it's about to get crazy

I was just looking over my calendar and planning out my to-do's for the week when I realized that this is the calm before the storm. I have a lot of shiz to get done -and don't want to do any of it- before this weekend.

-My SIL just informed us she's coming for a day or two starting on Saturday. I may have to bitch about this later, I'm trying to remember if my husband gave my blog to his family...

-Sometime around the 3rd of June our good friends Harry and Theresa are coming to stay with us for a couple of days. I am so excited. Theresa and I have known each other since we were born and over the last few years have gotten pretty close again.

-Then we have Strawberry Festival. One of the big reasons we picked Troy and decided to live in the Historic District. I have prepared myself with not one but TWO strawberry outfits for my kids. Why you ask? Because that's how I roll. BTW, they will not actually be dressed as strawberries. Laugh all you want. No really, it's fine. It has been my experience that if you have cute matching twins you get free shit and people let you go first a lot. Old people eat it up.

-A day or two after Strawberry Festival the girls and I head to WI and then on to MN to see my new niece Tess Amelia, I am looking forward to holding a baby again. I'm not sure what that will do for my baby fever. We'll have to wait and see I guess. Then we'll be attending my cousins graduation party and heading back to WI. Also included in that trip will be celebrating my parents birthdays and Father's Day. Any ideas as to what I should buy them?

-Here's the kicker. When we come home from WI (on the 16th of June) we will have a teenager with us. Our niece (J's Sister's daughter) will be staying with us until the fourth of July. Brenna will be 14 this year. I have a lot to say on this topic in another post. I am thrilled that she will be here with us and I'm looking forward to spending time with her. I am also hoping and praying to God that she won't turn into some crazy hormone witch while she's here. We have a lot of fun stuff planned and I hope we all still get along when it's time for her to go.

-and then I'm turning 30 on the 14th of July

frozen fruit "ice cream"

This stuff is a great to make on a hot night before bedtime. It's super easy and reasonably good for you. I'm sorry I don't have any actual measurements for you, it's one of those things that you just have to make up as you go along. I have tried just about every kind of frozen fruit (peaches, strawberries, blueberries, mixtures) and all of them work except blackberries, the seeds were just too big so the texture was icky.

Start with the ingredients pictured below. Throw the bag of frozen fruit (straight from the freezer) into a food processor. Add about 1/2 cup of yogurt (you'll probably end up adding more), one teaspoon of vanilla, and a little bit of sugar. The sugar is totally personal taste, you may not even want to add any. Some fruits don't need it, other's do.

Just process until it resembles ice cream and the big chunks of fruit are gone. (Or not if that's your thing) Last night I got a little carried away with the yogurt and it ended up a little too thin.
I probably used about two tablespoons of sugar in this batch and it was plenty.

I have never tried to freeze this stuff because there is never any left. So if you try it and have success freezing it let me know.

rite of passage

We took the girls fishing on Saturday. They're actually really good at casting, but we've never let them have a hook or bait. Saturday we decided we'd let them fish with us, hopefully we'd catch something and we'd let them land it.

This is what happened

Ava named the fish AK. AK as in the gun? AK as in Alaska? Who knows. They loved fishing and are already asking when we're going back again. I think soon, considering there is a box of live worms in the fridge right now.

The ladies also reached a big milestone. They took their first pee in the woods.

new door

While the plumbers were working on moving all of the plumbing in the bathroom the contractors did a side project. They replaced the side door on the landing. We found out accidentally that the old one didn't lock correctly, so it became a priority. All of the wood was rotten and had water damage. It was a lot bigger project than we originally thought it would be. We got the doors at Menards. Nothing is painted yet but someday soon...

i'm done now

With Jer gone this week has been long and tiresome. It started out really good and has slowly gone downhill. I am ready for him to come home now and for me to leave for an hour, or five. I would also like to talk to a person and not be interrupted by a whiny child. I am so sick of never being able to have a complete conversation.

At least I got to talk to my honey this morning for a little bit before another meeting. Tonight he's going to our friends house for dinner and I'm jealous.

I would also appreciate a break in the rain today just long enough to go for a walk or else we'll be walking in the rain. I can not take the inside of this house any longer.

Wouldn't it be great if contractor's were also babysitters?

good song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE7rkSELM3I

This song will get stuck in your head and make you buy two albums on itunes. Proceed with caution.

the salmon recipe plus some more

Orange-Glazed Salmon
3 T Cajun Spice
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
4 boneless, skinless salmon fillets (6oz each)
2T Veggie oil
1/4 C orange marmalade
1 T lime juice

Combine cajun spice, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and rub mixture on all surfaces of the fish. Saute fillets in oil over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes, turn and saute an additional 2-3 minutes.
Blend marmalade and lime juice; swirl in pan until melted. Carefully turn fish to glaze on all sides. The salmon is done when it begins to flake easily with a fork.

My note: This was a bit too spicy for my kids, but great for adults. I think the next time I make this I'll coat the kids with a tiny bit of the seasoning instead of the full amount.


Charbroiled Salmon
1 cup soy sauce
2 T red wine
½ t ground ginger
½ t ground black pepper
2 lbs salmon steaks

Combine in a large re-sealable plastic bag and squeeze out excess air, refrigerate for no less than two hours.

Grill at 400-500 for 7 minutes on meat side first, then flip to skin side for 6 minutes


Parmesan baked Salmon
¼ C Real Mayo
2T Parm cheese
1/8 t ground pepper
4 Salmon fillets, skin removed
2 t lemon juice
10 ritz crackers crushed

Heat oven to 400. Mix mayo, cheese and pepper until well blended, set aside

Place salmon on foil lined shallow baking pan. Drizzle with lemon juice. Top with cheese mixture; spread to evenly cover salmon. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork