Happy Easter and Happy Birthday!

Happy Easter from the Nelsons!  We are having a wonderful Easter weekend and thought we'd let you in on some of the cheer.  Enjoy!

I think you get the message!  This was after egg hunt #2-- at our house this time (the first was Saturday at a neighbor's house).  Let's just be clear that we have enough sugar in our house right now (and in the kids' systems) to keep sugar junkies happy for a good long time.

Max and Ruby and actually went shopping together for all of his gifts.  It wasn't a pretty trip, but we got 'er done.  It really baffled me, though, that Max seemed to have totally forgotted about his new bike.  I have a feeling we won't be so lucky next year!

I could not stop laughing because Ruby and I were singing in totally different keys and she just would not give it up.  She's adamently off key at times, but we still love her to pieces.  Aww and admiration for the racetrack cake should be directed to Jared.  Without his insistance Max would have had a store bought cake this year.  Mama's tired.

Before and After

Well, it turns out the whole haircut thing wasn't a one time occurrence.  A few days ago I found TWO piles of hair in different area of the house.  Ruby had her hair half up in pigtails (this picture sort of shows it) and she snipped the ends of the pigtails off.  

So, we headed down to the hair salon down the street for a professional trim.  The little chunks here and there were just a bit too much.  She's also forbidden to touch scissors, but I suppose that's a given!

Anyhow, as we waited for our turn Ruby and Max spent some time getting to know the clientele while testing to see how much candy they could eat from the communal jar.  We met an older gentleman named, Maxie, and also saw three or four older ladies getting their hair colored.  Time to get the spring spruce up and rinse out all that gray!

Finally, it was Ruby's turn in the chair.  The first words out of her mouth: 

"I don't need any color today."  

Dead serious.

I suppose it goes without saying that there were quite a few chuckles!  The stylist asked how old she was and got to work snipping some layers in to sort of disguise the "kid kut".  

I'm not too crazy about the haircut, but I suppose it will grow out by next month and we'll just go to a bob.  Guess I won't get to practice that french braiding any time soon after all!

But, goodness, doesn't my girl have a beautiful smile when she wants to?!  Wow!  She's a show stopper.

High Falls

Last Saturday we went on a family outing to Dupont National Forest to visit some waterfalls. Once we got on the trail, however, it was clear that we were maybe going to see ONE waterfall, if we were lucky. The kids had apparently been pushed like miniature iron men all week with all of our strenuous activities and were just not all that keen on hiking. Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that they feel if Daddy is along they have a better chance of being carried. Too bad for them, Daddy sprained his ankle and had a hard time just limping along on his own!

By some miracle, we made it the 0.3mi or so to the covered bridge at the top of High Falls. Daddy and Max enjoyed peering over the edge, Ruby enjoyed resting in the shade (see next photo). The rock at the top was very smooth and looked like it would also be very slippery. I suppose there are still fishermen who love to walk out there, but it was totally off limits for my crew. I even insisted that Max stand back a ways to throw rocks in. He winds up so hard there are times he throws himself in with the rocks. Not a good idea!

Another necessity on the trail for us is a plethora of snack food. If the kids don't have access to peanut butter crackers, gummies, and trail mix, they really feel as if a one mile hike may kill them. We have learned, however, that we must walk with our snacks otherwise we'll spend the whole day sitting around and snacking. Doesn't sound so bad in theory, I suppose, but I'd rather do it in a lounge chair. Not to mention, I'm trying to slim down, not beef up!

Anyhoo, after seeing the top of the falls, we thought the experience would really be incomplete if we didn't see the falls themselves, so we took a bit of a short cut to get down to the real view. The kids were somewhat revived after the covered bridge stop and managed to carry on.

We did stop once again for a photo op on an old stump...

I thought this photo of Max and Jared was just adorable! They were having a great time together, as always.

We also saw many families and dogs on the trail, a source of great excitement and amusement for Max, who spent most of the day shouting, "Buppy! Buppy!".

A puppy, or dog, has been on all of our minds of late. We're closing on our house in less than a

week and are starting to think that we really would like to have a dog. Not just because it would be fun (and a lot of work, I know!), but also for some protection when hiking. Many people have been telling us that they don't think I ought to hike with the kids on my own. They suggest that I only go when Jared can come along and that we should carry a gun. The whole thing just seems a little bit ridiculous to me. I want to be outside with the kids. It's one of the main reasons we moved here and we aren't going to give it up. So, we've decided to start pup hunting and I'll also carry a can of bear mace from now on... just in case.

And now, finally, we have reached the viewing area! I took several useless videos of guys sliding down the left side of the falls. Let me tell you. If I thought Sliding Rock looked scary, this is 100 times worse! I do hope that Jared has some friends come to visit this summer that will be willing to slide with him because I'm sure he'd have a hoot. The kids and I will stay on shore and take pictures.

It's drier that way. And safer. And warmer.

Check back to tomorrow for more adventures!

You got them to WHAT?!

Jared's just getting them prepped for baseball games... this is NOT a drinking game!

Turkey Nacho Bake

We had this for the second time last night and loved it even more.  It's kind of junk food, I'll admit, but I suppose if you used baked chips and nonfat beans and cheese it wouldn't be too bad! For the printable recipe on allrecipes.com, click here.  

Turkey Nacho Bake

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce (optional)
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry taco seasoning mix
• 1 (14 ounce) can refried beans
• 1 (14.5 ounce) package tortilla chips
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (4 ounce) can sliced black olives
• 1 ripe tomato, diced
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, begin to brown the ground turkey. Stir in garlic, pepper, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon chives. Stir in 1 tablespoon hot sauce. When the turkey is browned, stir in taco seasoning mix according to package instructions.
3. Pour the beans into a microwave safe bowl, and heat in the microwave until softened. Stir in 1 tablespoon chives and 1 tablespoon hot sauce.
4. Spread the tortilla chips across the bottom of a baking sheet. Spoon the beans mixture over the chips. Then spread the turkey mixture across the top. Sprinkle cheese, then olives, tomatoes, green onions, and remaining 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes over the top.
5. Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes

Fish Hatchery

Monday we went up to the fish hatchery inside Pisgah National Forest.  I let the kids load up on $2 worth of fish food and they had a great time feeding the fingerlings.  We also walked around the indoor exhibit briefly (we spent a lot of time there on a previous visit) and finally got to take the outdoor nature trail.  Here are a few shots from our adventure.

Feeding the fish!  They were jumping like crazy.  The second run was empty, so I'm not sure if they had just been released into the rivers or if they were all smooshed in one run. 

See what I mean!  They're packed in there!

Max showing me that he's just picked me a flower!  Dandelions are a precious bouquet for any Mommy... except from their husbands that is!

Ruby: "Mommy, there are bugs EVERYWHERE out here!  It's SO BUGGY!!"  Yes, this is payback for what I put my parents through!

Watching the creek run under the bridge.

Ruby enjoying the same pastime.

Finally!  A smile!  I can't tell you how many blank stares I captured BEFORE this shot!

This mountain overlooks the hatchery with lots of mini waterfalls coming down the cliff face.  I thought it looked pretty with the sun reflecting off the wet rock.

I'll be back tomorrow with Tasty Tuesday.  After that, I'll try to get everyone up to speed with our weekend.  I have a feeling y'all are going to get sick of waterfall pictures!

Pisgah National Forest

Last week, as I mentioned, we had a lot of nice days (yea spring!!). So, I spent a few of them out in the woods with the kids. Here are some photos from our Tuesday trip...

Our first stop of the morning was the ranger station to pick up a map. We ended up taking the nature trail right behind the station, which is a loop ~0.7mi. Max got very excited when he spotted this hollowed out tree. I think it was actually still alive! He crawled in there and I just had to snap a picture!

One of the scarier parts of the trail (for me) was going over this suspension bridge. I was just praying that no one would slip through the wires. We were definitely swinging around some.... eeks!

The kids, however, were not frightened in the least and just snacked their way across the bridge!

My good little hikers.

We also went up to Looking Glass Falls and Sliding Rock. You can see the railing on the left hand side of the photo where people line up to slide down the falls during warmer weather. The pool at the bottom is 8 feet deep and they do have lifeguards during the summer. Even so, it looks pretty wild to me!

Coming up next... photos from the fish hatchery!

Down By the River

Last Sunday I had a wonderful afternoon with Ruby down by the French Broad River.  Jared stayed home with Max planning the week's menu (what a great hubby!) while we just kicked back.  Here are a few photos I took that afternoon.

The water was a good 18" higher than it had been a few weeks ago at Sycamore Flats.  From the photo, you'd think that it was July, but actually it was pretty brisk out.  Several families commented that Ruby must be freezing, but according to her the water was just fine!

I think the red skin tells a different story though!

My first attempt at French braiding Ruby's hair was a bit of a mess (no thanks to her little trim last week!), but it still stayed out of her face for the most part.

My girl.

I think it's going to be a great spring and summer!

Balsamic-Glazed Chicken Sandwiches with Red Onions and Goat Cheese

I was totally shocked that the kids loved this meal (even the goat cheese!). Now I didn't make them have the sauce, but Ruby did like to "dip" her sandwich in a little pool from time to time. Hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Balsamic-Glazed Chicken Sandwiches with Red Onions and Goat Cheese

3/4 c. balsamic vinegar

1/2 c. dry red wine

2 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

2 (6oz) chicken breasts

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 T. olive oil

1 (3oz) pkg goat cheese

4 (2oz) hoagie or Kaiser rolls

1 c. trimmed baby greens

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 12 minutes).  Remove from heat; cool slightly.
2. While vinegar mixture cooks, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook for 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan, and thinly slice. Cover and keep warm.
3. Brown inside of rolls in 400F oven for ~5 minutes.
4. Add oil to pan; reduce temperature to medium-low. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until onion is soft and beginning to brown, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
5. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons goat cheese evenly over the bottom half of each roll; divide sliced chicken and onion evenly over rolls. Drizzle each serving with 1 tsblespoon balsamic mixture, and top with green and top halves of rolls. Serve immediately.

p.s. Why is Blogger so screwed up!?!

It's Monday, Right?

Okay, okay.  I know it isn't Monday, but it's raining today, so I'm finally catching up on "reporting" on the last three days without rain!  

Now that our mortage has been fully approved we're just biding our time until the big move, so we've had some time to spare...

Saturday it poured cats and dogs (again!), so we decided to drive up to Asheville.  The North Carolina Arboretum was hosting an Orchid Show, so we headed over there first.  I know virtually nothing about orchids, but I can tell you this, there are lots of varieties and they all look terribly delicate--which is why I spent the entirity of the show trying to keep Max from destroying someone's prize posession.  It wasn't easy, but we made it.  The kids loved the bat exhibit and also seemed to enjoy walking in the rain through the gardens.  

Next stop was at the Lucky Otter for some great burritos and chicken quesadillas that the kids actually ate--hallelujah!!  From there we went right over to the Fun Depot which is an indoor family center with mini golf, batting cages, go carts, bumper cars, kids bowling, arcade and "soft play" (think McDonalds tunnel maze thingy).  The ran around for 90 minutes and both fell asleep for the foggy ride home.

It was a great day with smiles all around from start to finish.  I'll take it.