i just gotta dance

So excited.  After a four-month hiatus, my little family is going back to dance class tonight.  And by "dance," I mean clogging, which my sis-in-law teaches and I would LOVE to make fun of - but the truth is, it's crazy fun, family-friendly, and a fantastic workout.  Plus, I love the other ladies that dance with us.  So I shut up, strap my taps on and play along.  I'm awful - but it doesn't matter.  It's still fun.  And the hubs, who tries to hide the fact that he's been clogging since he was four and is AMAZING at it, is going to come dance with us!  Have you ever danced any kind of synchronized jig with your spouse?  I highly recommend the experience.  It's mortifying, and therefore bonds you for life.

 

 



We talked B. into performing at the last recital.
He looked like he was in a gay pride parade, which I found strangely attractive.



 

Pinterest: teaching the estrogen-challenged to cook, one board at a time. 

 

 

Tonight's lesson:

 

 "Man pleasing" dijon chicken (their words, not mine)

 

 

 

with fluffy quinoa

 

 

 

We're on a mission to find healthy substitutes for our standard kid-and-husband- friendly fare around here, and these dishes fit the bill.  Quinoa is packed with fiber and protein, unlike, say, chicken-flavored Rice a Roni.  (I did substitute organic chicken broth for water to boil the quinoa, which added nutrition and a substantial amount of flavor.)

 

 

 

The verdict:  I'm not sure what man they cooked this chicken for, but it wasn't my husband.  He and Annie did not enjoy this dish.  The dijon sauce was too strong for their little unrefined palettes.  (Welcome to my life.)  I thought it was delicious.  But I agree the sauce is strong - it's definitely not fit for a meat-and-potatoes crowd.  "Man pleasing" my ass.

 

The quinoa, on the other hand, was a hit.  Well, sort of.  They ate it, which is better than I expected.  I'll definitely be using quinoa to replace white rice in some of our staple recipes.  In fact I made a bunch this time and I'm using the leftovers to make fried "rice" tonight.  We'll see if I can "please my man" this time.

 

 

 

  

a baby shower

Last year around this time, I was preggo and my friend Lauren co-hosted a fantastic baby shower with my sister.  The theme was "Prohibition" and we all dressed like flappers and gangsters (it was co-ed), shower games were outlawed and the boys played poker in the basement.  There was also booze, which of course I couldn't have but everyone else appreciated.  Now THAT'S a shower. 

Fast forward twelve months and it was time to return the favor, since Lauren is expecting her own little bundle of responsibility, Elliot Grace, in October (SO EXCITED!).  So I did - I threw her a shower.  Except that we had it at her aunt's big, beautiful house, and Lauren's big, beautiful Italian dad did all the cooking.  So WE threw her a shower, really.  The experience taught me many things: 

 

1.  I suck at organizing.

2.  I suck at budgeting.

3.  I suck at time management.

4.  I don't suck at crafts nearly as much as I thought I did, but I still hate them.

5.  I suck at public speaking.

6.  I make freaking excellent blondies.

7.  Someone else needs to do the rest of the cooking.

8.  Champagne bellinis are awesome.

9.  With much help from friends and family, "I" (we) can throw a pretty decent party.

 

This is what it looked like: 

 

The invite - Lauren and her hubby are photographers,
so I ran with the "Picture Perfect" theme.

Photography-themed onesies I rigged up in "Polaroid" painted canvases. 

 



A memory board I made to match the baby's room.
Guests took Polaroids of eachother and wrote messages for Elliot on them.



There was apparently a color scheme, and we nailed it!

MMMMWAH!

 

 

 I am seriously gonna kiss that baby's face off when it gets borned.

BRING IT.