surrounded by cute faces

Babies are like little love-sponges and so kissable, as you can see.

Israel took photos of the children at Butler's Orchard. Then they got to run around!

This is the annual hot cocoa series!

Eyes always on her big brother.

She was loving her yummy mug.

Quinn is an old pro.

All done!

Beef and Barley...dare I say SOUP?

photo credit www.the kitchn.com

My husband is not a fan of just having soup for dinner, but will certainly eat it as a side.  He works out big time and needs a lot of calories and substance to fill him up, and soup doesn't cut it! In fact, I have not met a guy who IS a fan of just eating soup for dinner.  And this video assured me of this.  Anyway, I still crave homemade soup and get urges to cook it for my own sake.  But I try to find recipes that are so thick and hearty that you could disguise it as a meal, if you had to, by serving it on a plate!  Well this healthy and hearty stew (adapted from www.thekitchn.com) certainly fit the bill as I served it in a bowl, and Israel dumped it on a plate as that made more sense to him.  With homemade buttermilk biscuits (with fresh roll butter from a local farm and strawberry rhubarb jam from farm as well) and steamed veggies, this meal was quite satisfying.  Quinn really enjoyed it and thanked me for dinner.  (Awww.) I think the Dutch Oven is the key here.  Anything cast iron will really bring out the flavors!

Beef and Barley Stew
Makes 6-8 servings

2 pounds stew meat, bite-sized pieces
1 large onion, diced
4 celery stalks, sliced

5 carrots, peeled and sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup red wine (I used sherry)
2 cups beef stock (I used 3 beef bouillon plus 2 c water as I didn't have beef stock)
2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cup barley
salt and pepper

Film the bottom of a large dutch oven with canola oil and set over medium-high heat until the oil is hot. Working in batches, add a single layer of meat to the bottom of the pan. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes until the cubes loosen and are seared golden-brown. Flip the cubes and sear the other sides. When all sides are seared, remove the meat to a clean bowl or plate. Sear the remaining meat in batches. If there is any liquid in the pot after the last batch is finished, pour it over the meat.

Heat one teaspoon of canola oil in the pan and cook the onions with a pinch of salt until they are translucent and brown around the edges. Add the celery and carrots and cook until just softened.

Clear a space in the middle of the vegetables and sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the thyme and bay leaf, and stir all the seasonings into the veggies.

Pour the wine into the pan to deglaze, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as the wine bubbles. Let the wine reduce down until most of it has evaporated or been absorbed by the veggies.

Add the meat and any drippings back to the pot. Pour in the stocks and top with enough water to cover the meat and veggies about about a half an inch. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low.

Cover the pot and let it simmer for 1 hour. Add the barley and cook for another 45 minutes or so until the barley is cooked and the meat is almost falling apart (check by piercing it with a fork or knife. There should be no resistance and the meat should flake apart with pressure). Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.

3 Peas in a Pod

There has been so much personality coming from my children these days.  Dakota got to try food for the first time today.  He literally thought it was hilarious.  We could almost read his mind, and he was wondering why he was sitting in his Bumbo seat (as he had only been in it one other time) and why dad was watching mom stick gooey warm stuff in his mouth.  He got a real kick out of it.  

My children love snuggling with each other, so I will let these photos speak for themselves.  I think Dakota knows he is a loved little boy.

Quinn and Cora wanted to do silly faces, so I let them.  This is what they came up with.

I love Dakota in this old shirt of Quinn's. Quite the handsome boy!  It is hard to believe that he is almost 5 months old!  It is such a clique, but so true.  Children grow up TOO quickly.

My life is going at warp speed these days

I sheepishly ask, "Has it really been 2 months since I posted on my blog?"  Well, you can be rest assured that the less I post on the blog means the more full our lives have become.  Three children under five need quite a bit of tender loving care, and I am happy to give it!

Dakota is a plump 4 month old now, and already busting out of 6 month clothes.  Preemie?  Yeah, right.  He is very low-key, and patient with his busy mom.  He loves to smile and giggle at his family members, and is just a good companion to have around.

Cora has become quite a fun little friend.  She is very lively and outgoing.  She will climb anything she can, and loves playing with Quinn and kissing Dakota's cheeks.  Her style of play has really developed.  She loves pretending and reading books out loud to her brothers.  Cora told me yesterday that she is going to be a mommy and have 5 children.  An hour later, she said she was going to have 2 children.  So the standard deviation is +/- 3 children.

Quinn, what a character.  He is very silly and so smart that it is a bit scary.  He is reading so well now and is currently working on words with double L's like "windmill" and "hilltop".  Cora knows her letters and sounds and will now start sounding out words for the first time.  I decided to teach them the alphabet in sign language and they have really been enjoying that.  Our school lessons in the morning are such a nice time, as we all sit on the couch together and get to learn new things.  We work on learning Scripture, reading the Bible- learning about King David currently, and then each child gets 1-on-1 time with Mom with reading and sometimes writing.  I think this structure really helps the children with the rest of their day and they seem to really enjoy it.

Cora really wants the baby to TALK

I like how Cora assumes Dakota is just not listening to her when he doesn't speak at her command.

interview with Cora, Take 1

Cora has a bit of an accident, but a pretty good recovery as she was able to grab onto the chair on her way down. She has very quick reflexes and she has proved that time and again!

interview with Cora, Take 2

There are many little nuances and details in this video that make me laugh every time I see it. For example, Cora thanks me at the end when I tell her she has a lot of bug bites. ??

Quinn enjoys making up jokes these days...

Fingerpainting for the first time...

I can't believe how easy it was to clean up. It just disappeared when I washed their hands, arms, bodies. Ha!

Dakota is home!

The kids were playing outside on Saturday in the sunshine. Dakota was even catching some rays. The kids were listening to the soundtrack from Rango. It is really fun music!

Dakota came home!

Sorry that this video doesn't actually HAVE Dakota in it... But Cora will tell you all about it. Dakota is doing really well and eating so much. He has been home for a week now. He is gaining weight quickly and is well over his birth weight of 7lb. 5oz. He was 7lb. 7oz. on Wednesday. He sleeps quite a bit, about 15-18 hours a day. Quinn and Cora love to be with him and take care of him. Thank you for all your prayers! Our boy is finally home!

Dakota Flynn is born!

Dakota Flynn Groveman was born a bit early at 35 weeks, on June 22, 2011. He was due July 28! We love him so much. He hasn't come home yet as he needed a bit of lung treatment and then some time to work on feeding, but he will be home soon! He is a big boy, so he doesn't look like a preemie, but he has been acting like one with all his sleeping.

Quinn and Cora have only gotten to see him once so far, so we are really looking forward to their reunion at home. Can you tell that we want him to come home?!

Our precious son...

Obey

Kissing camera

Eating lunch outside

Quinn's reading from this week... so proud of him as he has worked hard!

A look back at Quinn's reading...

Breadmaker Doughnuts

This is the first time I have ever attempted doughnuts and they were super easy thanks to my trusty breadmaker. I bought a 25 pound bag of bread flour at Sam's, so I was eager to use some of it as it is currently living on my countertop. Everyone loved them! We will have more unhealthy doughnuts for breakfast tomorrow morning. I just made plain and powdered sugar tonight. Next time, I will try to dip in chocolate or roll in cinnamon/sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm milk
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 4 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• oil for frying (I use Canola)

Directions

1. Place the milk and egg into the pan of your automatic bread machine, and add the butter, flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in that order, with the yeast on top. Select the dough setting, and start the machine.
2. When the dough cycle is finished, remove the dough to a floured work surface, and knead a few times to collapse all the bubbles. Cut the dough into 18 pieces, cover them with a damp cloth, and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
3. Stretch each ball out into a disk about 1/4 inch thick, and use a small cutter to cut a hole in the center (I used a bottle top). Let the doughnuts rise on the floured surface until doubled, 30 to 40 minutes. Or, (what I did) place them on a cookie sheet and put in a warm oven (130 degrees F) for 10 minutes.
4. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F.
5. Gently place a few doughnuts at a time into the hot oil, and fry until they turn golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Flip the doughnuts over, and fry on the other side. Remove from the oil, and drain on paper towels.
6. While still warm, roll them in powdered sugar, or leave some plain.

This was loosely adapted from an AllRecipes.com recipe with the same name.

Chowder, Oat Bars, and Buttermilk Pie

I have found some really yummy recipes this week that I will definitely be making again.... The first is a chowder I made on Monday that Cora LOVED. I served it with Garlicky Cheddar Biscuits (imitated the biscuits from Red Lobster). I have been eating it for lunch every day since and it tastes even better the next day. The other two recipes are super easy desserts that were absolutely delicious!

Fish and Shrimp Chowder

Bacon chopped
2 Small Onions finely chopped
2 celery stalks finely chopped
1 large carrot finely chopped
16 oz Chicken stock
2 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
2 medium sized potatoes (cubed in 1/4 inch or smaller cubes)
2 tbsp butter
4 tsp flour
1 tsp paprika
1 bunch (about 4 tbsp) minced fresh parsley no stalks (or dried)
1.5 lbs White filet fish
1 lb uncooked shrimp
Salt and Pepper to taste

Makes about 4 large bowls…. or 6 normal bowls

1. Fry bacon. Make sure it is crispy, remove and place on a paper towel to get the oil off. Get rid of the fat drippings from the pan.

2. The onions, carrots and celery need to be chopped fine. Not minced, but chopped fine. The pieces should be about 1/8 inch in size at most. Mix all three together and throw in the pan over the melted butter. Slow sautee this mash until soft. I had mine on medium low heat for about 10 minutes. Once it is softened, sprinkle in the flour and sautee another couple of minutes until mixed. To add smokiness, increase the heat and get some browning on the flour going. Toss in the paprika and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and put aside.

3. In a large pot, pour in water, cream and chicken stock and bring to a boil. As the liquid comes to a boil, while stirring, pour in the onion mixture. Let come to a rapid boil and add the parsley.

4. Turn down the heat and add the potatoes and let simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

5. Add your Fish, shrimp, and bacon. Let simmer until fish and shrimp are cooked through.

I doubled this recipe and they were gone in two days.

Peanut Butter Oat Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz./113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Instructions:
Position oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with butter, then line it with parchment paper, letting it hang over 2 sides. In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt and stir with a whisk until well blended. Set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar and peanut butter on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Turn off the mixer and add the flour-oat mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended. Using the rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the pan and spread it evenly. Place the baking pan in the oven and bake until the top of the cookie is golden and looks firm, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the oven and set it on a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely. Lift the cookie from the pan, dust it with confectioners’ sugar and cut it into 1 x 4-inch bars.

Makes 16 bars.

This literally took 5 minutes to get in the oven.

Buttermilk Pie

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup baking mix
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch pie plate.
2. Beat together white sugar, buttermilk, baking mix, melted butter or margarine, vanilla, and eggs until smooth. Pour filling into pie plate.
3. Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.

Quinn dancing with Mickey

Quinn had a lot of fun dancing with Mickey at a neighbor's birthday party last weekend. He was a lot of fun to watch as he is so full of joy!

family visit this Christmas!

It was so nice seeing Grandpa Ford (my wonderful dad) and the grandchildren together! It was certainly a special Christmas time.

Aunt Courtney (my big sister) came too! I hadn't seen her in a long time, so it was such a nice reunion. We are one in the same in so many ways. Sisters are such blessings!

Cora bent down and hugged Grandpa, which was sweet to capture on camera.

Pot lids

Reading daddy's Bible

Blue Tunnel

A new take on "ring around the rosie"

Singing our Alphabet

Beloved Snowman

They clean up nicely, but are good fighters too

Israel and Cora have a pretty special relationship. If she does anything (like getting her nails painted yesterday), she immediately wants to show Daddy.

OH MY. Pretty sharp, as Quinn likes to say. He asked if he could sleep in his tie a few nights ago, but I had to deny that request.

Quinn was practicing some pretty impressive moves and skills in this photo series.

4+1= bigger Groveman family!

There is a fifth person in this photo, but we didn't know that yet. We are very excited about Baby #3 coming in July! I wasn't feeling "on top of my game" during the first trimester, so the blog was not top priority unfortunately.

Quinn and Cora are very excited about the new baby and I know they are going to be a big help. Cora LOVES her baby dolls, and will have a living, breathing, baby doll soon enough. Oh my. So... yeh! 3 kids 4 and under? yessiree.