Poulet Au Rie

Poulet Au Rie...our favorite salad from Poulet Du Jour in Hermosa Beach, LA. Sigh...we missed it so much we decided to recreate it!

Grilled Chicken, White Rice, Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, Pita Chips, tossed in Garlic Lemon Dressing, and topped with Fresh Parmesan Cheese.

Here's how I made the dressing:

• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp.dry mustard

We made 3x the amount for 4 people to eat 2 big plates of salad! YUM!

Sarah do I get extra credit for this?!?!?

Musician in training

Ty's guitar lessons are still going strong. He can play a few songs now and is currently working on a song by the David Crowder Band who we're going to watch in concert next week! (We skipped 2 date nights to save up for it!!)

Our little musician in training has started learning how to play the guitar with daddy.

Ok for now he more sits there and stares but someday he'll have his own little guitar and will be playing right there alongside his dad!

Until then I caught a few shots of them playing together.

I don't know what they're looking at in this picture- oh actually I think Tabor was messing with the tuning of the guitar and Ty was asking him to quit. ha! Tabor you're such a trouble maker!!

Tabor - Rainy Day

We had a rainy day last week which meant the day started out chilly. Yes it was 90 degrees by lunchtime but it was 50 degrees in the morning when we left to go to our Bible Study.

So of course I got out a cute fall outfit for Tabor to wear and had to have a mini photo shoot to play with the new camera settings I've learned.

Here are a few shots of my goofy subject.

He had so many different faces that although the shots all look the same - his expression is funny to watch as it changes.

Oh Tabor...you and that tongue

I love your smiles! These happen now when you play Peek-a-boo, when Abuiki or I lower and raise our eyebrows and when we throw you up in the air or tickle you.

No clue why you love sucking on that bottom lip so much!

But you sure do love it!

Our little EATER

We thought the "Benjamin Button" face was a phase that would come and go. We thought it was gone.

Oh were we mistaken...

Now you eat BY making the "BB" face. We had to record it to show you someday.

GOOD LUCK TABOR!

Tabor giggling

We drove to Dallas this weekend and even though he was VERY ready to be out of his carseat - Tabor was all giggles during a little game of Peek a BOO!

Oh how I love those giggles Tabor! You're just too precious!!

Dinner #2

Ok so as many of you know...I don't know how to cook. Ok maybe it's not that I don't know HOW to cook. I have cooked before. It's more that I don't have the patience to cook. I would rather bake and I would rather run a mile and I'd rather just have ice cream for dinner :-)

Either way, I realize I NEED to cook. I want Ty & Tabor to enjoy my cooking and I want to eat healthy meals. SO...I asked Sarah to help me out.

I am currently enrolled in the Sanders Institute of Culinary Arts or SICA ha

Anyway, Sarah has given me a few assignments and I've currently completed 2 out of 4. I'll blog about #1 as soon as I get the pics uploaded.

For now I'll update everyone on meal #2 and await my grade under the comments. Yes you will all know my grade...gulp.

Ok for meal #2 I made Pesto Salmon with rice & asparagus and thank you Flo for the fruit plate that served as our yummy dessert.

Makes: 2 servings

Serving Size: 1 fillet and 1/3 c rice
Note: This recipe assumes rice is already cooked

2 c fresh spinach leaves
1/2 c basil leaves
1/4 c fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
1 T olive oil
1/4 t salt
3 garlic cloves, peeled
Cooking spray
2 (6 oz) salmon fillets, skinned
2/3 c hot cooked brown rice

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor or blender, and process until the mixture is smooth. Spoon 3 tablespoons pesto into bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with salmon fillets, and spread fillets with remaining pesto.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork.

Ok the challenges:
- I have no idea how to skin salmon
- I tripled the recipe because I cooked for 5 adults and wanted 1 leftover for Ty's lunch. SO I needed a LOT of Basil and my mom's basil plant has seen better days so my dad went to the store (thanks dad!) and bought 2 more basil plants. :-) I completely destroyed one (looking back I probably should've taken leaves from both instead of just one) Anyway, I am going to water them both and see if they grow.

The sad little Basil plant:

- Dad also had to go get more Spinach because mine had wilted and I had only bought enough for 1 recipe.
- I used white rice instead of brown
- I made my own asaparagus concoction. I put them in foil and added butter, olive oil, lemon juice and salt & pepper and baked them alongside the salmon for about 30min.

The verdict:
- Everyone loved it!

Ok Chef Sarah grade me!

We moved to the highchair today. It was either that or I fed Tabor upside-down. He wasn't so much trying to escape (altho I'm sure it was part of it) but he just wanted to see what was behind him. Ha! He is definitely related to me :)

Updated blog

I've finally caught up on blogging, but I published the blogs in order so in case you haven't noticed here's what's new:

Jet & Erin tie the knot

Tabor & Gabriel pics (A MUST SEE BLOG!)

Hermosa Beach family pics

Tabor at 5 months

Tabor eating cereal

A day to remember 9-11

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me."

 Psalm 23:4

We went and saw the 9:11 memorial that was set up today. There were 3,000 flags set up.

Tabor took the opportunity to try and eat dirt for the first time.

It was a nice family outing and a great way to celebrate the life God has blessed us with after realizing how fragile it actually is.

First time eating CEREAL

We love capturing Tabor's "firsts". However, I'm sure he wishes we'd stop sticking a camera in his face every five seconds! Ha!

We finally started rice cereal. I'll post a link to the video when it's ready. He tried it in LA for the first time and we've continued giving him 1Tbsp for lunch each day since.

Since he was already sleeping 12hrs we aren't doing it to fill him up right now but instead to teach him how to eat solids.

He's still a bit weirded out by the whole process.

Half of it ends up on his bib and around his face. Sometimes even on his nose.

So we will continue to practice eating in hopes that he's got it figured out in a few weeks so by 6 months we can start feeding him veggies!

We've started learning "All done" and "please" in sign language. So after praying for our food the fun begins. I can't wait to start giving him veggies & fruit!! I'll definitely blog about that process because I will be attempting to make it myself!

Tabor I can't believe you're already eating solids! Time sure does fly!

5 Months

Happy 5 months Mr. Tabor Nolan

The biggest change is probably the fact that you're eating rice cereal. We mix it with water because mommies milk makes it too watery and formula makes you spit it out. So for now just water.

You've had water from a sippy cup. You love to chew on it or currently try to blow air into it. You LOVE water from our cups though. You tend to wear more than you drink but you still love it.

You learned how to suck your bottom lip, then how to stick your tongue out (thanks Abuiki) at people and a week later how to click your tongue. I didn't mean to teach you this, but you picked up on it and now won't quit doing it. :-)

You can turn lights on and off by either flipping the switch or pulling the cord on the fan. We've got it on video so we'll post it for you.

You wear 3-6 months or 6month clothing. Probably because you now wear cloth diapers! We LOVE your new BumGenius diapers!!

You hold your hand out and turn it from side to side as we sing "La linda manita". We've tried to capture this on video but you do not like to perform for the camera.

You've flown 6 times.

You eat 5 times a day. No more dreamfeed :-( You're schedule is:
8:30 wake & eat
10-12 nap
12 wake & eat
1:30-3:30 nap
3:30 wake & eat
5-6:30 nap
6:30 wake & eat
7:30 bedtime routine
8:00 eat, pray and sleep

(I'm more writing this down for me to remember for your future brother or sister)

You LOVE going on walks in your stroller or being outside. You love leaves and flowers too!

You love to swim & actually kick your feet & move your arms when we pass you back and forth.

Until the day you turned 5 months you were on a roll over strike. This has now ended and you roll to your back non-stop now.

You love your exersaucer and activity gym. You actually love playing alone.

You weigh 14.2lbs and are 25inches long. Currently in the 20th percentile, but the Dr. said not to worry because you are healthy! We'll fatten you up soon enough. ;-)

Tabor we love you so much. Each day we love how you wake up smiling and laughing. That dimple that shows up when you smile can melt my heart. Thanks for being such a wonderful baby boy and God thank you for blessing us with such a happy little guy.

Happy 5 months Tabor!