let's get caught up...

(judging by the length of this post...there is a lot to get caught up on...so bear with me)

isn't it just a myth about sitting too close to the tv?

who could refuse this face? Whatever you want Tyler.

(make sure you call him Tyler because if you call him Snugglebug like I do he will yell at you. "Nooo. That's Not My Name.")

The kids were excited about a big box that came in the mail from Grammy.

full of stickers

pens, books, a race car, A Thomas Book! and even a book for Mommy.

THANKS GRAMMY!

XOXO

For dinner I made Fish Sticks** and oven baked french fries. I posted 2 photos of this meal for 2 different reasons.

Reason #1: I actually battered and deep fried these (well Matt did the deep frying...I hate splattering oil)

Reason #2: The kids actually ate both the fish and the french fries with tartar & ketchup.

**note**

This was supposed to be Spicy Fish Fritters from my Asian Cookbook but when I read Gram flour I assumed it was a misprint for Graham flour. So my batter didn't really turn out and I was afraid to ruin some good (frozen) cod fish with it. I just looked up a fish stick batter recipe and used that. At least now I know you can make a flour from chickpeas.

Moving On:

Moving On Again:

Saturday, Tera came over to play during the morning and early afternoon. For some reason Tera and Tyler played more together than Tera and Lauren. (in retrospect: maybe Lauren was starting to come down with her bug then...more on that to come.) At one point Tyler and Tera were sitting together in the wagon outside. I was watching out the window and saw Tyler poking Tera and laughing. It really looked like he was flirting with her...in a cute little kid way.

That afternoon, we went to Tyler's friend Ian's 3rd Birthday Party. It was held at a McDonald's with the coolest playground you've ever seen. Lauren and Tyler did a lot of playing in the huge play structure and had a great time. And for the first time since I worked there in high-school I ate a grilled chicken value meal. Matt had a double cheeseburger. Yuck!

here's a bad picture of all the party-goers enjoying their food.

On Sunday I did a lot of cooking. For an early lunch I made Beef Noodle Soup to bring Asian week to a close. The soup turned out great. Matt said it was the best soup he's ever had.

Beef Noodle Soup

1/4 counce dried porcini mushrooms

2/3 cup boiling water

6 scallions

4 ounces carrots

12 ounces sirloin steak

about 2 tablespoons oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

5 cups beef stock

3 tablespoons light soy sauce

4 tablespoons dry sherry

3 ounces thin egg noodles

3 ounces shredded spinach

salt and freshly-ground black pepper

1. Break the mushrooms into small pieces. Place in a bowl and pour the boiling water over, and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Strain the mushrooms, squeezing as much liquid from them as possible. Reserve the liquid.

2. Meanwhile, cut the scallions and carrots into 2-inch long, fine strips. Trim any fat off the meat and slice into thin strips.

3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the beef in batches until brown, adding a little more oil if necessary. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

4. Add the garlic, ginger, scallions and carrots to the pan and stir-fry for 3 minutes.

5. Add the beef, beef stock, the mushrooms and their soaking liquid, soy sauce, and sherry. Season generously with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.

6. Break up the noodles and add to the pan with the shredded spinach. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the beef is tender. Adjust the seasoning to taste before serving.


After lunch was made, eaten and cleaned up I started right in on Super Bowl party preparations. We invited some friends over for what is turning into our annual Super Bowl party.

I made a Five-Bean Bake

Baked Pizza Dip
(before it went into the oven)

(this got rave reviews)

and also a Sausage Rotel Cheese Dip which isn't pictured. Along with my spread we had a ham and cheese plate, pulled BBQ beef sandwiches, and plenty of chips and desserts. We all had a lot of fun even though I didn't get to see as much of the game and or commercials as I would have liked. I was too busy chatting with friends. Here are some pictures taken that night.

Amber and Maria

Lauren and Lea

Matt, Me, Mike

Monday, Lauren had her first dance class. Ms. Maria takes Lea to the Newnan School of Dance and she said there's room for Lauren to join too. I've been wanting to get Lauren into a dance class and so when this opportunity fell into my lap I jumped on it. The kids do 30 min. of ballet and then 30 min. of tap. Lauren had a lot of fun in dance class and I'm sure it helped to have Lea in there with her. It will be a lot of fun for me too because Maria and I will be able to explore some of the neat shops in downtown Newnan while the girls dance. Although I didn't get a picture of her in the class (there is no observation window) I did take one of her when we got home.

Maybe it was all the excitement over the weekend, the germs in the McDonald's play structure or the ballet dance floor but Lauren got some sort of bug and spent Tuesday throwing up and being miserable with a stomache ache.

She slept alright last night but threw up again this morning. She's doing fine now and is back to her normal self but I just took Tyler's temperature and even though he is acting fine he had a 100 degree temperature. I'm beginning to think I won't ever leave my house again.

But at least being home-bound with some sickly kids gives me plenty of time to post on my blog. I can sort of just ramble on and on and on and on and on....