Big Helper

We got a new bench for our back "landing" (to hide all the small toys that have proliferated in our backyard). Freddy was a big helper when Daddy put it together! Clothes are not helpful, as you know.

Bran Muffins. Yes, Bran.

I've been on a quest to use everything in the pantry, fridge, and freezer (at least within reason), and have been pretty proud of my efforts so far! Last night was a good example - we had some bean/corn/ground beef mixture leftover from the previous night's burritos, a little cheddar cheese, and some corn tortillas that had been hanging around for months and months. So I made a layered casserole with those ingredients and an extra can of kidney beans and some rice cooked in chicken broth. YUM! Served it with a little plain coleslaw with raisins and toasted almonds (the cabbage needed to be used and the almonds were from a breakfast dish a few days before). Ok, so it's not complicated, but it used up lots of leftovers and was a good reminder for me that you can make a casserole out of just about anything.

Last week I made two new recipes for Rio's going-away daycare party - both of them turned out great. The egg "muffins", in particular, were pretty easy and could definitely be prepped the night before. The guys LOVED them.

Baby Bran Muffin Recipe

These bran muffins are delicious hot out of the oven with a touch of butter and sprinkled with a few grains of salt. Also good cooled with a smear of cream cheese! Not nearly as dry and yucky as most healthy bran muffins are.

2 cups white whole wheat flour OR stone ground whole wheat flour VG note: I just used regular whole wheat
1 1/2 cups wheat bran
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons raw natural cane sugar OR brown sugar
2 cups full fat yogurt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup of add-ins of your choice - raisins, chopped dried fruit, nuts, etc (optional). VG note: I used raisins only.

Preheat oven to 425F degrees, racks in the middle.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, wheat bran, salt, baking soda and sugar.

Beat together the yogurt, egg, honey, and butter in a second larger bowl. Add the dry ingredients and fold in until everything comes together. Fold in any optional add-ins, raisins, nuts, and the like. Resist overmixing.

Either grease a mini-muffin tin with butter or line the tin with small muffin papers. Fill each 3/4 full. Bake 10 -15 minutes, until muffins are golden on top and cooked through. You can also make larger muffins in a standard size muffin pan with this batter, you just need to bake them about 5 minutes longer.

Makes about two dozen tiny bran muffins or one dozen larger ones. VG note: This recipe actually made about 4 dozen mini muffins for me!

Broccoli Cheddar and Sausage Egg Muffin Pull-A-Parts

6 Pillsbury Buttermilk biscuits (from can, 8 count)
Pinches of kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

2 Cups cooked broccoli florets, cut up into small pieces (I steamed them for 4-5 min)
1/2+ Cup cooked sausage links, cut up (more if you want)

5 eggs
4 Tablespoons milk
Pinches of kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese (more if you want)

Cholulla hot sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Cut each biscuit into 8 triangles and place 5 into each muffin tin. Lightly sprinkle each biscuit cup with salt and pepper. You might have a biscuit left over. You could probably also make these as mini muffins or in those texas-sized muffin pans, but just adjust so you have enough filling to come about 2/3 up each muffin cup (higher for minis).

2. Sprinkle broccoli and sausage evenly over each biscuit filled muffin cup.

3. Place eggs, milk, salt and pepper into a mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined. Pour evenly over each cup. With a fork make sure eggs get to the bottom and around each piece of biscuit. Top each with sprinkles of cheddar cheese and bake for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of biscuits and cheese is golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from muffin cup. Remove and arrange onto serving plate. If you like it spicy serve with a nice hot sauce like Cholulla, it’s wonderful!! Pull them apart with your fingers or cut with a fork. Enjoy.

Sailing...

My friend Brooke just sent this photo from an evening sail we took with her and her husband Rob a few weeks ago...who knew the Great Salt Lake could be so beautiful? :)

Some more beach favorites

Ok, I promise this is the next-to-last post of beach pictures. Then on to what's going on now! We just had a going-away party for one of Freddy's best daycare friends (pictured earlier), Rio...who is moving to Berkeley next weekend. It's hard to watch, because you know the boys have no idea what's coming, but they are really going to miss each other. Hopefully we'll be able to see our friends Dana and Scott a few times a year so the boys can catch up. Will that be weird for them? Who knows? I guess life goes on.

Woke up to a real thunderstorm this morning! Now you east coasters are rolling your eyes, I know, but we don't get many here in the summer and it's easy to forget how nice it is to lie in bed and listen to the rain. Until a huge clap of thunder wakes your toddler up. Oh well....

The Fam, at the Beach

And here we are! I think we got everyone in here, and will do my best to inform those who don't know them. Standing: Gigi (formerly Grammy, but now that she's a great-grandmother, it's Gigi); Mom (now Grammy) & Scott; Meredith & Jack; Freddy, Billy & me; Mary & Erik. Kneeling/short: Ria, Megan, Helen & Billy; Alex & Ella (who belong to Mary & Erik)

This is also a nice shot of the siblings: Billy, Jack, me, and Mary (and unborn baby girl Gowski).

The Beach!

One of my favorite things every year is the week we get to spend at the Outer Banks in North Carolina, thanks to my mom. We were in the same house in Duck this year as last, which made it nice knowing what to expect. Wasn't sure how Freddy would adjust given that he NEVER spends time at the beach or in the sand, but it only took about 2 days before he was running from the waves and shoveling sand.

This is my favorite photo from the week. More to come!

Food & Wine Festival

Ok, so admittedly I would never take a less-than-two-year-old to a fancy food and wine festival (Taste of the Nation, for those who know it), but my friend Dana had two free tickets, and we figured we'd expose the kiddos to something new. Her son Rio is one of Freddy's best friends, and they are moving to CA next week, so we'll take all the playtime we can get with those guys.

The festival was up at Solitude ski resort, which is really beautiful this time of year. The boys tolerated being in the backpacks while we collected all sorts of yummy tidbits from the fanciest local restaurants, then happily played with trucks while we tried to get them to eat fancy food like paella (etc.). Just as they were about to lose it (2 hours past naptime!), they noticed the pond with the walkway around it, and woke up again long enough to chase each other around and throw some rocks. Best buds and super cute!

You also get a nice look at Freddy's busted lip, gums, and possibly tooth...we're waiting to see if the tooth stays in. Jumping off the couch into the coffee table never ends well, does it?

I'll Stop...

I just need to stop apologizing when I've been slack with the blog, I think! Time has flown by, and my apologies to those of you who enjoy seeing the photos here. Life's been busy, sure, but more importantly, we just haven't taken too many photos lately! I'm going to catch you up on the beach and our Montana trip (sorry for family who have already seen many of these), but for today, here are a few photos from one of our friends' 4-year-old's birthday party at Red Butte Gardens last week (the local community garden). The kids had a great time running around! Here's Freddy with his BF Charlie - could their coloring be more opposite?- and also with the de la Garza twins, Colin and William.

We're getting to that stage where Freddy's older friends (like Charlie) would prefer to play with the bigger kids (like Colin and William, who are a bit older than Charlie). Freddy doesn't seem to notice yet, but I'm sure it will be sad for him when he does.

First day back at daycare for F today after Narda had a week's vacation last week. I had to put him to bed at 7 - he was so cranky and tired (and whining for a popsicle after not eating dinner!). Maybe he was just wiped out from a day back with all the other kids - we'll see what tomorrow brings!

Happy Birthday, Jean!

We miss you so much.

Montucky

The weekend before we went to the beach, we took an awesome trip to Montana to see our friends Dan and Annie (who live in Big Sky) get married. I'll upload more photos in a slideshow later, but this is one of my favorites. I have no idea how Bill got Freddy to sit still and smile for this, but I think it's a keeper!

Freddy's Reaction

We've told many of you about this already, but here's what happened at the ultrasound a week ago Thursday. We intended to NOT find out the sex of the baby in the clinic room, but to have the tech write it down, put it in an envelope, and open the envelope somewhere special in Montana. But as the ultrasound tech was telling me not to look at the screen (I thought she just meant I'd be able to tell from the photo), she was typing FEM, and I saw it. So yes, I ruined the surprise. But I REALLY didn't intend to! So afterwards, I said "Freddy, are you ready to have a new baby sister?" Now granted, he had been patiently sitting through about 30 minutes of ultrasound scanning, lying next to me on the little bed, being VERY good. And I don't think he had any real idea what I was asking. But he promptly paused, and said in a very dramatic, upset voice, "I don't want it!!" and burst out crying. Naturally, this statement totally cracked the rest of us up, which made him cry for another 10 min. Here's what happened in photo evidence - sorry you have to also see my shiny, lying-down preggo belly. I promise it looks better in real life. Freddy thought the ultrasound gel was delicious.

It's A....

GIRL!

Ok, so most of you already know either by phone call from us or Facebook, but still - had to put it on the blog, too!

It is definitely not sinking in yet....

This One's for You, Uncle Doug

Billy broke one of his hockey sticks playing in his Monday night league, so now it's taped up and almost perfect size for Freddy. Who loves "whacking" the balls with it. Watch out, kitty....

We left yesterday for Dan and Annie's wedding in Big Sky, Montana, and are really psyched to be sharing a cabin with our friends Lisa and Andy and their son Jake, who is about a month older than Freddy. We'll return on Sunday and leave Monday morning for the beach in North Carolina with my mom, grandmother, stepfather, and siblings/kids. We can't wait!

Farmer's Market

I was a little worried about taking Freddy to the Farmer's Market - at least with the expectation of also buying actual veggies and fruit and bread. Never fear - he had a great time, especially when his friend Rio showed up (with mom Dana in tow, who Freddy treated like his new mom!). Whew! The Market is my favorite place in SLC in the summer, and although it won't be the same as taking my time checking everything out, it will be fun to take the little guy there.

Oh, and today is the big day for the 'big' ultrasound, so stay tuned for some boy or girl news soon!

New Desk

We were shopping for a low table for a fish tank at a consignment store a few weeks ago, and found this cute antique school desk and chair super-cheap. I think it would be nice either refinished or painted some bright shiny cute colors...which we might get around to one day. In the meanwhile, it's a good place for coloring and sticker fun, and F has his own space in our office.

Cuddles with Daddy

A few cute photos from a rainy morning. Freddy got a new truck (he calls it a 'frontfloader', yes - with the extra f), and wouldn't put it down for a few days. The toy of the day now is a set of plastic golf clubs, which he takes into the bath, the car, and would sleep with if we let him.

Friends coming home

Freddy's (best) friend Charlie comes home tonight after about 3 weeks away. Freddy will be so happy to see him tomorrow at Narda's house! Julie was nice enough to pick up a 2nd one of these bouncy horses at a yard sale so they could fall off them together. I guess the ear of the green one must be tasty?

We had a WONDERFUL long weekend here - it will be hard to go back to work tomorrow! Friday, we went to the pool, took naps, and walked down to a neighborhood restaurant for dinner. Freddy had his first ice cream cone (a must for the beach next week, family readers) and was in heaven! On the 4th, we went for a disaster of a sail (engine problems, bugs, rain, cranky toddler) in the morning, but redeemed the day with a great bbq with some friends. We lost track of time and by the time we were walking home, it was after 10! Freddy's latest night out ever, but he was good-natured until the end. Today, we had breakfast at a coffeeshop down the street (since Freddy doesn't sleep in no matter what bedtime is!), spent a few hours at the pool, and now I'm thinking about packing for our upcoming trip(s). Fun!

Lounger

One weekend morning, Freddy and I came down early to let Bill sleep a little, and as soon we got downstairs, he climbed up on the couch and arranged himself like this. Like father, like son!

Happy Birthday Grammy!

Happy Birthday to Grammy (or Kathy, or Mom, depending on your perspective)! It's a big one!

Here are a few photos (in slideshow format) of Freddy and Bill on our Father's Day hike. For a week or so, Freddy would hold his hands over his ears and say "bumblebees in my ears". After the first few days, I took him to the doctor, thinking maybe he had an ear infection. But no - who knows why he was doing it? But you'll see that in some of these photos. Hope you like them! If you are viewing this in an e-mail and can't see the slideshow, go to:

http://gowskis.blogspot.com/

Funny Face

I caught Freddy in mid-jump for this photo, and although it doesn't really look like him, isn't it hilarious?