Would You Like to Take A Survey?

We're a bit curious as to how many people visit our blog. To that end, I've created a poll just to see. I added a counter a couple of days ago out of curiosity and to my surprise, it logged 17 hits the first day! Honestly I didn't think but maybe 5 people even checked it (my mother included!). So, anyway, indulge us by voting for whichever answer fits you best. Thanks!

Oh. My. Word. Caesar Salmon Pizza

I just had a fabulous lunch! Because money is often tight, and we want to be good stewards even when it's not ... I try to make leftovers appealing. I also try to make sure that when I go grocery shopping I get food that will keep me from being tempted to go to Chick-Fil-A! One way I treat myself AND save money is with salmon. No one else in my family likes it, and it goes on sale pretty often. I get an 8 ounce fillet for a couple of dollars, marinate it (Caesar dressing is fantastic) and bake it for lunch one day. I usually bake a potato or mash a couple of potatoes, and serve it with fresh green beans or spinach salad. That's lunch #1. Half of the salmon is plenty for that meal, so I put up the leftover salmon for later. Lunch #2 is salmon patties -- mix an egg, salmon, leftover mashed potatoes or a handful of breadcrumbs, and seasonings, then saute in a little olive oil.

Today, I made an incredible pizza with the leftovers from yesterday's lunch #1. The good part is, I'll have enough for another day to make Lunch #2! I took one of the 7-inch prepared pizza crusts and brushed on olive oil and Caesar dressing. Then I spread on leftover mashed potatoes, added sliced Havarti cheese, leftover salmon, sliced green onions, Parmesan cheese, and squeezed a lemon over it all. I baked it for 7 minutes and presto! Lunch #3.

I love being able to eat like a gourmet, yet still stretch a buck!

Puppets!

Tuesday, we went on a field trip to the Atlanta Center for Puppetry Arts. It was just our family and two other families that went, but we had a lot of fun! We went to a puppet workshop before the performance and made our own stork puppets. After that we ate our bag lunches in a little lunch room downstairs. The performance of "Aesop's Fables" was really interesting and interactive. Two people manipulated and gave voice to all the puppets in the show. They were dressed in black against a black background, so that they were in sight throughout the show, but not distracting. The kids really enjoyed it and have been puppet-crazy ever since! We'll definitely try to plan another trip in the future.

Easter Sunday

We had a wonderful service Easter morning at church. It was an incredible celebration of our risen Lord and Savior!






I don't really do the "new Easter outfit" tradition, but the kids ended up with new outfits, anyway. :) I got Joe a dress shirt for $4, and the tie I could NOT resist. Kaity-long-legs had outgrown all her spring/summer dresses so Grammie bought her a dress when we were there the other weekend. (Kaity has new sunglasses, too, but somehow I don't have a picture of her in them. They've worn them everywhere since we got them!)

Blessed Creations Boutique

My talented friend Melissa has a great side business! She designs and creates hair bows for little girls. I think my favorite that I've seen is the one her daughter wore for St. Patrick's Day. The base was kelly green and it had accents of gold and rainbow ribbon -- completely sweet! Melissa has recently begun a website and if you have a little girl in your life, you've got to see her unique creations.

www.blessedcreationsboutique.com

The Lipizzaner Stallions

Three weeks ago, Kaity started reading "The White Stallions of Lipizza" by Margeurite Henry. She was enjoying the story of a boy named Hans who dreams of one day working with the famous horses, when I pointed out to her that they are real and still perform today. I was telling mom about it on the phone one night and she told that they were to be in Aiken that weekend! Needless to say, we made plans right away to attend! Mom and Berk bought tickets for Kaity, Joe, Jeff and me and we stayed the weekend with them so we could see the show. We really enjoyed it -- Kaity had fun actually seeing the horses perform the moves she had only read about. You can check out the website here.

A Visit with the Pittards

My mother-in-law, Cheryl, celebrated her birthday on St. Patrick's day, and the day before is my in-laws' anniversary. Quite smart on the part of my father-in-law, Ken, I have to say. :) So, the Friday before we spent the day in Hart County at their house. Jeff's older brother Jason was there with his wife Paige and their three kids. We enjoyed getting to see everyone and spending the day together. Kaity is sitting with her cousin Joel who's just 11 months younger than she. Joe is playing blocks with Jacob, 20 months, and Nannie, many more than 20 months. Jacob and Sarah (alone in the picture) are twins.

Kaity Grace

Isn't she just beautiful?





Kaity has really enjoyed her ballet classes. Her best friend Lydia is in the class with her, and they giggle their way through the hour!

"Little" Joe

I have to tell you that our son would object highly to the title of this post! He is quick to remind me that, "I am not wittle, I am a BIG BOY." Sigh ...

But he is adorable, and I had to share a couple of pictures with you. He got his hair cut yesterday which makes him really look like a big boy! You can see from the picture of him with his daddy that he's a blonde mini-Jeff.

Cheesy Turkey Burgers

If you think turkey burgers are dry and tasteless, think again! These are absolutely scrumptious. Also, they freeze very well, just wrap the leftovers in aluminum foil with waxed paper separating the patties. Thaw them and reheat in the microwave -- you'll find them just as moist and flavorful as the freshly made burgers.

Cheesy Turkey Burgers

3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1 small onion, grated
3 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons minced chives
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 pounds lean ground turkey

In a bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into eight 1/2-inch-thick patties. Cook in batches in large skillet coated with a couple of tablespoons oil. Cook 8 minutes on first side, flip and cook for 5-6 more minutes.

I serve these on whole-wheat buns with lettuce or spinach; mayo for the adults, ranch dressing for the kids. I usually just cut an 8-ounce package of reduced-fat cream cheese in half for this recipe. Chives can be hard to find, and expensive, so I substitute green onions. And lastly, I've used mozzarella in place of the Mexican cheese with lovely results.

Mary Poppins

Here's a sign that maybe our children have seen Mary Poppins one too many times: Joe goes around the house singing, "Skippy time!" (instead of "Step In Time") Also, I helped him out with something today and he replied, "Thanks, guv'ner!" As Mary Poppins would say, "Cheeky!"