Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Very Berry Crumble Bars

I saw this recipe on Barbara Bakes and it sounded so easy and delicious I had to make it. We all loved this at our house and it took absolutely no time at all to put together. When Gabe first tired it he said rubbing his tummy "Yummy in my tummy." His aunty Shelbi taught him to say that this week. It is so cute!

Very Berry Crumble Bars
http://barbarabakes.blogspot.com/

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
2 cups oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup canola oil- I used vegetable oil
1 egg
3/4 cup strawberry ice cream topping
3/4 cup blueberries- I used some fresh rasberries as I like them better than blueberries

Directions:
Mix the cake mix, brown sugar and oats together.

Add the oil and the egg and mix well.

Pat half of the dough into a prepared 13 x 9-inch pan.

Spoon the strawberry topping over the dough, and top with the blueberries.

Crumble the rest of the dough over the topping and blueberries.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool and cut into bars.

I never did get a picture taken of them after they were cooked. It was a crazy week and these babies did not last long!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Healthy Whole Wheat Pancakes

We love pancakes at our house and I often make them every Sunday morning for breakfast. Since I have been trying to find healthies recipes to feed the hubby I thought that this morning I would try my hand at whole wheat pancakes. My husband doesn't like anything whole wheat so I knew that making these was a gamble.

While I didn't mind these, I certainly didn't enjoy them anywhere near as much as I usually do my pancakes. Brad really didn't like them at all. Maybe it was the recipe or maybe it was my whole wheat. Either way I am on a mission to find a healthy pancake recipe my whole family can enjoy. There has to be one out there that doesn't taste too much like whole wheat. Anyone have any ideas?

Whole Wheat Pancakes

2 cup whole wheat flour
2Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1-3/4 cup milk
4 Tbs unsweetened apple sauce
1 mashed banana

Directions:

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl mix the banana, applesauce, milk and eggs.

Add wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just moist.

Cook on an electric griddle or fry pan.

This makes about 16 pancakes but the girls like the heated up the next day or even cold from the fridge as a snack! Recipe halves well for less pancakes!

Monday, July 27, 2009

Chicken Cordon Bleu- DELICIOUS!

YUMMO! This dish was so delicious. I can't get enough of Gina's weight watcher recipes. The lady is a genius! I made these last Sunday for dinner and both Brad and I thoroughly enjoyed them. Though mine aren't as pretty as Gina's (I need to work on my meat pounding skills) I was quite proud of myself for making these babies. I'll definitely be making these again. For step by step pictures head over to Gina's blog to take a peek. Her photography is fantastic.

A couple of things to note:
I didn't have any dried bread crumbs. In all honesty I have stopped buying them since I discovered it is so easy and delicious to make my own. However, this recipe really requires that you use the dried breadcrumbs. My homemade soft ones were too soft and I had a difficult time getting them to stick to the chicken.
Also, Brad and I are not fans of "stinky" cheeses and Swiss often falls into that category so I used slices of low fat mozzarella. I was a tad worried that using the mozzarella would make the meal tasteless but it worked great and this meal was full of flavor.

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Makes: 12 pieces • Time: 40 minutes • Points: 4 ww points each

4 chicken breast halves
2 egg
1 tbsp water
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
12 slices thin deli ham
12 slices reduced fat Swiss cheese (We don't love Swiss so I actually used low fat mozzarella)
salt
spray oil
toothpicks
Preheat oven to 350°.
Slice chicken breast halves into thin cutlets. I usually get 3 thin cutlets out of one breast half. Pound them to make them thinner if you wish. This helps when you wrap the cutlets.
Cut each slice of cheese into squares and stack on top of each other. Place a slice of ham on top of the chicken, top with cheese and wrap chicken around to completely cover cheese, using toothpicks to secure. (Make sure no holes so cheese doesn't leak out) Season with a little salt.
Dip chicken into egg wash, then breadcrumbs.
Spray cookie sheet with oil and place chicken on cookie sheet. Lightly spray chicken with oil and bake about 25 minutes, until cooked.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Fired AND Hired all within a matter of hours. PHEW!

Boy what an interesting month July turned out to be. Just before the 4th weekend the firm I was with laid off a few secretaries (me being one of them). This wasn't exactly a shock but was still rather shocking. I had heard through the office gossip pipeline that they were going to be doing some layoffs and given that one of my attorneys had left the firm a month prior to the lay offs logistically I knew my neck could be on the chopping block. These are scary times and jobs can be difficult to come by. With my husband still in school, I knew I couldn't afford to be out of work and that I needed to get a job quickly. Thankfully, I hadn't even made it out of the parking lot from my previous job before I had put a call into another previous employer with whom I maintained a good relationship even after I left 3 years ago. By that afternoon I was given my old job back. I was literally unemployed for two and a half hours. The firm I went back to opened me back with open arms- literally.
If there is one thing I am it’s a fighter. I know what I need to do and when it comes down to supporting my family I will stop at nothing to do just that. I knew that sitting around crying was not an option - though I did my fair share of that too. I knew I had to pick myself up and work it out. I am extremely grateful that I was able to get my old job back and am grateful to be working again. Let that be a lesson. NEVER burn bridges! It has been a very smooth transition and it is nice to be working at a place with friends and familiar faces. I love the work and am enjoying being busy again and having my days fly by.
I took a week and a half off between starting my new job and thoroughly enjoyed that time at home with my little man. We had so much fun together and that is time I will always cherish. Gabe is such a smart and sweet little boy. He had me laughing and pulling my hair out constantly with his funny antics. Enjoy the pics below.
I went against my better judgment one day and decided to let Gabe roam while I took a 30 second shower. 30 seconds was all he needed to find the Vaseline and get busy. It took a whole week to get ALL of the Vaseline out of his curls. He sure was soft though.



"Peas please." Gabe loves to eat peas. One particular day he also found another use for them- nose plugs! I got a little frantic at one point because one was particularly stuck. I thought I was going to have to make an embarrassing trip to the doctors to have it removed. Thankfully Gabe sneezed and it shot out. He was laughing hysterically the whole time. He has since worked out that if he puts a pea in one nostril and blocks the other one with his finger and blows out of his nose that they shoot out rather quickly. Meal time is always entertaining at our house!





Did you also know that corn and green beans also make great nose pluggers?


Friday, July 24, 2009

Hungry Girl 200 Under 200- 200 Recipes Under 200 calories

Yep you read it right 200 Recipes Under 200 calories! While I was enjoying some time off and some morning show television time, I saw a segment on this cookbook. I immediately ordered it and it finally arrived yesterday. I made one of the recipes for lunch today and it was delicious. I am looking forward to try more of these guilt free recipes!

Superb-y Herby sauce-exposed pizzas
Hungry Girl 200 Under 200- 200 Recipes Under 200 calories
Lisa Lillien

Ingrediants

1 light english muffin
1 wedge of laughing cow light garlic and herb cheese (love this stuff!)
2 tablespoons of tomato sauce with italian seasonings

Split english muffin in half toast for about 5 minutes until crispy.

Spread cheese wedge evenly over both halves. Spread sauce over the cheese.

Now toast your cheesed'n sauced english muffin for about 2 minutes untill the cheese has melted and the sauce is warm.

If you like season the tops as you would a regular slice of pizza.

For our pizzas I pre-heated my oven to 400. I made the pizzas as instructed above and hen topped ours with a little chicken (I had a rotissere chicken left over from the night before) and then a tsp of low fat mozzerella cheese. I cooked them in the oven for 10 minutes and they were toasty delicious. I loved these and so did my Brad!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Beef and Noodle Casserole

Ok so this is a not so healthy dinner but one that is easy to put together and is definately tasty. This is one of those meals that I love to throw together on a Friday night when I am tired from having worked all week and the last thing I want to do is spend alot of time in the kitchen cooking dinner. This is a family favorite for sure!

Beef and Noodle Casserole
Worldwide Ward Cookbook

1 cup noodles uncooked (I use macaroni noodles)
1 pound of lean ground beef
1/4 onion chopped finely
1/2-1 cup of grated cheddar cheese (I like sharp)
1 1/2 cups of frozen corn
2 tsp chilli powder (can use more if you like kick- we don't)
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup water

Boil noodles for 10 minutes or until tender, drain well but don't rinse. In a skillet brown ground beef with onion. Add all of the remaining ingrediants including the cooked noodles, and place in a 2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
Makes 6-8 servings and makes for great left overs. I like to serve this with a slice of french bread.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake or upside down Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

On Mothers Day this year my mother gave me a new cookbook. I was so excited when she gave it to me because little did she know, that I had been wanting this particlar cook book. The title of the book is the Worldwide Ward Cookbook by Deanna Buxton.

It has recipes from all over the world and I have had lots of fun cooking from this book. This cake recipe is definitely one I will be making again. My husband and son couldn't get enough of it. I even had to hide it because if my little boy saw it before I fed him breakfast in the morning he would say "cake" and point at it until I gave him some. I think he had a piece with his breakfast lunch and dinner for 2 days until it was all gone. Thankfully we gave half of the cake to some friends, otherwise we would have eaten the whole thing.

I renamed this cake the Upside down Banana Chocolate Chip Cake because for some reason my chocolate chips sank to the bottom and so when I pulled the cake out of the pan the cake looked like an upside down cake. I'm not sure if that was supposed to happen but either way it tasted amazing.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake or Upside down Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Worldwide Ward Cookbook


Cake:
1-1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
4 tbl spoons sour cream
1-1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup bananas (mashed)

Topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1 tbl spoon of cinnamon
1 cup of chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)
1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)- I left these out

Line an angel food cake pan with waxed paper and grease well. (I don't have an angel food pan so I used a bundt pan and just buttered it well). Cream the butter and sugar and add eggs. Combine baking soda and sour cream; stir into butter and sugar mixture. Add flour, salt and baking powder. Mix well. Stir in vanilla and bananas. Pour half of the batter into the pan. Combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle half of tghe topping over the batter in the pan. Pour remaining batter into the pan and sprinkle with the rest of the topping. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-60 minutes checking regularly. Cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before removing from the pan.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Oh My Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

Another amazing recipe from Gina's weight watcher recipe blog. I had been on the hunt for a mild chicken curry recipe for a while but just wasn't thrilled with the ones I had read. I love a good mild chicken curry and I especially love it when it also has potatoes in it. I had an amazing chicken curry once at an Indian restaurant in Australia and every time I heard chicken curry after that I would think back to that amazing dish. This dish was exactly what I was looking for and it met every expectation I had. I was a little worried about whether or not Brad and my 2 year old would like it but they both loved it. My two year old couldn't get enough. He ate his plate and then devoured mine too. I was thrilled! The only thing that would have made this dish any better was some homemade Naan on the side. It is definately a goal of mine to learn how to make that and soon.

Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
Servings: 6 servings • Time: 35 minutes • Points: 4.3 ww points


1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp roasted cumin
1 1-2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 onion, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup light coconut milk
3/4 cup water
1 large potato, peeled and diced small
6 skinless chicken thighs (I used two boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
kosher salt to taste

Add oil to a large pan, on medium heat. When oil is hot add onion and garlic and sauté. Add cumin, masala and curry powder and mix well. Place chicken in the pan and season with salt. Mix together with all spices and brown on both side for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, cilantro, water, coconut milk and adjust salt to taste. Mix all ingredients and cover pan, simmer on low until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Add potatoes and more water if neccesary and simmer, covered an additional 5-10 minutes. This dish is great served with rice or roti.

1 skinless chicken thigh = 3 pts
1/2 cup light coconut milk = 2.1 pts
1 large potato = 3 pts

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Chicken Cacciatore - A healthier version

I recently stumbled upon a fantastic blog entitled Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes (http://weight-watchers-points-recipes.blogspot.com/) She has so many delicious looking recipes on her blog and lately I have been having fun making and trying some of them out. This was the first of Gina's recipes that I have tried. This meal was FANTASTIC. This dish was so full of fresh flavor and is so low in fat and calories. Both Brad and I loved it. It was also simple and relatively quick to make. I also found this dish provided for generous portions. After dinner and setting aside leftovers for Brad's lunch, UI had enough to freeze for another meal. It froze really well and was just as delicious the second time around. I will DEFINITLEY be making this again. Who ever thought healthy food could taste so good? Until now not me!


Chicken Cacciatore

Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 3 servings • Time: 30 minutes • Points: 4.3 ww points

3 chicken thighs, skin and fat removed (I used 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of the thighs and legs)
3 chicken legs, skin and fat removed
1 tsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 ( 28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons drained capers (I didn't have any of these so left them out)
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Season chicken with salt. In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the pepper, onion and garlic to the pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, broth, and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the saute pan and mix in with the sauce. Cover the pan and bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Add the chopped basil when done. Serve over whole grain angel hair pasta if desired.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Belated Fathers Day Post and a Note to Self

On Fathers Day after Gabe had woken up for the day and we had let Daddy sleep in a little we spoiled him with lots of presents and a delicious breakfast. Then....Brad and I got the brilliant idea to try and wean Gabe off the bottle. It had been something we had been talking about for a while and we knew we had to do it. Given how attached he is, we knew it was going to be a challenge to say the least. Needless to say our day entailed allot of screaming and crying (from Gabe- I was close) and by the time we made it to the in-laws for dinner that evening we were both spent. That night exhausted and upset ourselves we folded and gave him a bottle for bed. He was out in 5 minutes. Back to the drawing board!

The worst part...at 12 even 15 months Gabe was not even attached to his bottle- not one bit! I contemplated then taking it away but thought that would mean I was giving up my baby. Not knowing when we would have the baby opportunity again selfishly and stupidly I (and it was all me) didn't wean him then and boy are we paying for it now. Let that be a lesson to you...wean them and do it early! If you need me I'll be in the corner kicking myself!
Just before giving Daddy his presents Gabe and I snuck into the closet and I slipped this onesie on over Gabe's jammies. He had lots of fun getting ready to surprise Daddy and totally knew we were up to something.

Helping Daddy with the wrapping paper. He had to scrunch up every piece and then put it in the "rubbish."


Trying to put his shoes on all by himself. It is extremely hard some days trying to keep Gabe inside. He just loves to be outside riding his bike and his 4-wheeler

"Cheese." Dig the crazy hair!

Friday, July 10, 2009

Zephyr Pancakes

Sunday is one day of the week where I like to make a cooked breakfast. Having a cooked breakfast one day a week is plenty for me, anything more than that would be too much. Due to the fact that we are home on Sunday mornings it only seems natural the Sunday would be the best day to enjoy a cooked breakfast at home. I have had this recipe in a stack to try for some time now and finally got around to making it recently. Though I enjoyed these, I think my favorite pancake recipe would still have to be the buttermilk pancake recipe I posted a while back. I like my pancakes light and fluffy and think they are best when they just melt in your mouth. These were light and fluffy just not as much as the buttermilk pancakes and given the high amounts of buttermilk AND cream the calories just didn't quite seem worth it to me.

Growing up we always ate our pancakes one way. Smeared with butter, topped with mashed banana, a dollop of vanilla ice cream and then a small amount of maple syrup. If haven't tried eating your pancakes this way, you should give it a go. DELICIOUS!

Zephyr Pancakes
from the Kind Arthur Flour Baker's Companion
(I found the recipe on mykitchencafe.blogspot)


2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) heavy cream
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) buttermilk
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cream, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry, just until combined - it's okay if there are a few lumps.

Preheat and lightly grease (I didn't grease my griddle and they didn't stick) a heavy skillet or griddle. Scoop the batter onto the griddle with a 1/4 cup measure or a large spoon. Make sure the heat is slightly less than medium. The pancakes will puff up very high. When the first side is golden brown and the edges start to look dry, turn the pancakes over to finish cooking the second side. Remove the pancakes from the griddle and keep them in a warm serving dish until you have enough to feed everyone.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Creamy Tomato Pasta

This recipe is one that was once featured on Oprah. I guess the claim was made that if you want a man to fall in love with you that this is the one dish that you should make him. Ummm I don't know about that. I love pasta and my husband likes it too but if there were one dish that I was to make my hubby to make him love me more it would more than likely be a fat juicy steak or something like that. I mean this dish doesn't even have any meat in it. LOL. That aside, this dish was very tasty and very quick to put together. I'll definitely be making this again. My husband and I both enjoyed it and my toddler couldn't get enough of the stuff.

Creamy Tomato Pasta

2 cups of Italian stewed tomatoes
2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup whipping cream
3 tbl spoons of tomato paste
1/3 cup of fresh parsley, chopped (I didn't have any so left it out)
salt and pepper to taste

Puree stewed tomatoes in a blender. Sauté garlic and olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes to the pan. Add whipping cream, tomato paste, parsley and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-35 minutes. Serve over cooked fettuccini noodles (or your favorite pasta). You could also top with some seasoned grilled chicken breast if you were looking to get your protein in.

I like Sketty mummy!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Chocolate Slice

Another one of my favorite treats growing up was this chocolate slice. It had been a long time since I had eaten it and while looking through a cookbook I recently remembered it and so called my mum for the recipe. I had forgotten how quick and easy it was to make. This is the perfect throw together slice to take to friends or family or for a special lunchbox treat.

Chocolate Slice


250 gms butter plus more for greasing pan
1 cup sugar
1 tab Golden syrup- light corn syrup can be substituted
2 tab cocoa
1 tsp vanilla essence to taste
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup coconut (I used sweetened flakes as it was all I could find)
2 cups of flower

Place butter, sugar, golden syrup, cocoa and vanilla essence in a pot/saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat. Add baking powder, coconut and flour and mix
Place in greased dish 13x9. Bake for 10 mins only at 350 F. When cold ice with your favorite chocolate frosting. You really need to give this a few hours to set up before cutting it. If you don't it will be very soft and though delicious will not cut into neat squares.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Grilled Cheese Burgers and the 4th Weekend

The 4th of July just wouldn't be the 4th of July for me unless it involved staying up late on the 3rd to put out chairs for the parade, the annual parade down Main Street on the 4th, and a delicious BBQ lunch afterwards. Though I am not an American, I do enjoy the 4th of July holiday. I enjoy the patriotic colors, the time spent visiting with friends and family, the food, the fireworks and the general mood of the day.

This 4th of July the majority of our family were away on a trip to Yellowstone. Though we couldn't go, we didn't let that spoil our fun. We enjoyed taking our little one to the parade, eating our tasty lunch, our lazy afternoon and watching some fireworks later that evening.

My husband loves homemade hamburgers. Who doesn't really? Though I am not completely opposed to buying pre-made hamburger patties, to me homemade patties just taste that much better. These were DELICIOUS!

Grilled Cheese Burgers
Rachel Ray


3 tablespoons of olive oil (I use extra virgin)
1 small onion chopped fine
1 1/4 pounds of ground sirloin
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of oil. Add the onion to the pan and cook until tender about 4-5 minutes. Remove onions and place in a large mixing bowl.

When the onions have cooled slightly, add the ground sirloin, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Mix to combine. (If you can stand it, this is best done using your hands). Divide meat into 4 portions and shape into round patties. Grill until cooked through.

We enjoyed our burgers topped with all the regular favorites- cheese, grilled bacon, lettuce, tomato, mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise. I forgot about it this time around, but as is customary in Australia, I would usually also fry and egg and have that on our burgers too. Mmmmmmmm.

The Parade
Mmmmm Taffy!


Making friends with another Nana
They had lots of fun chatting and Gabe enjoyed sharing his candy with her

Me and my Daddy!

Me and my Mummy!

I had bought a small squirter bottle to help keep us cool and Gabe had a ball squirting people with it. We were laughing hysterically the whole time. He is definatelty cute enough to get away with it.


I love his cheeky smile in this one. He knew excatly what he was doing!

Monday, July 6, 2009

Chicken Divan

A few weeks ago now my husband told me that he wanted to go on a diet to try and lose some weight. My first reaction (trying to play the supportive wife role) was "Ok, I can start looking for recipes that are lower in fat and healthier for you." In my mind however, I was whining and thinking "Ah crap, that's no fun!" I need an attitude adjustment. I am still wrapping my head around the idea that meals can truly be healthy AND delicious. I have been blessed in so much that as long as I exercise my butt off on a regular basis at the gym (which thankfully I love) I can control my weight. I don't do diets. Oddly enough I have enough will power to exercise but not really "diet." Wish us luck!

So with this new mission in mind, I jumped online and started surfing blogs that promised healthier meals. This one is from a Weight Watchers website. My husband loved it and it was only 3.5 points (hope that means something to someone).

Chicken Divan
“Mayo Clinic’s Virtual Cookbook



2 packages frozen broccoli spears
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons grated Cheddar cheese (I may have snuck a little extra in) =)
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs ( I made my own)

Heat oven to 350° F. Steam broccoli until tender (about 2 minutes). Spray a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Drain broccoli and place in the bottom of the baking dish.

Boil chicken until done. Cut or shred into bite-sized pieces. Add to broccoli. Combine the yogurt with the soup and curry powder. Pour over the chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Top with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Fun with Cousin Andrew

A couple of Monday's ago I had the opportunity to watch my little nephew Andrew (Gabe's only cousin), while his mum went to a doctors appointment. It is always a delight for me to watch these two play together. They are so cute and are such good little friends.

Notice that even though Andrew is 3 months younger than Gabe, he is quite a bit taller. That doesn't stop Gabe from giving his cousin a friendly hug though.


They had fun riding on Gabe's 4-wheeler together

"Hang on!"

Andrew's turn to drive

Love the tongue Gabe

They both enjoyed having their own special little treat bowls.

Andrew was in fits of laughter over Gabe who was spinning around in circles. The more Andrew laughed, the more Gabe would spin around.


Cute Andrew

Bright flash! I told Andrew to smile and these great shots resulted. He had me laughing so hard.