Gooooooo T - I - G - E - R - S!

Today was a busy, busy day. After Sydney, the grandpas, and I went to training camp, we all loaded into the van and headed back to Leesburg for Sarah's cheer camp performance. She performed several group cheers and then the cha cha slide. It was fun to watch her, and we left feeling all pumped up! HA! Here are some pictures and a video.

Striking a pose

Having fun

Hail to 'Em!

Late July and early August is one of my favorite times of the year... because yes, I've been ready for some football!!!! Last year's losing season is long gone, and the slate is clean for a new, winning year for the Redskins.

Hail to the Redskins... Hail victory...

I'll spare you the entire song. Anyway, Sydney and I and both grandpas went to training camp today! We had a blast, although we roasted. It was typical late-July weather in Northern Virginia: hot and very, very humid. But, all the sweat was worth it to get a sneak peak at our favorite players playing our favorite game.

The guys looked great. We saw Jason Campbell, Jim Zorn, Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, and Chris Coooooooooooley! We didn't get any autographs, but we did take some fun pictures. Check out all our training camp pictures on the Picasa site.

Sydney Takes an Important Call

Sydney *loves* to put just about anything up to her ear and pretend she's talking on the phone. Just this afternoon, she peeled apart her grilled cheese sandwich and put one half to her ear and started talking. Anyway, Mrs. Chabot had said I had to catch her on video "talking" on the phone. So here it is... Enjoy!

Cousins

Yesterday, Sarah came over to play. She was playing with one of Sydney's toy balls, and Sydney thought it was absolutely hilarious. It's so nice to see the girls playing so well together!

Dark Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Bars

These are the best chocolate chip cookie bars I've ever had; they could do some serious damage to my rear and thighs. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to pray that Tom eats more than I do (if you must know, I may hide them from him). If you want one, come on over.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 eggs
1 cups dark chocolate chips, divided
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until creamy. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat in egg. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in half of the chocolate chips. Spread into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top.

Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan. Invert pan on a cutting board, and cut into bars.

Original Source: www.dinnersforayear.blogspot.com

Theater in the Woods

This morning, Syd and I headed to Wolf Trap to enjoy Theater in the Woods! We saw Cathy and Marcy's Song Shop. It was a fun show. There were two women (Cathy and Marcy) who both played banjos and one man (Chris) who played (?!? is that what it's called) the beatbox. Anyway, Sydney loved it. She sat on my lap and wiggled and danced for about 35 minutes. The last 25 minutes, she played with her pals who came with us. I think my favorite song of the show was Hip Hop Humpty Dumpty. Check it out:

www.cathymarcy.com/~tspire/store/images/stories/catalogAudio/b2bb_clips/06HipHopHumptyDumpty.mp3

Bread Machine Focaccia

Yummy! This was very easy to make and made the house smell spectacular. We used it to make mozzarella, tomato, and pesto sandwiches and pepperoni pizza.

Change: I sprinkled some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and ground salt to the top of the bread before baking.


1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Place water, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, garlic, 1 tablespoon rosemary, bread flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough cycle; press Start.

Remove dough from bread machine when cycle is complete. Pat dough into either a 9x13 inch baking pan or 12 inch pizza pan. Use your fingers to dimple the dough every inch or so. Brush with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with remaining rosemary.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cover focaccia with plastic wrap while oven preheats.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Original source: www.allrecipes.com

Sydney *Loves* the Ocean!

Sydney had so much fun at the beach this weekend. She loved playing in the sand and the ocean. I had to keep an eye on her because she would've run straight into the ocean if I'd have let her. A couple different times, I'd stand with her on the beach and let the waves roll over our feet - she'd have let me do that with her all day long! Check out these fun beach pictures.

Sydney plays in the sand.

Sydney and mommy on the beach.


Sydney and the Chabots.

Sydney, Grandma, and Grandpa.

Oh. My. Gawd.

This past weekend, Syd and I headed to Bethany Beach, Delaware, for Sydney's first beach experience. We had an excellent weekend: we played in the sand, we jumped waves, we hung out at the Chabot's beautiful beach house, and we enjoyed spectacular weather. However, the most memorable moment for me was on Saturday afternoon...

Sydney, Mrs. Chabot, and my parents had spent the morning on the beach. We skipped Sydney's morning nap in hopes that playing at the beach would give us a longer afternoon nap. Before we left the beach, I used the little water faucet to rinse her off. I forgot her cover up, so we headed back to the van in nothing but a clean diaper. As we headed home in the van, Sydney fell asleep. I *very* carefully removed her from the car and headed into the house to put her down in her pack and play. On the way, she woke up (of course). I thought that putting on clean clothes would definitely cancel all hope for a nap, so I put her down in her diaper with a blanket. She cried for about 5 minutes and then settled down. I figured she'd fall asleep pretty quickly, but that wasn't the case. I continued to check on her over the course of two hours, but she never quite fell asleep. Instead, she spent quiet time in her crib. I could hear her talking to herself and moving around. Anyway, about two and a half hours later, she started to cry, so I went into her room to get her.

Oh. My. Gawd.

Sydney was standing in her crib buck naked sucking on a binky. She'd tossed her diaper aside and, as far as I know, had been enjoying the nude life.

Thinking back, I'm pretty sure she removed the diaper almost immediately after I put her down for her nap. It was completely dry, and it makes sense that that was what had been keeping her so quiet - even though she wasn't sleeping.

Anyway, I figured you'd enjoy this little anecdote. I know her husband will years from now.

Meet Bob Bird

Bob is the newest addition to mom and dad's house. Mom made him out of gutter metal and a pop rivet gun. Anyway, I saw him this morning before he was finished, and I've gotta say - he looks much better now! I couldn't see the vision mom had, but now, he's very handsome. Apparently, she made him so that other birds would stop pooping on her mailbox. Unfortunately, Bob's not doing his job. Maybe he needs a fluorescent stripe?

Sarah's Dance Recital

This Friday marked the last day of Sarah's first summer dance class. She learned ballet and lyrical jazz. Syd, Jodi, and I attended the end of class recital. Sarah performed in three different numbers. The video here shows the last number, which was jazz. As you can see, Sarah is not only the best dressed dancer, but also the most enthusiastic.

Bergemuda: On Lock Down!

That's right, folks: the emergency alert level at Bergemuda is currently orange (one level below red). There's a criminal in our midst. Earlier today, a man robbed a jewelry store in downtown Leesburg - about 4 miles from Bergemuda. After the robbery, the man broke into a nearby home and stole a car. The car was later found abandoned. Then, the man popped up again when he broke into another home and took the occupants hostage! As I write this, the man is still barricaded in the home with the couple at gun point. Needless to say, Bergemuda is on lock down. Stay tuned for more details!

Lemon Spaghetti

Oh my gosh - this recipe should win some sort of award: it's easy to make, cooks up in minutes, and tastes good too! What more could you ask for? This one is definitely going in the usual rotation.

6 oz spaghetti
1/2 t lemon zest
1/8 c lemon juice
1/8 c olive oil
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
parsley
Parmesan cheese

Cook the spaghetti as directed.

Combine next four ingredients (through pepper flakes) - whisk to mix.

Drizzle sauce over cooked spaghetti. Top with parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Original Source: Cooking Light

Pan-Seared Shrimp Po' Boys

Yummy! We love eating shrimp for dinner. This recipe was great new way to eat shrimp. Dinner was ready in less than 30 minutes.

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1 teaspoon capers, chopped
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 1/2 teaspoons salt-free Cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (2 1/2-ounce) hoagie rolls
1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce
8 thin tomato slices
4 thin red onion slices

Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine shrimp and Cajun seasoning in a bowl; toss well. Add olive oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add shrimp to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.

Cut each roll in half horizontally. Top bottom half of each roll with 2 tablespoons lettuce, 2 tomato slices, 1 onion slice, and one quarter of shrimp. Spread top half of each roll with about 2 tablespoons mayonnaise mixture; place on top of sandwich.

Original source: Cooking Light

What a Difference a Year Makes

When I think about all that's happened in the last 18 months, it seems hard to believe. Today, I was thinking about how this was Sydney's second 4th of July and decided to look back at last year's pictures. Anyway, I found the following two pictures of Sydney with her Aunt Jodi. It's neat to see how much Syd's changed over the last 12 months.

July 2008

July 2009

Happy 4th of July!

Wow - what a day! This year's 4th of July was packed - we were busy from morning to night. In the morning, the whole gang came over: both sets of parents and Jodi and Sarah and we participated in the 2009 Paeonian Springs 4th of July Parade. The term parade is used loosely. There aren't enough people in P Springs to actually host a real parade, so instead everyone just lines up and walks about a half block to some patriotic music. Here are some highlight pics:

The "parade."

The most patriotic dog we saw.

The P Springs gang at the parade after-party.

After the parade, we headed back to the house and enjoyed some barbecue and swimming. Even Nuts and Griffin came over. We used the Bergemuda sign to collect hamburger and hot dog orders. Tom and Sarah played a game of Bergemuda baseball using the max liquidator water gun and Syd's pool toys. Everything at the house wrapped up around 2:00 pm, when Syd went down for her nap.

When Syd woke up, we headed over to Matt and Colleen's house for dinner. There were three other little girls for Syd to play with, and we had fun catching up with Matt, Colleen, Kristi, Nathan, Howie, and Margaret.

Around 7:00 pm, we headed back to the house for yet another party. The plan was to try to keep Syd up so that she could see some fireworks. Alas, that did *not* work. Syd made it until about 8:45 pm when she melted down. Boo! She was bathed and in bed just as the fireworks started. Oh well! Maybe next year!

More pics from this year's celebrations: http://picasaweb.google.com/tbergeman/4thOfJuly2009?feat=directlink

Double Bean Burritos

Tom said, "What's the green stuff?" "I don't like green stuff - just leave it out." I told him he could fish it out - the recipe calls for cilantro, and so the burritos shall be made with cilantro. Deal with it.

Even with all the green stuff, Tom really enjoyed these. Easy and good.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 burrito)

Ingredients

1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag brown rice
1 cup chunky bottled salsa
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
6 tablespoons bean dip (such as Frito Lay)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
1 peeled avocado, cut into 6 slices
12 cilantro sprigs
6 lime wedges (optional)

Preparation
Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

While rice cooks, combine salsa and black beans in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stack tortillas; wrap stack in damp paper towels. Microwave at high 25 seconds or until warm.

Spread 1 tablespoon bean dip over each tortilla; top each tortilla with 1/4 cup rice, 1/3 cup black bean mixture, 2 tablespoons cheese, 1 avocado slice, and 2 cilantro sprigs; roll up. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Original Source: Cooking Light

Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas

We made this for dinner tonight, and it was really good. Nice and light and summery. You could easily adapt this recipe to be tacos or burritos.

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
12 ounces chicken breast tenders
1 cup chopped red onion (about 1)
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1 cup chopped zucchini (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup green salsa
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring well. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over chicken. Add chicken to pan; sauté for 3 minutes. Add onion, corn, and zucchini to pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in salsa and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently.

Working with 2 tortillas at a time, arrange tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat tortillas with cooking spray. Broil 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Spoon about 3/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla; sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup cheese. Broil an additional 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheese. Sprinkle each serving with about 3/4 teaspoon of remaining cilantro. Serve immediately.

Original Source: Cooking Light