Something a bit different...a life update

So I have taken to using my blog to share recipes that I have tried. Cooking has been my realm to have a break from work, kids, dog...my own escape. However, there has been so much going on that I decided it was a time to actually give an update.

Today is closing day on our new home. I am so beyond excited, as any Facebook friend can attest based on my postings! This will allow us to provide our kids with so much more stability for the kids since we will no longer have to think about if/when our lease is up and where we would move. The kids have picked out their own rooms with no fighting. We have a large living room that is perfect for entertaining. Kitchen counters and cabinets were just installed 2 years ago. Large backyard, plenty of play space, quiet street, friendly neighbors (we met one last night on our final walk through!). I can't wait to get moved in and really make it ours!

James recently hit his first anniversary at Northern Oaks. He loves his job. He got a significant pay raise, and a 98.3 out of 100 on his review! I am so proud of the dedication he puts into his job. Our new neighbor we met last night actually knows him from Northern Oaks since she goes up frequently to visit one of her friends, who just so happens to be one of James's residents. He will be starting school in January to do a bridge program in order to receive his RN. His D.O.N. gave him a glowing letter of recommendation, and has said she wants to keep him on after he completes the 1.5 year program. I am so proud of him for going after this. He has wanted to get his RN for so long!

Mady is being the little energetic diva that she has always been. Her language has really taken off. Some days that little girl can talk circles around me! She is up to 5 and 6 word sentences routinely, and has begun using the word "and" in her sentences. I can still tell when her brain is working faster than her mouth can go. Lol. She gets caught up and tongue-tied before she figures out what she wants to say. She has such a little personality too! Hands on the hips, one finger out at me, and she loves to say, "You no tell me no Momma!". She gets in trouble, but we struggle not to let her see us laughing. Just the other night, she got The Look (moms, you know what look I mean!) for harassing Adair. She attempted to hide from me by covering her eyes up. You know, because The Look doesn't exist if she cannot see it. I almost busted out laughing in front of her. I just started laughing thinking about her response. She has started understanding that if she calls Roscoe, he will come running to her. She even tells me, "Momma, that my Roscoe. You no tell my Roscoe no. I put my Roscoe outside.". It's so sweet. She and Adair get along so well. If they are not together, they miss each other so bad. She constantly wants to take care of him, telling me he wants water or a snack, etc. It really makes my heart smile to see how she wants to take care of him and be with him nonstop.

Adair has adjusted pretty well to moving back to Texas after spending 4 months with his mom in California. We have had him home a little over a month now. It's been an adventure this past month for sure! He is such a sweet and loving boy. He still doesn't 100% understand not putting his hands on Roscoe's mouth since the dog loves to play and chew (playfully) on hands. We are getting there though. It's tough since he's been away from Roscoe for 4 months, and our pooch is quite playful and energetic. He loves playing with Mady. Except at daycare. Then it's the normal "OMG, my little sister is so ANNOYING!" mentality. lol. But he certainly defends her if she gets picked on. Typical "I can pick on her but nobody else can" thought process. He has made good strides in his speech, thanks to speech therapy started here and continued by his mom. He's not 100% where other children his age (4) are, but he's made such incredible advances. He loves sharing with Mady, and he is still obsessed with running nonstop! Our house is filled with happy squeals and shrieks that kill my eardrums nightly, but I LOVE it.

We just did our second evaluation with a local psychologist for autism. We are trying to figure out what is going on since there are still several things that just don't seem "normal" (I absolutely HATE that term and rarely use it). We are hoping to get the results soon so we know what else we can do to help him learn skills to conquer this world he lives in. He is going to do Speech Therapy, PT, and OT at West Texas Rehab, just waiting on that all to get going. I'm excited for him to do therapies at such a great facility.

Roscoe is still living in that puppy stage. We have had him for about a year now. He is a total bundle of energy. He will lay by the backdoor all day and whine to be in, then race through the house for about 30-45 minutes. Crazy pooch! He is phenomenal with the kids. They love sitting with him, hugging him, and playing with him. Although, at times I think Mady enjoys his toys as much, if not more, than he does! We have started training him to sit calmly with us on the couch. He loves to cuddle up on my lap, chest, wherever there is sitting space he can squeeze into. lol.

As for me, I've been keeping busy with packing, trying not to stress over the move, prepping both kids for the move, and my normal duties (work, cooking, house, etc.). It's crazy to think that just a year ago Mady and I were moving into our rental with James, getting everything set up for Adair to move in a few months later. It's so crazy to think about how much our lives have changed in just a year. And I wouldn't change any of it!

Pan seared steak

Okay, so most my dishes/cooking vessels are packed up, and I didn't feel like busting out the George Foreman. lol. So I used a skillet to do a light sear/fry on sirloin. Super tasty!

Ingredients:
Steak
Seasonings (I went with chili powder and garlic salt - everything else was packed!)
Olive Oil

I put enough oil in my medium skillet to thoroughly coat the bottom. While the oil was heating, I seasoned the steaks. I suggest a slight over-seasoning since the oil absorbed some of my meat's flavoring. Once the oil is hot, put your steak in. Sear it for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on how you like your steak cook. I did about 3 minutes per side and got a nice medium.

We served black beans with this.

Had I not had most my kitchen packed up, I would have kept with the chili and garlic, but I think adding a cheese crisp to the steak, or a parmesan crust with the steak being finished in the oven to get a nice color to the cheese.

Oven Roasted Chicken

So whole chickens were on sale at HEB a few weeks ago. I decided to buy one and figure out what to do with it later. This past Saturday was that later. lol. I decided to try roasting the chicken, which meant I needed to borrow Mom's roasting pan. So I just invited them over. (This is beginning to sound like "If you give a mouse a cookie, he'll want a glass of milk..."). The result was AMAZING.

Ingredients:
Whole fryer chicken (mine was about 5 lbs.)
Melted butter
Herbs of choice (I opted for sage, oregano, paprika, and garlic powder)
Potatoes
A few tbsp of butter

Wash your chicken under cold water. Make sure all the straggly feathers were plucked, since nobody likes eating a feather! Preheat your oven to 375. Set your chicken on the roasting pan. Make sure all the innards were removed. Chop your potatoes. My chicken carcass held about 1 medium sized potato chopped small. Stuff in the carcass. Add the seasonings and butter. Mix it all with a spoon. Baste your chicken with the melted butter (or olive oil if you don't want too much butter). Cover all of the carcass really well. Sprinkle some of the seasoning on top. Roast for 1.5-2 hours, checking every 30 minutes to rebaste as needed. My bird took roughly the full 2 hours. I also made roasted potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms with the bird. This served 4 adults and 1 bottomless pit preschooler, with some left over for lunch the next day!

You do not have to stuff the chicken with potatoes. You can just add herbs for extra flavor if you want.

The skin should come out golden brown and crispy. The chicken is ready when the juices are running clear. This was soo tasty, and very fork tender. James cut it with a knife off the bone, but otherwise you didn't really need a knife at all!