Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Apple Salad.

The world's easiest salad.

Cut up 2-3 apples. Toss in equal parts of chopped celery, chopped pecans, and raisins (just a handful is all). Add a dollop of mayonnaise - also just a handful... :). Stir to combine.






This is a great side to serve when you have some sort of one pot meal - like fried rice, soup, or maybe even sandwiches. It's light and refreshing.

You can alter this recipe by switching out the nuts and dried fruit for your personal choice. Also, if you're wary of mayo (which I suggest reconsidering... a little fat is good for our bodies), I guess you could try plain yogurt (key word is guess).

Enjoy!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Abiding in the Word.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Matthew 5:27-28

*I promise that Andrew and I are not having marital problems. It was just the verse of the week. ;)

Sleepy girl after church.

A little nightcap while watching the dogs before bedtime.

Just chillin....

An early anniversary present from the parents. Take-home dinner date on a Saturday night. Thank you Mom and Dad!

Lima Bean loves to carry her tag blanket around.

And wear it on her head...


Too cool for school climbing on the hearth.


Precious baby girl. 
Cheese!

Always pestering a dog.

Her stuffed gator from Uncle Rob. She loves playing with this big guy.

Just doing a little reading... sitting on a pile of toys.


Messy reading time. 
"Oooh Mommy look!"

Just hanging out with some pumpkins.

No smiling allowed.


First time at Cracker Barrel. 

Lima Bean has something to share with everybody....

Baby Jones #2 is on the way!

 
I will be 13 weeks pregnant tomorrow (Monday).

Horrible picture, but it shows the "bump" a little more.

Yay for babies and a growing family! So far things have been good, not great. Overall, I've had a little more nausea than I remember having with Lima Bean and I've been extremely tired. I'm hoping that as this first trimester ends things will get back to normal... a little more energy (and patience, I must confess) and a little less nausea.

Coming in May - Baby Jones #2.





Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Jones Update.

So, after a year in Colorado Springs, a lot has happened.

Obviously, Andrew has celebrated his one year anniversary at the Citadel and we celebrated Lima Bean's one year birthday. Two big accomplishments in my book.

In regards to Andrew, he is doing well. He really enjoys his job and the store numbers have only increased since he took over (I'm allowed to brag, right?). God has truly blessed him. Granted, of course there are cons that come along with the pros of owning your own business. For instance, he can never get away from work (i.e. even when he's away from the store, he gets the occasional phone call with someone needing help) and there's the constant influx of team members leaving and new people being hired. Overall, however, Andrew is happy and he is certainly fortunate to have such a successful store as his first.

Moving on to other news, Lima Bean has blossomed into quite the toddler. She walks (quickly) everywhere and she gets into everything. Our house is a constant disaster with toys and random kitchen utensils and bathroom toiletries scattered here and there... and everywhere. Oh the joy of a toddler! :) In all seriousness though, LB is such a delightful little child. She isn't very talkative, but the little noises she makes are soft and sweet. Certain times of day, she gets really cuddly and loves to squeeze your neck and give kisses... and she is quite the kisser. Every morning when Andrew leaves for work, he pulls through the garage and exits out our back driveway. Lima Bean and I wait anxiously for him to drive through so we can wave good-bye and blow kisses from our back porch. Generally she waves and blows kisses... after he's out of site. Haha! She truly has a huge heart and loves food life.

Just for fun, I prepared a list of different Lima Bean facts. Please enjoy.
- At her one year doctor's appointment, we learned that she weighs 21.2 lbs and is 31 inches long. That puts her in the 50(ish)% for weight and 95(ish)% for height. Clearly she does not take after her 5'2" mama.
- She currently has eight teeth.
- She will eat pretty much anything you put in front of her... some of her favorite foods include avocado, pear, goat cheese, toasted cinnamon raisin rice bread, fried eggs (off of her mama's plate), green beans, and white cheddar cheetos. But trust me, she will eat anything.
- She thoroughly enjoys having a sippy cup of water accessible throughout the day.
- Reading has become one of her favorite pastimes.
- Her version of dancing generally just involves a lot of squatting up and down. It's pretty comical.
- We've been exploring the outdoors more now that she can walk (we have no grass so crawling in our yard has never been much of an option). One of her favorite things to do is walk the length of our front driveway and, on our return trip, attempt to pick up every rock she sees.
- She is infatuated with pushing the trash can and the barstools around the kitchen. Good thing we have a lock option on the trash can!
- Sadly, she has officially fallen off of our bed, her changing table, and down part of our stairs. Let me tell you she's unstoppable so please don't report me. Accidents happen, right?
- She plays really well by herself (but not in a sad way).
- Her vocabulary consists of four words... hello (hey), daddy, mama, and ruff ruff.
- As we walk out of her room when she's just gotten up from a nap, she points at pretty much anything (like pictures, lamps, fans, etc) and says, "ooooh."
- She likes to "talk on the phone." Pretty much anything will become a phone. Tonight, she held the pepper shaker to her ear like she was talking to someone.
- She likes to watch Veggie Tales and "Baby Signing Time."
- She can sign "more"when she wants another bite of food.
- I can't keep shoes on her feet or a clip in her hair. She takes off any accessories possible.
- When we are singing at church on Sundays, she likes to bounce up and down and move her arms to the music like she's directing.
- She loves to play with the dogs. She is very gentle with them and loves to snuggle on the floor.
- Sometimes she will do this really cheesy smile when she's being silly. It always makes me laugh. Please see below.



Well I think that's about all I can think of at the moment. Hopefully that gives you a better idea of what Lima Bean is like right now. Like I said, she is a delight to be around and, although very, very busy, I love her vivacious personality.

Happy Wednesday, folks! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDUDE! :)



Basil Pesto.

Pesto. A simple, yet delicious sauce/topping/dip/etc. Pestos can be made from a variety of ingredients, but today I present to you the most traditional pesto of all - basil pesto.

Start with 2 cups of fresh basil. I "grew" basil in my "garden" this summer (aka barely even kept the herb alive in my windowsill), so there were times when I had an abundance of basil. Pesto is the perfect solution to having too much of a good thing (that or freezing it in ice cube trays with a little water or oil to add to sauces as needed).





Add 1/4 c. pine nuts to the processor. 
Toss in two garlic cloves. Feel free to add an extra clove if you really like garlic.


Measure out 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil.




Put the lid on your food processor and start blending.



Then slowly drizzle in the oil.




Once everything is combined, measure out about 1/2 c. parmesan or parmigiano reggiano cheese and add to the processor.



Pulse the processor a few times to blend the cheese, scraping the sides along the way.



After all of the ingredients are incorporated, check the consistency of the pesto. Add a little more cheese if you feel it is a little too runny or pour in a bit more oil if it is too thick.


Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a week. Serve over pasta, toss with a salad, put it on top of bruschetta, or use as a dip for a crudites platter. 



Enjoy!



Sunday, October 21, 2012

Abiding in the Word.

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."

Deuteronomy 5:11

 This girl looooves to climb around the bar stools.




 There are no words...


 And she also loves to pester Amos...


 Lima Bean is on a kick where she likes to wreak havoc in her room.





 Hello there!


 I've had two of these glasses since I was a senior in college. My friend, Laura Cason, and I went to a church yard sale where I found the glasses for around 10 cents a piece. I've managed to keep both in good condition for the last 5 years. Within two weeks time, however, both glasses have broken! Can you see the crack around the bottom? I've been very sad because I've never found such large glasses anywhere else.

 Naked baby!

Can someone say "Jones baby"?!







Picnic time!



 A typical view on Sunday mornings headed to church.

 Water is the best!

This was a typical view last week. Andrew was on a business trip in Iowa for most of the week, so I was all alone... besides two dogs and a baby, of course. :)  It's nice to be back together as a family.

I realized that it might be nice for me to give you all a Jones family update.  Between Andrew celebrating a whole year as an operator and all the fun things Lima Bean is doing as a big ONE year old, there's a lot to share. Be on the lookout for that this week!