My Super Hero, and a Snow Day Recipe For You:

This kid of mine... He is in this sweet phase where he is 94% wonderful--- not many tantrums or excessive whining or protesting... And I am just LOVING on him like crazy. Not sure if my pregnancy hormones are adding to the love, but I find myself blurting out "I love you" in a million different ways, a millions times a day to him... And sneaking in smooches and hugs a TON. He doesn't seem to mind. He'll even tell me he loves ME to the moon and back, like I just told him...Love him! 

And love that he was so up for random photos the other week....He was wearing his superhero getup he got for Christmas from his auntie, and I had the backdrop already set up from an old session, and it was just easy to get him in position and get some shots before he tired of the game. 

Check him out--- All my favorites from this mini-session!

Can you stand those EYES?? And when he smiles.... Ahh!!

Caught in the middle of his "excited face", though it's more of a grimace here... Ha!

And one more shot, with his beloved Mai, who was lost but is now found. I love that these shots keep happening. I wonder how long this faded green blankie toy will be his constant companion. For a long time yet, I hope... :)

Okay, it is just me, or is that kiddo of mine PERFECT?? (Even with his shaggy, overdue-for-a-haircut hair??) I love that we have a couple more months before the dynamics of our family change... Even with baby girl bumpin' around like crazy, trying to remind me she's a part of this gang... For now, the three of us-- Noah, Joe and I, are a lovely, content trio.

And this trio is snuggled at home today, waiting out the Big Storm of 2011... Joe is home from UMSL (hooray, snow days!), and we are happy to watch too many movies, eat when we feel the urge, stay in cozy clothes, and watch the white, icy, cold precipitation unfold outside out windows. We'll likely be here tomorrow, too.

Meanwhile, I have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, (ugh), so all the things I crave making/eating on a snowy day at home are OFF LIMITS (i.e. hot cocoa, warm cookies, banana bread, cream of wheat with lots of brown sugar, bread pudding... Mm...). So we're working on switching this mindset as I transition to a better, low-carb diet. Joe, for example, whipped up some homemade chili without a recipe today--- SO good, so comforting, so filling, and perfect for this GD diet. And last night, we recreated a favorite taco salad Joe's sister Mary has made for us on multiple occasions.... And that's the recipe I'm gonna share with you today... For no other reason than I made myself jot it down as we bluffed our way through it last night, and now I won't lose it!!

(It's not very wintry... but it IS good!)

Mary's Taco Salad

(recreated from memory... Sorry if I got a bit of it wrong, but this version sure tasted yummy anyway!)

2+ hearts of romaine lettuce

1 lb. ground turkey

1 packet taco seasoning

1-2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2+ bag Doritos baked chips, original flavor

1/2+ bottle low-fat French or Catalina dressing

Diced tomatoes, black olives, green onions, etc.

(any add-ins you think might be yummy)

Directions:

Rinse lettuce and cut/tear into small, bite-size pieces.

Brown turkey with taco seasoning, and set aside to cool a little bit.

Crush Doritos into small pieces.

Toss lettuce with the cheese, the dressing, and Doritos.

Add in semi-cool turkey and any other add-ins, and toss again.

Serve immediately! Yum!

*

And there ya go. A Snow Day blog post.... And I have my 30-week belly pic ready for tomorrow, so another post is a-coming! 

Til then, stay warm, good luck if you're in this storm with us.... and go have homemade cookies FOR me, since I am being good and can't. Waa.