Friends

Popcorn with Prizes

We love the way the M&Ms get all melty in a hot bowl of popcorn!

Sunrise

A Secret Spot

Every kid needs their "secret spot" and this is Rachael's.  It's between the loveseat and the DVD bookcase in the family room; you can't really see very well in there unless you are directly upon it.  She loves it.  Here she is playing Guess Who with her friend Alex.  (Are you worried about having a boy in her hiding place? We couldn't see them very well, but we could certainly hear them!)

Posing

This picture was harder to get that you might think... that big bucket only dumps out every five minutes! Rachael was a great sport about holding still to get the shot.

Babysitting

Hanging with my favorite Jasinski boys.  

(Mom and Dad Jasinski were at the hospital, working on an adorable addition.)

Baton

Finally got her baton in.  Now if we could just get the shoes...

Jenny's Homemade Tortillas and Refried Beans

A big thanks to Jenny, who taught a group of us to make our own flour tortillas and refried beans.  It was so much fun - and so delicious!

Texas Flour Tortillas
(adapted from The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)

Start with two cups flour.  You can use white flour, or one cup each of whole wheat and white.  Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil.  Slowly incorporate 3/4 cup of warm milk.

Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.  Knead for two minutes on a floured surface, until dough is firm and soft.  Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rest for 20 minutes.

After the dough has rested, break into eight pieces and shape into balls.  Place them on a plate, making sure the balls don't touch each other.  Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.

After the dough has rested, pat into a 4 inch circle, then use a rolling pin to roll to an approximate 8 inch circle.  (Jenny says to roll them paper thin!) Don't over work the dough or it will be stiff.

Cook the tortillas one at a time in a dry skillet over medium high heat about 30 seconds on each side.  (Lynn showed us how to use our fingers to rotate the tortillas in the pan so they don't burn.)  The tortilla should puff a bit when it's done.

Keep tortillas covered until ready to use.  (If they don't all get eaten first!)


Jenny's Refried Beans (without the refry)


Soak three cups of dry pinto beans overnight.

Drain.  Put the beans in a crock pot with 9 cups of water and one onion, peeled and halved; 1/2 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped; 2 tablespoons minced garlic; 5 teaspoons salt; 1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper; and 1/8 teaspoon cumin.

Cook for 8 hours on high heat.  (Note: If more than one cup of cooking liquid has evaporated during cooking, the temperature is too high.)  Strain the beans (or remove with a slotted spoon) and reserve the cooking liquid.  Mash with a masher or immersion blender, using the cooking liquid as necessary for the desired consistency.

Serve and enjoy!

Thanks for the fun and delicious evening Jenny!

Sally Bear

Rachael and I were suppose to go to the pool today, but after I got changed into my suit I came downstairs and found her curled up in a chair and crying.  Her ear was sore.  So of course we changed clothes and headed to the doctor for some antibiotics.  (So glad we didn't get to the pool that day - it would have been worse!)

As we were checking out of the office the lady at the desk told Rachael she could have one of the teddy bears on display.  These were made by a local church and donated to the office.  They were so cute - and it was a great ending to an otherwise not-so-fun Saturday afternoon! As you may have guessed, she named it Sally.

Girls Night In

Ryan got the fondue fountain to work! It was awesome.  

(Also, rice krispie treats in fondue are amazing.)

Mr Clean Magic Eraser

I love the Magic Eraser.  It took this marker right off the wall!!

Otter Creek

Sunrise

Thanks to a 6:40 am pickup time, we will be seeing a lot more sunrises now!

Big Girl

Sniff...

Piano

Hot Dogs

Rachael had a hot dog at the pool for lunch and a hot dog at Five Guys for dinner.  Good thing it's the end of summer... our diet is getting rather lacking in nutrition lately!

My Girl

New Pajamas

Rachael got these fantastic new satin-like pajamas from her Grandma in the mail.  She loves them! I think they are fun - but they do make her look so grown up!

Dogpile

A giggly one.

Daddy Daughter Dates

Perfect Timing

Michael did a double back flip off the diving board the day I had my camera and was taking pictures of Rachael's swimming lessons.  I used the camera on continuous mode and took about four pictures of the dive, ending with this picture.  I love the way it looks like he is standing on the water - I couldn't have timed it any better if I had planned it!

Rain

This thunderstorm was extremely fast moving and looked a lot like a UFO coming in for a landing.

Spiderwebs

Heart "Attack"

Welcome home Emily!

Wii Summer

Swimming Like a Fish

This game is called fishing - and Rachael is the fish!