've walked in to find this...


...standing at the door to his bedroom.  Please notice the crib in the background.

How does he do it?  Well...here you go:  Wait...hold that thought...16 and 17 waiting for the pictures to load. 16 - he was in the humidifier emptying the water onto the carpet.  17 - he was in his toybox getting a cell phone.  Now here are the pictures:



CAUGHT!

Back in the Bed



By the way...we are now on number 18 and 19 :)  How long is this game going to last Super Nanny?

In case the pictures weren't enough...here's some video footage of the whole thing :)



20...21...22...SERIOUSLY!