13 Months

Our sweet boy is very busy these days.  He's no longer just walking but running.  He's into everything more than ever before.  He enjoys rides in his red wagon and going outside with Papa in general.  We're looking forward to cooler weather so we can take more walks and go to the park.

 

This is Klive's baby model look.  He truly looks like he's posing for a magazine.

 

 

Klive went to his first pool party/birthday party a few weeks ago.  He finally was able to wear his fashionable little bathing suite.

 

I stuck this picture in because you can actually kind of see Klive's teeth.  He doesn't show them very often.  He has seven right now, but the eighth is soon to arrive.

 

I love this picture.  He was watching his friends play in the pool.

 

Klive was a little hesitant about the water.  The water was pretty cool. 

 

Klive is still a great eater.  He loves a wide variety of foods.  Just the other day I made a lentil veggie stew and he ate every single last lentil off his tray.  It was somewhat spicy, but he seems to like spice.  Fruit is still his favorite.  He hasn't met a fruit that he didn't like.  And it is nearly impossible to eat anything without him begging for some.  In this picture he is enjoying stuffed zucchini with ground beef and marinara.

 

Also, he has said his "first" word besides Momma, Dadda, and Papa.  It's uh-oh.  I guess you could say it's his first word; at least I'm going to claim that it is.  It's pretty cute.  He also lets out an audible "ahhh" after every drink out of his sippy cup.  I think his Papa taught him that one.

We Laugh We Cry We Cook by Becky Johnson and Rachel Randolph

 This book was right up my alley. A fun read of a mom and daughter sharing their personal anecdotes regarding their cooking adventures with quite a few recipes thrown in. The daughter tells of what led up to her family deciding to become vegan with the adventure of becoming a new mom thrown in. The mother shares her adventures in cooking for her husband, kids, and grandkids and the love and research she puts in to caring for her family and their stomachs.

This definitely was a quick read. I finished a chapter or two a night and read through the recipes. I especially enjoyed the daughter’s story and perspective, and was intrigued to read the story of how her picky husband turned vegan. I like to incorporate a vegetarian dish into our meals at least one night a week, so I enjoyed seeing some very hearty vegetarian/vegan dishes. They also incorporated their faith in God and what part that plays in their lives. And I couldn’t rate this book fully without trying out a few of the recipes. I picked three to start. First I tried Becky’s Layered Italian Veggie Casserole. I was only disappointed in the description of the skillet cook time of the potatoes and zucchini. Partial and lightly didn’t offer enough description for me and I did not cook them in the skillet as long as I should have, so they came out of the oven more firm than I would have liked. Other than that, it was a delicious recipe that would serve a ton of people. Next I made the Sweet Potato Lentil Chili. Delicious! Great, great recipe and my 13 month old ate it all up. The next recipe that I tried was the Cashew Queso. This recipe intrigued me more than anything else. Believe it or not, it wasn’t bad. It didn’t really taste like queso to me, but was a yummy dip that is not nearly as fat laden as regular queso would be. Very creative and tasty. All in all, a good read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”