Domesti-Kati

Today was going to be such a nice day so I wanted to have mom over and have a nice dinner out on the patio. It turned out to be a rainy afternoon, but we still grilled out in the rain and had a very nice gourmet dinner, made by "Domesti-Kati"!



The Menu:

Appetizer

Caprese Skewers

Entree

Grilled Salmon and Shrimp-for Mom and Kates

Top Sirloin-Chris

Sweet Potatoes-Jackson

3 Bean Salad

Dessert

Tiramasu

Caprese Skewers

cherry tomatoes

fresh mozarella balls

fresh basil leaves

balsalmic vinagrette

Place first 3 ingredients on a toothpick. Drizzle with 4th ingredient.

Tiramasu

2 T instant coffee

1 T sugar

1 c boiling water

1 pkg. non-fat cream cheese

1 tub non-fat cool whip

1/4 c sugar

2 pkgs. lady fingers

unsweetened cocoa powder

Dissolve instant coffee and 1 T sugar in boiling water. Mix together cream cheese, 1/4 c sugar, cool whip until fluffy. Layer lady fingers in the bottom of 8x8 dish. Pour half of the coffee mixture over lady fingers. Spread half the cream cheese mixture on top. Repeat lady fingers, then coffee mixure, then cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle cocoa powder on top and chill before serving. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

Command Center

This is Jackson in his "Command Center". He gets so serious and focused when he's in it like he's in charge!

5 Months

Happy 5 Months, Jackson!!!!  Yoe are growing so big!!!!

This has been a fun month of Weddings and traveling. Amanda's wedding in Golden, Danelle's wedding in Steambaot and Cheyenne Frontier Days!  It has also been so hot and you love to be in the water.  You went swimming for the first time in Steamboat....you splashed and played so hard you fell right to sleep in the water after about 15 minutes. Then, Grandma Donna bought you a new whale pool.  It is just the right size for playing and splashing!

At 5 Months you:

* Have so many cute faces (cereal face, serious face, big smiles...)

* Love to play Peek-a-boo

* Roll over both ways

* Can sit up by yourself (with a little assistance) and play with your toys

* Not sure about eating cereal...but we love watching your funny faces

* Love the water

* Have fun in anything that bounces

* You still suck your thumb

* When you are standing you always get a huge grin on your face then squat down over and over

* Laugh out loud and pout if you don't get your way

* You sleep for about 5-6 hours at night

* We love you so much and love to play with you and watch you grow!!!!

Southern Peach Cobbler

Southern Peach Cobbler (from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup boiling water

MIX TOGETHER:

3 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.
4. Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

*I doubled this recipe when i made it in the 8x13 pan for Glenwood. Delicious with Uncle Steve's homemade ice cream!!!!

Emerald Lake

Yesterday, my mom, Jackson and I went to Estes Park did a 4 mile hike. It was 105 degrees in Greeley so it felt so good to get out of the heat and get some fresh mountain air! Jackson loved hiking, but he did not like the car ride there or back. 

We started at the Bear Lake trail head and the first stop was Nymph Lake. It was beautiful with all the Lily Pads floating in the lake.

There was still a lot of snow patches which was fun, but pretty slippery.  Luckily no one fell in the snow! 

Our second stop was Dream Lake, It was beautiful as well, the water was so clear and we could even see some trout swimming in the water.

 Last stop was Emerald Lake, we stopped there and rested our backs and had a snack. My shoulders and neck are so sore from carrying Jackson the whole time!!  We didn't spen too much time there because dark clouds were rolling in and we started to hear the thunder. We got a little rain, but we hurried back to the car and made it just in time before it started pouring. 

We finished the day with fish tacos at the Grumpy Gringo on our way out of town.

4 Months

Jackson,

4 months have flown by! It is so fun to have you in our lives, you bring so much joy and laughter! This was my first month back at work, so you have been spending so much time with Nana. You come home exhausted because you play so hard. :) 

During the Greeley Stampede you got to go see the Demolition Derby, Bull Riding, 3 Rodeos, Darryl Worley Concert and Fireworks on the 4th of July!  We weren't sure how you would do with all the loud noises, but you slept right through a lot of it. And when you weren't sleeping, you were taking it all in with those big beautiful brown eyes.

This month you:

• Found your thumbs, and will pull the pacifier out of your mouth so you can suck your thumb
• Laughed out loud (at Daddy)
• Rolled over 4 times
• Slept through the night twice
• Love to take baths and splash the water
• Have many new facial expressions, and a big smile
• Do not like formula-you gag, cry and spit it all up
• You have big beatiful brown eyes, and we always catch you staring at us
• Reach for your toys, and help turn pages in your books
• Your starting to drool a lot