Summer's Pace

I'm still here.

I'm still trying new recipes,

and I've still got projects in the works.

But it's summer and I'm over 6 months pregnant,

so some days I just want to rest and do nothing.

Nothing, but watch my sweet kids be kids -

 

and enjoy a warm day.

So be patient with me, 

new posts will come.

Especially when I've got this new baby to show off.

But for now,

 just look at how sweet these two are

 blowing bubbles on a beautiful day.

Chipotle Chicken Salad

I tried a new recipe for our Memorial Day gathering.

A chipotle chicken salad that was bold and spicy!

Here's a look at some of the ingredients -

 I shredded a head of romaine 

and some red leaf lettuce in a large bowl.

 Then I opened a can of black beans and a can of corn 

and rinsed and drained them -

 And cut some cherry tomatoes in half,

 before adding everything to the salad greens.

 Next, I cubed a couple of avocados and added them as well.

 For the dressing,

all you need is some sour cream,

 cumin, chili powder, salt -

 and fresh squeezed lime juice.

 Then I chopped up two chipotle peppers -

 and stirred them in to finish it off.

 Finally, I chopped up some grilled chicken -

 and mixed everything together.

 It was a delicious salad with a kick!

A great dish for parties and not your average side dish.

 
Chipotle Chicken Salad
Salad:
4 c. shredded romaine lettuce
2 c. chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 c. diced peeled avocado
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

Dressing:
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 c. light sour cream 
1 TBSP minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
4 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

Sweet Potato Update

Remember these sweet potatoes I hacked in half and 

stuck in a jar of water as part of my 

Sweet Potato Experiment?

 Well, they've been sitting on my windowsill 

for about 2 months now,

 and look at how much they've changed!

 

It took a few weeks for the first roots to sprout,

 so I was a little discouraged and figured I'd end up throwing these 

babies out with nothing to show for it.

But then one root appeared 

and before long little buds were showing on top

and leaves began unfolding.

Now there's a whole pile of roots,

so I figured it was time to
throw one in a pot and see what happens.

 We dug a deep hole so that the potato was covered 

and stuck it in among the flowers.

The leaves are already pretty in my opinion,

but I can't wait to see how it grows now that it's planted!

Little Runners

This year my kids participated in the

 Fargo Marathon 1/2 Mile Youth Run

for the first time.

Here's Ruby getting her bib number pinned on -

 

and here's Ruby & Walter all ready to go!

 

The weather wasn't so great as we parked 

and walked to the starting line -

 

but the kids were so excited it didn't matter.

We met up with their cousins, Kaitlyn and Lexi,

and Jaccob. 

 We enlisted the big kids to run along side Walt and Ruby.

It was crazy busy as a ton of kids and parents milled about.

 Walter looked so small in the middle of it all.

See him in there waving?

But it didn't take long for them to be off and running!

I was so proud when I saw little Ruby running her heart out -

and Walt was giving it all he could too!

Momma was blinking back tears,

but the kids were all smiles when they crossed the finish line -

and received their medals.

Here are the proud new racers -

They had so much fun!

It was such an awesome event and the kids just LOVED it.

No doubt we'll be back next year.

Rapunzel Party!

Ruby's been on a Rapunzel kick lately,

but instead of calling herself "Rapunzel"

she always says "I'm Tangled" and that's what we have to call her.

I wanted her to have some fun on her birthday,

so I made her an extra special birthday crown.

I just bought a skein of fat yellow ribbon and cut long strips.

 Then I tied the strips of yarn onto the crown -

 and braided all the yarn together.

 

 Then because Rapunzel's braid is decorated with flowers,

I bought some cheap fake flowers -

and cut off individual flowers to tuck into the braid.

 This was the finished product.

 For decorations, 

I grabbed cheap table cloths at the dollar store,

spread them out across the floor -

 and cut them into 3 strips.

 

Then I braided the strips together 

and did it again with a second table cloth,

before attaching the two together with a little clear packing tape.

 

The large braid was then threaded down the staircase railing and decorated with flowers.

I thought it turned out pretty cute.

 And here's the lady of the hour -

Ms. Tangled, herself!

My little 3 year old!

She looked so cute with her big braid 

dragging around behind her wherever she went.

 Here she is with her cousin, Jett.

They are pretty much birthday buddies, born only 3 days apart.

And here they are checking out Ruby's cupcakes with her dad.

She had a great party and surprising her 

with her new big girl bedroom was so much fun! 

More to come on that.