Monday, July 29, 2013

Stats on the Boys, Family Weekend, Sad News, Oven Fried Chicken with Twice Baked Potatoes (Skinny) and Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

Whew... I'm tired after writing that title so I'm sure you're tired after reading it.  I have a lot to share this morning after not posting since the middle of last week so here we go...


Stats on the Boys

I took both of the boys to the doctor on Friday for their well checks.  Garrison's very first question was, "Do I have to get shots?".  Some things never change.  He was so excited to hear he didn't have to get shots.  That excitement quickly turned to anxiety when he heard the nurse tell me he had to have his blood drawn to test cholesterol and some other things that they like to test after the age of five.  More on that in a bit.

Garrison weighed in at 58 lbs with a height of 50 3/4".  He is right at the 50th percentile for weight and about the 70th percentile for height.  This big boy is projected to be least 5' 11"!  The doctor was so impressed with Garrison's muscle mass and said he doesn't have an ounce of fat on him.  Garrett said that is how he used to be too.  ;)

Ethan weighed in at 19 lbs 7 oz (hey, those 7 oz count!) and 31".  He is in the 4th percentile for weight and 6th percentile for height.  I'm still not sure how that feisty personality fits in that little bitty body but it does!  :)   He is perfectly healthy but we plan on taking him to an endocrinologist when he turns 2 to get a bone scan.  Not knowing much at all about his birth family this will help us to know if he is just delayed in his growth or if there are any other issues we need to be on the lookout for.  Ethan had one shot and only cried for about 30 seconds.  Such a brave boy!

Speaking of brave we headed to the medical lab after the appointment to have Garrison's blood drawn.  I really thought they would just prick his finger like they have done in the past.  Oh, no... this is serious stuff.  They sat him in the chair, wrapped his arm with the rubber band and started tapping for veins.  I immediately knew where this was headed and it wasn't looking pretty.  Garrison flinched a little when they stuck the needle in but it wasn't until he started seeing the blood run through the tube that he really had the freak out moment.  After lots of tears, all over shaking and many hugs from the sweet nurse he calmed down.  I told him what a brave boy he was!  His response?  "You said it wasn't going to hurt!  And we said a prayer before!"  Yep, it's those moments you wish you could take your kiddo's place.  But I know that was a big moment for him and he was so proud of himself after the fact.  Side note: he lost his third tooth yesterday.  This boy is just getting way too big for Mama to handle!

I really can't take the cuteness of my boys sometimes!  Slow your roll boys... y'all are growing up way too fast!

 
Ethan (around 18 months)

 Garrison (around 18 months)


Family Time

We had lots of family come in town this past weekend to celebrate my Grandmama's 79th birthday.  As always we had a blast!  Here is a picture my sister took of my Grandmama standing on a chair while we all sang Happy Birthday to her.  Oh, how I love this woman!


Two of my favorite girls (Cousin Elisabeth and Sister Kiki) - love it even though it's blurry



And here is a shot of the cousins we took after lunch yesterday.  Can you tell Ethan was super excited for picture time?!


I can't wait to go to Houston (in just TWO DAYS) for Cousin Camp at my sister's house with these cutie patooties!  (Prayers much appreciated for my sister and I have to have energy to last us through five days with these crazy kiddos!)


Sad News

Kidd Kraddick, a local DJ in Dallas passed away this past weekend at the young age of 53, reportedly from a brain aneurism.  Social media has been flooded with comments from listeners and fans of how much he impacted their lives in the last 20+ years he was on the air.  He started a charity called Kidd's Kids where he helped raise money to take terminally ill kids and their families to Disney every year. 

He had such an impact on those who lived here locally and those who lived in many other cities and states.  And it was yet another reminder that this is what life is all about.  We should be trying to touch as many lives as we can while we are here on earth.  No one knows how long they have here and we should all be making the most of it.

It's not just celebrities or people with money that can make a difference in others' lives.  You and me have that ability as well.  And we should all be living every day to the fullest, spreading the love and joy that is in us (from God) to those we know and to complete strangers.  That is something to reflect on and I have been doing a lot of that over the last few days.  Life is so precious.  Life is so short.  Life should not be wasted.  Live it to the fullest and most importantly live it for Jesus.


Oven Fried Chicken and Twice Baked Potatoes (Skinny)

Three words rolled into one - ohmagoodness!  This was by far the best meal I made last week.  I found both recipes on Pinterest.  I modified the chicken a little bit (for the better I think) and am sharing both below.

The chicken is actually called Baked Paprika Parmesan chicken but it tasted so much like fried chicken (without the greasiness) that I renamed it.  :)


Chicken

Ingredients       

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg beaten
2 tablespoons milk
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves (2 breasts split in half lengthwise)
1/4 cup butter melted

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Combine flour, parmesan, paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken in the egg, then dredge in the flour mixture. Place in the baking dish, and pour the melted butter evenly over the chicken.
  3. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cheese has browned, and the chicken has cooked.  (It only took mine about 45 minutes so watch closely).
  4. I added this last step.  Turn the oven on Broil and broil the chicken for 2-4 minutes until crispy.  This way you don't end up with mushy chicken.


Potatoes

Per Serving: 88 Calories; 1g Fat; 2.5g Protein; 17.3g Carbs; 2.3g Fiber (Only 2 WW points)
The below is for 6 servings so I cut it by 2/3 to make 1 serving.
 












Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

This recipe?  Not so skinny.  But it's damn good!  :)
My cousin made this for us when we went to Austin a couple of months ago and I returned the favor by making it for them yesterday.  It is oh so yummy!  It's a great breakfast to serve lots of guests or a few very hungry people!  ;)

Ingredients
                                
2 packages (12 oz each) bulk pork sausage
1
medium bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1
medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
3
cups frozen hash brown potatoes
2
cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1
cup Original Bisquick® mix
2
cups milk
1/4
teaspoon pepper
4
eggs







~Jewels*

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