Games for Two

Josh and I love playing board games, but there are very few intended for two. Let me tell you, we play a lot of Yahtzee and Boggle, but my personal favorite is our 2-player modification on Settlers of Catan.

Since the game is driven off the resources distributed during each players' roll, we add two "free rolls". So before each of our own turns, we roll once for the pretend other players, allow us to receive vital resources. (If you roll a 7 for the Robber on the "free roll", you roll again).

I'm looking for new 2-player games, what games do you enjoy?

Smile - a blog post for the Grandmas

Ella's newest trick - smiling! Posting a video for the Grandmas!

Quick and Easy Side Dish

My mom came and stayed with me last week, which I loved for many reasons, one of them being the new recipe ideas she gave me. I love new recipes, but hate the unknown of trying something from a cookbook. Of course it looks easy for Rachel Ray, but who wouldn't love cooking when someone else does all the prep work and clean up!

One easy recipe my mom made was a quick and easy [fabulous] broccoli and red potatoes side dish. It is prepped in under 10 minutes.

- wash your potatoes and broccoli
- cut your potatoes into 4 sections (I cut mine smaller just because I like them that way)
- throw your potatoes into boiling water for 5 minutes to give them a head start on cooking .

while your potatoes are boiling:
- cut your broccoli off the head
- in an oven-safe dish, add olive oil and your seasoning. You can really do any seasoning you like. I did "savory," rosemary, and dill.
- add your broccoli to the oven-safe dish
- once your potatoes are slightly softened, add to the dish

bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

ENJOY! Thanks mom for introducing me to this awesome new recipe! 

Ella's Newborn Pictures

Our wonderful friend, Nate of Nate Weatherly Photography, took gorgeous newborn pictures of Ella. They came out completely fabulous!!!! Below is a link to a slide show of our images.

http://video214.com/play/X5R3eg0SGM3FOUNZkoLpDQ/s/dark

Best of the Week

My wonderful mom came to stay with Ella and myself last week because Josh was away at a work conference. I loved having her here, below are my favorite pictures from our week together. 

Thanks, Mom! 

 

Spicing it up in the Kitchen

Another New Years resolution for me this year is to try a new recipe each month. It is way too easy to get in a rut and make the recipes I'm comfortable with and know how they turn out. My new recipe for January is actually one that is supposed to great for freezing. (I've only made it in my crock pot, but haven't had it out of the freezer yet.) The recipe below is intended to make 2 freezer meals - so read it carefully if you are only making 1 dinner from it.

Teriyaki Chicken (2 Bags)

• Split a large bag of Baby Carrots between the 2 bags
• Cut Red Onion into Large Chunks and split between the 2 bags
• (1) 20oz can pineapple in each bag (undrained)
• (2) Garlic Cloves chopped per bag
• (2) Chicken Breasts in each bag
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce in each bag

*Add 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce to mixture. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Serve over Rice.

You could definitely add broccoli to it - but as far as flavor goes, it was packed a punch! 

What new recipes have you tried this year? 

2013 Reading List

One of my New Years resolutions is to read 10 books this year. This is a continuation of a goal Josh and I set a few years back to read through the "classics" that we never read in school. Since starting this goal we have read:
- 1984
- Catch 22
- Anna Karenina
- Old Man and the Sea
- Great Expectations
- Animal Farm
- Great Expectations
- Crime and Punishment
- A Picture of Dorian Gray
- Lord of the Flies
- Great Gadsby
- Fountainhead
- Brave New World

Since having Ella, I've been able to leverage my time feeding her to read:
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
- Wuthering Heights
- The Time Machine
- The Scarlet Letter
and now I'm reading Treasure Island

What classic do you recommend I read next?