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French onion soup,because death breath can be used as a weapon on Black Friday. 

Wicked Awesome Pea Soup

Ingredients:
meaty ham bone
4ish cups of chicken broth
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS butter
medium onion
3 TBS flour
bag of frozen peas
black pepper to taste

Start by pulling a ham bone with some meat still on it from last Christmas out of the freezer.  Wish it luck.

Seeing as how it is frozen solid, add it and about 4 cups of chicken broth in a pot and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the whole concoction to a very slow simmer.  

Take a nap.  

When you wake up, check that meaty bone.  If it has thawed, remove it from the chicken broth and carve off any spare ham bits. Return bone to simmering chicken/ham broth. (That's a whole lot of flavor right there!)

Put about 2 Tbs olive oil and 2 Tbs butter into a large pot. (Note: this is an exceedingly healthy recipe...it has peas!)  Turn heat to medium.  

While butter/oil is heating, dice up a medium yellow onion.  Add to butter/oil pot.  Allow to cook until semi-translucent, then dump in the ham bits.  Stir around a bit.  Sprinkle on 3 Tbs of flour, stirring often.

After 3-5 minutes dump in the chicken/ham broth mentioned previously in this wanna-be recipe.  (Be sure you've removed the ham bone.)  Use something (I used a flat whisk) to scrape the bottom of the pan while adding the chicken/ham broth. 

Using a slotted spoon, remove as many ham bits as possible from broth mixture to a bowl.  SAVE THOSE HAM BITS!

Add a bag of frozen peas to the broth mixture.  They will thaw quite quickly since the soup is boiling and all...

Blend broth/pea mixture with an immersion blender. (Or VERY CAREFULLY use a regular blender. Blend small amounts at a time!)

Return ham bits to broth/pea mixture.  Add black pepper to taste

Impress your husband/significant other/self with wicked-awesome pea soup.

Serve with Tailgate Ham Sandwiches.  Google them.  They're AMAZING.

Tea Parties and Big Brothers

On one of the first truly warm days last spring, my babies had a tea party.

While he often enjoys pestering her and making her squeal with frustration, most of the time Eli adores his baby sister. 

The fact that Emma's big brother happily has tea parties with her makes my heart warm.  Of course, she happily plays StarWars with him as well.

Amen

I wish I did anything with any amount of consistency...

More than two years later:  Attempt three at keeping a blog simi-regularly.  I love looking back over our family pictures and fun times.  I enjoy remembering how I was feeling and what was important to me...there's just this whole thing of taking the time to sit down and do it.

 Ok.  Resolution for the last quarter of 2015:  Make a post at least twice a week.  Even a short one.  Surely I can manage that...yea, surely.

It's been a busy past few months... 

Our baby girl was born (pictures to follow).  We had an amazing, relaxing summer.  We've been so blessed.  Our little family feels complete.

Time to update the old blog. 

But first, as I read over my past posts, I can't help but think to myself, "Wow.  Maybe you should try this thing called proofreading..."

Sushi night

Last night between my prenatal check up and getting my rhogam shot we did one of our family's favorite things.

We went out to eat sushi! 

It seems every sushi restaurant has a "boat" pictured on the menu.  As Eli browses through the menu (yes, we have a 3 year old foodie), he never fails to ask...no, beg to get the big sushi boat.  We've always put him off with,  "We'll see...maybe some day we'll get the big boat, honey."  Last night he got his wish.  I've never seen such joy!

*Please excuse the blur.  The kid couldn't shovel it in fast enough!