Posts Tagged ‘Food’

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Sanders Hanukkah, part 2!

Friday, January 1st, 2010

Paul and Susan on Christmas morning

This post has pictures that represent Christmas Day to New Year’s Day. Just to recap, we had 9 celebrations in 11 days. For some reason I also thought that was a good time to do a home improvement project of painting all the door knobs. Which also means the latches, screws, etc. You probably realized that. Wish I would have…

Christmas w Steph, Roy, BizNKids, and MomMom, Dec 26

Point of interest on this photo–I THOUGHT both eyes were crossed. I did a redo for Paul just now, thinking my eyes were crossed again. No such luck. My sister was like this all the time from birth and had surgery to make her normal. Perhaps I had preemptive surgery to make sure mine did not wander…EVER!

Anna--Dec 26 Christmas; celebration #9

I just love love love this photo of Anna. You get glimpses of what she will look like as a young woman, yet she still has that baby look too.

Tripp gets a robot for Christmas!

Sleepy Becca posing for pictures

The robot Tripp got for Christmas was very cool, it even danced to a Duran Duran knock off song (sounded like the song, but like they changed it to not have to pay royalties). But then it started to somewhat stalk MomMom. Kind of scared us. Rebecca was SO sleepy, but she always wants to get a good picture. And the truth still holds–sometimes the kids like the box the toy comes in rather than the toy itself!

New Year’s Eve 2009. Basic math I should have realized when I bought the sparklers: [(Sleepy kids x bad weather so they didn't get any exercise for days) x (Paul has been w said kids for 80 hours x Susan has been sick for 80 days)] x fire sparks shooting off a stick = probably not a good idea. Not to mention I had accidentally sprayed some grass (and a little driveway) with my door knob project so Tyler of course wanted to prance there w his sparklers. He was drawn like a moth to a flame. (get it–flame??)

Skinned squirrels in the refrigerator. Seriously. Ugh.

Paul took Tyler hunting w some friends and their kids. Tyler was a little loud (lucky for the squirrels), but the others were more successful (unlucky for Susan). We had 6 dead bodies in the fridge. It was like The Soprano’s. Paul made fried squirrel, scrambled eggs, grits, biscuits and squirrel gravy for New Year’s breakfast. They say that how you spend NY Day is how you spend your year. God help me.

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Sanders Family Hanukkah

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

We are not converting, we are celebrating Paul, Tyler and Anna’s birthdays and Christmas! We started way back in November (about 10 years ago it seems), we had Thanksgiving and visited w my family. But that last 7 days we have had 7 celebrations. Really 7 in 6 days–tonight is a bye night. Here is the summary:

Day 1, 12/17/09: Anna’s 8th birthday. Paul and I met Robin and Jason, and of course Tyler at Rio Grande for Anna’s birthday dinner. Anna chose the restaurant–Rio G won for the 3rd year in a row. I just LOVE this picture of Anna.

Anna at her Rio Grande birthday dinner, Dec 17

Day 2, 12/18/09: Kids Family Birthday Party. Stephanie and Biz planned a party for Anna and Tyler at their house. Sandie, Brandon, Haley, Hunter and Mom Mom all celebrated with us.

Tyler had a Star Wars cake complete w light up light sabers. Anna had a doll cake complete w Barbie-like doll you lifted out of the cake before cutting.

Day 3, 12/19/09: Tyler’s 6th birthday. Before we could celebrate Tyler’s birthday, we had to play in the snow! That’s right, we had about 7 inches of snow on Friday night/Saturday morning. Then we met Robin, Jason and Lacey (their baby) at Chuck E Cheese to celebrate Tyler’s day.

Anna, Tyler and Frosty. This was after sledding off the ramp Paul built for them!

Ahhhh, my NRA reps.

Day 4, 12/20/09: Extended Sanders Family Christmas/Susan’s half birthday. OK, 1 was celebrated a little more than the other, but still…

Paul and me before starting to open presents at MomMom's.

Day 5, 12/21/09: Susan’s manager Christmas party and Cole’s Annual Christmas party.

(photos unavailable, cameras confiscated by security, paparazzi bounced from property)

Day 6, 12/22/09: Celebrated Paul’s birthday at UNC vs. Marshall basketball game!

My first time in the Dean Dome! I mean... me doing whatever Paul wanted to do for his birthday!

Paul and I are vegging out tonight. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, not sure what the plans are. Then we get the kids on Christmas Day about noon. Then Christmas w Steph and Biz, et. al on Sat afternoon! 9 events in 11 days! Whoooooo hooooooo! Keep in mind this was including 10 loads of laundry, 0 minutes of napping, 3 days of work (which included creating a plan to restructure our cardiac rehab program to make up for $96,000 worth of revenue that we cannot bill for in 2010 and 4 days of 11 state inspectors surveying our hospital), baking 120 cookies and only 30 minutes of physical activity and NO tears shed! Happy Sanders Hanukkah!

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Octopus Hot Dogs

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

Susan had to go to a club house dinner for her work to celebrate service awards. The kids and I decided to have octopus hot dogs and mac & cheese. These are two of Susan’s favorites so we hope she enjoyed her fancy dinner without us :) .

octopus_hot_dogs

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I love my life!

Saturday, August 8th, 2009

As you know, Paul cooks dinner, not me. Tonight we had homemade corn tortillas w our chicken tacos. They were SO good. I cannot even describe it! We have enough leftovers for breakfast tomorrow…AFTER our 4 mile run. Huevos rancheros anyone?

This is a really cute picture I found on Paul’s phone when I took a picture of him on the gurney. I love my boys! Life is good.

Barton cuddled on our bed in the mid morning sunshine. This is the siren's call that lures me back to bed many times.

Barton cuddled on our bed in the mid morning sunshine. This is the siren's call that lures me back to bed many times.

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and the winner is…

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

Option 3! The dark horse out of nowhere takes it!!! Salmon was on sale so it inspired me. Then we got the expensive kind instead. Paul made a fantastic cream sauce. We also had cous cous from the farmers market and spinach salad a dressing Paul made. Not sure what happened but I woke up 4 hours later and barfed it. It was not as nice the 2nd time.

Top of Pilot Mountain--half way done!

Top of Pilot Mountain--half way done!

Something similar could be said about the ride too. :) Last summer I tried it and got half way up Pilot Mtn and bonked and cried. This time I was determined (see post from last week).  Well, I cried again (twice), but I did finish. This was the hardest physical accomplishment of my life. Harder than the Ironman Triathlon. On the way up the last mtn, literally the last mile of the ride my legs cramped. First it was just my quads, but then my calves cramped trying to clip out as I weaved to the side to not crash. I made a small move to stretch and my hamstrings cramped. Paul rubbed out my thighs and I just stood there looking up the switchbacks that seemed to reach into the clouds like Jack and the Beanstalk. You know Paul is a man of few words… “zig zag,” he said. So I did. And I made it.

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Things that make you go “hmmmm”

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

It seems as though no goal setting leads to lots of randomness. Meandering, if you will.

Paul and I took Tyler [Anna was at riding lessons w Robin] mountain bike riding today. Let’s just say he get’s his skill from Paul. Being the southern gentleman he is (really, Biz!!), Paul only once uttered, “C’mon Susan–a 5 year-old can do it!” Tyler liked it, but got thirsty (we had already hiked 3.5 miles that morning).

Paul demonstrates a wheelie (or heelie as T calls it)

Tyler on his first trail ride Me not soiling my pants

Birthday month continues… I did get my Cold Stone treat this week. I ordered the wrong thing though. Cake Shake is what I wanted, I got some other cake thing. But cake batter is NEVER bad so I didn’t really feel that sorry for myself. Paul also made my FAVORITE cookies of all time–Oatmeal Scotchies from my mom’s recipe. I ate most of them over the past 5 days, including the rest of the dough Friday for breakfast. This week my treat will be returning to strength training classes at the gym, plus a pool trip w the kids, mountain biking w or w/out kids, and a long ride on Saturday. Paul and I have plans for birthday week proper. He has done most of the planning: June 18: NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me will be taping in Chapel Hill and Paul bought us tix for my birthday; June 19: we are taking the day off (open water swim anyone!!) and going to see the Connells (rockin’ band) play in Chapel Hill that night w his friend Jay; June 20: The Ride–it is called the Triple Hump–9,000 feet of climbing over 3 mountains in 63 miles. I have made 2 of the 3 before. I have attempted the 3rd, but cried 1/3 way up. I will make this as a 35 year-old.

Paul resurrected his “1,000 Mexican Recipes” book for tonight’s dinner. He made us Sangria w the last bottle of wine from our wedding, homemade pico de gallo (from his head, not the cook book), avacado and tomatillo sauce for the grilled chicken, and horchata. Horchata is a dessert-like drink I originally had a surf camp in Mexico in 2007.  Tyler is a HUGE fan (we had it in Boone after the bust of a camping trip) so we are making it for him. You have to soak rice for an hour so we will have it ready next time they come (Tuesday night).  All of this food makes me love him even more!

I also have an upgrade for my Memory Manager software. I am sitting here in the kitchen while Paul cooks and we listen to music on the stereo. This software will allow me to share pix w others w this version (hi, Lauren!!!). It also interfaces better w my scrapbooking software so I am pretty excited!

We did some yard work today too. Since we are broker than broke, we planted more food. I had to take a nap (see above, 5 year-old kicks my butt) so Paul stopped at Southern States after dropping Tyler at Robin’s. He accidentally bought “bundles” of tomatoes. Each bundle is about 20 tomato plants. Oops. We planted one bundle, MORE cilantro, basil, thyme, serrano chiles to compliment the oregano and 3 tomato plants we already had.

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Birthday month fun and other randomness!

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

My name is Susan, I am about to be 35 and I still celebrate my birthday for a whole month! Week 1—shopped a little bit. Week 2–going to Cold Stone Creamery for a treat. Week 3–not sure yet beyond that. I am hoping for a niece for my actual birthday. We will see if younger siblings really always do get what they want!!!

I uploaded some photos of family randomness.

Goals–yes, I have quit setting them, but I did already set the goal to mountain bike this year. CHECK!!! We went last night and tonight and will go tomorrow night. I cried twice last night and wiped out pretty bad (scraped and bruised leg to prove it!). Tonight was MUCH better! Paul just decided to take me to the toughest trail in Greensboro for my first time last night.

Work had been difficult at best. I had a wonderful review and received the maximum raise. Although raises are frozen for management (which includes me). I had to eliminate a position and I had that meeting w the person and the staff today. I cried again. Paul made me cheese grits though and it helped.

K, that’s about it. We are up WAY past our bedtime! G’night!

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New foods–CRAWDAD edition

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Crawdad!?!?!?!?!

That’s right, CRAWDADS!! PLURAL!!! I am in Cincinnati with my mom and dad at Elli and Michael’s for my neice to be’s shower.  Today is Elli’s birthday so we went to Pappadeaux for dinner. It is a “seafood kitchen.” My mom got crawdads and a salad for dinner. Elli asked if there was anything on the table that could pass as my new food for the week. I tried to pawn off the Sam Adams White Ale, but no one accepted that as an answer. Crawdads were the only option.

My first reaction–hellzzzz no!! [[Paul tried to trick me into eating them after the MB marathon, but I turned my head quickly to see those beady eyes (the crawdad's, not Paul's) staring at me and I knew it was something NASTY not the Alaskan King Crab meat I thought it would be. My general culinary motto is that I do not eat anything with eyes still intact.]] But then, I do hear, once the baby of the family, always the baby of the family. That proved to be the case b/c my mom said she would pull the meat out of the carcass of the bug eyed creature. It did NOT taste like chicken. The spices burned the taste buds off my tongue–good thing b/c I had to eat THREE PIECES in order to get a clear picture.

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More new foods

Monday, April 27th, 2009

March 31, 2009

Sauerkraut. Pickled cabbage. No matter what word you choose, language you use, or how many times you say it, it translates the same–GROSS!!!! I am writing this on April 27 and it is still in the fridge and Paul says it is still good. Ironically, I also found out today Olestra, the super food substitute from the mid-1990’s that caused anal leakage, is back on the market. This time as an industrial lubricant. Charming. Almost as charming as the picture of me trying sauerkraut. Notice the look on the kids’ faces.

Not a crowd favorite

Not a crowd favorite

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A Great Easter

Monday, April 13th, 2009

Yesterday turned out to be a great Easter day. The kids woke up around 6 excited about the Easter bunny. After they ate way too much candy for breakfast we made a trip to the grocery store then came home and played outside with the kids.

Around 1 we went out for a 64 mile bike ride. The weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky. Our plan for the day was to go exploring new roads which is one of my favorite kind of rides. We found a few new good roads to add to some of our current rides and a few dead end roads (but they were still nice to ride down). When we got home we did a easy 1 mile run which went well.

After the workout we ate grilled salmon, asparagus, and couscous (all at Susan’s request). On a side note, when Susan’s parents bought their new house they no longer needed the grill they had at the Crown Point house so they gave it to us.  This is the first time we have had a chance to use it and it was much easier to cook on than our old one which was really nice. We sat outside to eat, relax and enjoyed the weather.  That is about as good as a day can get!

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