Can you guess what makes Jack happy?

I will give you one guess at what makes this little guy happy...

Yep, he's basically a food monster!!

Savannah's Birthday

Our Sweet Savannah turned FOUR on May 10th!  She had an awesome birthday WEEK, beginning with her birthday celebration at school on Tuesday, lunch with Grandma and me on Wednesday, celebrating with daddy on Friday and a birthday blowout party on Sunday!  Amazed with what a beautiful young lady she is becoming and so blessed to have her as our daughter!

 

 

Yummy Coconut Curry Shrimp Recipe

I've been in a bit of a dinner slump lately...think hamburger helper, frozen lasagna and too many quesadillas!  Not that there is anything wrong with any of these foods, but they aren't terribly fresh or healthy.  Typically, when Stephen is out in the field, training or deployed, I become more adventurous in the kitchen--largely due to his being a meat and potatoes guy and my fear that a lighter, healthier meal won't be filling for him.  He also avoids spice...we joke that ketchup has just the right amount of heat for him while I pour on the Cholula or Tapatio Hot Sauce!

But Spring is in full-swing in San Diego and something about fresh air and sunshine makes me want to lighten things up!  So with an arsenal of Cooking Light and www.skinnytaste.com recipes to try, I headed to the store to purchase groceries for a weeks worth of healthy meals!

He was the plan:
Steak with baked sweet potatoes and roasted asparagus
Coconut Curry Shrimp with rice and sugar snap peas
Grilled chicken, corn on the cob, and Mexican rice with black beans
Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken
Lightened up Chicken Enchiladas with left over rice and beans
Greek burgers with salad

I was most nervous to serve the Coconut Curry Shrimp because it involved both curry and coconut, which I know Stephen isn't crazy about...but c'est la vie!  The kids devoured it and asked for seconds, I loved it and Stephen even said it was really good and a keeper!!  And the best part, it took no time at all to whip up and only had a handful of ingredients.  I have had several people ask for the recipe, so here it is:

Coconut Curry Shrimp with Rice:

• 1 tsp oil
• 4 scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped
• 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 oz light coconut milk
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1/8 cup fresh cilantro and 1/8 cup parsley, chopped
• salt to taste

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add scallion whites and red curry paste and sauté one minute. Add shrimp and garlic, season with salt and cook about 2-3 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and mix well. Simmer about 2-3 minutes, until shrimp is cooked through. Remove from heat, mix in scallion greens, cilantro, and parsley.  I served this over steamed rice and sauteed snap peas!

After the success of the curry dish, I was less anxious to serve the Asian Peanut Noodles recipe...it was definitely spicier with the use of Sirracha and loaded with vegetables, but the kids didn't seem to notice (even as Stephen wiped his brow and guzzled his lemonade)!   Hope you enjoy the recipe and please share any yummy "lighter" recipes you have!

Summer is on the way!!

 

In the last three days, I have watched my kids play in the sprinklers, shucked a bag of fresh corn, ate two dozen strawberries, and cut up a giant watermelon...what about that does not SCREAM Summer!!!

We have begun venturing to the beach...with three kids 5 and under and even with both puppies too!!  The kids LOVE the beach and we are blessed with amazing beaches within two miles of our house.  Gunner and Penny also love the water, but their days at the beach are limited to when Stephen and I can divide and conquer kids and dogs...I am not daring enough to venture to the dog beach alone yet!

Speaking of Summer...bike riding is big in our neighborhood!  We have a ton of kiddos on just our little stretch of Wahoo Lane (17 kids between 6 houses and they are mostly between 3 and 6 years old) and bike riding is a serious sport/activity!  Savannah has recently joined the "big kid" club and can ride with NO TRAINING WHEELS!!!  Woo hoo and way to go!!

Anyway...my thoughts have been on our upcoming Summer with this warm weather.  So, here's to hoping this Summer is sunnier than the last (and a few pictures of our recent shenanigans)!

Flying a kite...doesn't get much easier than this!

At the playground...a rare group photo with out nose picking, screaming, cheese smile, excessive drool, hitting, or three heads looking three different directions!

Bubbles!  Lots of bubbles!

Sand tastes good...but the waters sure is cold!

Our most recent acquisition--a sandbox.  May not last too long if they keep dumping the sand overboard though!