menu monday!

i was thinking i might start posting our menu every week since i like reading other people's menus for ideas.  i usually just list out 7 meals and then make them on any night i feel like it. i do my shopping on friday or saturday, so i'll list what we already had to eat on saturday and sunday.

saturday - corn zucchini lime pizza - this was really yummy!! oscar made a separate pizza - just for fun - with tomatoes and basil that he grew. he spread the dough out perfectly and had all the ingredients spaced evenly on top. i was seriously impressed! we were so wrapped up in pizza making that i forgot a veggie for a side dish.

sunday - greek frittata, roasted green beans, crusty bread - this frittata is amazing and easy, we love it.

monday - butternut squash and spicy sausage soup - i use an altered version of this recipe. i've mentioned it a couple times before - perhaps it's time i post an actual recipe.

tuesday - sweet potato burritos - these are yummy, i've made the two weeks in a row already. i add cheese and olives to the top along with the olive oil and cilantro.

wednesday - pizza and green beans - every week i ask oscar what he wants for dinner the next week and he usually tells me pizza and green beans (or broccoli.. or peas..). he understands that we have to have a vegetable with it and it gives me an easy cooking night, so i dont complain!

thursday - quesadillas - jeremy will be out of town and i have extra tortillas, so i'll probably make up some sort of quesadilla with what we have on hand.

friday - fluffy french toast with maple whipped cream (leftover cream from squash soup), eggs and cherries. we actually ate this last friday night.  the sourdough bread i got on the discount cart needed to be eaten, and so did the cherries that i splurged on (mmm).

so that's our menu! i have a surplus of canned tuna - so if you have any recipes that use canned tuna, let me know!

snickers cupcakes for crafty day

one crafty day i mentioned these snickers cupcakes i had seen a video about to danielle. they turned into my craft for the day! jeremy bought the ingredients on the way home and i spent the evening mixing up batter, filling and frosting. 

these were SUPER sweet cupcakes. they got rave reviews. i think the best part about them was the brown sugar frosting.  i had never made a frosting like that before, and it was scrumptious! i actually used the same frosting recipe for a birthday cake i made a week or so later.  i think it would be good on something like banana bread.

6 months

we've made it a half a year! since last month alice has gotten a lot better at sitting up.  she isnt quite as interested in sucking on her thumb and fingers, but has done some serious teething.  on paw paw's birthday - august 13th - she got her first tooth! and then today - on uncle pete's birthday - she got tooth number two! eek! she has been pretty grumpy about the whole situation.  i got her a little toothbrush/nubby thing and she LOVES to brush her new teeth.

even though she has two new chompers, she doesnt seem to be quite ready for solid foods yet. we're just offering every now and then to see what she thinks, but nothing serious in the grocery department so far.

i believe her last stats were 13lbs 14oz and 24in long. though i think the week before she was 25in long, so you never know about those measurements...  i'm not sure what the percentiles are. she seems like she's awfully small and tons of people comment on how small she is, but the chubby cheeks and thigh rolls are reassuring. 

fresh from the garden

last night we had some peas and turnip greens fresh from jeremy's garden.  gardening in 90+ weather is not my idea of fun, but i'm glad that jeremy likes to. 

4th weekend

to the circus

 a few photos from our 4th of july weekend

checking out the pre-show

a 4th of july festival for oscar's 1st ferris wheel ride and some wimpy fireworks

4th of july bbq with grumpy alice



much better fireworks in state line



5 months

here is alice at 5 months old.  i just posted the 4 month photos 2 seconds ago and these 5 month ones look about the same. her chubby cheeks kill me. i kiss them ALL THE TIME. i also smoosh our cheeks together and enjoy the smooth smooshiness. i'm trying to soak up every second i can of this baby stage (which is quite obvious by the state of our home - but i can clean when she starts school, right?)

her biggest new trick is sitting up unassisted.  she hasn't perfected it yet, and only lasts for a minute before doing a face plant, but she's getting better and better at it. she is still loving sucking her thumb and fingers and is interested in grabbing EVERYTHING. breastfeeding is going great - it's hard to believe we were having troubles to begin with. after having such major supply issues with oscar, i can't believe she has had nothing but my milk! and i put those fat rolls on her thighs! ME! but soon she'll be wanting to try other foods (she is already watching closely). i'm going to put it off until she shows us she is ready and then we're thinking about trying baby led weaning.

4 months

i'm behind on posting alice's monthly photos! (and just posting in general) here she is at 4 months

we had a busy month with a lot of work and play, out and about. alice is a great baby to have on the go. people always comment when i've been somewhere for awhile and they haven't heard her fussing or crying. of course i'm always wearing her and nursing her, so maybe i'm just a great mama to have on the go.  she HATES coming home in her car seat.  she will be fine when we go somewhere but the trip home usually includes screaming.

this month, alice started sucking her thumb and fingers a lot.

and also sucking on her top lip.. very strange, but cute.