penne a la jerbear

I’ve been in a bit of a cooking rut lately. Just ask my family. So the other day when my mom mentioned a new recipe she tried and liked, I decided it might be just what I needed to pull myself out of that cooking rut.

The recipe was from The Pioneer Woman’s blog, which I LOVE. And I figured you really can’t go too wrong with any of her yummy recipes. Except for the fact that she calls for shrimp. And my sweet hubby (who grew up living near the ocean) doesn’t like shrimp, or any seafood for that matter. What?!

Her recipe is Penne a la Betsy. I substituted chicken for the shrimp and renamed it Penne a la Jerbear (the loving nickname bestowed upon Jeremy by my family).

You can find the original recipe here.

I also used dried parsley and basil instead of fresh and substituted half and half for heavy cream. I’ve heard if you change 3 things in a recipe, you can call it your own. So I now present Penne a la Jerbear:

Yum!! It was so good it even made it to a Facebook post by Bri. Now that’s sayin’ something!!

july?

For the past two summers, you’ve had to endure my never-ending complaints about hot and humid weather. And no rain. But this summer, on the other hand, has been absolutely beautiful!!!

Yesterday (July 27) never got out of the 70s!! It felt like fall. Or Colorado. And it was definitely too beautiful to stay inside all day. So we made an impromptu trip to the zoo. That’s one of the great benefits of buying an annual pass!

In case you’re already feeling like de ja vu, I apologize. Like I mentioned before, we take the same poses every. single. time.

But this funny guy was new.

   

And this was new!!! Delaney was terrified of the sheep earlier this summer. This was a HUGE step!!! She fed them 2 pellets at a time. That’s one way to make your fifty cents last!

And this little baby was new. Like 4 days new. In fact, he’s a day younger than Prince George.

The animals were pretty active. They were also enjoying the gorgeous weather!!

           

The orangutans may just be my favorite animals. They were climbing and swinging and having a great ol’ time!

     

Another successful zoo trip! We saw every animal. Every exhibit. And she still had the energy to go to the Play Park last evening! Delaney definitely doesn’t have a shortage of energy!!

kc getaway

Last weekend we went to Kansas City with Ryan and Melissa and their kids. Bri didn’t go because she needed to work (all those trips this summer = no money). So Allison took her friend Hope.

 

We started the weekend with a very sweaty Friday evening at a Royals baseball game.

The Royals won. Yay!!! After the game there was a great fireworks show. Did I mention it was hot? And humid?

The next morning we headed to Great Wolf Lodge.

Nolan was in a limbo contest. There were 3 finalists. They had a hula hoop contest to determine the winner. He took second. Way to go, Nolan!!!

  

At night, after the water park closes, they have a dance party in the lobby.

 

We had a great time and are already planning another trip for the fall or winter!

vail

Before I go on and tell you about all the other fun stuff we’ve been busy doing this summer, I need to share the rest of our vacation pictures. I need closure. Maybe you do too.

We had an amazing time in Vail, Colorado!! We spent every summer in Vail for a good part of my adolescence. I was 11 the first time I went, and I believe I was 20 (Bri was just a baby) the last time I went. We have lots of great memories. And we were able to create even more this year!

We stayed at Hobart House. It was one of the first homes built in Vail. It could’ve used a little TLC, but it worked perfectly for our family. It had 5 bedrooms and was 3 stories tall, built on the side of the mountain. I can’t say the stairs were fun to climb, but I guess that’s why Coloradoans are healthier than Kansans!

Vail village

  

How cute is this guy? They were having an art show in Vail. I would’ve loved to have this for my classroom. If only I had an extra $8000 laying around. Boo!

The Children’s Fountain was the perfect place to cool off during our mid-afternoon walks.

      

Delaney had a blast splashing around in the fountain.

  

And then I told her she could run through it and get wet. She was shocked. And pleased.

And then the clouds covered the sun and the wind picked up and she was so cold in her soaking wet clothes. She told me it was all my fault. Yep, it usually is.

          

We played games in the evenings.

Saw beautiful gardens.

                

Took tons of pictures.

 

And then it was time to go home.

Before we left Hobart House, we took this picture. It was a re-creation of a picture of the Hobart family taken many years ago. (Wish I’d taken a picture of that picture.) Let me tell you, taking a picture of 13 people is no easy task. Especially when we’re crammed into the stairwell. But we did it. And we survived 4 nights under the same roof. We have some new funny vacation stories to share. And they all pretty much revolve around Jason. Just like old times!