Wordless(ish) Wednesday...

It rained all Saturday and Sunday.  Monday was sunny and 87, which means we were outside ALL DAY.  With as few words as possible here is a recap of our Memorial Day.

 

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope you are all having (and will have) a relaxing, fun filled day on this Memorial Day. 

With that, it's always nice to remember why we have this day.  I always like to think about my Grandpa, Angelo, who is a young, 97, and served in World War II. 

He is one of the few WWII heros left.  If you have some time today check out this article about my Grandpa, either way, remember those who fought and still do fight for us. 

What I'm making...

The rain is never ending.  Seriously.  It rained all day yesterday and all day today.  We sat in the garage and looked at the rain, built some forts, watched some movies and are slowly becoming bored out of our minds.

Tomorrow is forecasted to be 85 and sunny, which means I'll hopefully take some pictures, and which means we will get to spend the day outside!

What I want to share with you are is what I made for dinner:

Yes, those are blueberries on top of pork chops.

Now before you comment and tell me what a great picture I took, let me tell you I didn't take it.  My pictures did not turn out like I hoped so I used the picture from Rachel Ray. Rachel's Grilled Pork Chops with Fresh Berry Compote, is the perfect way to start off summer.  The blueberry compote adds the perfect sweetness to the heartiness of the pork chop.  With it being my first time making pork chops, I was very pleased with myself (and my husband for grililng them!).   This meal was so easy for any night of the week!

So it rained today.  The sun will come out tomorrow....so they say.  What I know for sure is Rachel made our rainy Sunday a little bit brighter (and tastier).

I hope you all are having a great Memorial Day weekend!

Grilled Pork Chops with Fresh Berry Compote

Ingredients:

• 21/2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pt. blueberries
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 sprigs thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 2 bone-in, 1/2-inch-thick pork chops (7 oz. each)
• 1/2 box (10 oz.) couscous (1½ cups)
• 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat a grill. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-low heat; add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, thyme sprigs and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Simmer until the blueberries have released their juices and the compote has thickened, about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs and keep the sauce warm.
2. Brush the pork chops with 1 tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, for 8 to 10 minutes for medium; remove from the grill and let stand.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, prepare the couscous according to package directions. Fluff with a fork, then stir in the parsley, lemon zest and remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the couscous onto plates. Add the chops and any juices and spoon the berry compote on top.

Welcome Summer...and a giveaway!!!!

Summer is here!! At least that's what Memorial Day means to me. Now, I only hope the weather gets the message. Either way, it is great to have a 3 day weekend.   I am hoping to relax, get some gardening done and maybe even get to the pool. 

What better way to celebrate than with a giveaway, right?!?!?!

Belle Fleur on Etsy has beautiful, garden inspired jewelry.   Jewelry that will go perfectly with that new summer outfit you can't wait to wear.  Stacey has so many amazing pieces, and adds new pieces daily.  Here are just a few of my favorites:

All beautiful, aren't they?  Each of her pieces would make a perfect gift for yourself, or anyone else!

Stacey is offering one of my reader's these lovely earrings....

Just the sight of those earrings makes me want to relax on the beach with a nice cold drink!

Belle Fleur is also offering 10% off your first order, if placed by June 10! Just enter code JUSTANOTHERMOMDAY10.  (International shipping not available at this time)

I hope you all enjoy your weekend, and have some time to relax and spend with friends and family....

To Win (mandatory):

Visity Belle Fleur on Etsy and tell me your favorite item in her shop!

Additional Entries:

1. "Like" Belle Fleur on Facebook

2. "Like" Just Another Manic Momday on Facebook

3. Follow my blog

Please leave your email address with your entries!  Contest will end June 10th at 11:59pm.  Winner will be choosen via random.org and contacted via email.  Good luck!

 

Wordless Wednesday...

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  Ours was nice, the weather ended up being great! Jack also turned 19 months this weekend which makes me more and more sad as we get closer to 2 years.  I feel like everyday he is becoming less and less of a baby, and turning more and more into a little man.  I love this stage but I just wish I could have it a bit longer.

If anyone is a baseball fan you might know that there was a pretty big series this weekend between the Cubs and the Red Sox.  They haven't played each other since 1918 in the World Series.....Boston won.

We rooted for our Cubbies...and Jack has now learned to say "Cheese!"

 

Have a great Monday and a great week!

Something very exciting is happening...

So the day is finally here...I have been counting down the days and my wait is over!  What is it you ask?
I'll let my buddy Johnny give you a clue.....

Yes it's PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN!!!!!

Now it may be a bit strange, but I love all of these movies.  I own them and can watch them over and over and over!  The husband and I are going for a date night because I had to see it the night it came out.

I have read mixed reviews, but either way, I can't wait to see it!

I hope you have a great weekend.  I hope your weather is great and that you have some time to relax.  Our weather is going to be rainy....again. 

What are your plans????

Wordless Wednesday....

just showing his muscles......

 

Check out other wordless Wednesday posts at the paper mama!

Exhausted...

You know those nights where your son is screaming all night becuase he is so stuffy and sneezy that he can't sleep?  Or those nights where your son is coughing so bad and so miserable that he only wants "Mama"?

I had one of those nights last night.  Poor guy was coughing so bad and just miserable.  This means that I am miserable today with no sleep.  I am hoping this is just a one or two day thing becuase I am not a nice person when I don't get my sleep.

Yet through all of this I can't help but LOVE it when I hear him whimper "mama? mama?".  It makes my heart melt.

It's Monday...

And I'm lazy.  I have been so run down and ready for the school year to be over that I have been slacking on many other things...taking pictures, cooking, blogging.  I promise to get better with all of them in the next week.  I am hoping to get some more energy, and time. 

In the meantime I wanted to share a super tasty, super easy meal I made last week. 

photo from eclectic recipe.com

Cashew Chicken.  I pinned it last week on Pinterest and had to try it right away.  We were not disappointed.  This was so quick and perfect for a weeknight meal.

I hope you all are doing well, and that you had a great weekend...summer is almost here!!

Cashew Chicken (courtesy of Eclectic recipes.com)

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast chopped
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 cup cashews
• 1 bell pepper, diced (optional)
• 4 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
• 8 green onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 3/4 water or chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and pepper
• steamed white rice

Method

1. Cook white rice according to package directions. Preheat large skillet or wok over low heat. Add olive oil, garlic and cashews to skillet. Saute over low heat until garlic becomes golden, but don’t let the garlic brown, or it will become bitter.
2. Salt and pepper chicken. Add chicken to skillet and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add cornstarch to a small bowl with the water and mix well.  Add cornstarch and water to chicken. Then add hoisin sauce and vinegar. Simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, until sauce has thickened. Just before serving, add green onions and serve with rice.

Wordless(ish) Wednesday....

One thing I've learned from Jack:  Enjoy the small things....like a sucker.....

Mother's Day

My second Mother's Day already.  Pretty soon I will be saying this is my 40th Mother's Day, time is going by way too fast.  We had such a nice Mother's Day, spent time at both the grandparent's homes, had bbq's at both homes and just enjoyed the 70 degree weather for maybe the third day this year. 

We had a really hard time getting any pictures with Jack.  He is at the stage where he doesn't want to sit still and doesn't want me telling him what to do.  So we try to get them when we can.

 

I couldn't ask for a nicer day.  How did you spend your Mother's Day? 

hug your mom.

(a 1970's pic of me and my mom)

I hope all of you have a wonderful Mother's Day. 

Working Madre Meals....Cinco de Mayo style..

So it's Cinco de Mayo.  Which means margaritas to me.  I also like to get in the spirit by making a meal to fit the occasion.  Today it's this:

(photo courtesy of duhlicious.com)

I just found these on dulicious.com and will be trying them for the first time tonight.  My husband and I love guacamole, so why not make them into a taquito like thing?

If you celebrate Cinco de Mayo, what will you be making?  Have a great Thursday and Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Guaquito – Guacamole Taco Rolls(makes 10 rolls)

Ingredients:

-       3 ripe Mexican avocados (slightly squishy, but with some firmness)
-       1 medium size red onion (~ ½ cup), diced
-       1 medium size tomato (I used a handful of cherry tomatoes– it’s all I had), diced
-       2 tsp lime juice
-       3 gloves of garlic (or more, up to you), minced
-       ½ jalapeño, finely chopped (less or more; again, up to you)
-       ½ tsp cumin powder
-       ¼ tsp ground cardamom
-       ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
-       1 tbsp sour cream (optional, but adds to the creamy-ness)
-       salt + pepper to taste
-       10 flour or corn tortillas
-       2 cups of oil for frying

Directions:

1. In a deep and heavy pan bring the oil to 350’F.  
   
2. Carefully cut the avocado in half, length wise, and pit the core. Using a spoon, scoop out the avocado, and dice neatly.
3. In a medium-size bowl, fold all the ingredients together. I like my guacamole to be slightly chunky—stir to the consistency you prefer.
4. Place 1 tbsp of guacamole in the center of a flour tortilla, fold the outer edges in, and tightly roll. Secure the tortilla rolls with toothpicks.
5. Fry the tortilla-guacamole rolls for 90 seconds on each side, or until golden brown. Carefully remove the rolls from the oil, and allow to cool slightly on a paper towel lined cookie sheet. Serve alongside sour cream, and pico de gallo.

A new time sucker

The little free time I have has now been eliminated by something new.  Pinterest.  Pinterest is a wonderland of beautiful things.

For those of you who have never heard of this ...let me explain....
Pinterest is a site where you visually bookmark anything! You create "boards" and then when you come across a yummy recipe, a craft you want to create, something you want to do with your kids, a DIY project you want to create ...you "pin" it to one of your boards.

You can also "re-pin" ideas that other people have.

I have never realized how many things there are that I want to do, or buy, or make.
At least now I have them all in one place...and it's looks so pretty! You can check out my jewelry board here!

In order to join Pinterest, you need an invite.  I have 2 left...if you would like one just comment below.  I will give them to the first 2 that comment for one!

I've got nothing

I really do have nothing.  Things around here are pretty uneventful.  The weather is still not that great, and I did not take ONE picture this weekend. 

It was relaxing though, we did a lot of cleaing and ran a lot of errands and just relaxed.  Sometimes those are the best weekends. 

The highlight of my weekend?  This:

Yes,  Skull and Glossbones from OPI.  My all time favorite movies are the Pirates of the Caribbean series, so I was thrilled to see their own line of new OPI colors.  Now I'll just countdown the days until Of Stranger Tides opens. 

Hope you have a great Monday!