Good Grub!!

What person does not love to eat!! Especially when it is good food. Many of you know I love to cook and create new dishes for my family to taste. I always laugh, because the kid's (of course) and hubby are very traditional when it comes to food. They know what they want and rarely like to try different, new things. Me, on the other hand, like to explore the different flavors that food has to offer. I once asked my hubby what he would like to eat if it was his last meal, and he simply made a list of the things he likes the most. I simply replied, that if it were my last meal I would try all those things I either haven't tried or were afraid to try. Different folks, different strokes!! A phrase my hubby often quotes. :) Back on the subject though, I often laugh because if it weren't for me making new dishes and creating new things, my family would have missed out on some of the dishes that they now call their favorites. Yes, there have been many blunders, and "we don't have to have that again's," but it is all worth it when you find something that satisfies your family taste buds. So, get out their wives, or husband, and create something new for your loved ones.
I have been trying to post my weekly menu plan and my aunt replied I was making her hungry, so I took some pictures ( not very good yet) of a few dishes, just to make them come to life, and make you even more hungry. HaHa!!! This is for you Aunt Peggy!!!

 
                                 Pepperoni and Olive Pizza, this would be the kid's choice!!

                         Tuscan Bean Soup! This was extremely good, with a lot of spice!

Margarita Pizza!! This would be my choice! On pizza night I also made a combo for Rob, but that didn't make it long enough for a picture opp!

                       Garlic tomato Brochette!! Love this, especially dipped in the soup!!
Hopefully I will be able to take pictures of my menu instead of just listing it, because we all love looking at food.

Family Adventure

Winters around here can get extremely long and sometimes our family gets a little cabin fever, fortunately we got some really nice days full of sunshine and calm winds so we decided to go on a "treasure hunt," as Tucker would say. We headed to an old town, obviously abandoned, in search of something magnificent!!!! This family is definitely an outdoor kind of family, so any chance we get, we take it.

Oh Look!!! Sammy found a treasure!! Just kidding; and yes all you city folk, that would be dried cow manure she so excitedly is showing me. Oh, the joy of living in the country.

Kemper so badly wanted to find something cool, but he settled for playing with the metal detector, and having a great time getting it to beep!!

 Brother's!!
Thanks Grandma and Poppa for the cow hat you brought back from Texas!!

Needless to say we didn't find anything but some old cans, and the remains of a good old country party, but it was a great day to get some fresh air and enjoy the simple pleasure's of living were we live. So, to many of you, get out their and discover things!!!!

Sur La Table

In case some of you don't know sur la table is "on the table" in french.
Good eats at the Bailey household. I am trying to make a weekly menu and a strict grocery list so I don't end up at the grocery store and buy things I don't need, or a whole bunch of things that won't make a meal. It has been extremely helpful, especially when the kid's don't come with me. Don't get me wrong I love taking my kid's to the store and showing them where food comes from and letting them pick stuff out, but when you are trying to stick to a list and not over spend, I look like the Mom that never lets their kids have anything. "No we cannot get that, Not today, I already got you something, that's not on sale." Sound familiar mommies? :) I love my kid's. I do take pride, however, that I can send Tucker down the cereal isle and tell to pick out some cereals, and without telling which ones he can and cannot have, he automatically comes back with, frosted mini wheats, honey nut Cheerios, and oatmeal squares. :) Good job Tucky you make mom so proud.
Now that I wrote you a book on my grocery shopping experiences here is the menu:

Friday:
Homemade pizza. (pepperoni with olives for the kid's; combo for Rob; and Margarita for  Mom).

Saturday:
Breaded chicken with eggplant topenade, served with salad.

Sunday:
Tri Tip Sammies, with tater tots, and green beans.

Monday:
Tuscan bean soup with garlic brochette.

Tuesday:
Sundried tomato penne with chicken and served with salad and avocados.

Wednesday:
Leftovers. (I know, I get the same response at my house, but a necessary so we don't waste food).

Thursday:
Skirt steak Tacos with black beans and guacamole. Yummm!!!

Friday:
Roasted veggie and black bean Rice bowls. (my family loves black beans).

Good Eats Everyone!!!!

Half Marathon! What?!!

Yes ladies and gentlemen, I have decided to enter into the world of long distance running. Thanks to my sister-in-law convincing me to run a half marathon at the end of April, I have begun the intense workout week after week. It started with three miles;What?! I don't think I have ever run three miles consecutively; I am a short, sprinting type runner. Well though I thought I would die I finished . :) After a week of running on my Mom's new treadmill (thanks Mom for the purchase :) ), three miles, four miles, sprinting; the first Saturday of our workout plan came (Sat. are our hard long runs). Six miles was the distance. Easy Peasy for my sister in law who has run three marathons, a couple halfs, and countless 5ks (which are three miles, for those who do not know runners talk). We met at Rob's parent's house, and had Rob drive us exactly six miles away from the ranch so that we would only have to run one way. As I sit in the car and watch him drive further and further away, my heart begins to race and I begin to think there is no way I am going to make it back to the ranch alive. My wonderful hubby even told me to take my phone just in case I needed him to come and get me. (Thanks hunny for the confidence). Finally after what seemed like an endless ride, Rob dropped us off and drove away and thus began the journey into a long, long, long run. Now I know what some of you are thinking; six miles that is not far. Have you ever ran six miles? It is farther when all you have are your feet to cover the distance. Needless to say the first two miles were horrible, the next two were ok, and the last two were the easiest to my surprise. But, the important thing is, I made it, without calling the hubby for a rescue mission.
Since then I have been doing well running a good pace four miles, and feel really good running five without feeling the pain going throughout my whole body. Now I only have eight more weeks to get ready for the big race, 13.1miles. O'man. I am scared and nervous, but excited to step out of my comfort zone and work my way toward something I have never done before. The race is April 27th at Folsom Lake in Sacramento. Wish me luck!!! I will keep you all posted on my progress (not like you care or anything), but I figure why not share with you my running adventure.

Run, Run, Run, Run.

Sur La Table

I have gotten out of the habbit of posting my dinner menu because being busy sometimes I don't know what we are having that night until I dig into the fridge. So, on another note, here is what is on the menu at our house this week.

Monday- Grilled Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Salad with roasted beets.

Tuesday- Black bean tacos with the works and Spanish Rice.

Wedensday- Speghetti, Ceasar Salad, and Garlic Bread.

Thursday- Homemade Mac and Cheese, with Grilled Cheese Sandwhiches.

Friday- Homemade Pizza with Cut Veggies and Ranch.

Saturday- BBQ Chicken (thighs and wings), Pasta Salad.

Sunday- Are usually a break for me, so it might be leftovers, breakfast, or dinner out. :)

Buon Appetito!! What is on the menu at your house.

Delicious Bean Salad

I am always looking for new things to make. I love cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, but that has somewhat gone downhill since my children. Everyone who has kids knows what I am talking about. I am lucking that my kids aren't too picky when it comes to food, but sometimes figuring out a dinner menu can be a challenge. I thought I would share this wonderful bean salad recipe. A couple weekends ago we entertained some friends with a BBQ and one of them brought this wonderful bean salad. It was so good, so healthy, and extremely easy to make, I thought I would share it.

Bean Salad-
1 Can Black Beans
1 Can Pinto Beans
1 Large Tomato
1 Large Avocado
Half a bunch of Green Onions
Salt
Tomato Bullion
Cumin

Drain and rinse beans; let them sit awhile so they drain completely. Don't want any extra liquid in your salad. Chop tomato, avocado, and green onions, and add to beans. Season with the salt, tomato bullion (I know, I didn't know this existed either, but look where the chicken and beef bullion is and there is tomato. Who Knew), and the cumin. Let Sit, then enjoy. I told you it was easy.

Hot Air Balloons

HELLO 2:30 AM!!! Have any of you got up at 2:30 in the morning to see something, well this is the most beautiful site and is well worth the early morning, tons of coffee, and the drive to Reno. For the past three years Rob and I have taken the kids to the hot air balloon races in Reno, Nevada. The show starts before the sun even comes up. See why we have to get up so early. We left our house at 3:00am headed to Reno and set up sleeping bags, tons of blankets, and a thermos of coffee(hot chocolate for the kids) and watch the balloons light up the dark morning sky. There are usually only about seven balloons that take off when it is still dark outside, it is called the glow show.

Slowing the sun comes up and while still lying on the ground there are several balloons blowing up and getting ready to take off into the sky. It is truly a beautiful sight, because you are so close to them and when they take off you are able to look up right inside the balloon.

                                               Many different balloons. There was a soccer ball
                                               Darth Vader's helmet, stagecoach, strawberry,
                                               Pepsi can, and many different colored ones.
                                               Tucker's of course was Darth Vader. I couldn't
                                               get a good picture of it but it is the black one right
                                               behind this strawberry.

                                                     Mom and Sammi taking a picture opp in
                                                     front of the Pepsi can, my favorite.

                                                     This balloon with the face on it was Kemper's
                                                      favorite. He kept calling it the man balloon.

                                              Dad and Sammi enjoying the warm sun coming up.
                                           

                                              Rob and his brother-in-law Rob and his nephew
                                                Mitchell, only 3 weeks old.

                                                     Tucker loved all the balloons.
This is an amazing site to be seen. Every year at the wee hours of the morning we always ask ourselves why we get up this early just to see balloons, but then we get there and are reminded that it was well worth it.