Week 5 Football Yummies!

It was another great fall weekend. Jason was able to go out duck hunting with a fellow resident while Jack and I hung out at home and spent some quality time together. Jason of course came back from hunting just in time for football and a soup Sunday special (oh yeah I went there)! This week I decided to make a classic...Chicken Noodle Soup.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 lg cans Swanson chicken broth

Carrots (however much you want)

Celery (however much you want)

1 c. onion

1 tbs butter

1 tsp Basil

1 tsp Parsley flakes

3-4 chicken breasts

rotini noodles

salt and pepper (to taste)

In a large soup pot put 2 lg cans of chicken broth and heat on low. While that is heating cook chicken breasts and cube, add to pot. Cut carrots and add to broth to soften.

In saute pan add celery, onion and butter. Cook until celery and onion are softened but now browned. Put in basil and parsley flakes. Then add to chicken broth.

I cooked the rotini noodles and then added them at the end to the soup mix. Jason thinks that I should cook them in the broth I will try it next time and see how it turns out. Let warm all the way through and enjoy!

Football Week 4

So today we did a very simple lunch that Jason has been asking for. I made chili, I made him wait for the perfect fall day because I have a hard time enjoying chili when it's 70+ degrees outside, but today was rainy and cool...perfect!

Chili

1 lb hamburger

2-3 cans stewed tomatoes

2 cans chili beans

2 sm cans v8 juice

1 pkg. chili mix

Brown hamburger and put into crock pot. Add tomatoes, beans, juice and chili mix....heat until warm all the way through. Top with some shredded cheese and enjoy!

I also went to SAMs Club and bought some ciabatta rolls which heated up with a little butter made this extra yummy!

8 Months Old

Ahh! He's getting so big! I know that every parent says that the current stage their child is in is their favorite, but I do have to say this is really my favorite stage of Jackson's. He is just a goof ball and can make me laugh even when I'm in the crankiest mood!

He has discovered some new sounds that he can make. When Jason tickles Jack he makes this strange sound that sounds like static almost...well someone learned how to mimic this same sound, and of course the first time he made the sound Jason and I laughed so hard that Jack thinks it's the funniest thing in the whole world! He also likes to make elephant sounds which has become his new comfort thing when he goes to sleep. He will just lay in bed and make that elephant sound until he falls asleep...it's better than crying I guess. He also said "DaDa" I was excited and disappointed all at the same time I though with all our "practice" of saying MaMa while stuck in traffic and to and from school I would surely get him to say MaMa first...I was very wrong.

This last  month was also the month of visitors. My parents were the first to come out and they came over Labor Day weekend. It was really great to see them even though it was a very short trip. In that small amount of time though Jackson got super spoiled and became very attached to his Grandpa and Grandma. I think it took a few days after they left for him to realize that it was just the three of us again.

About a week after my parents came Jason's mom made the trip out to see Jackson too! Jackson stayed home from school on Friday so they got to spend the whole day together and were best buds by the end of the day. Again Jackson got super spoiled by Grandma Kathy and again it was too quick of a trip for all of our likings.

While Kathy was in town we also took Jackson to Portrait Innovations and got his pictures taken. I know that I may be a little bias, but he is the cutest little kid I have ever seen!

Jackson has also become and avid football watcher on Sunday. I think he likes watching Daddy more than the game (which I have to admit is sometimes very entertaining), and staying in his sweats it always a bonus too!

Enjoying the 9ers game!

A few weeks ago we also changed out his car seat for a big boy car seat. His infant carrier was only made for him to be up to 22lbs so it was time to move on. Jackson seems to prefer this though because when we go to the stores now he gets to sit in the shopping cart like a big boy and look around. He's such a flirt when we are shopping. I think it takes 2x's as long to get through anywhere because he has to make cute faces at all the ladies and I have to stop so they can say hi and have a quick chat with him.

We have started to try to crawl (kind of) we still haven't gotten up on all fours yet, but we are very good at moving our arms in a nice army crawl and kicking our feet. The unfortunate part is that it causes us to go backwards instead of the desired forward direction of the toys that MaMa tends to bribe him with (probably one of the reasons he has not said my name...revenge!). We also are very independent now and love to stand...recently he has gotten more daring and has been trying to go no handed.

Jackson is still teething, it's strange though because his bottom teeth came in without any issue but the top ones are being little stinkers. We are making our way through though! We officially have two bottom teeth and two top teeth...looks like someone is going to be ready to experiment with some table food!

Speaking of eating...we have foodie on our hands. Little man likes to eat...we have started to buy a new brand of baby food called Earths Best. It's all organic and gives a lot of variety of combinations. The other day we tried pumpkin and apples. I have never seen him eat a jar of baby food that fast before! So I'm curious to see what else he starts to like.

All in all it has been a very busy month but a fun one! Things to look forward to...our first Halloween (we already go his costume!), hopefully some more crawling and standing.

8 months old!

Football Week 3

So I kind of cheated this week but I am completely saying that it's Jason's fault. I wanted to make some Thai food for today's games and this was the reaction "We CANNOT eat Thai food while watching football! Why don't you make chili or pulled pork sandwiches or something?" So I looked to see what I had so I could whip up a yummy Sunday Football lunch and I had some Jack Daniels Pulled Pork for sandwiches. Now the reason that I say I cheated is because it is pre-cooked and already sauced I just had to heat it up and serve with some kaiser rolls and some salt and pepper chips and we were good to go.

Still looks yummy right?

To redeem myself and this little 17 weeks of football thing I have going on I made some of my favorite banana bread as a snack for later. I know what you are thinking banana bread as a snack? This isn't any banana bread it is like dessert banana bread....and it will rock your world!

Banana Bread

3/4 c shortening ( I usually used butter flavored Crisco)
2 1/4 c sugar
4 large bananas
5 eggs
1/2 c. milk
3 tsp vanilla
3 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
6 oz chocolate chips ( I like to add more)
1/2 jar maraschino cherries chopped (also like to add more)

In a large mixing bowl add shortening, sugar, bananas, eggs, milk, vanilla, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. With a hand mixer, mix until all ingredients are combined well.

Then fold in chocolate chips and cherries with a mixing spoon.

Put in loaf pan for 1 hr at 350. Makes about 3 loaves. (I have started buying the eco-foil loaf pans from the grocery store, they come in a pack of three and that way I can bake all three loaves at the same time...saves a little time!)

Enjoy!

Today I'm also going to try my hand at making some  homemade baby food...stay tuned and I'll let you know how it turned out and how Mr. Jackson likes it!