Fall Food

I love summer fruit and salads, but cooking meals during the summer is not all it is cracked up to be, unless you use the grill, which I usually don't. Our oven vents onto the stove, so using it during the summer is pretty much limited, and this summer, I just wasn't in the mood to do much cooking anyway.
My foodie heart belongs to Fall. Oh the vegetables! Soups! Casseroles! One-dish meals! Seeing the first crop of winter squash in the store brings a big smile to my face. And APPLES! The recent issue of Cooking Light magazine made my heart race as I dogeared most pages as recipes I wanted to try, but I have put them on hold until next week so my husband doesn't get Fall vegetable poisoning (and to try out a few other recipes first. BUT...here are some that I am really looking forward to trying:

Loaded Potato Soup
Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Apples
Mushroom and Provolone Patty Melts
Fall Vegetable Curry
Squash Apple Turnovers
Apple Upside Down Cake
Fig Applesauce and Almond Breakfast Loaf

Now that you are salivating...here are some pretty kickin' recipes that have recently graced our table now that I am back into the mood of creative cooking--

Simply Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas--I needed to use up some sour cream and scoured the Internet for a good recipe. Nicholas has been complaining about restaurant enchiladas because that aren't cooked in a big casserole dish together. This recipe is a keeper. I added tomatoes to the enchilada filling.

Potato Horseradish Mahi-Mahi--Mahi-Mahi was on sale, and I searched for a last minute recipe after I had already visited the grocery store. This was AMAZING! Nicholas ate the leftovers, and he doesn't believe in reheating cooked fish.

Caribbean Spicy Chicken Sausage and Squash Soup--I love soup, and I love this dish. I love one-pot meals! This recipe has all of my favorite things, and tastes amazing no matter how I modify it. I made it last night, used water instead of chicken broth, left out the blackeyed peas...and it was still delicious. (Ahem...the Huebner's should really try this recipe.) This was also my first "squash" recipe of the season, which was appropriate since yesterday was the first day it didn't hit 90 degrees, and we woke to temps in the 60s!

Be prepared for more great recipes and dishes from our table. Now back to nursery decoration planning.

Survey Says...

Birthday's and Anniversaries

Saturday, my baby sister turned 17. We had fajitas for dinner, sang Happy Birthday, and opened presents.

She got some nice sapphire jewelry (her birthstone).

We missed her birthday last year because we left right before it to move into our house. A couple years ago, we overshadowed her birthday by getting married a few days after. It was nice to spend it with her this year.

Wednesday was our anniversary, and we were able to spend most of the day together. We went to dinner at our fav restaurant, Jack Allen's Kitchen and enjoyed half price appetizers and yummy apple/peach cobbler!

3 Years

Baby A--13 Months

You are growing up way too fast! You have a bubbly personality and love to play, even by yourself.

Your new "trick" is to wave with your whole hand and a floppy wrist.

You are loved by so many people!

Dallas Zoo

Saturday we visited the Dallas Zoo with Baby A, Mini-J, and my sisters. It was HOT, and of course, we decided to go at 1pm. Thankfully, it was half-price day, and we didn't feel so bad about only staying a couple hours. Mini-J was pretty excited, until we passed the elephant statues, and she became obsessed with seeing them, not the real elephants for the entire rest of our visit!

It was a HOT and exhausting day, but it was fun to take the nieces to the zoo. Next time it will be cooler! :)

Baby A and Mini-J checking out the coastal penguin exhibit.

Baby A watching the tortoise trying to escape.

I really can't explain this picture.

It was feeding time for the giraffes, so Mini-J got an up-close and personal look!

This donation jar made a lion sound, which I found out when I stuck my hand in its mouth and made Baby A jump! (unintentionally, of course)

Happy 17th Birthday, Kendall!

My baby sister is 17 today! I remember when she was born thinking that when I was 30 she would be 18. Those days are just around the bend. Kendall, growing up and graduating high school is great. Being an adult is great, but remember to enjoy every moment and every experience you have while you can, and never wish any years away. I love you!

Another Anniversary

While July 31st was the official date that we became homeowners, we were still living in Rhode Island at the time. After a long (and exciting) road trip followed by a week with the Dallas family, we didn't actually move into our house until September 16th! Soooo...we have officially been living in our house for 1 year. An anniversary I will never forget because it also happens to be Matt Turman's birthday, who is 12 today!

After a year we are still rearranging, decorating, and organizing the house to be our own. We have poured 19 gallons of paint on the walls, ceilings, and trim throughout the house, including our bedroom that Nicholas just painted. Pictures to follow when we get some stuff on the walls. Now we are working to organize the house so there is room for the baby...and pretty soon nursery planning will begin.

We are busy reading books about babies and pregnancy, going to the doctor, attending art events, enjoying this time while we are still baby-free, cleaning out stuff, organizing everything, looking for new opportunities at church, cooking, making art (well, only Nicholas is doing this one), and trying to get a little travel in. In other words, we are staying pretty busy. :)

A little bit more blogging is in the future as we get into Fall, and I am officially halfway through my pregnancy.

Hermine

Our rain gauge says we got a little bit of rain from Hurricane Hermine...

And So It Begins

College Football...
The promise of Fall and cooler temperatures...
Wearing short sleeves instead of sleeveless shirts...maybe.

Saturday marked the beginning of College Football for me. I drove to Houston to attend the first UT game of the season at Reliant Stadium with my football buddy, Stacey. It has been years since I have been to a game. I didn't even get to watch many in Rhode Island since Texas didn't typically make regional coverage and the Longhorn Football network was just a glimmer in DeLoss Dodds eye. After sitting in traffic reminiscent of my college years just trying to find parking, we finally made it to the game not far into the 1st quarter. We ran into these crazy kids at the concession stand and coincidentally happened to be sitting in the same section.

The dome was closed which was nice to not have to wear sunscreen and not smell it on myself the whole game. I could have done without the smells of colored water/beer, but my sense of smell is a little acute these days.

The stands were a sea of burnt orange with spatterings of blue, but that's the way I like it.

The Horns could have played a little better, you know, and at least pretended it wasn't the first game of the season.

Mack Brown got a little upset...once...or twice...

Bevo enjoyed the game directly below us and stood up most of the time. Check out those horns!

I miss watching the bands during televised games.

We won, of course, but not the way we should have, but I enjoyed the non-bleacher seats!

Afterwards, we went to Rice to see LJ's dorm room...a lot different than my freshman room!

Then we went to Rice Village for dinner at a nice Tapas restaurant and dessert at The Chocolate Bar...be jealous!