BBQ at the Lucas Casa

Well, we did it...32 adults and 17 kids later...we had our first gathering at the house since having Harper. I think it went really well, the playroom got a lot of use (the kiddos broke-in a lot of H's toys) and everyone seemed to have a good time. Chris kept the grill going with wings and dogs for the kiddos and our last guests left around 10pm. It's amazing how much life has changed, last year if we had this same party only a few kiddos would have attended, now the house is swarming with them! I was reflecting on the party at the end of the day and I continue to feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends in our life, we are looking forward to many more bbq's in our future!

Whoops...almost forgot, Harper rolled over for the first time this week, my baby is growing up!!!

Granny & Papa Wilson visit

It's been a busy week...Granny and Papa left Sunday and I am just now getting to a posting of our visit! We had so much fun when Granny & Papa visited us for a long weekend! We had lots of fun just hanging out and enjoying little Harper...she has grown so much since they saw her last and she is so much more interactive and entertaining now! She was also a show-off and kept her awesome sleeping schedule even when Granny & Papa were here...2 hour naps during the day and sleeping through the night, yeah! We even took a mini road trip to Lockhart for some authentic BBQ at Smitty's, the pork ribs were fabulous and I think everyone else enjoyed their food too! There is something special about eating off butcher paper! Harper's Great Great Aunt Linda was in town for a bowling tournament so we got to visit with her too! We are looking forward to seeing Granny again in July and traveling to CA in August, we love you guys!

Some pics from the visit:

Couldn't decide on just one pic this month!

Product Endorsement

I found a new shampoo that I love!!! So I use all Aveda styling products on my hair and I fell in love with the scent of the Rosemary Mint shampoo Aveda has but when I tried the shampoo on my hair it totally dried it out! Enter Suave Professionals Rosemary Mint Shampoo & Conditioner...it's awesome, and for a mere $1.99 a bottle it can be yours (for 14.5 fl. oz.) vs. Aveda at $9.50 a bottle for 8.5 fl. oz. You should give it a try, the smell is so invigorating, it actually gets be happy to take a shower, no seriously! :)

new snack

Nonfat Greek yogurt
chocolate protein powder
sprinkle of nuts

Very satisfying and packed with protein!

Harper's 4 month dr's appt

I just took Harper to her 4 month appointment and drum roll please....

She is 11 lbs 2 oz and 23 in long!!!!

She is doing great and soon we will embark on or next adventure, solids! Will probably try rice cereal with her sometime in the next month or so...I am not going to rush it. We have also been trying to adjust her bedtime so she is going down earlier and so far so good...the goal is to get her down close to 8pm, right now she is going down at 9pm and either getting up for one feeding a night or no feeding at all, yeah!

Right now she is napping...getting shots is very traumatic and last time she was a mess the rest of the day, I am hoping she reacts better this time, we shall see!!!

I don't quite fit in my life jacket yet!

I love my daddy!

Tummy time progress!

Moms Night Out!!!

I decided to get together my favorite mama friends and schedule a monthly Moms Night Out...and last night was our first gathering and it was a blast! We met up at Santa Rita and the weather was beautiful so we sat out on the patio. This mama enjoyed a few beers and some very yummy black bean nachos, yes, I had nachos for dinner and they were great!!!! It was nice to just hang out minus the kiddos...of course we talked a little about the kiddos but we also had other things to talk about too! :) I am looking forward to our monthly outings, I think it's really important for us mamas to still have our social time! I continue to feel so blessed to have great friends in my life, I couldn't imagine my life without them!

Hi, I'm cute!

Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This almost tastes like candy to me, so good, you gotta try it!

Ingredients
2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces and put in a 9 by 13 baking dish. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, honey and lemon juice. Pour mixture over potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the salt, and bake, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, until potatoes are tender.

Spending time with the Lucas family

I'm ready for my first swim in the pool!!!

Pecan Crusted Pork Tenderloin

This one is a keeper! Ate it one night with couscous and a veggie and tonight we made tacos, yum!

Igredients:
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloin
1 cup japanese bread crumbs (Panko) *I am loving Panko these days!
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp freshly chopped rosemary *I think I used more like 3 tbsp
2 egg whites, slightly whipped

Prepare pork by rinsning under cold water, pat dry and set aside. Combine all but the egg whites in a 9x13 pan, set aside. Place the egg whites in a small bowl, whip slightly. Brush tenderloin with the whipped egg whites; dredge tenderloin in the bread crumb mixture; pressing to adhere; then place on baking sheet. Bake pork for 25 mins at 375 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest about 10 mins prior to slicing. Serve with raspberry -chipotle sauce (recipe below).

Raspberry-Chipotle Sauce

1 (12 oz) jar raspberry preserves
2 tbsp adobo sauce or to taste

Combine above in small bowl, whisk to incorporate.

Thai-style tilapia

Made this last night, super easy and tasty! It has a bit of a kick to it which I loved but could probably use less spice to mellow out the flavor. If you don't like fish make it with chicken. First time cooking with lemon grass, I didn't even know where I would find it at the store (it's with all the other herbs) I doubled the sauce to make sure there was enough. Served with basamati rice w/ shopped Marcona almonds and green onions and stir fry veggies. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut milk
6 whole almonds
2 tablespoons chopped white onion
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chopped fresh lemon grass
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
Directions
1.In a food processor or blender, combine the coconut milk, almonds, onion, ginger, turmeric, lemon grass, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Process until smooth.
2.Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper on both sides, then place them skin-side up in the skillet. Pour the pureed sauce over the fish. Use a spatula to coat the fish evenly with the sauce. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
3.Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the puree is thickened and fish flakes easily with a fork.

Bath Pics

1 week old...




3 months old...

Just purrfect!