Gisele-isms

"Shloss-cloff" - washcloth
"Fufon" - futon
"I suck!" - I'm stuck
"Lemmo-lade" - lemonade

A Big Sister Gift from friends

Some good friends, Randall & Lizzie Collum, brought us a meal after Miles was born. They were so thoughtful - they included a Big Sister gift for Gisèle! It was a paint-with-water book, which I haven't seen since I was little. As you can see from the pictures, Gisèle LOVES it! She was so excited when she saw the first colors appear as she painted. Thank you, Collums!

Big Sister Cupcakes

During a trip to Kroger shortly before Miles was born, we bought a cake mix. Gisèle helped by holding the box while she sat in the cart, and she asked if it was her birthday cake. We explained that she had already had a birthday and birthday cake, but that we could make a Big Sister Cake for her after Miles was born and came home. I assumed that would be the end of it, and she would forget about it immediately, but the first thing she said upon waking up the next day was "Where'd my big cupcake doe {go}??" And she asked it multiple times a day after that. When Miles was 2 days old, Jamie took the time to make Gisèle some Big Sister cupcakes. I added sprinkles. :)

Father and Son

Gisèle's Big Sister Tricycle

Since Gisèle is such a big girl now, and because she's such a good Big Sister, she got a special gift recently - a tricycle! She was VERY excited, and did a great job riding it and being pushed on it by Daddy.

Asian Grilled Salmon - 2 ways

This is one of my absolute favorite recipes. It's very easy, and SO good. Jamie and I generally buy a pound of salmon, cut into 4 fillets. We'll each eat a fillet grilled for dinner, and then have the other 2 cold on salads the next day. The marinade recipe is from Ina Garten; the salad is something I made up. We like to have the salmon with grilled asparagus (drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with kosher salt & pepper.)

Asian Grilled Salmon

1 lb salmon, cut into 4 fillets
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp soy sauce
6 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic (I use bottled)

-Combine the Dijon, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic.
-Place the salmon fillets in a gallon-sized bag, and dump in the marinade. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before grilling.
-Grill over direct-high heat for 4-5 minutes; flip and grill another 4-5 minutes.
-Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Asian Grilled Salmon Salad

-1 grilled salmon fillet per salad
-mandarin oranges
-sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
-salad greens (I like spring mix)
-fried wonton strips (optional)

-dressing: mix together 1 Tbsp honey, 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, and 6 Tbsp olive oil

Decorating Pumpkins