Spinach Tomato Tortellini

 With each new recipe I make, I give Aaron the opportunity to tell me EXACTLY what he thinks about it. Sometimes he dislikes it totally and bans it from the menu forever. Sometimes he likes it enough to have it again, but not all the time. And then there are the recipes I try that he wants to eat over and over again. All I know is if I make a new recipe and he doesn't tell me what he thinks right then, and I make it again because I liked it, THEN he tells me he doesn't like it...we have a problem. Actually, this has only happened once! I can almost always tell when he is disgusted by something I've made. He makes a face. He says he doesn't make a face, but he totally makes a face that says "this is disgusting!!"

 

Well folks...he didn't make a face for this recipe...at least not a disgusted face. He loved it, as did I!  (and Jason even ate it well!! Always a plus!) This ranks as a favorite and will be incorporated into our regular menu. And now to share this yummy goodness with you all. It is really a quick recipe to put together with very little prep.

 

Spinach Tomato Tortellini

Just look how delicious (and colorful to boot)!

We ate it with a mixed green salad and bread.

 

 

Ingredients:

1-16 oz. package cheese tortellini

1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion

1 packed cup chopped fresh spinach

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 tsp. basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T. four

3/4 c. milk

3/4 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

 

Instructions:

-Bring water to boil and cook tortellini according to package instructions.

-Combine tomatoes, spinach, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil in a saucepan over medium heat until bubbly.

-In medium bowl whisk flour, milk and heavy cream. Stir into tomato/spinach mixture. Add parmesan cheese. .Heat through, reduce heat to low and simmer until thick about 2 minutes.

-Drain tortellini, DO NOT RINSE! Pour into saucepan with the sauce. Stir to coat and serve.

 

ENJOY!!

 



 

 

Date Nights at Home

Since the babies arrived, Aaron and I have gotten creative with date nights. By creative I mean we are having date nights at home. Before the babies arrived we weren't really having many date nights unfortunately, and we really wanted to rectify that situation. We rarely have extra money to go out for dinner or a movie, and when we do, we really don't have extra money to pay a sitter. But we have learned in the last few weeks that though it isn't ideal to have at home dates, it does work, and it can be very fun and relaxing with a little bit of planning. Also, time alone together is VERY important, so this is something we are making a priority one evening a week. We have been planning our date nights for the night before Aaron's day off, so that we can stay up after the kids are in bed, and not have to worry about being up late. We have picked up take-out and watched a movie and talked, or I have created a nice meal and we watch a movie and talk. We also like to play games, so that is on the agenda one date night here soon. Just last night we decided to take turns every other week planning the meal and movie/entertainment. http://www.celebrateeverydaywithme.com/2012/09/30-ideas-for-date-nights-at-home.html I just found this link on Pinterest with some fun date night at home ideas.

 

We have fun, and we really are enjoying the "alone," uninterrupted time. We get the kiddos fed and in bed, and then we get our meal and do our thing. Now don't get me wrong, we are wanting to still get out of the house from time to time alone, but this works for us as well. We know this is a season of our lives, and we are choosing to embrace it. We are currently planning a get away for our fifth anniversary!! Since our Hawaii trip was turned in to put the money towards a transmission we decided to plan another trip on a much smaller scale. We can't wait!!

 

Anyway...last night was our date night for the week. I had a new recipe to try, Spicy Fish Taco Bowls, a SMASHING success!! And we chose the movie "We are Marshall" to watch. Great movie, and yes...this hormonal mama cried a couple times!  The recipe is too good not to share. I made a few tweaks from the original for what I will do differently next time. It is a recipe I found on Pinterest (of course.) :) If you like fish this recipe is for you. If you are like my mom and don't like fish, read no further (or try it, it just might convert you to a fish lover). We rarely eat fish, not because we don't like it (because we do!), I just haven't experimented with it much.

 

 

Spicy Fish Taco Bowls

 

Just a glimpse at the deliciousness

 

 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt &pepper to taste

4 tilapia filet's

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 C. corn

1 red onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 can black beans

2-3 C. cooked rice

 

*toppings: avocado, cheese, sour cream & pico de gallo

 

Instructions:

-Mix spices and sprinkle on both sides of fish. Add salt and pepper to taste.

-In a large skillet over medium heat, heat a drizzle of olive oil. Add garlic and sauté. Add fish and cook on both sides until done. Fish should be completely white and flake easily. Remove fish and set aside.

-Add corn, pepper, and onion to the skillet. Heat on high until browned (tender-crisp). Add black beans and heat through.

-Cook rice and mix in a little salt, sour cream and avocado if desired (to moisten it up a bit).

-In a bowl layer rice, corn/pepper mixture, and then fish. Add suggested toppings if desired. You can just toss it all in the skillet, mix it up and serve it that way too.

 

 

*It doesn't HAVE to have the pico de gallo, but it was good with it. This is a fairly easy recipe to make and doesn't require much time. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did if you try it.

 





Cleaning and Scrubbing...

We all know of that poem that says something like cleaning and scrubbing can wait til tomorrow, but children grow old much to our sorrow...and so on and so forth. I agree with this to a point, but then there is that point when tomorrow comes, and if you don't get that cleaning and scrubbing done, you will be classified as a slob or even worse, a hoarder. And we don't want that now do we?! I am very much an easy going, slower paced mama, and I love to just sit around with my kiddos and play, and talk and read and sing and dance and teach and...but these days, I don't have an over abundance of time to be slower paced. I am trying to find a balance between caring for and spending purposeful time with my children, keeping our home, and rest for me. It will probably take years of practice, but this is something I strive for.

 

Yesterday Aaron was off from work and home! We decided that cleaning and scrubbing could wait until tomorrow (now today :)). We decided to have an enjoyable day and soak up time with our children. God gave us gorgeous weather to help us enjoy our day even more! Here are some pictures of our day, and also some others.

 

 Say WHAT???!!! This is one of many reasons we

are potty training Jason!

 

 Posed, but oh so Precious!

 

 Brothers

 

 One beautiful day last week we went

for a nice walk.

 

 Tummy time if you will :)

 

 Giving me attitude (of the good sort).

The crossed arms also come with another

form of attitude, of the not so good sort.

 

 Gideon chillin in his robe!

 

 Breakfast at THE IHOP ; ) on Aaron's day off.

 

 Bethany Paige and her beautiful grin!

 

 First time at a park, loving the fresh air (I

think they are loving it anyway!)

 

 "do I have to STOP playing for a picture?"

 

 "yes, yes you do!"

 

This is fun!

 

Gideon Michael and his sweet grin!

 

 Looking cool!

 

Just beautiful!

7 weeks old today

Enough said!

 

 



Am I Crazy?





The answer is YES!! I am crazy! I decided that I didn't have enough going on already with six week old twins (and all that entails), a busy two year old, and a home to keep, so I went ahead and threw potty training in the mix. This my friends, is the definition of crazy. Between feeding the babies, and putting Jason on the potty every 20-30 minutes, and changing a gazillion diapers, not a whole lot else is getting done around here. We will have meals (notice I didn't say good and nutritious meals,) we will have clean clothes, and the dishes will get done, but that might be it for awhile (that and writing my blog of course! ;)) We are on day two of potty training and we are doing well!! Jason has had only three "accidents", and two of those were yesterday. Not bad if you ask me. We have both been patient with each other so far, and that is a feat in and of itself. So here is a picture of my proud big boy. He gets a sticker and three smarties or m&m's every time he goes on the potty. If he wakes up dry he gets a sticker also. When his chart is full he will get a "big" treat (like a match box car or something like that.)

 

 

He definitely knows what to do on the potty, the training part is getting him to tell me when he needs to go. I am so excited to be working on this because I know the end result is going to be so worth it. The time I am investing now will pay off  when there are no more Jason diapers to buy or change. Is it hard?, ABSOLUTELY it is!! I wish I could have had this daunting task completed before the babies came, but I couldn't. I have been praying for wisdom and patience for months now as I geared up to potty train him.  I know with God's help we can do this! 

I have been reading up on potty training for awhile now, and I have just sort of pulled together info for what might work for us. I didn't see one day or three day methods working at all (let alone working for us).  I obviously don't know what will work in the end, but here is what I am trying. Jason sleeps in his diaper for bedtime and naps, all other times he is in underwear (not pull ups, not training pants, just real big boy underwear.) He gets a lot of beverages to consume (just like any other day really). He gets put on the potty every 20-30 minutes depending on if he went the last time or not. He has to sit there for a bit and try even if he doesn't end up going (so far he goes every time). Each trip to the bathroom we talk about his clean/dry undies, and I praise him profusely. I talk to him about telling mama and papa when he has to go. When he has an accident I do not get upset with him, I just talk to him about making it to the potty every time. He sits on the big toilet just fine so far, so we aren't using a potty seat. And as I've shared above, we have a chart and treat system we are going to use that makes him very excited! I am asking him often if he needs to go, and if his undies are dry/clean. This is the "method I am trying, and here is hoping it works and works fast!

For all you moms out there who are currently potty training kiddos or are about to start, I will pray for you!

I'm Back!

Well folks, after more than a year away from posting on my blog, I have decided to return and give it a whirl once again! I never meant to stop writing, it just kind of happened. It's a bummer too, because for many months I was couch-ridden with my pregnancy, so I could have done a lot of writing. On the other hand, since I was spending my time on the couch there wasn't a whole lot to write about. We also didn't have a laptop at the time, so I would have had to post from my phone, or break couch rest rules and sit at the desk to write. Neither option appealed to me, thus the sabbatical. So here I am back, busier than ever, but also more mobile because we purchased a laptop. I can write anywhere the kids are.

I will continue to write about our life here in the Palmer household, complete with pictures. I will also share some recipes from time to time. And one (including myself) just never knows what else I may write about. Time will tell.

For today I will leave you with this...

Clutter

Clutter is not my thing! It just isn't! Clutter overwhelms me.

The last few weeks since Christmas I have been going through our stuff and de-cluttering.Throwing away, giving away, and selling all those things that we don't use, don't need and don't want anymore. We had/have too much stuff!! If my closets and attic are full of things I am not using, and there is no more room to store things, that is my cue to purge. I have shoes I have been hanging on to for 8 years in hopes that my crazy left foot would heal itself and return to it's normal size. I think it's safe to say after 8 years of big foot, it isn't going anywhere, so the shoes are. Bye-bye shoes! I brought a huge box of books to Half Price a few weeks back and made $18.50 off of them. I was thankful for the money I made off of them (I wasn't expecting that much), and even more thankful to have them out of the house. I am finding homes for the excess toys we have, and furniture that is no longer practical for us in our home. IT FEELS GOOD to be rid of the excess!!