Friday, August 20, 2010

Wow, it's been too long!

What can I say, this summer has been busy! I stopped working in April, and have been staying busy with my little boy going to playdates, swimming, etc. Trying to keep cool as well! I'm glad my uncle Bryan reminded me that I have this blog, and I used to love posting. I need to get back into it. I guess I haven't tried many new dishes this summer since it's been so dang hot out and heating up the kitchen is so not on my list of things to do. I will share one specific recipe that is staying fresh in my memory, because it was so good, though. I had gone grain free and dairy free before my vacation to Puerto Vallarta in June, but fell off the bandwagon when we indulged in corn chips almost daily. We ate them with fresh salsa and guacamole though, so it was really hard to resist. Ever since then, I've been eating grain almost daily. I know I need to give it up for the sake of my allergies, but it's so hard to make a meal the whole family will love, completely grain and dairy free. Anyway, E is getting SO big. he's 26 lbs and about 34 inches long. He's still wearing 18-24 mo. clothing, so his height and weight has certainly evened out over the past several months. He's got pajamas that I finally put up because they were too small on him that he's been wearing since he was 9 months old. He's almost 20 months now! I ventured out today for tax-free weekend to see what little boy clothes I could find and found 8 items for 30 dollars. Most of it was resale and Marshall's. I did go to the mall, but I was about to pull my hair out by the time I left because the crowds were just insane. Not worth the 8% I was saving in taxes, for sure! E and I needed lunch so we were going to go to chipotle, but there was a huge line, so then we walked over to Tin Star and there was an even bigger line there, so I gave up and we went to the mall, where I knew I could get chickfila, and waited in line anyway. So annoying! Remind me next year not to do that. I'll stick to getting my daily deals at resale stores!

Anyway, so I did get another job, but it's only like 4-8 hours a week, depending on how much I work. It's good hourly though, so I hope I like it. I haven't started yet, because I need to take my TABC before I can do liquor promotions. I'm looking forward to getting out of the house for awhile without a kid. That will be nice. I joined a playgroup in May and have been doing outings with Ethan 3-4 times a week, and that's been a lifesaver for both of us. I'm really starting to bond with some of the moms in the group and making some good friends, so it's been nice.

E's been talking up a storm lately. He's starting to try and talk in sentences, but I can't understand a word he's saying. It's all gibberish right now but you can tell by his inflection that he's saying a sentence. He's started saying "no" to everything, even when he means "yes" and "why?" constantly. It's annoying and adorable at the same time. He loves Yo Gabba Gabba, and calls it "Yo Yo." He says "Nee-Nah" for "clean up" all the time. I love it! We've been working on getting him down to nursing at naps and bedtime only, and that's been going pretty well. I'd love to get to the point where he'd take a nap without me. It would totally free up my day and schedule, but we'll get there eventually I guess.

Okay, onto food. This recipe is grain free but not dairy free.

Smoked Brisket Salad

5 slices smoked brisket(we smoked ours in a smoker, but you could use smoke seasoning)
smoked almonds(we smoked our almonds, but you could use already smoked almonds)
1 dollop of sour cream
1 dollop barbecue sauce
shredded pepper jack
romaine or head lettuce, chopped
green onions, chopped
avocado, sliced
tomatoes, chopped
1 sprig cilantro for garnish

Toss all ingredients and serve. It would be nice with a squeeze of fresh lime as well.

I'll probably post again in the next few days. I need to catch up some more!