Clare Ann

Isaac John

Monday, March 19, 2012

Cheeseburger Eggrolls

Thank you, Racheal Ray, for the inspiration behind this tasty little appetizer.
We made it a few weeks ago, and it will certainly be made again.

Here you have Cheeseburger Eggrolls...
 I've become an "eyeball-it-kind-of-cook."
Not that I'm "kind of" a cook, but I'm the "eyeball it" kind.
Okay, enough with the play on words...

Here's the dish (couldn't resist that last pun)...
without all of the specifics...just eyeball it.

Brown some meat.
(recipe calls for 3/4 lb. sirloin...I used a pound of whatever was in the freezer).
Recipe suggests that you brown it with onion, but I used onion flakes.

 While the meat is browning, you can prepare your dipping sauce.
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 rounded tablespoons pickle relish
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • Salt and pepper
Set aside for later.  Yum!
You will need the following to complete the meat mixture:
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 T. grainy, whole-seed mustard (I'm sure any would do)
Once the meat is cool, mix the above ingredients together.
To wrap the egg rolls, brush water around all four sides of a wrapper to act as the glue.
Place 1/3 cup (eyeball it...don't dirty a measuring cup)
of the meat and onion mixture into the center of the wrapper.
Fold two corners into the center.
Then wrap the other corner to the next, creating a long skinny roll.
Place the finished rolls onto a sheet pan with a wire rack.
This allows them to cook evenly.
Spray the top of each eggroll with cooking spray,
 and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the eggrolls start to brown.

Serve with the dressing you made earlier.
Tasty, unique, and fun!
Here is a link to the official recipe from Racheal Ray.

Monday, March 12, 2012

16-Month Update

 Isaac is 16-months (and a few days) old!
 He is active, adventurous, fearless, and opinionated.
He LOVES:
- Being outside
(He bangs on the door until we finally let him out...as if he's a dog or something.)
- Going to the park
- Going down the slide head first (see video below)
-Putting little things on the end of his fingers
(i.e. Duplo pieces, caps from different snacks, pen caps, etc.)
- Smiling with all of his teeth
 (although that isn't represented very well in these pictures).

He's UNSURE About:
- Dogs
- Books (sometimes he sits still...
but he's usually too wiggly to make it through an entire book).
- Oatmeal (he is very hot and cold with this one...
unlike his mother who eats it nearly every day).

He HATES:
- Having his teeth brushed!
- Being dropped off in any form of child care (Bible study, YMCA, etc.)
- Waiting for food or drink (clearly he hasn't missed too many any meals).
- Getting his hair cut.
- Being held still (church is a weekly challenge).
 Papa has been taking Isaac to the park every day, and he rules the roost.  I couldn't believe how daring and adventurous he was when I joined them one afternoon.
 Who do you think taught him to go down the slide like this?

He's starting say a few more words:
- Mama (although not very often)
- Dadeee (he really holds on to that final "eee" sound)
- Papa
- Ball
- Uh-oh
- Bay-bay (baby)
- Book
- Dun-Dun (Done or All done)
- Jaff (this is what he says when he sees a giraffe)
- Bababa (banana)
He does sign language for:
- All done
- More/Please
- Book
  He absolutely loves his Mema and Papa!!!
 He's an "on-the-go" kind of guy.  He adapts well to changing schedules (something that can't be said for those in our house with estrogen), he is very LOYAL to those who give him love and attention (it takes him a while to warm up to people, but then he's hooked!!!), and he loves keeping up with (or trying to) his big sister.
It was March of 2010 (TWO YEARS AGO) that we learned that we were pregnant with this little miracle.  He has certainly changed all of our lives, and we love him more than he'll ever know!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Whose Reward Was It?

   Our imaginative Miss Clare has been troubled with "bad" dreams lately.
There were several nights of interrupted sleep (for the whole family) because she couldn't understand why "the lady at the ice cream place wouldn't give her a napkin," or why "the worm crawled into the hole," or why "only Papa (where was everyone else?) was eating pizza with her."  NO JOKE!
These sleepless parents came up with a plan:
Give Clare an incentive to stay in bed...for 7 nights!
We made a special chart that she got to check off every morning, and she chose the reward of going to "The Bouncy Thing at the Mall" at the end of seven successful nights.  There was only ONE night that she didn't get a check, and the following morning resulted in at least 20 minutes of tears, begging, and pleading.  Anyhow... after 8 days, she had 7 checks, and we were feeling rested (as much as can be expected at this stage of life) again.  SUCCESS!

So...last night was the long awaiting reward 
(she has wanted to do this thing ever since she spotted it at the mall).
Clare had a BLAST...

...but I think Daddy had just as much fun!
Do you think that Phil was going to let his 3.5 year-old
be the only one to have all the fun?
Phil impressed us with his Moves like Jagger...
or at least moves like a former collegiate diver.  :)
We finished off the fun night by letting Clare pick ANYTHING she wanted from the Dollar Store.  Big time, huh?!  Well, she picked the Sponge Bob Popsicle.  We thought she would pick something that she could take home with her...
...and I suppose she did.
I think Sponge Bob's eyes were made with Squid Ink, or soemthing like that, because her mouth was stained black for the rest of the night.
I'm happy to report that she made it through the night last night...
without her reward chart or bad dreams.  :)
YEAH!




Sunday, March 4, 2012

All Before 8:00 AM Today...

We had an "exciting" morning.  
Phil ran his first half-marathon, and I ran my seventh (although first one in six years).
My dad has run more races than we can count, and I'm sure it has something to do with his runner's diet.  This, a bowl of Cap'n Crunch (at 4:30 AM), is the breakfast of champions!
 We woke up VERY early in order to make it to Tampa in time for the 6:00 AM start.
 Despite the wretched conditions, 
Phil still had a smile on his face as we drove through the wind and rain.
 As we were pummeled with heavy rain and blustery winds, we seriously reconsidered our participation in the 13.1 mile run.
Here's a glimpse of our drive into Tampa: rain, wind, congested runners (Phil and I have been stuffed up all week...perfect timing), and realizations that we're CRAZY!

Just another shot of the weather...since we were all in disbelief. 
This is FLORIDA...not Michigan...
we're supposed to have perpetual sunshine and blue skies.
 BEFORE the race...
 AFTER the race...proudly donning our finisher medals.
By the grace of God, we managed to stay DRY.  The rain ceased just moments before the race started.  We're all walking a little funny this afternoon, but at least we're smiling.
P.S. Thank you to Mema who stayed home with the kiddos and had an AWESOME brunch awaiting us upon our return.



Sunday, February 26, 2012

31...Really?

I recently celebrated my 31st birthday,
and it was a treat to be spoiled all day long.
 I can't, however, figure out how I jumped into the thirties so quickly.
I still feel like I just graduated from college...
but that was nine years, two children, and a whole different state ago.
 Clare decorated my cake, Isaac helped us eat it, and my sweet husband gave me a new running watch and a special date night.
I think my 31st year is going to be a good one!  :)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Seventh Generation + Lorax

We've had diapers in our house for the last 3.5 years, and I don't see an end to that anytime soon.  We've tried nearly every diaper out there, and that's why I was excited about this offer from Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark.com.

These are the Seventh Generation OVERNIGHT DIAPERS, and our little man is wearing these right now...as he slumbers soundly in the other room.  My sister is the "Green Queen," and she always encourages us to be more earth friendly.  She could be a spokeswoman for Seventh Generation, but right now I'll give it a shout out.  A few facts about these diapers:
  • The NEW Overnight Diapers are absorbent enough to keep your baby and bedding dry through the night or during prolonged travel.
  • Free & Clear diapers have improved more flexible tabs that provide even better fit.
  • The training pants feature stretchy, tear away side panels for a better fit and added convenience, as well as inner leak barriers for superior leakage protection.
  • Seventh Generation Free & Clear baby care products do not contain chlorine, fragrance, petroleum-based lotions or latex, and all Free & Clear products are also hypo-allergenic.
Seventh Generation is also partnering with Lorax, 
and this new book was also part of the gift package.
We love Dr. Seuss, we love reading, and we love new books.  Triple LOVE!


Do you want to try some diapers for FREE?  How about adding a new book to your collection?  Go to this link: seventhgeneration.com and learn more.  In the comment section, respond to this question:


Which of the Seventh Generation Free & Clear Diaper products are you most interested in trying with your family in an effort to become more eco-conscious?


Seventh Generation Website http://bit.ly/SevGen 


The Seventh Generation Diapers prize pack, product and information have been provided by 
Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark.


Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Not Always Sunshine and Rainbows

As I sit here and type, I am surrounded by the sounds of crying children.

One of my recent posts was titled, "Best. Job. Ever."

Today's title is assuredly quite different.

While I still feel that I have the best job ever, it's not always easy.

Isaac is literally screaming NON-STOP, but I know that he's tired.

Clare is standing at her door saying, "Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy."

A dear friend, Lisa, recently commented on how my blog always depicts happy and all-put-together children.  That is by design.  Naturally, I'm not inclined to post about the low points of our days or when my 3-year-old says that she wants to grow a new Mommy.  I will say, however, that every day has its challenges.

Raising children is not easy, it's not always fun, and it's generally a thankless job (although my husband is exceptional when it comes to showing his gratitude and appreciation).

With consistency, perseverance, unconditional love, and lots of prayer...
we make it through every day.
And now (in the eight minutes it took to create this post)...
both children are sleeping, the house is quiet, and I can finally shower.



Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Hearts, Hearts, Hearts

Although Valentine's Day isn't a huge ordeal around here, 
we still had fun with some little things:
 We call these "Bird Nests"...with a fried egg inside a piece of toast...
extra festive when it's in the shape of a heart.
 My little preschooler donning her heart-shaped sweater...
 ...chowing down her heart-shaped cookie.
My heart is full of joy and love...namely for my amazing husband, two healthy and happy children, my supportive family, and my dear friends.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Best. Job. Ever.

 I am blessed...
 to have...
the BEST...
"Job" Ever!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

First Born Daughter of a First Born

If you're familiar with the studies on birth order, 
you'll understand why these pictures make me smile.
Clare, my sweet first born, carefully organized all of her animals...
SEVERAL TIMES!
 Needless to say, her first born mother loved this activity!
Her father grew even more worried about his future in a home with two first borns.  :)