best smoothie ever

I seriously think this is the best smoothie I have ever made at home. I just have a normal blender but the texture comes out like a commercial blender. So smooth and thick. I can't take credit for this creation. Thanks to Marks cousin Megan I have been making this smoothie for months. 

I don't measure anything, so this is a guess...you can just play around to get the taste/texture you like

• about 1 frozen banana (break the banana up into smaller pieces about 1" and then freeze)
• generous scoop of peanut or almond butter
• about a tablespoon of cocoa powder
• about a cup of almond milk (I use vanilla unsweetened, you could use milk too)

Blend until nice and smooth about a minute...enjoy! I will try and take a picture next time but I can't resist drinking it right away. :)

the farm

Last year we went to Swans Trail Farm and we had a lot of fun even though Miles was only 8 months old. We had to go back again this year being he is much more aware of his surroundings and what we are doing. Plus Luke needs the same experience ;) We went with our group from church and my mom came with us too. We got a late start and it was a cloudy rainy day, but it didn't matter. It was actually kind of nice because I don't mind the rain and there were not very many people there. Win win!! There were lots of fun animals to see including 10 & 5 week old kittens, soo cute and soft!

Miles and Grandma Jody in the corn

Miles loved the corn box (free for 2 and under)

the farms first tractor, not our best pic

Miles tried to sit on all the pumpkins

Luke had a great time too

We took a family pic but it was blurry and awful! The pumpkins are definitely more expensive, its more about the experience. There are lots of great eats too.  Remember to wear your boots!

goal accomplished, thank you to many

While pregnant with Luke, my sister Julee somehow convinced me that running a half marathon when Luke would be 4.5 months old was a good idea. The thought of being in shape enough just to finish was dreamy. After having Miles I don't think I started running again until he was closer to 5 months old. Your body moves/functions much differently after having children. But out of love for my sister and the challenge I was open to the idea. Around the end of June or so I got a call from my sister letting me know she signed me up for the half marathon. Oh crap!, is the thought that went through my head. At that point it was real in my mind that I had to get this body into shape if I was not going to finish before the sun went down. Immediately I started to get online trying to find a workout plan that I could stick to. Thankfully a couple weeks later my sister helped me get a "doable" work out plan that a mom of two could accomplish. I printed it out and stuck it on the fridge to remind myself daily of my goal and timeline. Each time I completed a workout I decided to highlight it to feel a sense of accomplishment to the end goal. Once I got into a routine (and my body wasn't severely out of shape) it felt great to get outside and run. All of a sudden it was October and race day was not very far away. I was going to leave my three "boys" at home and head down to Vancouver, WA with the girls. I love my family but I was really looking forward to a "night off" of momhood. Race day was here and everyone was as ready as they could be to start. The rain held off which was great. The whole time I was running I felt great. I kept feeling pumps of adrenalin flowing through my body just as I needed it. My playlist was keeping me moving too. I finished with plenty of room to meet my goal. But the real reason for writing all this is I wanted to say thank you.

Julee, thank you for so much!!!! Signing me up for the race, creating my workout plan, running with me, running with me and the boys, motivating me, etc. Because of all this I feel really great. It was perfect for my soul to get outside and run even if I didn't feel like it. It gave me more energy and got me back into shape way quicker than I ever imagined. I love you and am very thankful to have you as my sister.

Mark, thank you for pretty much having to "train" with me. If you didn't sacrifice the time I needed to run to watch the boys I would have never been able to meet my goals. Especially on Sunday when I had my long run and it was a race to get to church on time. Thank you for telling me to run even though I didn't feel like it some days.

Truly there were many people that made it possible for me to run and complete the race. Those below were in small or large ways a part of this accomplishment, I am truly grateful for you:

Julee, Mark, Mom, Pat, Paul, Anne, Grace, Miles, Luke, Nicole, Amanda, Shannon, Kristin

where have you been

Its almost been a full year since my last post...there are many factors adding up to the lack of postings. Mostly the lack of time or energy to post. Since November 22 a lot has changed. I was pregnant and now have my second son, Luke. Miles was a "baby" and now is a toddler. I was working at T-Mobile  but now at home. I was 27 and now I am 28. The list goes on. I am hoping to try this blogging thing again. I want family that is not close by to get updates on the boys and I want to be able to share this blog with the boys too when they are older. Its also just fun for me to look back and be thankful for what God has blessed our family with.

mark is 30

This September Mark turned 30 (I know its almost December) I am a little behind on my posts. But I figure better late than never. I wanted to him to get away with his family to just relax as well as surprise him where we were going. After much hunting for a place that would be big enough for all of us (our family, his brothers family, and his parents) and not too far of a drive. I decided on this beautiful home on Lake Sutherland, http://www.vrbo.com/317581. I feel like a lot of the time when looking at places online they never look just as good in person. But this place definitely looked just as awesome when we got there as it does in the pictures in the link above. It was soo perfect.

Miles took his first ferry ride and enjoyed some jojos.

The weather was beautiful!!

We even got a pretty good family snapshot, took a few tries, and Miles isn't looking but it was fun.

zucchini a plenty (recipes 6 & 7) + nutritional info

Here are a yet a few more recipes I have made with my zucchini stash. 

Recipe 6: Stuffed Zucchini

This is a creation of my own (beware). It is a spin off from stuffed bell peppers. I waited for some of my zucchini to get extra big. I don't like to eat them when they get too big because the texture becomes too spongy for me. Basically I cut the tops off and then scooped out the middle with a spoon. Then I just sliced a little off of the bottom so that they would sit flat. 

I then just started grabbing what I could find in the cupboard, fridge or garden. I ended up with couscous, sausage, philadelphia cooking cream, sage, thyme, rosemary, chives, onion, and cheddar cheese. Cooked the couscous then combined everything together. I think this would be awesome with quinoa. However, Mark is allergic to it :(  

I heated the oven to 350 and baked for about 30 minutes with a 1/4 C of water on the bottom of the dish. 

I also saved the seeds for next years harvest!

 

Recipe 7: Dark Chocolate Banana Zucchini Bread

This recipe was provided by Marks cousin. Thank you Mary Ellen! I made mini loaves instead of muffins.
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 medium zucchini, grated, 1 banana, mashed, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup yogurt, 200 grams dark chocolate chips. Mix banana, zucchini, sugar, egg and yogurt. Add flour mixture. Add chocolate chips. Scoop into muffin tins, 10 to 15 minutes for mini muffins (at 350) or 25 to 30 minutes for large muffins.

Health benefits of zucchini (courgette)

• One of the very low calories vegetable that is used during weight reduction and cholesterol control programs. Zucchinis provide only 17 calories per 100 g. Contains no saturated fats or cholesterol. Its peel is good source of dietary fiber that helps reduce constipation and offers some protection against colon cancers.
  
• Courgette is relatively moderate source of folates, consists of 24 mcg or 6% of RDA per 100 g. Folates are important in cell division and DNA synthesis. When taken adequately before pregnancy, it can help prevent neural tube defects in the fetus.
  
• It is a very good source of potassium, an important intra-cellular electrolyte. Potassium is a heart friendly electrolyte; helps reduce blood pressure and heart rates by countering effects of sodium.
  
• Fresh fruits are rich in vitamin A; provide about 200 IU per 100 g.
• Furthermore, zucchinis, especially golden skin variety are rich in flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as carotenes, lutein and zeaxanthin. These compounds help scavenge harmful oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) from the body that play a role in aging and various disease process.
  
• Fresh fruit is good source of anti-oxidant vitamin-C.  Provide about 17.9 mcg or 30% of RDA per 100g.
  
• In addition, they are also good in B-complex group of vitamins like thiamin, pyridoxine, riboflavin and minerals like iron, manganese, phosphorus, zinc and potassium. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids, helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.

Miles & Chuck waiting for zucchini (haha, not really)

zucchini a plenty (recipes 3-5 + live tasting)

Here are a few more recipes I have made with my zucchini stash. 

Recipe 3: Grilled Zucchini

The other night I got a pork tenderloin at Central Market and marinated it then grilled it with walla wallas and zucchini. It was awesome. The best part about grilling is there is very little mess to clean up. 

 

 

Recipe 4: Zucchini Orzo Salad

Found this recipe while I was shopping at central market. They served it with rockfish and it was awesome. I just made it for a side dish twice this week for two picnics. 

3/4 cup orzo pasta

1 1/2 T unsalted butter

1 1/2 T olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped shallot

1 med zucchini (3/4 lb) diced

1 med yellow squash (1/2 lb) diced

1 T white wine vinegar

1/2 cup toasted chopped haselnuts

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup chopped basil

1 t lemon zest

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook according to package instructions. Drain pasta and set aside. Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add butter and olive oil. When butter melts and foam subsides, add shallot. Saute until translucent and lightly browned. Add both squash and stir occasionally until tender and lightly browned. Add vinegar and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl. toss together vegetables and orzo. Add hazelnuts, herbs and zest. Adjust seasoning and serve ware, room temperature or chilled.

 

Recipe 5: Pureed Zucchini (for Miles)

Wash and cut the zucchini into 1" circles. Steam the zucchini until tender then rinse in cold water to stop cooking. Blend in food processor or blender until a smooth consistency. Then freeze in ice cube trays and transfer to air tight bag for up to three months. Defrost to serve. Or store in the fridge for up to three days in an air tight container. 

Now for the taste test, haha, this is great!

 I have been told that it can take over 10 times to get a baby to begin to like/enjoy certain foods so we will keep trying.