Bruschetta Brown Rice Pasta

It's summer.  And the vegetable garden out back is going cuh-RAY-zee!

We're so fortunate that our tomato plant {and other veggies} have done SO WELL this summer. D and I have been enjoying all kinds of yummy tomato and basil inspired cuisine.  Tonight's dinner was definitely up to par and will be put on the weekly menu until those tomaters just don't grow any longer. ;)  {side note: it's gonna be HARD to suck it up and actually buy tomatoes from the grocery store at the end of summer. *sigh*}

Tonight's dinner: Bruschetta Brown Rice Pasta.  I'll share.

First, make the bruschetta.  This is my mom's *ahem* recipe of sorts.  It's really not a recipe.  It's cut and chop ingredients and season to your liking. So, no exact measurements.

Chop the tomatoes {we usually use Roma tomotoes, but tonight was garden tomatoes.  I don't even know if "garden tomatoes" is a species, but the truth is I don't know what kind of tomatoes we grew outside. HA!}

Then, chop garlic (maybe 2-4 cloves, depending on your liking) and basil (like a few tablespoons?) {Told ya there's no recipe}

Whisk together olive oil and almost as much balsamic vinegar, then season with salt {kosher--generously} & pepper.  Pour over tomatoes, stir, and let sit while your pasta is cooking.

I big puffy heart Trader Joe's.  I love everything that store carries, and that little sample stand in the back gets me every.dang.time.  I heard from a friend about their Brown Rice Pasta and just knew I had to try it.  And oh.my.yum. is it good! Back to dinner--cook pasta according to package, and like it says--DO NOT OVERCOOK!

Drain pasta and pour bruschetta over it in serving bowl.  Voila! Easy peasy dinner ready in minutes.  We served it with fresh grated parmesan and a ceasar salad.

Happy cooking!



Twins, Daycare, and QT for all

The Brooks Family Daycare is officially open...

Kidding! I shot this picture of Jake, cousin Malia, and the adorable neighbor boys on Monday when I watched them for an hour. Cute guys!

On Sunday, Matt and Bubba J Man were twins on the Billabong "Twin Fin Tour" with their matching shirts. 

It's been a mellow week {just the way we like it!} with swimmie time in the kiddie pool. Sherrie {mom-in-law} came down to visit and spend QT {quality time} with J.  She brought plums...and you-know-who certainly enjoyed them. :)

We were SUPPOSED to go to the Farmer's Market {which I love, love, love} this afternoon, but lil guy was just plain pooped out after his morning "Birds" class at The Little Gym.  He slept for hours during his afternoon nap.  Although disappointed we missed Farmer's Market, it was a great excuse for us to enjoy the yum-o taco salad from our favorite local Mex restaurant.

The change of plans did also allow for D to come home and get a little QT of his own with the little.  So we all win. ;)





Brooks-Style BBQ

Jake survived his 9-month checkup and round of shots.  Stats: 95th percentile in height, 70th percentile in weight, and--no surprise here--90th percentile in head circumference. HA! Since the lil guy did such a good job at the doctor's, we thought we'd celebrate.

Danny's been wanting to have a BBQ for a while now, so the weather today proved to be a great day for one. The crazies came over...

...I mean family, the neighbors, and Danny's buddy Bryan.  We've all been wanting us some Danny goods-from-the-grill, so Danny did what he does best: grill.

Meanwhile, the kiddos went for wagon rides and played with gadgets.

Niecie brought over a FABULOUS bottle of wine...must take note. {Thank you Christian, aka Vanna White, for modeling the bottle.}

Our neighbor, Lynsey, brought over some ceviche that was out-of-this-world yum.  I must brag that the fish came from her hubby's Alaskan fishing trip {thanks, Jason!}, and the tomatoes and cucumbers came from our garden.  We're going to start a neighborhood

co-cop. ;)



 Kids' Table!

After some serious tri-tip-and-grilled-veggies-from-the-garden-dining, we roasted s'mores in the fire pit {best thing about summer!} and sang a little birthday off tune to cousin Mandi, who will be turning 23 this week. {Happy Birthday, Mandi!}

I big puffy heart summer!

I'm New Here...

Yes, I started a blog.  Don't quite know what I'm doing yet, but I do know for sure that: 1) I want to keep family and friends updated on our little family's life, and 2) I'm really bad about making {and returning!} phone calls & emails.  So I started thinking...all those cool ladies/people/families out there in the blog world update their blogs with pictures and journals--why can't I? And let's be honest: if I don't get hired back as a teacher next year, I will desperately need some sort of outlet like this.  However, if I do get hired back {please, Lord!} then we'll see about how well I can keep this little blog going ;).  I'm still working on the construction part of this blog, and I hope to inundate you with pictures in the near future. For now, here's a {somewhat} recent picture of Jakers eating a peach, which is his favorite thing to do.

Big day tomorrow--it's his 9 month check up! Can't wait to see how this little-big guy measures! But not looking forward to the shots. :(