ONR Picnic

I gathered up the courage (or foolishness, whichever way you look at it) to bring both Sophie and Grace out to my company picnic. It was great for Sophie to play with my friends' little girls, but it was sunny, hot, and right in the middle of naptime. Chaos ensued. Needless to say, they probably won't be going again next year!

A Day at the Lake

I spent a good part of the morning today scouting out the location for Grace's first birthday (next week, can you believe it already?). A lot of my family will be there, so it's gonna be a great time, regardless of where it's held!

I get an F in facial sunblock application today!  Poor kid.

Of all the horses in the merry-go-round, she always picks that darn bench seat!

Virtual Phamily Reunion

New Jersey, No.VA, and the OC....it's good to know the Phamily remains close :)

Group Phamily chat, June 2011

Etsy Goody: kikiandpolly

I have a very personal reason for loving art from Etsy.  Everywhere I look, people seem to be painting or drawing pictures of my girls!  Maybe it's just because they are so dear to my heart, but it seems like so  many pictures are of little girls with short, dark bobs.  This one really speaks to me.  It's Sophie on the beach.  I bought it right away, of course!

Girl in the Yellow Suit, $20

Troublemaker

Gracie messing up Sophie's room as I try to clean up.

Look at the devilish grin!

**Bye bye anonymous readers**

Starting this weekend, I'm going to start restricting access to my blog to people who request permission.  I realize that I don't know all of you personally, and that's OK, it's a risk I took when I started this blog two years ago.  However, so much of my life is accessible online these days and it's not too hard for someone to do a google search, connect the dots and glean more information than I feel comfortable putting out there.  So, if you would like to continue reading this little 'ole blog, please don't be shy!  Leave a comment with your email address, or email me personally if you know my address and let me know.  I'll add you to the list and you can sign in anytime.  Until then, it's been great everyone! 

Father's Day Brunch

My parents are so awesome. They took us to a famously delish brunch at Westfields Marriott to celebrate Father's Day. We tried to pay, but my dad sneakily took care of the bill even though it was Father's Day. This is why my dad rocks!

11 months

Grace, 11 months 5 days

It's been a trying month for Grace.  She's been sick with a double ear infection, a possible food allergy to eggs, roseola, and a cold.  So she's lost a bit of weight and not her happy usual self.  And although she took her first international vacation at 10 months, she didn't have a chance to enjoy it.  Poor baby....I think she's on the mend though, and we're seeing an allergist in a few days.  Here's hoping that next month, she will return to the happy baby we know and love.

I am a cliche

Whole Foods shoppers and Prius drivers like us will find this video so funny and true. I am such a cliche wannabe....

Bahama Mama

I've been absent from this blog for way too long, but I have a good excuse (don't I always?). We just returned from our summer vacation in The Bahamas, where we stayed at Atlantis. Paradise Island was truly amazing. The beaches were pristine and the people were so friendly. I would highly recommend The Reef Atlantis for families. It was a splurge for us, but The Reef had all the amenities that you could possibly need and then some. My only wish was that Gracie would've been feeling better during this trip. She moved right from a bout of roseola into a cold. We never really had a mealtime without a meltdown. Sophie, on the other hand, had a blast. Never complained about the long flights, the hot weather...anything. She was always happy and excited about all the fun things we were going to do. All in all, a very tiring, but good experience. I'd do it again, when the kids are older!

Taxi from the airport to the resort...tired, but excited.

Sophie was so exuberant, you would've thought the taxi was what we came for!

Waiting in line for breakfast.  Sophie looks so old here.

Sophie and I went to the beach by ourselves, while Darren stayed with a sleeping Grace in the room.

We had a really nice "Mama and Me" time.

Grace at the kiddie pool.

Sophie fell asleep at Johnny Rocket's at dinner.

Sophie and Grace in the lobby of The Reef.  Truly luxurious!

Sophie and her dad with "Flotsam and Jetsam" (see Little Mermaid)

Princess

Sophie at Nico's First Birthday Party, age 3.5

Corn Raita Salad

If you are looking for a fresh and tasty accompaniment to your steak this summer, you should really try this recipe, from Todd English's appearance on The Nate Berkus Show.  It's a breeze to whip up and it's very seasonal, since corn is plentiful in the summer.  We eat it instead of mashed potatoes or another starchy side dish when we have steak.  But you can have it with chicken, fish, or even on its own.  I was never really crazy about greek yogurt, but now I can't get enough of it!

Corn Raita Salad
Yield: Serves 6

The inspiration for this recipe is from the classic Indian condiment, raita. The addition of corn makes it a whole new dish. Toasting the corn draws out all its lovely sweetness and adds a great texture to the corn. This is so simple, yet so satisfying. I try to keep a batch on hand in the fridge to add to tacos, sandwiches, or to top crab cakes, but I usually end up eating it one spoonful at a time every 20 minutes or so over the course of a day. Try a few spoonfuls on top of grilled summer fish such as striped bass or bluefish—nirvana.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh corn kernels (this is preferable to frozen or canned corn because it's firm)
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups thick, Greek-style yogurt
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a dry cast iron skillet over high heat, toast the corn. Let the corn cook about 1 minute, then scrape and stir it around the pan, until it gets browned in spots. Be careful, sometimes the corn will pop and jump in the pan. Remove to a plate to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the onion, cilantro, cumin, yogurt, and corn. Stir gently, then season generously with salt and pepper.

Friday Fun