May is awesome…it’s also a lot. I’m le tired. We love the start of spring, and being full into sports, with so many fun things with outside weather. It will be OK when there aren’t 3 sports practices on weeknights but we’ve been in our groove.

In the kitchen, I love having the slightest variation of fish in a Crispy Fish Bowls with Lemon Herb Drizzle

This Caprese Pasta Salad was a side that ate like a meal and will be repeated, for sure.

I also had some BLT Burritos since those are fan-favorite flavors here – just add more cheese than I did!

The Big Kid:
He’s sad that lacrosse wraps up this week – he would have played more. We did a big (for him) room declutter and he’s been outside every minute that isn’t raining. He’s glad the neighborhood cat is back after a few months of being MIA.

The Littler One:
She loves the little sister gang at their big brother’s lacrosse games – they play with dolls and ride bikes. It is fun to see her in a little group playing. There were chicks in her classroom but I’m unclear how successful it went. She’s obsessed with chicken wings and it cracks me up.

June brings a million school activities and festive days, I have a weekend away, maybe a yard sale, and we will enjoy the spring weather. Work goes bananas for the fiscal year-end. I think I’ve decided on the birthday burger and some springy meals!

Goals for this upcoming year:
Year of replacements/upgrades! I got nicer pajamas
Restaurant Recreations – nope
Special ingredient focus – I found some fun things but not to cook with – we love some limited edition taco Dorritos & chocolate covered pretzel oreos.
More fish – we put crispy fish into grain bowls over orzo
What I’m reading – I read House of Eve for bookclub and absolutely loved it then I read City of Night Birds and wasn’t that into it.

April was everything – spring teases, soccer, Easter, vacation, lacrosse, and maybe too much rain.

Easter was fun and full of magic. We ate lots of brunch including these very easy sausage & cheese stuffed biscuits.

When I needed more veggies, I put them all onto a very veggie sandwich with zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, and a spread of pesto and and a smear of blended cottage cheese.

This French white bean cassoulet got a refresh from 2013.

I added a grain bowl with this teriyaki mushroom rice bowl. It has a sesame peanut drizzle that makes it really special.

Our vacation getaway to NYC was the best time. Ellen’s Stardust Diner was my favorite. J had tons of work but was able to do it all.

The Big Kid:
He’s into lacrosse and we’re so proud to see him try new things – a few years ago he wouldn’t have. He’s winding down on the trombone – it was fun to play but not to practice. We got a hotdog slicer and he loves a ‘slotdog’. He got incredibly motion sick coming home from NYC, but he loved navigating the subway, The Empire State Building, and Times Square at night.

The Littler One:
It’s soccer season! She’s having a great time except for some rained out games. Boo. We’ve been to the indoor pool more and she can swim on her own (even though she can’t touch). It’s lovely to supervise without getting in sometimes! She loved the Statue of Liberty and I couldn’t get over how much walking she did without ever getting tired.

Goals for this upcoming year:
Year of replacements/upgrades! I got new perfumes!
Restaurant Recreations – this one should probably
Special ingredient focus – oops
More fish – the littlest requested fish tacos.
What I’m reading – I read Good Dirt which was the best of the year. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating was the town read and I was into it. I loved Berry Pickers and for suspense and Home is Where the Bodies Are.

March is the best – my birthday, a rollercoaster of winter weather wrapping up with teases of spring. We’ve been reading a lot and have had so many visits from Toast, the neighborhood cat who loves us.

I started March with a girl scout cookie coffee

We had Chicken Parm Dip which was enough to be a meal on it’s own.

Baked Biscuits & Gravy was fun to shake up bfast for dinner.

April (and spring) is the time for quick dinners so I hope to get a little creative – and school vacation should be fun.

The Big Kid:
He wrapped up basketball with a successful playoffs and just a short break before lacrosse started. We cannot get over how far he came ice skating this season. We were at the rink, the second rink was open, they could have sticks, and then an impromptu game came together which is his dream. Winter has been fun though he cannot wait for shorts season.

The Littler One:
She had her last gymnastics class and we loved seeing her tricks. Soccer starts soon and she’s ready. Some friends from her class go ice skating and it is fun to see her join them.

Goals for this upcoming year:
Year of replacements/upgrades! I got some new baking pans for my birthday
Restaurant Recreations – ehh
Special ingredient focus – nope, didn’t get to this one either.
More fish – I treated myself to chower and clam fritters at Track 15 in Providence.
What I’m reading – I read None of This is True for bookclub and flew through it. Next up was A Bit Much which breaths life into modern poetry, and Let Us Descend was tough but so well done.

January was a whirlwind – once we kicked off the new year we promptly got ready for our newly minted 10 year-old, then we went away for a wedding. We also have been skating all the time, a little dog sitting.

I made some Green Goddess Deviled Eggs for no occasion than who doesn’t need more apps.

California Burritos with BBQ Chicken were such a hit – fries inside were so fun.

Finally, this breakfast calzone got a little refresh from 2016.

Next up, February will hopefully be more routine and also school vacation and camp sign up time so we’ll see. I love the Superbowl for the snacks so that will be fun!

The Big Kid:
He’s 10! His birthday was really awesome. He had some friends to the arcade and the family came for his fav meal – Jersey Mike’s. He likes having school on his birthday and it was the winter concert then basketball practice…what could be better. He’s very into street hockey and pucking around when we go ice skating. We had a great time at the wedding – he surprised us by loving being dressed up (i.e. wearing a belt!) and was very into the passed apps & a mashed potato bar.

The Littler One:
She’s loving gymnastics and going to ice skate. We recently learned she loves breakfast sandwiches if school makes them. She was obsessed with our tiny dog visitor. The wedding was so fun – she danced hear heart out and was glad to see the fruit and cheese station.

Goals for this upcoming year:
Year of replacements/upgrades! I started with some new blue dress pants. I kept thinking my old ones needed to have their last go but I hadn’t retired them without new ones…until now!
Restaurant Recreations – not yet
Special ingredient focus – I grabbed soft pretzel bites and that led to appetizer dinner!
More fish – not yet
What I’m reading – I read Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano and loved it for interesting characters in a tough plotline. I also read The Wedding People by Alison Espach and was fascinated by the most unusual premise ever. Then I read We Have Always Been Who We Are by Sofia Romero and was drawn to the mystical fantasy elements in otherwise regular stories.

November is crazy at work, and has been for so many of my jobs so I’m used to it but we began the month feeling like summer and suddenly it’s really fall. Mr J’s injury has been the low part of the month so we’re ready to continue on towards being healed! In the kitchen, things were convenience related and without daylight.

I made Chicken, Bacon, & Ranch Chili and we loved it. Everything in a pot is a gamble but this one paid off (and some veggies on the side and crescents didn’t hurt).

We also had loaded tomato sauce that was packed with flavor.

The Big Kid:
Basketball has been off to a great start – his coaches are wonderful and this is such a nice group of kids. I’m very grateful he has this team for his first travel/tryouts experience. He’s off hard boiled eggs for now and has been interested in cooking! He wants to make his own stuff and is cutting, pealing, and turning burners on now.

The Littler One:
Ice skating has been amazing! She’s a total different kid than the last time we took her out on the ice. She leveled up at the first class to a different group and is progressing. I can’t wait to go with her again! It has been very fun to see her reading beginner chapter books.

Goals for this upcoming year:
Year of replacements/upgrades! I started with some new blue dress pants. I kept thinking my old ones needed to have their last go but I hadn’t retired them without new ones…until now!
Restaurant Recreations – not yet
Special ingredient focus – I grabbed soft pretzel bites and that led to appetizer dinner!
More fish – not yet
What I’m reading – I read Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano and loved it for interesting characters in a tough plotline. I also read The Wedding People by Alison Espach and was fascinated by the most unusual premise ever. Then I read We Have Always Been Who We Are by Sofia Romero and was drawn to the mystical fantasy elements in otherwise regular stories.