David and his BFF

We finally had a chance to get outside today! It was cloudy but at least it wasn't raining. It was fun to watch David and his BFF Briana playing together. They are two peas in a pod. Here are some pictures of David with his very best friend!







I snapped this cute picture of David when he stopped running around for 2 seconds!

Dish of the Week: Chicken Tikki Masala

This weeks dish is Chicken Tikki Masala. I got this from a blog a friend recommended called The Pioneer Woman. She has a cooking tab and I have become a huge fan! She takes pictures of each step in her recipe and so it's very easy to follow along. This dish came from her contributor's section called Cooking with Pastor Ryan.

Ingredients:
3-4 Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
6 Tbsp Butter
1-1/2 cups Heavy Cream
28 oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes*
1 Large Onion
4 Cloves of Garlic
2" piece fresh Ginger
3 Tbsp Garam Masala spice mix
Cumin
Ground Coriander
Kosher Salt
Sugar

Optional:
Fresh chopped Cilantro
Chili Peppers
Turmeric
Frozen Peas

Directions:
Start by seasoning the chicken breasts with some kosher salt. Next sprinkle them on both sides with some coriander and cumin. Then coat the chicken breasts completely with the plain yogurt. Set the chicken on a metal cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and place it about 10-12 inches below a broiler for 5-7 minutes per side. Watch carefully so as not to totally char the chicken. It should have slightly blackened edges. Remove from oven.

Next dice on large onion. In a large skillet melt 2 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and saute until they are slightly browned. As the onions cook, mince your garlic. Next, cut off the outer skin and mince or grate a 1x2 inch chunk of fresh ginger. Add the garlic and ginger to the onions. Also throw in about 1 tbsp. of salt.

Next you are going toadd about 3 Tbsps. Garam Masala spice. And if you like it hot this is also when you will add your hot chili peppers. Serranos work well. Now you are going to add your can of diced (or crushed) tomatoes. Continue cooking and stirring, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Add about 1 Tbsp. sugar. Let this mixture simmer on medium for about 5 minutes.

To a rice cooker, add 2 cups Basmati rice, 4 Tbsps. butter, 1 tsp. salt, 1 Tbsp. Turmeric and 4 cups of water. Cover, turn on your rice cooker and walk away. If you do not have a rice cooker, cook your rice as usual but make sure that you use Basmati rice.

After the Tikki Masala sauce has had a chance to simmer for a little bit, add in the 1-1/2 cups of heavy cream. Now, chop up your chicken breasts into chunks and stirl them into the Tikki Masala sauce. A handful of chopped fresh cilantro is a nice addition if you like cilantro. You can also throw some frozen peas into the cooked rice, give them a stir and allow the heat of the rice to cook the peas. It tastes great and gives another nice dash of color. Serve the Tikki Masala over the rice. Make sure to have some Naan handy too! Mmmm....

The Verdict:
If you like Indian food then you will LOVE this dish. If you have never had Indian food before then you may or may not love this dish! At least that was the reaction I received from my family tonight. The Doc and I LOVE Indian food. We have yet to find good take out here and so when I took my first bite I almost cried it was SO good! Who knew I would be able to duplicate an actual Indian dish and have it taste just as good as what we used to get back in Hanover, NH and Philly!

My Dad, who has never had Indian food before, said it was delicious. My mom, who turns her nose up to anything that is a little different, even tried it. She wasn't a fan but I was really proud of her for actually trying it! My siblings on the other hand, were not fans at all. Their comments will not be repeated on this blog because they are not family friendly. My siblings significant others all seemed to enjoy trying something a little different than what they are used to eating!

I can't get over how authentic it tasted! I really felt like I have outdone myself. YUM!

Itsy Bitsy Spider!

David loves to sing! One of the songs we have been singing at night for Shaun is the Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Happy Father's Day!

Daddy and his boys!



Just a side note: Today marks one year since we said goodbye to Pilly, packed up the U-Haul (thanks to the D's, my brother and his friend) and hit the road to Boston with an almost 2 year old and and almost 2 WEEK old. Time flies!

Dish of the Week: Onion Straws

OK, so this weeks dish, Onion Rings, isn't really a dish, but these are so good I had to post the recipe! It has become a staple when I make burgers!

Ingrediants:
1 Vidalia Onion (very thinly sliced)
2 cups flour
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne Powder
2 Cups Butter milk
1 qt Peanut Oil

Directions:
To make shoestring rings, heat 1 quart peanut oil to 360 degrees in a deep, heavy pot. Dredge thin Vidalia onion rings in flour seasoned with salt, pepper and cayenne; dip in buttermilk seasoned with salt and pepper, then dredge in more flour. Fry until golden brown, turning once or twice, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels; season with salt.

The Verdict:
These are seriously so good, it's hard not to want to make them every day! We like to top them on our burgers but they are just as good all by themselves! YUM!

Believe it or Not...

It's official...Shaun's walking! He took his first unassisted steps four days before his first birthday but it could hardly count as walking. He would take about three steps, fall down (as you can see from the two shiners on this forehead) and then crawl the rest of the way. Today, though, he has started walking across the room, stopping and starting and then going the distance!!



An interesting tid bit: David started walking nine days BEFORE his first birthday and Shaun starts walking nine days AFTER his first birthday!

Shaun's First Year in Video!

I am ashamed to admit that Shaun has certainly suffered a little second child syndrome, as we don't have as much video footage of Shaun's first year. However I still have some cute clips that I put together in movie form.


Shaun had his first year check up yesterday and here are his stats:

Weight: 21 lbs 11oz (30th percentile)
Height: 30 inches (50th percentile)

It's funny because everyone thinks he's such a big boy but the stats don't lie. He's only slightly bigger than David was at his first year check up. But one thing is for sure...he's no longer my baby! I noticed a couple weeks ago that when I look at him he no longer has that *baby* look. He is starting to look like a little boy!

Here is the birthday boy last week enjoying his birthday cookie!


And after he ate the birthday cookie!

Dish of the Week: Grilled Chicken in Root Beer Marinade

This weeks Dish Grilled Chicken in Root Beer Marinade is not really a dish but a recipe for a really interesting marinade. I found it on the Food Network's website when I was looking for a recipe for a homemade marinade for my chicken.

Ingredients:
6 (5-ounce) boneless chicken breast fillets

Marinade:
1 cup olive oil
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon dry minced garlic
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 ounces root beer

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade and add the chicken breasts. Marinate for approximately 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat a grill. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill. Grill until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

To serve, place on a bun or plain bread and serve with French fries and a mug of root beer.

The Verdict:
The chicken was VERY juicy. I was really happy with how the chicken came out on the grill. I can't say though I noticed the flavor of the root beer. It did have a nice flavor but not what I was expecting. Perhaps it's supposed to be a subtle taste? In any case, I would use this marinade again just because it did taste very good.

Next time if I serve this on a roll again I will add some cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce and bacon! Otherwise, it was on the boring side. I think this chicken would also work well served with rice and grilled veggies.

Shaun's First Year!

One year ago today at this very moment, Shaun made his grand (better late than never) entrance into the world! As I did with David's first year, I have put together a photo retrospective! Happy First Birthday Shaun!!

A Luau and a Birthday Party

On Saturday we had our end of the year party at the Rec Center. Miss Sally really knows how to put on a fun party for the kids. There was a tarp set up with sand (to make an indoor beach), various summer crafts including a decorated frisbee, Silly Willy the Clown and an Ice Cream Sundae bar! It was fun but sad at the same time since it was our last playgroup of the year but with all the fun activities the city has planned starting in July we'll still see everyone around!

Here are some pictures from our Luau:

Shaun having fun!


David making a frisbee:


The indoor beach!


Shaun & Me looking festive in our Hawaiian shirts!


Yesterday was David's BFF Briana's 3rd birthday party! It was a Chuck E Cheese and he had a blast! Shaun even had fun crawling around and seeing all the lights! It's so cute seeing David and all his little friends running around, playing games and dancing!

The Birthday Girl!


David having fun!


Dancing with his *girlfriend*


Shaun getting in on the excitement!

Dish of the Week: Pesto Chicken Grill Packets

This weeks dish is Pesto Chicken Grill Packets. It's from the Summer issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. I am still having fun using my grill and this dish not only yummy but it's healthy too!

Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2-1/4 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 cup pesto (see recipe finder)
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
8 scallions, trimmed

Serve with rice (or whatever starch you feel like!)

Directions:
1. Preheat a grill to medium. Cut four 12-inch-long sheets of heavy-duty foil. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil into the center of each sheet.

2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay 1 piece of chicken in the center of each sheet and spread 1 tablespoon pesto on top.

3. Mound one-quarter of the zucchini, tomatoes and scallions over each chicken breast. Dollop 3 tablespoons pesto over each mound. Fold the foil over the chicken and vegetables; pinch the edges to seal.

4. Cover and grill the packets over indirect heat for 25 minutes. Remove from the grill and open carefully.

The Verdict: I was pleasantly surprised by this dish. I honestly didn't know what to expect, as I haven't used a lot of pesto in my cooking. It's a flavor I am starting to really like more and more. The Doc started a month long rotation in the CCU that has him home late so he didn't really have the chance to really enjoy this right off the grill as I did. I am also not sure he was a fan of the pesto. What impressed me the most, was how juicy the chicken was. For full disclosure, I used a store bought pesto, as I don't have a food processor to make my own. I also omitted the tomatoes and added some broccoli and cauliflower. Try this one out if your looking for something simple, tasty and healthy.

Water Table Fun

Santa brought the boys a really cool water table for Christmas. On Tuesday I put the table together filled it with water and let them have some fun.

Here is Shaun having some big boy fun!


Look Ma, no hands!


Today I took a video of them playing outside. It's something fun they can do out in our *city* backyard.