More Yummy Food

The other night, thanks to my Real Simple magazine subscription (compliments to Mom Polleys), Ted and I had something pretty tasty for dinner. Not that every night isn't tasty, this was just EXTRA tasty.

I made a Potato, Leek and Feta Tart. The recipe can be found here. Just look how yummy this is! And, just to prove that Ted liked it even though there is no meat in it...we finished it for lunch today! :)

mmm. mmm.

Weekly Cheese #2

Eloise is a big, big smiler! She will take time out of any day to give you a big grin. The trick: smile at her first...she will always return the favor! She hasn't quite figured out giggling, but we know her first laugh is on it's way.

First Bonfire!

Last night, when I got home from the Library, Ted remembered that we had signed up to attend a hayride/bonfire get-together that someone from church was having out at their house. Immediately, I got really excited, because this would be Cheesy's 1st bonfire! (I love 1st's)

We got her all bundled up, and then we bundled ourselves, and we drove out into the country. we arrived 35 min. late (because I was working) so the hay ride had already left. But, no worries, because we just hung out with those who stayed behind at the bonfire.

I got to thinking later, and it was probably good that we missed the hay ride because it was 45 minutes long and COLD!

Daddy, Mommy and Eloise hung out by the fire and chatted with friends. Then, when the wagons returned we had a huge cookout of hot dogs, s'mores, hot chocolate and hot cider. It was deliciously fall!

Soup and Hickeys (!)

Well, if the title of this blog doesn't catch your attention, I don't know what will!

Let me explain;

The Soup:

Last night Ted made a DELICIOUS potato soup for my mom (who is in town) and I. The recipe is from Mom Polleys, who got it from Mrs. Friske. For those of you that don't really understand why Mrs. Friske is important...let me have a little side-bar and fill you in.

Mrs. Friske is of Friske's Farm, south of Charlevoix. It is where Ted and I pick apples every year. It is where you cane get the most tasty Reuben sandwich and the best apple donuts you will ever taste. Basically, all of their food is fantastic and last night, we got to have Mrs. Friske's Potato Soup in our OWN HOME! mmmm...it was so good!

Her secret in her own words, "It's the buttermilk!" haha...so I am not going to tell you it is healthy...but we substituted turkey bacon for the bacon...that has to count for something right??

So, here is the recipe so you can have it in your own home:

Mrs. Friske's Homemade Potato Soup

3 T. butter

1 c. white onion, chopped

1 c. celery, sliced

10 strips bacon, cut into 1/2'' pieces (or turkey bacon)

8 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 3/4'' chunks
4 cups water

2 c. buttermilk

3 T. flour

1/2 c. sour cream

s + p

1. Heat the butter in a large sauce pan on MH heat. Saute the onions and celery in butter, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add bacon and potatoes and the 4 cups of water. Boil until the potatoes are tender.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk the buttermilk, flour and sour cream until smooth.

3. When potatoes are tender, scoop out 1/4 c. of the water from the saucepan and slowly drizzle into the butter cream mixture while whisking it the whole time. (This prevents lumps from forming). Then repeat this process with another 1/4 c. of potato water.

4. Next, slowly drizzle the buttermilk mixture into the large saucepan, stirring the potato soup the whole time. (Once again this prevents lumps from forming.)

5. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer soup until you are ready to eat! The longer you simmer, the yummier it gets!

Now...to the funny part of the post...the hickey! (kind of a funny word in itself)

The Hickey:

On Thursday, Eloise was hanging out on the couch (sitting up, of course...well propping up, to be honest) and I went over to pick her up because we were going to go to our bedroom, because it was time for her to eat.

In the 5 seconds that it takes to walk from the couch to our bed, Relly had latched onto my shoulder and gave it a few hard sucks. It tickled and I was laughing at her and she smiled back.

Well, when I was done feeding her, I went into the bathroom to finish getting ready for something, and behold! Her sucking was more than just a laughing matter. She has left her mark, literally. It was so funny that I had to have a picture of it. Ted said that he better watch out so he doesn't end up with a Relly-sized hickey!

I guess she might have been hungrier than I thought! :)

Have a good weekend!

Weekly Cheese #1

Mommy and Relly love to play games of all kinds! On days that we get to hang out we talk, giggle and play with some of Eloise's favorite toys. It's hard for Mommy to not kiss her every second of everyday!!

One more thing...

I am also going to have a Photo of the Week called "The Weekly Cheese" so everyone can look forward to seeing Eloise, her Daddy or Mommy doing something cute, or funny, or just looking beautiful. I am kind of excited to do this, because I take about a million pictures every week anyway!

I hope you look forward to it!

P.S. This was my original idea for this blog when I came up with the name Pocket-Sized Peeks. I wanted to give you little snap shots of our lives as we know it. I made it in preparation for Eloise, and I now I need to take advantage. :)

I'm Baaaaaaack!

Hi all! It has been waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayy to long since we last posted. Most of you can see pics of Eloise at Facebook, and that is even hard for me to keep updated.

Where does all my time go??

It is pretty obvious that our little bundle, that we like to call "Relly", is helping me fill up most of my days. If I am not with Eloise, I am either at work at the library or subbing in a classroom.

Thanks to a friend I figured out that if I post my pics to Snapfish, then I can automatically post a link to Facebook and Blogger as well. This saves me valuable time, so I can get back to the living room floor and play with my Little One. Or do laundry, or change my spit-up-on shirt, or vacuum, or eat...haha.

I will post some more pics soon! I promise. I am also going to start telling you about Relly is up to. My goal is to post once a week. I know that is not very often for some bloggers, but that will be a HUGE accomplishment for me!





I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

Off We Go! (and an 8 week Birthday!)

To Chicago!!!

We are leaving tomorrow morning and returning on Thursday night. It is going to be an experience...for sure!

It is Eloise's first big trip, as well as for us as Mommy and Daddy.

We are actually going to Schaumburg, IL which is northwest of downtown Chicago and it is where Willow Creek is located. We have been to Willow Creek before for the SHIFT Conference which is for youth/youth group leadership. This time we are going to a conference called Reveal; it is for small groups (I believe). I am more going just for the fun of it because Willow Creek doesn't allow babies in their auditorium during conferences (they are ageists!...kidding). We were told there are TV's throughout the lobby for Eloise and I though.

I am just happy to do something a little out of the routine, and it will be good to see how Eloise travels. Since we have some other big trips coming up this fall.....FRANKENMUTH!!!, for example. :)

Also, another bonus to the trip: we get to go to Ikea. Ted and I have never been there..we are excited! We have absolutely no money to spend there, but excited all the same!

And, now...what you have all been waiting for...because I told you to check here for them!...pics of Eloise on her 8 week birthday! We took her down to Michigan Beach and let her experience the sand and wind for he first time. I think she loved it!! :)

We had so much fun!