Baby Pics and Such

These will be all out of order... but I can't be bothered to put them in any chronological order. :)  A lot has been going on.  This kind of shows you what's up in the Barreth world.

Grandma Morris has come for a visit and this is them on the carousel.

My brother, Preston, ran a 5K on Saturday.  He has lost over 100 pounds in the last 8 or 9 months... wow... what a difference!!  Way to go Preston!!

My mom with my baby Zekey.  Does his hair look reddish to you? :)

My wonderful husband giving me "the dip" and looking all mad scientist like.

Mom and I after a choir concert.

Ben and I.

Gwen on the back porch.  Look at those eyes!

My family enjoying the weather.

Old photos my mom brought... I'm on the right and my sister is on the left.

Me as a baby.  Look at that hair and birthmark down my forehead... what a looker!

Is that a Mexican baby crying in that chair?  No, it's ME.  HAAAA!

Michael Bolton

Yesterday Ben and I got two free tickets to see Michael Bolton next Wednesday.  We are on the 5th row.  I'm SUPER PUMPED!!!!!

Zeke's 9 Month Stats

Zeke had his 9 months doctor visit the other day and he weighed in at 21 lb 3 oz and 28.5 inches long.  Boy, is he growing up.  I've been a little concerned with Zeke making no attempt at crawling.  He can sit up just great now when I place him that way... but the crawling thing just does not seem to be on his agenda.  He is perfectly content to just roll over and play with a toy or stare at the ceiling.  In the coming weeks I will have someone come and observe him (for free) to give me tips on how to encourage him and help him in this area.  In the meantime, I'm trying not to be a psycho mom about it and give him his time.

Zeke is such a sweet natured little guy and he is very attached to me.  When I leave him in the church nursery he basically will cry until I come back.  That is a completely different experience than Gwen.  She didn't pay me any mind almost.  Zeke looks at me like I am the Queen of Sheba.  I wish I could capture in words just how special I feel both of my children are.  I'm sure every mother feels similar things.  Zeke has just recently cut his bottom two teeth.  I've got to get a photo for you to see.

Lately

 Lately it has been busy.  We've had Uncle Jake move to Kansas City and my mom come and visit.  We've been outside quite a bit enjoying the weather.  One way we enjoy being outside it drawing with chalk.  This is a drawing Gwen did with her daddy.  It is of a cow on a bike.  Now where did Gwen get her creativity?

Here is Gwen and Zeke today.  Like my aloe plant?

We had a Halloween preview the other day and we're deciding between humble pirate and Raggety Ann.  My vote is Raggety Ann.  What do you vote?

Owl Cupcakes

I think I've decided I'd like to do an owl themed birthday party for Zeke in January.  I know... it's several months away and no, I'm not going and buying stuff and freaking out.  I just found this CUTE cupcake idea and I'm into owls right now.  Is that the cutest thing EVER?  Do you think an owl birthday party is strange?

Whole Wheat Pizza Pockets

I have made these a few times now and Ben loves them!!  Gwen likes them too and they are great to freeze either uncooked or cooked to warm up for a fast lunch.  I have frozen them cooked and then warmed them in the microwave.  By the way, I know the dough has a bit of butter in there... but it makes a LOT of dough.  You can vary your fillings and be creative.  I got this recipe from this website.

Crust:

3 1/2 C whole wheat flour (I've been using whole white wheat flour recently... still whole wheat... just a different variety and it is a lighter flour and less of a "whole wheat" taste- wonderful)  You can get this flour in health food stores.  I got mine at Whole Foods Market.
1 t. sea salt
1 C melted butter
1 C plain yogurt

Stir it all up and I let my dough rest in the fridge for 10 minutes or so because if it gets warm it's hard to handle.

Pizza Sauce- you can used jarred spaghetti sauce (what I used last night) or I have tried this sauce too and it is good also.

1 1/2 C tomato sauce
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 1/2 t. oregano
1 1/2 t. basil (I put in some of my fresh basil and it was GOOD)

Stir and simmer for a few min.

I get a fourth of the dough out at a time.  I let the rest sit in the fridge.  I roll out the dough on a floured surface and use a large coffee cup to cut the circles so the pockets are relatively the same size.  I roll out the circle and then put in the fillings.  I like to put diced chicken, mozarella, peppers if I have them and sauce of course...but you can make them any way you like.  Then fold over and seal with your fingers and then use a fork to seal it completely.  If the fork sticks to the dough, put the fork in flour.
If you freeze them uncooked, then put on a cookie sheet at this point and freeze them.  Pop them off after an hour and stick in a bag.  OR... cook them.

If frozen:  400 degree oven for 30 min.
If thawed:  400 degrees for 20 min

I prefer to cook them and then freeze them after they cool completely.  

Bathroom Progress

Here's what we have so far.  It's not 100% completed, but getting there. :)

This was before... you can't see that well, but here ya go anyway.  Home improvements take SO LONG in this house!!

Additions

Did you know that sugar is added to the peanut butter that stays solid and you don't have to mix?  Yep... oh, and the "natural" stuff you don't have to mix?  Yeah, added palm oil... like you needed any MORE fat in peanut butter!

Did you know also that the vanilla extract you get that is "pure" is watered down?  Don't believe me?  Look at the ingredients... water was the first one on mine.  NOT THIS YEAR BABY!  You guys better get ready for some REAL home brewed vanilla extract!!

(can you tell I'm on rant?)

Bathroom and Caterpillar

We are painting our bathroom now.  It has taken weeks, but we are now done with the priming and painting of the trim and we are now moving on to the walls and replacing the light fixture, cabinet hardware and mirror.  We took down the old mirror and this is what we found beneath.  Someone somewhere had a nautical lighthouse theme going on. :)

Gwen was very interested in a caterpillar she found outside the other day.  It's getting cold enough where we can't go outside in the mornings without bundling up.  It is in the 30's as I type.

Meal Plan- a little late

Ok, so I've made half of this stuff already..but here ya go.

meat and cheese burritos
freezer meal- pizza pockets (like a empanada with chicken and peppers and cheese and of course pizza sauce), cucumber slices
chicken tortilla soup
black beans, rice, cucumbers
egg salad sandwiches, carrot sticks, hummus (yes, I FINALLY made it)
taco baked potatoes

*honey whole wheat bagels is my next freezer thing I'd like to make.  We'll see how long it takes me to get this accomplished.  I've never made my own bagels before.

The 80's

This past weekend you know about Ben's bike ride and his team.  What you don't know is that his team leader's name is Richard Mark.  It cracked me up because sometimes he'd say his name in the possessive and I would think of this song.  I've spoken to so many that say the 80's are a bad era for music.  I disagree.  I love this song.  What is the best love of all time in your opinion?  This has to rank in my top 100 for sure. :)

Pleasure

This is one of the faces I get the pleasure of looking at all day.  Notice the tongue thing and the shock of hair that stands up.  Now you know why I call him my gorgeous.  WHAT a dreamboat.

MS 150

This weekend Ben rode his bike in the MS 150... a fund raiser ride for people with multiple sclerosis.  It was 82 miles one day, and 82 miles the next day.  I drove and stayed there with Ben and took these shots.  This first one is of Ben getting ready to ride on the first day.  Oh, and yes, we did get up way before dawn, both days.  He was pumped.

This is a team picture.  His team was called "United We Ride."  These are not all of the people in his team.  This ride had about 2,000 riders and his team probably had 250.

I arrived at 11:45 and they were finishing setting up really.  I thought maybe Ben would be in at 12:30 or so if he had really good time.  Well... I hear my name and Ben is sitting there eating oreos.  He was the very first rider to come in and he was there alone for about 10 minutes before the next rider came in.  I told him he was a total ninja warrior on that bike of his.  I could tell he was happy.  He rode 82 miles in just under 4 hours.  He must be Lance Armstrong's baby or somethin'!

Here we are on day two ready to see daddy at the finish line.  We were determined to get there earlier this time.

Here's Zeke with his tamborine to celebrate his daddy.

Ben came in with a group of riders- 6 of them in the lead.  They did some formations that helped with the wind... kind of like geese.  I am so proud of his accomplishment!!

Freezer Cooking- Meat and Cheese Burritos

I have decided that I am going to do one freezer meal a week and stock up my freezer with things that we can have for dinner on nights that I don't feel like cooking, or for a wholesome lunch sometime.  I chose these because they are easy, have few ingredients and can be cooked straight from frozen.  By the way, I got this idea from this blog:  http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/  Love that blog!

1 pound ground beef, venison or turkey (I used turkey and I doubled the recipe)
sea salt to taste
3/4 C shredded cheese (I used a mexican blend)
1 C salsa
10-12 whole wheat torillas (you can make your own, but I chose to buy some whole grain wraps they sell at Aldi... they are 100 calories and big)

To Freeze:  Lay burritos burritos barely touching in a casserole dish.
To Reheat:  Put on a baking sheet.  If they are thawed, warm in the oven for about 15 minutes.  If burritos are frozen, leave them in the oven for about 30 minutes.

*The nice thing about this frozen meal is that you can vary the fillings and make it whatever you prefer.

Gwen Dancing

Did ya get all that?  I didn't think so.  She insists on wearing that skirt every day now.  I think it is very cute.  She dances like this and she doesn't have any dancing Barbie movies or anything like that to show her how people dance.  (although she will gladly accept a copy of that for Christmas Aunt Stephanie)  Her current favorite song is "I've Been Working On The Railroad."  She calls it the "train one" in her monologue.  These little every day moments are so precious to me.

Today

We studied mushrooms today.  We made one out of a toilet roll.

This is what Zeke was doing.  

Bath time giggles.

Big Flake

If you are a long time reader of this blog you know about how I am strangely interested in big corn flakes.  This has to be the largest I've ever found.  It's spectacular! :)

Excited

Just yesterday I received the sticker labels for my homemade vanilla jars.  I think they are so cute and I'm excited to give them as gifts.  Many of you all will receive some of this vanilla, so just look surprised ok?

Something I wasn't so excited about today?  How I left the room for a millisecond and this is what I came back to.  And no, I didn't throw it away.  I rolled it up the best I could and stuck it in the drawer.  Let's just say it looks a little disheveled.

First Dentist's Visit

Here's Gwen with the dentist this morning.  She went back there without me and opened really well for them.  She chose a necklace from the treasure chest afterwards and got a bag of things like a new toothbrush and all.  She looked in the bag and said "WOW it's amazing!"  She's becoming such a big girl!

Meal Plan

cabbage rolls, cut veggies
glazed salmon, rice, zucchini
egg salad sandwiches, ranch bean soup
chicken strips, sweet potatoes, green beans
ambrosia fruit salad, sloppy cornbread, salad and cut veggies

* hummus.. still haven't made it.
*applesauce- my neighbor gave me some great apples and I'm going to make applesauce with it.

Bollywood

Not only do I love Indian food, but I love their culture in many ways.  This song is better than Thriller.



Beki told me about an Indian actor that has a double thumb.  Hum... interesting.  I asked her if that might deter him from being chosen for roles...

Not so much.  Made me laugh... hope it makes you laugh too.

Take A Look

Today we went to a gym for a birthday party.  They had this nifty three seater swing.  Most kids got on there and were afraid once it started...

Not my Gwen!  HA!

Owl Art

Yesterday we made thumb print owls.  Here are the ones I did to show Gwen.

Here are hers.  She also decided she was going to make a "humongous" caterpillar with the pink ink.  Every day she says things that surprise me.  She says things like "oh, I know mommy" (like she has an idea) and "you remember don't you?" and "look mommy, a crescent moon!" and I just stand there in surprise.  She was rolling on the floor yesterday and said "see, it's not too bad" and then cackled out a laugh.  Her prayers are beginning to make sense.  Last night she thanked God for green beans!  Every night she requests the same two songs, Twinkle twinkle little star and Edelweiss.  I'm really enjoying this age with Gwen, except for the fits and constant correcting.  :)  

Processed Food

In my desire to make nourishing foods for my family, I've been reading up about processed foods and what constitutes as processed.  This article really was great.  How much processed foods do you guys eat?

http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/processedfoods.htm

Lenexa Spinach Festival

We went to the Lenexa Spinach Festival today.  I know, a little odd, so that's why I had to go.  Apparently, Lenexa was famous for spinach at one time in the early 1900s.  Here's Gwen on her first pony ride.

Here I am with my little man.  He is a DOLL BABY!

This picture captures Gwen's personality I think.  She has such spirit and is so fun loving.  LOVE HER

Here's Zeke with Popeye and Olive Oil.  Gwen decided she didn't want any part of a picture with the characters.  What a surprise right?

Christmas 06 Owl Spotting

I thought I had a picture of an owl that I saw in Alabama.  I found it and it is a spotted owl just for the record.  Isn't it lovely???

My New Obsession- Owls

It all started with this.



Now Gwen wants to fly around the house like an owl, we've painted an owl picture today, and read a book about owls.  She especially liked looking at the egg pictures.  My favorite kind of owl is the barn owl.  Here it is.  I REALLY want to see one.  BAD.

Before and After- The Kitchen

This is before we moved in.  Country blue plaid wallpaper... gotta love it!

The kitchen is the first room we did.  This is how it is today.  Sorry, I didn't clean up for these photos...but I thought you needed to see how we really live.  We display Gwen's art above the table.  I hope you are enjoying these before and afters as much as I am.  It's been a LONG process.

Our Clock

Pistachio-Basil Pesto

For those of you that have basil plants.  I think next time I'll double the recipe if I have enough basil.  I'm using up the basil before it gets cold and dies!  By the way, I'm so excited... last night I ordered bottles for my homemade vanilla extract and I'm going to order custom stickers to go on as labels!

2 garlic cloves (if you like garlic... add more like I did)
1/2 C shelled pistachios
2 C loosely packed basil
1 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 C extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (I used Romano)

1.  Place garlic in food processor; pulse until chopped.  Add pistachios, basil, lemon juice and salt; pulse until nuts are finely chopped.  Add olive oil gradually through food chute and process until well combined.  Add cheese and pulse 2 or 3 times.  Makes about 1 C.  I also added a little water to mine because I wanted it a runnier consistency.  Pesto is great on tomato sandwiches (Ben had last night) or pizza or with pasta.  A little goes a long way.  I froze this in an ice cube tray to use later in winter.

Meal Plan

Cabbage rolls, green beans
grilled shrimp and bell peppers, brown rice
zucchini boats, salad
seasoned chicken, sweet potatoes or broccoli
dal makani mix, chipati
crepes, fruit salad

*pistachio-basil pesto
*hummus

It's beginning to be cooler weather here and so I'm using up my basil before it gets too cold.  I can freeze this pesto in ice cube trays and use whenever.  Hummus is just good to have around this house.  Everyone likes it very much.