Shrimp and Quinoa (Instead of Grits)

I love quinoa and so does my two and a half year old. If you have not tried it yet, do so soon!

I am lucky enough to live in the low country where shrimp and grits is easy to come by. It is made differently depending on where you go. I had a version of shrimp and quinoa at a restaurant and it was delicious! I wanted to make it at home one day but I could not find a recipe for it anywhere so I decided to come up with my own. I measure most things with my eyes and do a lot of taste testing so don't take my measurements too seriously.  Don't plan on having leftovers!

* 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
* juice of 1 lemon
* hot sauce
* salt
* pepper
* 1 cups quinoa
* 4 cups chicken stock
* 6 thick slices bacon, chopped
* 1 small onion, finely chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 3 garlic cloves (but we love garlic), minced
* 2 scallions
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* ½ cup (or however much you want) Asiago cheese
* chives

Preparation
· Combine the shrimp with the lemon juice and a couple of generous splashes of hot pepper sauce. Let sit while you work on everything else.

· Make the quinoa according to package instructions. Usually 1 cup of quinoa and 1½ cups chicken stock. I cook the quinoa in olive oil for a minute or two before adding the stock.
· While the quinoa simmers, fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until brown but still limp. Stir in the onion, green pepper, and garlic and continue cooking until the onion and pepper are soft but still have a bite to them, about 5 minutes.

 Add the scallions, sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and continue sautéing for 5 minutes longer. Stir in the stock and salt and pepper to taste and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat while you finish the quinoa.
· When the quinoa is translucent, stir in as much butter as you like, followed by the cheese. Add a splash of hot pepper sauce and additional salt if you like.
· Return the gravy to medium heat and stir in the shrimp.

 Cook until the shrimp are opaque throughout, about 5 minutes.

Serve immediately, mounding the quinoa in large shallow bowls or on plates and covering them with shrimp and gravy. Top with chives and enjoy!

And this is what it looks like at the end of dinner!

Did you make this recipe?  I would love to hear what you think! Pin It

How Do I Prepare My Daughter for the Loss of Her Pet?

We recently discovered that our sweet boxer, Molson, has cancer. Because of the cancer's location and the fact that it is very aggressive, there is not much we can do about it. We are working with a holistic vet and giving him different supplements and herbs to help with inflammation and to keep him comfortable. He is showing no signs of discomfort yet besides being a little tired.




He has been a wonderful dog for the past eight years but especially for the past two and a half. He became very protective and never left my side when I was pregnant with Ila and then he welcomed her into our home. The poor thing has allowed her to pull his ears, ride him like a pony, dress him up for tea parties, and I'm sure a lot more that I'm not even aware of. He barks like a crazy dog every time someone comes near our home which makes me feel very safe, especially since my husband's job requires him to spend every third night away.





Ila loves him so much and calls him “my Molson”. She tells random strangers about him and is so proud. She has never experienced any type of loss and I am trying to learn how to approach this. I have no intention of lying to her or lessening the severity of it. I wish I could keep sadness from her always but life doesn't work that way. I want her to feel sadness without thinking it is wrong or just working on trying to fix it. I want her to know the sadness that she feels is okay and that we will go through this as a family and although she will always miss her pet, if she handles her feelings in a healthy way, the pain will lessen and she will feel happy again.



I don't want to tell her that he is sick, hurt or old. I don't want her to be afraid the next time Daddy gets sick, she gets hurt, or she thinks Mommy is old, that we will go away and never come back. I don't want her to be afraid that everyone she knows is going to die or be afraid that she is going to die herself. I don't want to tell her he went to sleep and isn't waking up. I don't want to tell her that he is leaving and isn't coming back. I don't want her to be afraid of going to sleep or leaving. I don't think I want to deal with it in a religious or spiritual way. I don't think she would understand “heaven” or “a better place”. I want to confuse her as little as possible. I don't want her to think he is hanging out somewhere else and might come back.



I think she is at a very difficult age for this, not that any age is easy. She is old enough to understand and notice that he is not around but too young to really grasp the concept. Another issue is that we are expecting a baby in the same time frame that the doctor has given Molson. I don't want her entire life to change at once or think that we made Molson leave because we needed room for baby.



Well, I guess I have an entire list of things I don't want to do, now I need to figure out what to do. I am going to do some research on the subject and then write another post for things I am going to do. Have you had to deal with this? What did you do? How did your children react? I am open to any suggestions. Pin It

My Daddy is a Firefighter

For Dru's Thirtieth Birthday I wanted to do something special. We are by no means rich and he has been working really hard around here since I have become pregnant. I decided to do thirty, mostly small, gifts in thirty days (working on the post, I'm very proud of myself). I just wanted to share his favorite gift. I wrote the poem one afternoon and got in touch with Sugardoodle Designs to make the gift extra special. With a beautiful design and quick response time, they were a pleasure to work with. Exactly what I wanted.


The poem reads:

My Daddy is a Firefighter

My Daddy goes to work
And he is well prepared
He loves his job because
He helps people hurt or scared

Sharing him is my job
Though it's hard everyday
I'm so proud of him
And I know I must be brave

I think of him at night
When I lay down my head
I wish my daddy was home
To snuggle in our bed

Mommy and I say, “Be safe”
As he turns to leave
I smile and wave and pray
Please come home to me

I have to say, it was a bigger hit than I thought it would be. Especially for someone that is extremely difficult to buy for and also doesn't wear his feelings on his sleeve. I know he loves it. Gifts from the heart are always the best!

I am so excited to announce that this print is now available for purchase!  Head over to Sugardoodle Designs on Etsy for one of your very own!!  http://www.etsy.com/listing/107795885/my-daddy-is-a-firefighter-firefighter Pin It

Getting My Best Tan

I know every person's skin type is different. I am not a doctor. These are simply things that work for me to avoid burning. Know yourself and your skin type and use common sense when working on soaking up your vitamin D. :)

            When I was young, I rarely burned. I would spend hours in the pool and turn a beautiful golden brown. As I got older, I started to notice that I would burn more easily and when I did tan, it was not that same bronze color. I always had a red tint to my skin. I have made quite a few lifestyle changes and I have noticed that my tan has changed as well. When I am expecting to have a sunburn, I don't. Even if I do turn a little pink, it will turn to brown by the next day. My color has turned to a more golden color and it doesn't fade as fast. I started looking into it and these are a few of the things I do that I believe help me get my best tan and keep it!
               1. Cut out Processed Foods. You are what you eat and when the sun reacts to the trans fats and other chemicals in the food we eat, we get a sunburn, one that could be damaging, leading to skin cancer. Eat real, whole foods all the time for best results but at the very least, don't pick up fast food on your way to the beach.
               2. Spend more time in the sun. So often people spend their days in doors and then choose to spend ten hours on the beach on the first hot day of the year. I am lucky enough to live in the south with plenty of sun shining days. We try to spend at least 15 minutes outside in the sun everyday. We don't always get to, but that is our goal. We also don't use sunscreen during our 15 minutes outside.
               3. Coconut Oil. Okay, I might have a slight addiction to coconut oil. We use it all the time. I keep it in my kitchen to use in place of other oils and butters. I keep it in my bathroom to use as a moisturizer and as an ingredient in toothpaste and also for oil pulling. There are so many benefits to using coconut oil and these are only a few of the ways we use it. It is also a natural sunscreen.
               4. Vitamin D. I take 5000 ius of vitamin D3 everyday. On days when we are not in the sun at all or just need the extra boost, I take up to 10,000 ius. Most of us are vitamin D deficient which can cause so many health problems. I believe that keeping up on my vitamin D helps my skin in the sun.
               5. Dry Brushing. I am somewhat new to dry brushing. I haven't been doing it for a real long time, but the results are almost immediate. I use a loofah before I get in the shower and just brush my skin. Start away from your body and brush towards your heart. It is a great way to exfoliate, detoxify, and improve circulation, all of which can help with your tan. It also helps reduce cellulite. Find out more on the benefits of dry brushing.
               6. Natural Sunscreens or none at all. We do not wear sunscreen every time we are in the sun.  We don't use sunscreen for a few hours at the park.  We use sunscreen when we are going to spend the day at the beach or pool or any situation where we will be in direct sunlight for a few hours at a time. We never use higher than 30 SPF. Most sunscreens contain ingredients that actually cause cancer. 84% of them according to this article. Check out this site to find the best sunscreens and other sun safety information. If we are outside for most of the day, we try to spend some time in the shade to take a break from the rays.
               Basically what it comes down to in protecting my skin and getting my best tan, is the way I feel about most things. Stay away from as many chemicals and toxins as possible, look to nature, and know and trust my body. Don't be afraid of the sun. Enjoy the outdoors and the summer that lies ahead of us! Pin It

Our Family of Three Vacation

We realized recently that we had never been on vacation just the three of us. We have gone with friends and family but never just the three of us so we decided that this was a must! We decided to visit the Asheville, NC area. We planned it all out and were so excited for weeks! The night before we left I woke up at four am really sick! I had a sore throat, cough, ear ache, chills, muscle aches, and I was throwing up. We planned this trip for this week because I would be 21 weeks pregnant and we thought we could avoid as much sickness as possible. Think again. We ended up leaving three hours later than we had hoped but that was good because I was so sick I thought we were going to have to cancel. I slept most of the way there and by the time we got there I was feeling better.

We stayed in a town called Black Mountain at a place named Lake Eden. We spent our first day there just exploring the grounds. I was so upset because I forgot my nice camera! At least we had a camera and we got some good pictures but I know they could have been better.

The place we stayed had no cable, no cell service, and internet came and went. It was wonderful! We went to bed early so I woke up early. I felt so much better. I sat wrapped in a blanket with a cup of tea. Molson was at my feet and we watched the sun come up and listened to the birds. If it wasn't so early, I would enjoy watching the sun come up more often. Such a magical time of day. After a while, I heard a rooster “pock-a-kangaroo” as Ila would say. Luckily, her and Dru woke up in time to hear it. She thought it was awesome. We made breakfast and then headed out the door excited for the adventures that awaited us. There is a main road that leads you right to the parking lot of the waterfalls but our GPS decided to take us on a five mile one lane, gravel road up a mountain. It took us longer but it was beautiful. Ila kept pointing out little trickles of water coming down the side of the mountain calling them waterfalls. She had no idea what was in store.

We started at Hooker Falls. It was a short hike through the woods and you could hear the sound of the waterfall getting louder and louder. It was just beautiful. Ila had her shoes and socks off within seconds of being there. The water was way too cold to get in but Ila did put her feet in. We pretty much had the waterfall to ourselves. Ila loved finding rocks to throw into the water.

After spending a while at Hooker Falls, we started the hike to Triple Falls and High Falls. It wasn't a very long hike but it was mostly uphill. Dru carried Ila up and I struggled to carry our other child up. My legs were burning and I was very short of breath but then I would look up and see senior citizens coming down the hill so I knew if they could do it, that I could do it. We finally made it and we decided to eat lunch at some picnic tables with Triple Falls as our view.

After lunch we walked down hundreds of stairs to walk out on Triple Falls. It was beautiful. I kept getting nervous that Ila was going to fall off of the cliff and was imagining how I would save her with my super hero moves, but other than that, very peaceful. We spent some time there and then Ila was showing sleepy signs so we put her on Dru's back in the Boba and headed to the next fall.

She stayed awake long enough to see High Falls from a distance and then she was out. She slept on her Daddy's back while we made our way closer to the waterfall. We had to climb and jump from rock to rock to make it there. I don't really trust my pregnant balance so I was a little cautious but it was really cool to watch Dru jump on the rocks with Ila on his back fast asleep. He had the camera at the time or I would have taken a picture. We made it to the base of the falls and just soaked it in. I was sad that Ila was missing it but it was nice to just enjoy the beauty and power of the waterfall without worrying about her falling or drowning. We just sat there and stared for a long time.

Eventually, we headed back to the parking lot to drive to the next waterfall. Ila was wide awake and ready for more. We headed to Pisgah Forest. You could see Looking Glass Falls from the road so it wasn't a hike, just some stairs. Ila and Dru got out in the water and walked around a little bit. Ila would describe the water as sticky (she means slimy) and cold which she says while fake shivering. They played in the water for awhile and then we decided to go looking for another waterfall that isn't on the maps. We searched for it and couldn't find it which didn't really hurt my feelings because I was beat! We saw a path that we thought would take us to the waterfall but it kind of went straight up and I don't know if I trusted my legs to take me so we headed back.Once back, we changed and headed out for Mexican! Dru craves Mexican while I'm pregnant. He could eat it everyday. The rain held off all day but it didn't look like it would be holding off any longer. We found a indoor place called Fun Depot. It was crazy! They had everything. We decided to take Ila bowling for the first time.

It was a mini bowling alley and had bumpers but she still managed to get gutter balls. She thought it was fun for about two or three frames and then she was ready to move on. She rode on rides that she didn't want to move so we didn't have to use any money. She played in the giant play area and played a few games. Dru hit a few balls at the batting cages and then we left with Ila resisting with everything that she had.

We went home and Ila wanted to take a bath in the “doggie tub” then we went to bed early again.

When Ila woke up she asked if we were going to see more waterfalls. The weather wasn't cooperating like it did the day before. It was cold and raining off and on. We found a place called Mountain Fun Lodge. It had jump castles and it also had play houses with costumes. It was really cute and Ila had so much fun it was a struggle to get her to leave.

It wasn't raining so we decided to check out downtown Asheville. It was freezing so I went and bought a sweater. We stopped at a little soda shop and got Ila chocolate ice cream with sprinkles. Cold doesn't faze her. We didn't do much but walk around. We checked out a few vintage stores and Dru got some awesome finds. I got a few things, too. We bought out first gift for baby. I was too cold to take any pictures. The city was cute but we weren't too impressed. Ila was getting cranky so it was time to go. She slept in the car and we picked up pizza from a little local pizza place.

There was a huge emphasis on fresh, local organic foods and holistic health care. That was true for the entire area which we loved. There were more organic choices at the grocery store and there were just as many natural health offices as conventional doctor's offices. When we woke up, it was time to go. We set an alarm so we could hear the rooster but he wasn't crowing that morning. Probably too cold for him but when we stopped to get gas, we could hear a rooster! We had so much fun and I'm so glad we took this little mini vacation. We will be back again, next time, we'll be a family of four!

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Having Trouble Bonding with Baby

This pregnancy has been hard on me to say the least. I was very sick for a long time. I still am sometimes. I get bad headaches on a regular basis. While miscarrying the twin, I had terrible cramps and pains and bled for weeks and weeks. I am just starting to get some energy back so I feel like I've missed out on a lot of life the past few months. My hormones are crazy and I have been an emotional wreck. I feel like I'm always on edge. I am trying my very best to enjoy this pregnancy but it feels more like a chore that needs to be over with than a beautiful experience.
With the miscarriages this pregnancy hardly feels real. Well, the pregnancy feels very real but the fact that there is a baby doesn't feel real. Maybe I've kept from bonding because I was too scared to fall in love and then lose it again.
My pregnancy with Ila was pretty rough but I had no problems bonding with her. I would talk to her and dream about her. I just couldn't wait to meet her. I would have a hand on my belly most of the day and hardly a moment would go by that I wouldn't think about her. I know I have her right in front of me and she keeps me very busy but I still feel like I need to have more of a bond with this baby. I am very aware that I am pregnant at all times I just don't think about the baby as much as I would like. So I am going to try a few things to make sure our bond grows.
I am going to talk to the baby everyday. I am just going to narrate what I'm doing to the baby so he/she knows what's going on out here. When I feel the baby move, I'm going to tell him/her that I love to feel those little kicks. I'm going to tell the baby goodnight every night the same way I tell Ila, by going over our day and saying our favorite parts and then saying I love him/her and I hope he/she sleeps well. I am going to do more prenatal yoga. I'm going to encourage Ila to bond with the baby more by talking, singing, and making gifts for the baby. I'm going to write the baby letters. I used to write Ila letters when I was pregnant. I am going to encourage Dru to bond more with the baby. He used to read to Ila every night when she was in my belly. We already read to Ila every night we'll just have to focus on the baby, too. Lastly, I'm going to take time to just sit and be with the baby. I'll dream about the future and imagine kissing little toes and smelling that sweet baby smell.
We have an ultrasound coming up and I'm sure that will help. Also, as the baby gets bigger and the kicks get stronger, I'm sure it will be easier to bond. I am hoping taking time to do these things will help me feel a strong, loving bond that will grow throughout our lives.
How did you bond with your baby? Do you have anymore ideas? Pin It

Sweet Babies Like You

(Inspired by the song "A Woman Like You" by Lee Brice)




My heels would see more nightlife.
We would have way more date nights.

We'd spend more time in Mexico.
Travel all over the globe.

We would get a lot more sleep.
And make love without having to sneak.

I would get to read more books.
Wouldn't get as many rolled eyed looks.

My bikini wouldn't reveal stretch marks.
Wouldn't know the name of all those parks.

Never would have heard of a Bumbo,
Boba, Boppy, or Diono.

I would enjoy more Margaritas
Saturdays with my senoritas.

I would get to pee alone.
Our house would be cleaner I know,

But everyday with just us two
We'd be praying for sweet babies like you

I do kind of miss my shoes,
But I love to follow your cues.

I never read that many books.
I can handle all the crazy looks.

I love carrying you in the Boba
And enjoy prenatal yoga.

Pretty proud of my stretch marks.
Love watching you play at the park.

Who needs sleep anyway?
I wouldn't trade a single day.

Everyday is something new.
Life's amazing with sweet babies like you.

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