lunch

i made this salad the other day and it was deeeelicious. i actually made it for dinner with grilled cheese sandwiches, but had leftovers for lunch everyday for three days. i also found this delicious piece of heaven to have with my salad one day. it's this really good drink from england that we always get loads of whenever anyone goes or comes from there. it comes in a concentrate so it lasts a long time, but i saw this at the store and just had to try it. even if it was a buck fifty.

now for the salad. it is really good and pretty simple, but i will warn you it has a very strong lemon flavor. if you like that then great, mike really liked the lemon. i would advise to just use less lemon, but i'll still post the recipe as it reads. feast your eyes.

Chicken and Arugula Salad with Lemon-Garlic Dressing

1 lb. chicken tenders or skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-in strips

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, divided

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves, divided

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 small clove garlic, crushed or grated

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

6 cups lightly packed arugula leaves

1 medium tomato, cored and cut into thin wedges

1/2 small avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into thin wedges

1/2 cup thin slivers of red onion

1 Tbsp. pitted and chopped Kalamata olives

*heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot enough that a drop of water sizzles. Coat with nonstick cooking spray. Add the chicken and cook, turning, until golden and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side when thawed. Add 1 Tbsp. of the lemon juice (less if you'd prefer) and 1 Tbsp. of the basil. Stir to coat and set aside to cool.

*whisk the remaining lemon juice, the oil, garlic and pepper in a large bowl until blended. Add the arugula, tomatoes, avocado, onions and the remaining 1 Tbsp. of basil and toss to coat evenly.

*divide among four plates and divide the chicken on top of the salads. Sprinkle with the olives.

speaking of bunnies

the easter bunny dropped a basket at our house on sunday. it was filled with fun toys and candy. eli was so excited for his new stuff, he kept saying "ooohhhh wow!" every time he pulled out something new, and giggling that giddy little laugh kids get when they can't contain their excitement. it was a fun morning with this little one. after we spent the morning with peter rabbit, we went to the park for a bbq and easter egg hunt. it was eli's first easter egg hunt, if you don't count the one he had at his birthday party last year, which i don't. he was one, he didn't know what he was doing. well this year was a different story. well, kind of. he didn't get it at first, he grabbed the first egg he saw, opened it and wanted to eat the candy. i basically walked around pointing eggs out for him to put in his basket. however he got those eggs, the end result is the same. mission accomplished.

he opened every single egg he found before putting it in the basket. just to double check he wasn't getting ripped off, i'm sure.

the kids played together all afternoon. they played in the water fountain, pool and chased bubbles. it was perfect.

funny bunny

a conversation eli and i just had:

i said to eli "i love you babe"

he said back "i love you babe"

i said "i love you sweetheart"

he said "i love you sweetheart"

i said "i love you pookie"

he said back "i love you poopie"

nice

eli and kaycee

we were outside playing the other day and i got out my camera. eli and kaycee were playing in the dirt and eating snacks. you'll notice eli's favorite jacket and favorite pair of shoes.

new do and a photoshoot

eli got a haircut. well, a bowl cut to be more specific. i shoulda known, the woman who cut his hair was an asian who couldn't spell eli's name and thought he was a girl. but it's been about a week now and i think we can live with it. well here are some pictures for everyone to ooh and aahh over how cute this little boy is, even with a bowl cut and a huge welt on his forehead. right when we got outside he did a face plant into the pavement, what's new. he falls big, doesn't hold anything back, sprawled out face down every time. (oh and he INSISTS on wearing his crocs, or "trocsh" as he puts it, with a sean connery lisp to it. yeah, serves me right for getting lime green that i thought would look cute with some things, now he won't wear anything else. when did he start having an opinion?)

here he is showing me how a butterfly flies. mike tried to teach him the arms crossed, backward hand, thumbs linked version. this way is much more 2 year old friendly.

florida happenings

not much to say about it, here are some pictures of the kiddos playing in florida, and some pics of us at clearwater beach on the gulf. it was beautiful there, and we had so much fun with our friends.

the boys playing in the pool. don't skip over andrew and quinn lurking in the background.

we always make them hug and kiss, brooklynn was playing hard to get.

cute boy in his floaties. those things are the best, i can just stick him in the pool and take a nap in the sun. hehehe joking.

quinn. basking.

aaaannndd the beach. eli loves loves loves the beach. it took him a few trips to warm up to the whole beach atmosphere, but now he can't get enough.

we also made it to animal kingdom at disney world. it was eli's first time at disney and we can't wait to go again! i'll have to prep eli beforehand, he really only knew mickey.

you can see eli's little head peering over in both pictures. i never got a really good picture and this was his favorite ride.

and here he is, happy as can be, with daddy on one side and park ranger mickey on the other.