Invincible

Invincible:  in·vin·ci·ble, adj. Incapable of being overcome or defeated.

To me, Michael's Grandpa Eddie will always embody invincibility.  Admittedly, I don't know too many specifics of Grandpa's life, such as where he was born, how old he was when he married Grandma, or his exact title when he retired from the military after years of service all over the world.  I know he made the best Russian black bread and buckwheat pancakes I've ever tasted.  I know bits and pieces from the reminiscing tales at family dinners, and the occasional random tidbits Grandpa would throw into everyday conversation such as how many times they'll let you jump out of an airplane. 

Grandpa's legacy

(plus two little men that weren't born yet!)

they may look tough, but these guys have fun, too

I believe the original caption on this one was something like:

"Beware grandpas of pretty granddaughters"

It's a miracle he let her get married last year

What I do know about Grandpa without a doubt, is how much he loved his family and how downright proud of them he was.  Robert G. Eddie raised three amazing children while traveling all over the world.  From those children and their spouses, he was blessed with 7 grandchildren, 5 grandchildren-in-laws, and 6 great-grandchildren (and counting).   He was an incredibly involved and loving father and grandfather.

Chicken with Poblano Cream Sauce

One of Michael's favorite dishes when we go out for Mexican food is Pollo Poblano.  So this year, I decided to create a healthier version of this delicious dish for his birthday.  Basically, it's chicken coated in a creamy poblano pepper based sauce and sprinkled with cheese.  Don't worry, it's not overly spicy - just the perfect amount of kick.  Here's how Mama makes it:

Chicken with Poblano Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
- 2 T. olive oil, divided
- 2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 c. onion, chopped
- 1 t. minced garlic
- 1/2 c. Greek yogurt
- 1/4 - 1/2 c. skim milk
- 1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts
- salt/pepper
- 1 c. grated gouda or jack cheese
- 1 c. rice, prepared according to package directions
- 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
- 1 T. fresh lime juice

Slow Cooker Broccoli Mac 'n Cheese

Here's a healthy version of everyone's favorite comfort food - macaroni and cheese.  By adding broccoli, using evaporated milk and non-fat sour cream, and reducing the amount of butter, you can greatly reduce the fat and calories.  On top of that, it's made in a slow cooker without cooking the noodles first.  How simple is that?!  I'm officially in love with this dish!

Slow Cooker Broccoli Mac 'n Cheese

Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 c. whole grain macaroni, shells, or elbow pasta
- 12 oz. fat-free evaporated milk
- 2 1/2 c. skim milk
- 1 can broccoli cheese soup
- 1/2 c. non-fat sour cream
- 2 T. butter, melted
- 3 c. reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 c. fresh broccoli, chopped
- salt/pepper, to taste

Vacationing with a Toddler: Nashville, TN

The Grand Canyon - Spring Break 2008:

Savannah, GA - Spring Break 2011:

Nashville, TN - Spring Break 2013:

One of these things is not like the other...  But she definitely belongs!  This year over Michael's spring break we got to take a little family trip to Nashville, TN over a long weekend.  Although it's surprisingly close, we'd never actually been to Nashville, so we had a lot to see.  We started asking friends for recommendations on where to eat, stay, shop, etc., and soon realized that our trip was going to be quite different from theirs.

So we started searching things like "Nashville, TN family" and "Nashville with kids" and luckily, Michael stumbled across this awesome family site http://family.go.com/ which is a Disney site dedicated to, well, families.  The site isn't exclusively travel advice.  It includes things like seasonal crafts/activities, family friendly recipes, and even parenting advice.  I haven't even begun to delve into all of the amazing resources, but we instantly fell in love with the travel planning help.  The travel guides are arranged by city, so in our case, we went here to find advice on family-friendly activities in Nashville.  Scroll down a bit and you will see a section titled "Suggested Trip Plan by Age" - this is real bread and butter of the site.  Choose from babies, toddlers/pre-k, school age, and pre-teen/teens to see different things to do, places to stay, and places to eat based on the age of your kiddos.  Cool, huh?

The site also give tips for taking each age group to each of the attractions, such as "stroller friendly" or "plan no more than 2 hours here."  Based on the advice (and a little of our own searching/roaming), we were able to plan a pretty awesome family trip.  Here's a few of the highlights:

Basic Baked Chicken Breasts

Here's a super easy baked chicken recipe that's versatile, healthy, and delicious!  In a moment of "I have no idea what I want to make for dinner," I decided to make this baked chicken with garlic mashed cauliflower and parsnips.  The result was a definite keeper!  The stock keeps the chicken moist as it's infused with the flavors of garlic and onion.  Feeling spicy? Add some other spices such as cayenne pepper, cumin, ranch seasoning, rosemary, or jerk seasoning.  Endless possibilities of delicious home-cooked meals with extremely low prep time - working mamas rejoice!

Basic Baked Chicken Breasts



Ingredients: (I doubled this recipe)
- 1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 c. chicken stock
- 5-6 whole garlic cloves
- 1 small onion, or half medium onion, cut into large chunks
- salt and pepper, to taste

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower & Parsnips

Well, after seeing numerous recipes on Pinterest, I finally gave in and tried mashed cauliflower.  I will admit, I had my share of doubts about this "mashed potato imposter."  That just seemed like something there was no substitute for - including the boxed stuff.  But, I have to say, we were all pleasantly surprised!  I made this healthy, low fat alternative similar to my regular garlic mashed potatoes, but used Greek yogurt in place of sour cream/butter, added a parsnip for some extra flavor, and blended it for a creamy, smooth texture.  It was delicious and perfect for a family meal (it's basically baby food already!).  Here's how Mama makes it:

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower & Parsnips



Ingredients:
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into pieces
- 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 whole garlic cloves
- 1/2 c. nonfat yogurt
- 1 t. salt
- 1/2 t. pepper
- 1/4 c. chives, (reserve 2 T. for garnish)
- milk, if needed to adjust consistency

Favorite Frozen Foods: Amy's Spinach Pizza Snacks

As many of you know, I work in a pharmacy within a grocery store.  Honestly, I love the setting because it gives me the opportunity to interact with so many people and be incredibly accesible to the public.  Not to mention the amazing lunch selections!  I know what you're thinking, and yes, I usually do take leftovers for lunch.  But even this mama takes days off from cooking and needs to browse the freezer section for lunch or dinner from time to time.

My latest snack/lunch obsession is these Amy's Spinach Pizza Snacks.  They are like healthier, organic pizza rolls (which, I know, sounds awful, but trust me, they.are.fabulous.)  In fact, I think I like them even better than traditional frozen pizza rolls, which is saying a lot for me.  Especially since I cook these in the microwave.

Peanut Post: 14 Month Update

 

Wow, Peanut, 14 months already! As a side note:  when do we stop counting your age in months?  At 2 years?  I suppose that's when clothing sizes stop counting in months, so that's as good a time as any, right?  Anyway, for now, it's easiest to say, "you are 14 months old."  And man are you rocking it. You've all but mastered walking, running, and climbing, even outside on uneven surfaces these days.  You have your daddy's "curiosity for life" and don't even think twice about, oh, climbing the wire baby gates or walking (not crawling) up the front porch step after Avery, our neighbor girl.  Exploring the world around you is absolutely your number one priority.

playing in the yard

On top of that, new words are coming out of your mouth everyday.  Like your Mama, everything you do and say is very calculated.  It's so funny to watch you move your mouth (with no sound), trying to figure out how to say each new word and sound. Until you think you can master it, you will rarely try it.  Which makes the words that you can say clear as day.  You're starting to randomly repeat a lot of words we say, but these are the ones we hear more regularly:

Jello Poke Cake

Here's a super easy, super yummy childhood favorite.  Basically, you make a cake (usually white, but this time I tried a lemon one I had on hand), let it cool slightly, poke holes all over it, pour jello (flavor of your choice, I usually use cherry or strawberry) in said holes, refrigerate until cold, then top with whipped topping.  It doesn't get much simpler, my friends.  In the summer, I like to add fresh strawberries to the top right before serving.  This cake has accompanied me to many a picnic, holiday, bbq, and cookout and has yet to let me down.  I just a love an easy recipe that tastes/looks great!  Here's how Mama makes it:

Jello Poke Cake

Ingredients:
- 1 boxed cake mix
- eggs, oil, water according to cake package directions
- 1 (3 oz) box flavored gelatin (and water according to package directions)
- 1 (16 oz) container whipped topping

Asian Marinated Grilled Chicken

I just LOVE grilling season!  Maybe it's the fact that I don't actually do the grilling so I have more time to focus on other parts of the meal.  Or maybe it's the beautiful char lines, I do love those...  Or it could be the hunky guy behind the grill at my house, he is a definite plus...  And then again, we can't ignore the fact that it's a pretty healthy way to cook...  Yep, I just don't see a downside here!  (Except that it's pseudo-dependent on weather, of course).   At any rate, here's a delicious grilled chicken recipe to kick off the start of grilling season here in Indiana.  I made the marinade to compliment this carrot ginger dressing, but it could absolutely stand alone as the maincourse.  Here's how Mama (with a little help from Daddy) makes it:

Asian Marinated Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 T. soy sauce
- 1/4 c. white wine
- 2 T. seasoned rice vinegar
- 1/2 t. ginger (fresh or ground)
- 1/4 c. toasted sesame oil
- 1 T. honey
- 1/2 t. pepper
- 1 T. minced garlic
- 2 t. basil, chopped
- 1 t. hot sauce (add more if you like it spicy!)