Hot Tamale Casserole

This was absolutely fantastic! Thanks so much to Jen, who passed along the recipe.

Jiffy corn muffin mix (prepare using directions on the box, you will need milk and an egg)
1.5 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (16oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (10oz) enchilada sauce
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 can (2 ¼ oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, green pepper and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, enchilada sauce, chilies, olives, chili powder and cilantro, heat through.

Prepare the cornbread mix and put it in an 8 x 8 casserole dish. Top cornbread mixture with the meat mixture. Cover and bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Then add cheese for the last 5 minutes until it’s bubbly and cheese is melted.

Cole Thomas at 9 Months

We had a very eventful day yesterday. At lunch, Cole ate a ton! He had peas and carrots (chopped), cheese quesadilla, green beans (pureed), and cheerios. Approximately 15 minutes after lunch, he looked like this (poor baby):

I'm not sure what caused the hives. He had previously tried all the food he ate for lunch. The only thing I can think of is that I steamed the peas and carrots in a bag with corn. Even though he didn't eat the corn, the peas and carrots were cooked with the corn? Maybe he's allergic to corn? Who knows?

Anyway, after that fiasco, we headed to the doctor's office for Cole's 9-month check up. Here are his stats:

Weight: 20.2 lbs

Height: 29.5 inches

Head circumference: 18.5 inches

He's above the 80th percentile in height and head circumference. He's in the 44th percentile for weight. He's tall and skinny - like someone else I know. :)

The doctor was pleased with his growth and with his development - Cole is pulling himself up and cruising the furniture at 9 months - not bad. The doctor was especially intrigued with Cole's teeth. We had thought that his teeth were a little crooked, but it turns out that we were wrong. Instead of Cole's two middle incisors coming in - which is most common - he has one bottom middle and one left incisor. I posted this picture a week ago, but it's perfect to show his teeth:

Even more unusual is that the next tooth that appears to be coming in is Cole's upper left canine. If that is the case, Cole's going to look like a part-vampire baby in no time. We can call him Fang! I can't wait to get pictures of that - stay tuned!

Snow Day!

Wednesday afternoon, it started snowing. Actually, it started pouring ice. I was on my way home from the grocery store, and the sky just opened up and started dumping ice. It was something to behold! Other folks saw and heard lightening and thunder. Mom and Dad were at the house watching the kids for me, and I ran in and told them to go home right away unless they wanted to spend the night. They headed out immediately.

Right about the time Mom and Dad left, Tom called to announce he was leaving work. That was around 3:30 pm. The ice stopped and the snow started to fall and fall and fall. I expected it to take a little longer than normal for Tom to get home in the snow, but I never imagined it would take him 3.5 hours! It turned out that route 7 was closed because of a vehicle fire, so he sat in traffic for about 3 hours and then drove the really long way home. What a mess!

Thursday morning, we woke up to a winter wonderland. After all was said and done, we measured about a foot of snow. Sydney immediately suited up and was out in the snow with Daddy in no time! They made snow angels, snowmen, and snow castles, and she got him to pull her around on her sled. After all that playing, she was happy to come in, drink some hot cocoa, and make some cookies with mommy. What a perfect snow day!

Sick and Abused

Poor Cole. He's still getting over this massive cold, and now his sister is taking advantage of him in his weakened state. I couldn't help but take a picture of him in this beautiful princess crown before saving him. We can show this picture along with the one of him playing with Barbies at his wedding.

I guess Sydney has some right to abuse Cole. He managed to infect all of us except Tom (so far). Cole's on day 6 of the cold, I'm on day 3, and Sydney's on day 2. It's pretty miserable. Hopefully, Syd and I will recover faster than Cole. If you don't hear from us in a couple days, send help.

It's a Snot-Tastic Snot-Tacular!

We're under attack! We've been inundated with snot! For the past three days, Cole has been a snot-tastic snot factory. As you can see from the picture, he's covered in it. But - he's been in decent spirits. I'm hoping that this cold passes soon. I can't really complain, though. This is his first big cold ever... not bad for 9 months. I hope he turns out to be as "healthy" as Sydney, who really hasn't had a full round of antibiotics yet (great - considering she's been in preschool this year). Cross your fingers.

Hand-Me-Downs, Helping Out, and Happy Birthdays

Today was a busy one. Sydney and I drove all over NOVA checking off a big to-do list, while Tom and Cole took naps and hung around the house.

First, Syd and I headed over to Leslie's house to pick up another great load of hand-me-downs! We are so lucky to have such a great hook-up for awesome, gently used toys, clothes, and other must-have kids stuff. One of the highlights of this load is a complete snow suit, including snow jacket, ski bibs, hat, and mittens. Sydney is officially ready for some serious snow.

After Leslie's house, we dropped off some dinners for some friends who are having a really tough time right now. They have a sick baby, and making them a couple of dinners is the least we can do. If you think of it, say a little prayer for their son who is trying hard to beat cancer.

Finally, we headed over to help our friends Zachary and Isabel celebrate their third birthday! They had an awesome make-your-own-pizza party at Bertucci's. Syd had a blast putting the cheese on her pizza in the Bertucci's kitchen. The only thing she didn't enjoy was the messy hands - she's such a girly girl! Happy Birthday Zach and Isabel! Thanks for inviting us to help you celebrate!

Cheddar Broccoli Chicken with Mashed Potatoes

This is one of my favorite winter meals. It's definitely comfort food.

1 T olive oil
4 chicken breast
1 can Campbell's broccoli cheese soup
1/3 c milk
2 c fresh or frozen broccoli cuts
4 c mashed potatoes

Heat oil in a skillet and cook chicken over medium heat (I usually season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning) until browned and almost cooked through. Stir soup, milk, and broccoli into the skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken and broccoli with sauce over mashed potatoes.

Original source: Campbell's Soup