This year I decorated a little differently, yet similar to way back when my boys were small. I am going with the penguin theme in the family room and the little guy really follows our train set (so does Ozis.) Wait until next year when he can ride the big choo choo we saved! I already played Kenny Rodgers Christmas music and sang the Christmas is for Kids song. It has now begun...
Look at him go! Dillan absolutely loves his Tigger toy. Now he can bounce up and down just like his buddy Tigger and happy feet Penguin. He likes when he twirls around and around and up and down. He squeals with glee when he's in this thing ~ big shot. He likes to eat bananas with rice cereal and this week his palate has discovered carrots. So far he likes peas, squash, carrots and I am making homemade sweet potatoes, so possibly he will like that. Mama will expose him to barley and oatmeal so he doesn't get constipated with the rice and bananas too often down the road. I gave him a little nursery water to wash things down. He gets excited when he sees the dish and spoon. As my Dad says "he's really cognizant of his surroundings."
This cutie patootie weighs 17 lbs. 14 oz. and he is not even 5 months yet!
At the doctor's office, he rolled over not once, but TWICE!! Wayne, Doc and I witnessed this.
He told his tigger buddy all about this milestone with his new words. He blows raspberries and says boob and ma. Soon he will be talking sentences...LOL. He is so happy all the time and today he squealed when watching a few minutes of Sesame Street with Elmo and SuperGrover. I discovered this new toy store up north on Lincoln Avenue that sells green and safe classic toys. Thanks to Timeless Toys, I am not going to worry about China-made lead in anything he plays with.
Cranberry Salad
This is a new dish I have prepared today for the upcoming foodfest ~ my variation on Paula Deen's recipe.
6 oz. cranberry sauce
2 oz. dried cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup broken pecans
1 cup broken walnuts
3 oz. black cherry gelatin
4 oz. crushed pineapples
4 oz. mandarin oranges
whipped cream, sour cream, yogurt and parsley for garnish
Drain pineapple and mandarin orange juices and reserve. Add juice to 1/2 cup hot water and heat to boiling. Soften gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Dissolve softened gelatin in hot water-juice mixture. Let cool until it starts to set ~ don't let the gelatin harden. Put cranberries through a grinder. Add berries, cranberry sauce, pineapple, mandarin oranges, nuts and sugar to cooled gelatin mold. Mix well. Pour into a bowl or mold. Refrigerate until completely set. Place mold in a warm water bath and run a knife around the edges to loosen. Invert into a serving plate and garnish with parsley and a dollop of sour cream, plain yogurt or whipped cream.
