Page 97 | A Small Snippet | A snapshot into the small snippets of life...to expose the Bigger Picture

Jul

02

Happy Birthday America!

HAPPY 4th!!

hope you have had a great week! sorry for the lack of posting, but we have just been enjoying every bit of summer, and i’m not sure where the days go!!

here’s a quick recap:

we started swim lessons with our dear friends Jim and Jordan. they are the best swim teachers ever, and if you live here and need a great swim instructor, let me know. they are FABULOUS!

if you remember from earlier this week, i introduced you to Bacon. well, he is still very much the Bug’s BFF:

the kiddos have had a slight obsession with World Flags lately. it started with the Olympics, and has continued with the World Cup. we have drawn about 50 flags over the last few weeks. we got kinda tired of having to google every country that Canaan could think of, so we went to the library and got a book for them. along with Bacon, this book has traveled everywhere with us the last few days:

we have a great 4th of July feast planned out for today. i got these mini tart pans the other day and created a fun dessert for tonight. i’ll share later this week if you are interested (and if they taste as good as i’m hoping they will!)

the kiddos have been pumped all week to get to celebrate “America’s Birthday!!”

so here’s to America! Happy Birthday!!

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Jun

29

tortilla pie: revised!

hey friends!

i’ve been hearing from a lot of you that you’re trying and liking the recipes that are posted and i’m SO thrilled! if you’ve got a great recipe to share, please pass it on to me so i can try it too!!

but i have a revision to one of the recipes that has become a fam fave that i have to tell you about. i’ve made this tortilla pie recipe multiple times now, and i have come the conclusion that there are a few changes that make it even more yummy!

basically, this revision just changes the filling a little bit. instead of cooking the beans and corn with the onions, this new way just adds better flavor and creates a sauce, and i think its quicker and easier.

first off, you can add in some meat of your choice. my suggestions are shredded chicken or ground beef. we use this kind of beef from Costco, cause its the most affordable Organic option i have found:

here’s a little tip for you that i heard a while back. some of you might think i’m crazy, but here goes! if you are using ground meat that’s not super lean, you can brown it up and then throw it in a colander and rinse and drain it to get as much of the grease/fat off as possible. i think it really does make it healthier, and since i’m going to be warming it back up and adding in lots of spices, it doesn’t really change the taste at all in my opinion!

now, throw your meat back into the pan and add in a can of drained black beans, a can of corn or a few handfuls of frozen corn, some cumin and chili powder, salt and pepper, and maybe even some taco seasoning.

and then here’s the best part…pour in some taco sauce, to create a thick sauce for the filling. i like a lot of taco sauce, so i would normally add in almost a full big bottle. but add in at least a cup.

then follow the directions for assembly and cooking like the previous recipe i posted explains. see here for that.

i think this makes for an even yummier, flavorful filling for your tortilla pie! let me know what you think!

i thought i’d leave you today by introducing you to a new friend of our family. Meet BACON:

yes….you saw and heard me correctly. this is a bat, and his name is Bacon, and he is currently Bella Bug’s best friend. he came in a Happy Meal that her grandparents got her, and he goes everywhere with us. he enjoyed going to the movie theater and lunch today, and he is currently taking a nap in arms of my daughter. who would’ve thought that this cutie would fall in love with a bat?? or that she’d name him Bacon?

there’s never a dull moment in this house,

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Jun

28

i {heart} summer

i {heart} summer…so much!

we are completely enjoying our lazy summer days.

so today i thought that i’d show you some snippets of summer life around our house.

this is seriously the life. here’s our driveway set-up, to endure these smokin’ hot summer days! we literally sit out here for hours in the morning and afternoon, enjoying our pools:

and our homemade water slide:
we even whip out the slip n slide, the water snake:
and the water hopscotch, which the bug works hard at mastering:
we’ve been enjoying outside summer picnic lunches:

complete with yummy popsicles for dessert:

when we finally go inside, we have been reading lots of books:

and drawing some pictures:

while mommy works on gifts for the many weddings we’ve had the privilege of attending lately. here’s a variation of the glass etching…a cookie jar! i think i’m going to make one of these for myself to hold our granola:
we’ve also been enjoying going to our local movie theater with fun friends, to enjoy the free kids movies that they play 3 days a week at 10:00 am:

but this is what i get when trying to capture our summer happenings!

i keep telling myself that someday they’ll appreciate all the photos and memories, but for now, i’m trying to figure out what i’m gonna have to do to convince (bribe) them to cooperate during the photo shoots that i have planned so i can keep practicing with my new lens! maybe more pool time?? any ideas for me???

anyway…hope you all are enjoying your summer as much as we are enjoying our’s!

i have an update to a previous recipe (Tortilla Pie) that i’ll share soon, so check back!

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