Bushkill Falls

This was truly a wonderful day trip. We initially opted for the "popular" hike at the Falls, but decided to continue up a longer one when the "popular" trail was nearly ending. Isabella ended up tiring out, so Dave carried her some of the way. Had we stuck to the initial hike, she would have made it through on her own as that toddler energy and independent spirit of doing it herself were completely in tow! We describe it as a strenuous hike as there are many sets of stairs to climb. However, as you can see from the pictures, the views made it all worthwhile. The day brought lots of memories back for Dave and I as hikes like this were weekly occurences for us when we were living in the Pacific Northwest. That was back in the day, though, when we were at our fitness prime! For a pregnant mama and an over the hill dad, let me assure you, that we still held our own. Take note that these trails are not stroller friendly - an Ergo is a good alternative and some of the points are fairly high. Bushkill Falls also offers picnic grounds, a children's park, and paddle boating (must be over age 3).

Isabella Upside Down Cake

Daddy was playing with Isa on a rainy day...and this is what happened.

You know you're really pregnant when...

you look down and can't see your toes:)

you have to think about how you will get up from a sitting position:)

your husband just smiles when you note that you are getting really big:)

those maternity underwear you just bought are starting to cut off your circulation:)

Red is the color of love

and I am so in love with this little one!

Deal of the Week - Money Saving Tip

I needed to purchase 2x as much fruit for the week as usual, since we were making an apple and a peach pie for our friend Fran's annual Labor Day picnic. I knew that "seconds" for apples and peaches were great for pies since they are usually very ripe, but I took a chance on it for our weekly eating fruit too. Needless to say, I walked away with twice the amount of fruit that I usually buy for the exact same price. Take a look at these peaches - let me assure you that they taste as perfect as they look! These "seconds" were indeed first rate!

Chicken Piccata

Here is a link to the amazing recipe I happened to find on the Internet and it turned out awesome. Locally grown peppers (in every color) were only 99 cents/lb this week at our favorite farm so I made sure to bring some home for dinner. I had never made Chicken Piccata before and we absolutely loved it. We are going low on the grains over here and so I just served it as is and it was still a hit. If you want to make the meat stretch for more servings, you can serve it atop brown rice, pasta, or crusty Italian bread. Just added it to my recipe list this morning as a good dinner option. The prep time is really minimal. And, I did want to mention, that I followed the recipe loosely, mostly out of laziness and indifference (my blog readers already know this about me because I RARELY follow a recipe exactly). So, I can say that it is very forgiving. Seriously, what dish with garlic, olive oil, lemon, and butter is not delicious???!!!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pepper-Chicken-Piccata/Detail.aspx

The Sue-Prise Party

My dear friend, Sue, celebrated a special b-day this year. Her husband threw her what he called a "Sue-Prise" party and she was indeed surprised! This was an amazing feat because Sue knows EVERYTHING. He hosted a fantastic party and we had a great time. Isabella is friendly with their son, Ryan, and the two entertained each other for most of the afternoon. Since parting is such sweet sorrow, Ryan and Isabella ended the afternoon with a very sweet kiss, which, unfortunately, I was not able to get on camera.

Meet My New Best Friend

That's right, on my kitchen windown sill, in all of its glory, sits my new best friend. If you knew help helpful and hard-working and brilliant this creation was, you would want a friend like this too. Perhaps, even better than the 12 cup capacity, even better than the slicing blades, even better than the dough blade, was the cost. Most large efficient food processors retail from $200-$300, I stumbled across this at Kohl's clearance and cleared it for $70. Don't go running out to your local Kohl's, though, to find them, they are last year's model and as such, are a limited find. Unfortunately you can not even get it online. If you can't find one, you are welcome to visit mine, although, you will probably leave feeling insanely jealous:)

My tiny reliable mini prep food processor burned out a few weeks ago. It was the perfect excuse to upgrade to a larger capacity option with more features. I found it at my local Kohl's, as it was the floor model. Unfortunately, it was missing a blade, so after lots of research, the closest one I could get was an hour's drive away. Thank God for fearless friends, because my childhoood friend, Krista, accompanied me on the trip which involved the NJ roads that I absolutely despise. In the end, even my husband agreed that it was worth all the trouble. Cheesecakes, homemade pie crusts, pesto, blended soups, tomato purees, smoothies, juliened veggies, chopped nuts,tuna and chicken salds, here I come - in 12 cup capacity!

A is for Apple and Angels

Get in on the fun! We are loosely following Elizabeth Foss' Alphabet Path www.elizabethfoss.com to familiarize ourselves with letters. This past week, the official start of school, opened with the letter A. We posted a large "A" in our living room and after 3 days, Isabella is now identifying it as A. She sings the alphabet song really well so now it's time to give her a visual symbol for what she is singing.

I happen to be a big fan of rote learning, or repeated exposure, for some concepts, especially numbers and letters. I am brand new to the fields of motherhood and early education. Let's see where we end up!

Cast Your Vote

I am not computer savvy enough to figure out how to create a poll on my blog...so, if you are interested, we'd love to hear what you think the baby's gender will be. The stakes can get pretty high around here so let's just keep it all in good fun on the blog.

During the last pregnancy Nana Sacco bet Papa Sullivan $100 that the baby would be a girl. It's hard to say what ever happened to that money. Of course, it depends on who you ask.

My mother in law, a retired nurse, conducts a "very official" test where she dangles a pin from a string over the pregnant belly to determine the gender.

Dave and Isabella insist that the baby is a girl. So, I guess it depends on where or who you put your trust.

As for me, the pregnant mama who carries the little one and delights in every little movement, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA AND LOVE NOT KNOWING! IT IS ONE OF THE BEST SURPRISES FOR ME:)

Taking the Two's in Stride and Style

When Everything Adds Up

How fitting that right after I stumbled upon the Manager's Sale of fresh mozzarella at the grocery store, my friend, Regina, greeted me with 2 perfectly ripened tomatoes from her grandfather's garden. They were indeed the best tomatoes we've had all season. And, as if fresh mozz and juicy tomatoes weren't enough - my basil plant finally came to life this week! Don't you just love when everything adds up - no wondering about what to make for dinner in this circumstance. Serve this up with toasted garlic bread and a sauteed green before the summer comes to an end.