Friday Firsts - Vacation!

I love experiencing the world through Cassie's eyes... everything is new to her and I love just watching her soak everything in for the first time. Matt and I have been trying to capture all her firsts on (Digital) film...some things we miss, but I think we have been pretty diligent in getting the important things :) so each Friday I figure I will document some of the more fun and important firsts, some will be recent, some will take some catching up but all of them should be pretty darned adorable (if I do say so myself...of course I may be just *slightly* biased lol)

Last month we took our first Vacation with Cassie... We went to Cape Cod and there were a ton of firsts for her and I think she took it wonderfully especially for an almost 6 month old...

Her first time in a hotel... She slept amazingly well, I was so proud of her!

Her first time sitting up in a high chair out at a restaurant

Her first time in a pool...she wasn't so sure about the cool water, but she didn't scream or cry or even whimper so she didn't hate it, that's a plus!

Her first time with her toes in the sand...She loved it that night when it was nice and cool, next day she wasn't as much of a fan though...

Her first time in the ocean...Not to thrilled with it lapping up against her at night, the next day she tolerated it with mommy for a while...then it was daddy to the rescue.

and finally her first time at a wine tasting...I think the picture explains itself...

Catching Up...

For the 1st 6 months of Cassie's life I have been mixing home and business on my other blog and figured it was time to make the split and focus on each in their own respective places. Hopefully I wont leave my other blog to fester but I have a feeling there will be a lot of posting going on over here as I (try my hardest to) keep a log of our family's everyday events and watch as we grow and learn and live and love together!

and with that here is a bit of history to catch everyone up...

Miss Cassie was evicted just about a month early on January 8, 2010 she was a whopping 6 pounds, 15 ounces and 19.25 inches long

since that chilly snowy day our life has been crazy wonderful, watching this little baby grow and learn and soak in the world around her.

Katie V Designs

So I have some actual Katie V Design news!!!

After meeting up with an old friend at a craft show a month or so ago I got bitten by the fair bug and decided to go ahead and sign up for a show! I wanted to do more than one but due to some other aspects of life (which I will get to in another entry lol) I decided one is better than none and decided and go ahead and Sign up for Art on Lark!

Art on Lark is Albany's second largest street festival {second only to Lark Fest :) } and is to be held on Lark Street in Albany, NY on June 26, 2010 from 10:00 am - 5 pm I can't wait, hope to see lots of you there!

Wordless Wednesday

(Belated) Tasty Tuesday...

Sorry I didn't get a chance to post yesterday, it was so beautiful outside I finally found a chance to get outside and trim up the fern/bush/nasty growth that was threatening to take over our entire front yard. It's not looking completely as nice as I want it, but a definite start!

Anyway...on to the cooking...

So I have been trying out alot of new recipes lately and surprisingly most of them have been coming out pretty good! So I thought I would post a few of the tastier recipes here a) to share them with you and b) so that I don't have to track them down again when I want to make them :)

For all of the following recipes I recommend you add a heaping helping of super cute...

Dinner # 1 - Pork-u-pie (aptly named so by M...)

Recipe found Here on the Stay at Home Recipe blog

Ingredients

1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 can (21 oz.) apple pie filling
6 boneless pork loin chops (1-1/2 lb.), 3/4 inch thick

Directions

Heat oven to 375ºF.

Prepare stuffing as directed on package.

Spread pie filling onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with chops and stuffing. Cover with foil.

Bake 40 min. or until chops are done (160ºF), removing foil after 30 min.

With only three ingredients these are pretty fool proof (or would have been if I got the thin cut chops...will remember this next time!) I only topped with 4 servings of the Stove Top, next time I think I will use 8, other wise this was Super tasty (something about the apples mixing with the stuffing, sounds weird but it works!) and that coming from a person who used to detest pork chops that means alot!

Dinner #2 - Chicken Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole

Recipe found Here on the D is for Dinner Blog

INGREDIENTS

2 chicken breasts, diced to bite-sized
3/4 cup frozen diced onions
2 small sweet potatoes, diced
1 can red enchilada sauce
1.5 tsp dried cumin powder
4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1.5 tsp garlic powder)
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
wheat tortillas (or rice)

DIRECTIONS

Put diced chicken, onions, sweet potatoes, enchilada sauce, cumin, garlic and corn in crock pot.
Cook on low for 5 hours.
Add cheese, stir until melted.
Serve on tortillas (or rice).

Another super easy super tasty recipe! I just put everything in the crock pot, let it go for a few hours, made up some rice layered the rice, enchilada and cheese and it was all done, no where near as spicy as it smelled (I would have liked a bit more spice, but M liked it just the way it was)


Recipe #3 Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole

Recipe found Here on the Stay at Home Meals Blog

Ingredients:

1 package (2 lbs) frozen southern style hash browns (the cube ones)
2-3 cups shredded cheese (I like a Mexican blend, but plain cheddar would work too)
1 pint sour cream
2 cans cream of potato soup
2 tablespoons minced onion (or one packet of onion soup mix)
1/2 cup milk
1-2 ham steaks cut into small pieces/cubes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat soup and cheese until cheese is completely melted in large saucepan.

Take off heat and add other ingredients (leaving a little cheese out to top).

Bake at 325 for at least 2.5-3 hours in covered, greased/buttered casserole dish.

Remove cover and sprinkle cheese on top.

Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until cheese on top is browned.

This makes a lot so I usually split the recipe in half before I put it in the oven. I put half in a disposable foil pan covered in foil and in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. The other half, I cook as the recipe says. To cook the frozen one, put it straight in the oven frozen and cook for 3 hours on 325.

Okay, I played around with this one a bit...I added a bag of frozen broccoli, I realized I didn't get enough sour cream so I decided to use a can of Cream of Chicken soup and used 2 cups cheddar cheese and 1 cup Sargento Bistros Italian Blend Cheese (OMG this stuff is so good on everything! A little on some frozen pizza or some eggs really adds some pizzazz :) ) at the end I topped with some Mexican Cheese and Bread Crumbs for some crunch.

And when she says it makes alot she means it, We had enough left over for lunches today and there is another meal in the freezer for some time next week!

So that's it, more to come next week I hope!

Movie Monday

So yesterday we got a chance to go out to the movies (and dinner too!!) so being the upstanding married adult parents out on the town without the kiddo couple that we are we went and saw "How to Train Your Dragon" (in IMAX 3D of course...)yep an animated children's movie. And we loved it. Can't wait to pick up the book now and read it with C :)

And can I just say... Tron Legacy?? Can. Not. Wait.

Good thing it doesn't come out until December so we can save up the $$$ to go see it, these movies seem to get more expensive every time!

Updates and such

Okay, I had been working on a post for the last couple days about how fast a year goes and everything that has changed in the last year, but it was just making me sad so I scrapped that idea...

So...here's an update on Miss Cassie :)

She is growing like a (absolutely beautiful and precious) weed. She will be three months old already in two day's time which is just incredible. She is cooing like crazy telling "stories" all the time, smiling all over the place (until I break out the camera) and though M and the rest of my family tell me I am crazy I believe she is getting our first tooth! I can see something tiny and white popping through that red swollen little gum...not to mention ALL the DROOL!

We took her to the park last week to take her Easter Pictures, can't believe we will be taking her to the park this weekend to take her three month pictures, it just doesn't seem possible.

Also coming up soon will be her blessing, on the 1 year anniversary of my dad's death. We thought it would be a good time to celebrate new life and all the good that is to come instead of dwelling on what could have been. It is going to be a small event with just close family, we wish we could to a big event like we normally would do, but part of the consequences of being a SAHM is the whole making do with one income thing there for we make do with what we got :).

Speaking of being a SAHM I am LOVING being at home with my little girlie everyday. It is by far the hardest job I have ever had (and I have worked with Car Salesmen, Lawyers AND Bridal Consultants...) but it is the most rewarding one too. However as awesome as it is being the one to raise my daughter instead of sending her off to a stranger to do it for me, it isn't without its stresses but it is totally worth every little struggle and every cut we have made or may have to make in the future.

Being a SAHM has put me into nesting phase big time, I want this house clean and am fighting a losing battle trying to keep it that way (trying to spring clean just seems to be making bigger messes!). I have been trying to get more creative with the cooking, which has been quite the experience, my poor husband lol I am glad that waited almost three years to start doing more of the cooking otherwise i'm not sure we would have made it this long.

I also went over to my mom's house and picked up one of her extra sewing machines and decided I am going to just have to learn how to make the clothing and toys that Cassie is just going to grow out of before she gets a chance to wear them out. My mom made a majority of the clothes for my brother and I when we were little so it can't be that hard right?? We will see how it goes, stay tuned for updates!

And, since I haven't posted many in a long time, here are some new pictures of Miss Cassie!