July Recipe

Pasta Abruzzese:

Penne with Sausage, Fennel, and Tomato Sauce
Rachael Ray

1 pound bulk sweet sausage
½ medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 bulb fresh fennel, tops trimmed and first layer of skin pulled away; quarter the bulb, then process or chop into a fine dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
A handful chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 pound penne cooked until al dente

Heat a deep skillet over med-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking up and browning the crumbles. Remove sausage to a bowl lined with paper towels and let stand to drain away grease. Return pan to heat.

Add onion, fennel, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, giving the pan a shake now and then. Add broth and tomatoes. Heat through. Dump sausage back in and add parsley. Stir while bringing to a boil. When sauce bubbles, drop heat to low and let simmer until pasta is ready to toss with sauce and serve. Feeds up to 6 with good, crusty bread.

Happy Cooking and Happy July!

For the Car

A long time ago, I saw a little sewn garbage holder for the car on a crafty blog. It was really cute and I thought it would be a good idea to have in front of Ethan's seat in our car. He's always saying something like, "Mom, I finished my snack and threw the wrapper on the floor." But when I went to look for the pattern, I couldn't find it anywhere. Soooooooo, I made this one up. Not like it's hard or anything though, just a few straight lines of sewing and boning to hold the bag open. I'll have to let you know later if it actually works in keeping my car a little less messy . . .

Today

I’m feeling a little down about my house in Washington still being on the market. I’m wondering if someone will ever buy it and I’m having nightmares of the overgrown yard.

Ethan pooped in his diaper (again) and laughed. When I told him it wasn’t funny he said, “It’s not funny to you, but it’s funny to me!” And then he laughed again. I’ve tried everything with that kid. Nothing works . . .

I made up a recipe for dinner and the only person who really liked it was Madeline. What a gem, she likes almost EVERYTHING!

I ate some cookies that my mother-in-law made, and they were good.

Watches

I’ve been in love with these for a couple of months now. When my mom learned how to make them, I was thrilled. She made the black one for me, and I made the other three this week. I would totally be making more if I had more cool beads lying around my house, but for now, these will have to do. Projects like this always make me happy because they take very little time, but the end result is great!

A Happy Miracle

Last month, there were a lot of things Madeline couldn't do. She couldn't sit herself up from either tummy or back, she couldn't pull herself up to standing, and she definitely couldn't cruise, stand, or walk. The doctors were just about to make me take her to get evaluated and put her in physical therapy. It was a little stressful to think about, but not anymore! It was like a light switched on in her head and now she can do all the things she couldn't! What a blessing! This is a HUGE accomplishment to have come so far in such a short amount of time. Take a look:

Father's Day Pics

Here's my cute hubby and my cute kids:
Todd laughing at Ethan trying really hard not to tell what the present it . . .

Me with my Daddy. I love you Dad!

Cute Daddy Pictures

In honor of Father's Day, I thought I'd post some of my favorite pictures of Todd with the kids.
I am stealing this idea from my sister-in-law Emily's Blog. These pictures have always been my favorites:

Newborn Ethan's Favorite Spot

Ethan's first time walking on AM/PM Beach, Sudden Valley, Washington

Ice Skating with Daddy

Looking at Madeline in the NICU

Adoring her Daddy

I love you Todd! Thanks for being a wonderful father to our kids!