Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Mrs. Grimes

After surgery reading material...

It's pretty funny stuff. I'm not certain if everyone would react to the stories in this book the way I have - you might have needed to spend some time in education, or at least several hours around children and their strange stories.

It doesn't hurt that the title has my name in it!

The Miracle Collar?

We shall see!

Ever since Carter became more mobile, Bear has taken it upon himself to "show us" his "displeasure" in some pretty "crappy" ways. I'm sure you're understanding me. Anyways, this new PRETTY PURPLE collar promises to do the trick!

"MannyG" has never looked more fetching!

Step 1: Empty the basket of all items

Step 2: Wear it like a hat.

Carter 14 months

Carter Tags Along

...at the eye doctor

Matt's Becoming a Chef!

This is tonight's dinner ....

Beef With Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium onion, sliced

1 pound fresh mushrooms, halved

1 (1.61-ounce) package brown gravy mix

1 (10 1/2-ounce) can beef broth

1 cup red wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 bay leaf

Hot cooked egg noodles or rice

Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Place first 3 ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker.

Whisk together gravy mix and next 3 ingredients; pour evenly over beef and vegetables. Add bay leaf.

Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles. Garnish, if desired.

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and if that wasn't enough, Matt made me this for dessert:

Chocolate-Glazed Brownies

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup water

4 cups semisweet chocolate morsels, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Preparation

Cook first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar melts. Add 2 cups chocolate morsels and vanilla extract, stirring until mixture is smooth. Let cool 15 minutes.
Add flour, baking soda, and salt to cooled chocolate mixture, stirring until blended; stir in eggs and chopped pecans until blended. Spread brownie batter into a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch pan.

Bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 2 cups chocolate morsels evenly over warm brownies, and let stand 5 minutes to soften. Spread over top. Cool on a wire rack.

Nasal Surgery to Combat Cronic Sinusitis (since Nov.)

It went well! Dr. Fisher got up in there and found NO POLLUPS! So, only 3-4 days of recovery expected. He just did the balloon synoplasty and drilled to enlarge my nasal cavity, and inserted some steroid packs to be removed in 3 weeks. Me and the Vicodin are becoming reacquainted!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

The Benefit of Overalls!

Bike Rides

For our 6th anniversary (the steel anniversary), we decided on bikes for each other

(Sherry's)

(Matt's)

-- which in order to use without daycare, we needed a "bike" for Carter too!

The Mother/Son Luau Dance

Thursday was the Mother/Son Dance at Veterans Elementary School. Since I am a mother, and I have a son, I figured that invitation included us! The theme was "luau" and most of my class showed up -- eager to dance alongside Carter and I. He had a blast.