When I was growing up, my mom would make us grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  These are just like grilled cheese, but with pb & j.  And sometimes, we all just need a yummy comfort food to help us get through the day.  Mmmm….

The Hudsonville Fair is running this week.  I grew up in Byron Center and never really went to the fair.  But once I married my husband, who is from Hudsonville, it became a yearly tradition.  My kids love it and I have to admit, so do I.  We have a routine every year.  We start in the animal barns and work our way through.  This year we saw the chickens, bunnies, goats and everything else.  I don’t think there is anything cuter than baby pygmy goats.  Sooooo cute!  We then walk over to the farm equipment and sit on all the big tires.  I take lots of pictures, always trying to get the “perfect” shot of my three boys together.  Then we work our way over to the food venders.  Obviously, my favorite part.  I love the elephant ears.  We went both Monday and Tuesday this week, and I have enjoyed three ears so far.  I’m hoping we make it out one more time yet.

But this year I get the award for mom of the year.  I not only took my three boys, but the two neighbor boys as well.  So it was me and five boys at the fair.  I know, you’re all jealous 🙂

I don’t know where to begin…I have been eagerly waiting for this wedding for 18 months! I’ve known Kristin for almost ten years, I feel like she is my second little sister. And even though I know she is way too young, I call her mom, Marie, my second mother. I love them both and was so very honored to be asked to spend the day with them. Phil and Kristin, your love for each other is contagious. The best part is seeing you laugh together, smiling, loving. May God bless you both as you continue to grow in your love for each other. All my love ♥

DJ:  Moments In Time Disc Jockeys, Joe Lober

Summer is winding down and I hate to say it, but I am ready.  Fall is my favorite season, the nights are getting cooler and the days much more tolerable.  Spent a few hours outside with the boys yesterday, they played and I read my book.  Last week my sister, mom and I took the kids to the local park to play and wear off some energy.  I only took along my small point-n-shoot camera, so the pics are less than great.  Oma wanted a pic with with all her grandkids, but that is near impossible.  But we had a good time, grabbed some McDonalds’s and had a picnic too.

I have a huge week of photo shoots.  Along with the wedding from this past weekend, I have four more shoots this week.  So be ready to see lots of fun stuff this week!

In honor of another wedding Saturday, I thought I would post a few shots of bridal up do’s and down do’s that I’ve seen over the past few years.  I was actually planning on going to cosmetology school up until my senior year of high school, so I’m always interested in the hair and make up of the day.  If there is one piece of advise I can give to my brides, it is to have your make up and hair done for the day.  I also cannot say enough about adding in some fake lashes, they make such a difference in pictures.  A lot of my brides are nervous while getting their make up done, saying it is too heavy or that it doesn’t feel like what they would wear.  I always try to reassure them, a little heavier than normal is good.  You will thank yourself once you see the photos.

I found this recipe in Cuisine Tonight Quick & Easy book and changed it up just a little.  It was fairly easy to put together and tasted great!  The rice was easy, with a hint of sweetness to it.  Enjoy!

Thai Chicken Skillet with Coconut Rice:

Slurry Mix:

3/4 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 T. soy sauce

2 T. worcestershire sauce

2 T. lemon juice

3 T. brown sugar

2 T. corn starch

combine well and set aside.

Skillet Mix:

4 boneless chicken breasts, sliced into strips

4 T. olive oil

2 cups fresh green beans

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1 bulb fresh garlic minced

1 jalapeno, thinly slided

stir fry chicken in 2 T. olive oil until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.  remove to a plate, cover and set aside.  heat 2 T. olive oil in same skillet over high.  add beans, bell peppers, jalapeno and garlic, stir fry for 4 minutes.  re-add the chicken with juices and continue to cook on low.  stir in slurry mix and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.  serve over coconut rice.

Coconut Rice:

2 cups jasmine rice

2 cups water

2 cups coconut milk

bring liquid to boil over high heat, add rice, cover and reduce heat to low.  simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Every year it seems that one specific color dominates the wedding scene.  Last year, 2010, it was orange.  I loved seeing that awesome pop of color throughout the wedding season, it always looked great pictures.  I thought I would share a few of the pictures today.  Enjoy!

Ray and Rosa, first I want to say thank you so much for choosing me to be a part of your special day. I believe it was meant to be when you found me through Google. The love you share with each other is inspiring and it extends from you both to everyone around you. I’ve never seen a closer family and I completely fell in love with all of you by the end of the night. I’ve decided I want to be a Minerva sister too ☺ And even though the day did not go completely as planned (thank you Lord for the gazebo, it wasn’t much protection, but it was enough), your love for each other was the glue that held it all together. May God bless you both as you begin this awesome journey together as husband and wife. Enjoy!

Florist:  Horrocks

Reception Venue:  English Hills Terrace

Ceremony Venue:  St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church

DJ:  Me ‘N’ Mrs. Jones Mobile Music

Videographers:  Sunrise Video Productions

To see the beautiful slideshow, click here.

I had a few ears of fresh corn left this weekend and decided to make a batch of corn and black bean salsa.  I love corn in my salsa, so this worked out great.  I also love some sort of fruit.  I wanted to use fresh peaches, but I have not been out to get my peaches yet this summer.  So I pulled out a can of pineapple rings and pan grilled them to add.  The results were awesome!  I doctored it up a little on the hot side, but you can add as much or as little heat as you want.  Of course, I was out of gloves to cut my peppers, so I had to don a plastic bag.  It did the job.  Enjoy!

Corn and Black Bean Salsa:

4 ears fresh corn, cooked and cut off the cob

1 can black beans, drained

1 can ring pineapple, pan grilled and diced

1 red onion diced

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis

1 jalapeno pepper diced

1 habanero pepper diced

2 tomatoes diced

lawry’s salt to taste

dash of pepper

dash of kosher salt

dash of crushed red pepper flakes

juice of 1 lemon

I found these Crayola paints at the grocery store one day, they reminded me of the ones my sister and I used to use when we were small.  Actually, I remember a time when Dad was babysitting and my sister Sara ate a pack of these paints.  We have a picture of that somewhere, but I think it’s at Sara’s house.  Anyway…here are some pics of my boys painting and loving it.  They don’t quite understand that you need to clean the brush after every color, after awhile all the colors start to look the same.  So I just run the pack under water and washed it up, ready to use again.