Spicy Shrimp-n-Grits

My hubby and I went to B.Smith's in DC for our valentine's dinner this year. He ordered the Shrimp-n-Grits, which were good.. but I thought with the right recipe, I could make this even better! I found this great blog while I was searching for a good shrimp-n-grits recipe a few weeks ago.
The husband that cook's recipe for Spicy Shrimp-n-grits looked pretty great to me! I really liked the fact that it had carrots (and celery) in it, which I just started to love cooked! It also meant that this was pretty much a meal in one, since the veggie side was included in. I think I added a tad more carrots than called for. It turned out to be friggin fantastic! Cliff said it was the best meal I've made so far! (He could be exaggerating, I'm sure I've made some other amazing things too.)

Click here for the recipe.

Slithering passerby....

Me and the kiddies went for a nice stroll yesterday around our neighborhood. We found this slithering by only 3 houses down. It was just about a foot or so, baby snake! Shanti wasn't even scared! But don't let a tiny little bug come flying by... she'll be running for the hills!

The Second Child

I feel bad sometimes for brother bear. I spent alot more time with sister bear when she was his age. Reading, playing, etc. He is definitely more of an independent kind of baby, forced maybe. But time slips away every single day. Sister needs alot of attention, so does everything else like work, the house, the husband.

I love these babies so much, and I'd love to have another some day... but I just don't see how that could work for me. 3 kids!

I get maybe an hour a day for myself now, where sometimes I just end up going to sleep early or sit around doing absolutely NOTHING in silence....

I can't even imagine how hectic it will get when they are in school, in activities, doing homework and projects. Wow!

Being a MOM is the most definitely the HARDEST JOB ON THE PLANET!

Food Trucks!

I must say, this new thing of food trucks being everywhere in the City is pretty darn great! The food is great!

I have to say, there is an amazing cupcake food truck in Rosslyn today.

http://www.sweetbitesdesserts.com


AMAZING!!!! far better than DC Cupcakes!

I'm a Damn Good Mom!

I don't know about you all, but so often these days, I beat myself up over things I feel I may be doing "wrong" with my kids. From discipline, to forming "bad" habits, to letting them eat too much junk, watch too much TV, etc. I feel like I am always letting them down somehow, and letting myself down, it really just comes with the territory of having children and comparing myself to what other families may or may not be doing. I don't think I stop and pat myself on the back enough for the things I feel I am doing RIGHT.

That being said... I started to think about things I do to be a GOOD mom... Before I started this post... I didn't know what I was going to say, but I started to list just the little things, and realized I could go ON and ON! Here's some of mine, what about yours?

Daughter- 3years
Son- 7months

• Reading Green Eggs and Ham (Sam I am, I Don't Like Eggs as she would say) every single night b/c that's her favorite.
• Playing Hide and Seek in the middle of peeling carrots, and making meals.
• Letting her sleep with me when Dad's off to work for 2 days....
• Driving an extra 10 minutes to go to the Sheets where she can push the buttons on the Lottery Ticket machine to get whatever scratch-offs she wants!
• Taking her to Barnes and Nobles so she can play with the Thomas Train Table with her friends.
• Letting her Run the PopCorn Popper and having movie time on the weekends.
• Letting her watch an extra episode of Dora.... just because sometimes.
• Putting Dora band-aid's on her practically healed boo-boo's b/c well... "it makes it all better"
• Taking her to Red Lobster, Red Robin, or Chuck E Cheese.. her 3 favs. just for the heck of it
• Playing store outside in her house while its freeeezing weather.
• Letting her swing in baby's swing b/c she likes to swing!
• Setting up the foot spa so she can have a "toe bath" and then painting her toes purple, her most fav. color!
• Tickling my baby boy so he can get down laughing!! He's so ticklish.
• Puree'ing homemade baby food in large batches for my little monster.
• Massaging lotion on his clean and soft baby body every night.
• Singing Old McDonald over and over b/c I know he smiles the biggest when I ee-iiii-eee-iiii-oooo!!
• Taking ton's of pictures and making many photo albums for them to have as adults.
• Loving their daddy and making sure they know their parents love each other.
• Cooking meals, cleaning house, working, and taking care of all other daily business so they can have a happy home, full bellies, and stable environment.
• Taking family vacations every year to far away lands to enrich their lives and to make sure they know the WORLD and not just where we live.