Just a few little things

The biggest reason why I blog is to document things about my kid(s) that I want to remember. Someday, when she's older, I hope to print off all my little stories and give them to her--or even just to keep for myself...it's amazing how quickly we forget all the little moments in life. So yes, I write a lot about Vienna. And I'm writing about her again. :)

It's been super fun lately to see how Vienna's imagination is blossoming. I don't doubt her imagination was in the works long ago, but as of recently it's been so evident to see her little mind creating a story in her head as she goes about her playing. I started noticing her imagination when she would roam around the house loading up her "purse" (paper bag, bucket, whatever she can find with handles) with random objects and then, after making it a point to wave goodbye to me, dump her belongings in a pile and begin playing with them.

But lately it's gone to a whole new level and it's fun to watch. Probably my favorite thing to witness her imagination at work is when she plays with her dolls or stuffed animals. The other day I found her sitting on the couch, her doll propped next to her, and she was pretending to feed it food with a gigantic play spoon and giving it drinks from her sippy cup.

It's also incredibly cute to watch her surrounded herself with her stuffed animals, lay in her bed and pull the covers up around her and look at the room. I wish I knew what she was thinking. She was pretty fascinated doing this in my bed today, and brought all of her animals and made me lay down next to her--the best part is that she's extremely chatty when she does this and I only wish I knew what she was saying because she's so serious....I sort of feel like we're having a deep conversation, only, I have no idea what we're talking about.

When I think of Vienna the thing that sticks out most to me is simply that she just really enjoys life. When she's happy, she's really happy. And she's happy a lot. She really is happy doing whatever she is doing in the moment. Don't get me wrong, she has her moments, and tantrums, but most of the time she is simply content to be where she is, doing what she's doing. She is getting so big, sometimes I can hardly believe that my little girl is saying words, getting so tall, running, eating and drinking like a little kid, making us laugh on purpose, using the potty, pretending to do things that her minds thinks up ...she's even begun to attempt putting clothes on by herself--like today when I found her trying to put a pair of underwear on over her pants.

And the best part, I know all of this is just the beginning. :)

Mango Chicken Salad with Chipotle Mayo

I should be sleeping. But I'm not.

Instead, I'm sharing another recipe. (Go me!) I've been wanting to share this for awhile, it's one of our favorites. It is simply so so good, you must try it.

Promise me you'll try it.

I discovered it on Sarah Fragoso website (the author of "Everday Paleo") and since then Andy and I have been eating it probably once a week for lunch! (Though it works just as well for dinner too!)

Mango Chicken Salad with Chipotle Mayo

4-5 bacon strips, diced

½ cup red bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno, seeds removed and finely diced

3 cups already cooked chicken, diced (I used leftover grilled chicken breasts)

1 cup mango, diced

1/2 cup homemade paleo mayo - mix in chipotle powder to taste (this stuff is spicy so start with a small amount and work your way up from there)

Sliced almonds as a garnish

Shredded romaine lettuce leaves

1) In a medium sized skillet cook the bacon until almost crisp.

2) Add the diced red pepper and diced jalapeno and cook until the peppers are soft and the bacon is completely crisped.

3) Add the chicken and cook until warmed through (if you are using raw chicken, cook until the chicken is not longer pink in the middle)

4) Add the diced mango and cook until warmed through, about another 2 minutes.

5) Serve each plate with a pile of romaine, a scoop of the chicken mixture, and a drizzle of the chipotle mayo. Top with sliced almonds if desired.

A variation to the recipe could be not to cook the red pepper and mango and just add it to the salad raw. But I must stress that the mayo is a must. Don't be afraid to try it (click on the link for the recipe!) I promise it is so easy, and it makes the salad complete. (I cut the mayo recipe in half and had quite a bit leftover...but good news is that it stays good in the fridge for quite awhile!)

You should try it.

Really. You should.

Oh, and one last thing. Thanks for all the input about my last and now-history blog look! I appreciate all the comments and hope that this one is much more pleasing to the eye! Let me know if it's not. :)

Critique This

I need help. As you can tell I've updated the look of my blog. I want your input! As my readers, I want it to look appealing to you, not an eyesore. So could you be kind enough to give me a critique? Have you ever tried so many different things that when you finally settle on something you totally question it...that's what I'm doing. I looked at so many backgrounds and pictures and had several different ideas that they all sort of got jumbled into this. I like it, I'm just not totally sure I love it. And I don't know if it's just because everything else that I'd been toying with is still fresh in my mind or if something is simply off. So I need your input. What needs improvement? Colors...header...background...

Thoughts?