Rocker

Here is a preview of Kyle in his teenage years . . . . . . . .

Okay, so I guess we don't have to worry about colored hair quite yet. Today was just 'wacky hair' and face painting day at summer daycamp. :)

And Me Without My Cast-Iron Skillet

I read an article recently in Southern Living magazine called "And Me Without My Cast-Iron Skillet." The title caught my attention since I do not own a cast-iron skillet. The author, Amy Bickers, states "My secret to the perfect Southern meal involves storytelling and laughter and someone else to do the cooking." I have to agree with her on that one!

One excerpt in particular really made me laugh out loud:

My kitchen is ill-equipped. There are probably freshmen at LSU with better-stocked cabinets. I don't own a cast-iron skillet, but I've heard that if you do have one it needs to be well seasoned. For all I know, this involves pouring a lot of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning on it. There are no Mason jars in my kitchen in which to store whatever it is Southern women are expected to grow in their backyards and then shove into glass. If you asked me to do some canning, I'd assume you wanted me to fire somebody.

Well said, I think. That basically sums it up for me. :)

'Food Rules'

Michael Pollan, author of the popular "Omnivore's Dilemma" and more recently "In Defense of Food," has a new handbook out, "Food Rules," which is full of tips for eating healthily. The book was excerpted earlier on The Huffington Post, and in this interview on Good Morning America, Pollan shares some of his tips, from "Eat your colors... but not anything that changes the color of your milk" to "You can eat all the junk food you want if you cook it yourself."

This book is a must read for anyone who is interested in eating better food. I also think it is great for anyone who enjoys living a healthy lifestyle. Has anybody read it?

Max

We took our cats to the vet this weekend for their annual check-up. Since Max is almost 18 years old and on arthritis medicine, we opted to have blood work done again this year to check his kidney function. For those of you who have seen Max lately, I'm sure you would agree that he is moving a bit slowly and has become quite skinny in the butt/hip area. Anyway, the results of the blood work indicated that he is in the early stages of kidney failuare. I guess we're not too surprised by the news, however it is still hard to hear. We don't know how much time he has left, but we are enjoying him as much as possible. He is the best cat ever! Kyle and Clara are extremely attached to him and love him very, very much. Considering most cats show signs of early kidney failure around 10-14 years of age, I suppose we should be counting our blessings at this point. We will continue to keep you posted on his health if anything new develops.

Max - Christmas, 2009

Awesome Dinner

This past week Craig made an awesome dinner for us! It even required that he follow a recipe. I promise you won't be disappointed if you decide to make it. It also makes a great 'date night' meal for home. Enjoy!

P.S. - Thank you Mom for passing your Southern Living magazines on to me, which is where I found this recipe. :)

Sausage-and-Ravioli Lasagna
1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 (24-oz.) jar tomato-and-basil pasta sauce
1 (6-oz.) package fresh baby spinach, thoroughly washed
1/2 cup refrigerated pesto sauce (we used non-regrigerated pesto)
1 (25-oz.) package frozen cheese-filled ravioli (do not thaw)
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Italian six-cheese blend

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook Italian sausage in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink; drain well. Stir pasta sauce into sausage.

2. Chop spinach, and toss with pesto in a bowl. (Craig used our mini food processor to do this.)

3. Spoon one-third of sausage mixture (about 1/2 cup) into a lightly greased 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Top with half of spinach mixture. Arrange half of ravioli in a single layer over spinach mixture. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining sausage mixture.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, and bake 5 to 8 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Note: Feel free to omit the sausage and/or shredded cheese for a healthier (or vegetarian) option.

More Sledding

On New Years Eve we headed back to the new sledding hill . . . . . . all of us this time. It was so much fun! Kyle got a new tube sled because his other one got a hole in it. It came in a box, so little did we know that it would be big enough for our entire family to ride on at once (not recommended). :) We had a blast! It's a good thing the kids got helmets and goggles for Christmas. They have come in super handy this winter. Plus, it's always good to be safe.

Sledding

Of course our winter break would not be complete without at least one of us getting sick, right? Unfortunately, I (Tracey) came down with laryngitis for 2-3 days following Christmas day. I think I was exposed to some allergens and irritants that bothered me.

In an attempt to get the kids outside and allow me to rest, Craig took the kids sledding to a new sledding spot after calling their hotline to check the conditions of the hill. Who knew sledding hills had their own hotline?!?! Anyway, they had a great time as you can see from the photos below. This new sledding hill even has a lodge where you can buy hot chocolate! Now that is my kind of sledding spot. Ha, ha! Please stay tuned for more sledding pictures. :)