One of my favorite places

This weekend Nate and I got to get away to Shaker Village (Harrodsburg, KY) to stay for the night. Nate's parents came up and stayed with Andrew so it worked out perfectly. This was Nate's Christmas gift to me this year and I think he picked the perfect weekend to go.

If you've never been to Shaker Village, it's basically acres and acres of old Shaker grounds, with the original buildings that have been restored on the property. You can stay at the old Inn or one of the other  buildings and there is a restaurant and miles and miles of hiking trails. Nate and I hit this stream and while he was brave enough to attempt the log crossing, I wasn't about to get my pregnant self up there! We took a round-about loop to bypass this creek in the end;)
I think I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves...we had perfect sunny days and warm(ish) weather for the last weekend of January. It was so nice to get away and hike!

  

We came upon all sorts of fun things while hiking...like old barns...

Creeks

Original stone Shaker wall

Old farm houses and fences

This was the building where Nate and I stayed (the East Sisters' House)

The Old Inn where we ate dinner in the Winter Kitchen

Shaker architecture is very balanced you could say. The men lived on one side and the women on the other. (The Shakers were celibate and this might explain why the group sort of died out in the early 1900's).

Add caption

We saw two coyotes drinking at this pond but they were gone by the time I got down there!

But these guys didn't mind us watching them eat!

Add caption

A visit from Omi and Opaw

Waiting at the window for Omi and Opaw to arrive.

And they're here!

He was inseparable from them the whole weekend!

He loves his dad

...and wants to be just like him I think!

It's Baby Shower Time!

 

It was so fun to host Erin's shower...I've been excited about her shower and even more meeting baby Miller ever since she told me she was pregnant! It was such a fun day getting to see old friends and family, eat some good food, and see all the cute baby things Erin received. One more month until we meet her little one!

A cute little boy and a recipe

First...the cute boy. He feels like such a big guy sitting up on the stool at the kitchen counter. This is where I've been putting him while I cook dinner. For some reason he loves it and eats his "nack" (Snack)  up there so I can cook without worrying about him pulling a pan off the stovetop (which these days is a legitimate worry with the way  he gets into everything constantly!)

And now for a yummy recipe...veggie Parmesan Quinoa! It is sort of a go-to for me as far as a side item goes. Nate and I grilled out the other night so burgers and sweet potato fries went great with it but I usually just make it for a side to go with pretty much any main dish. As a bonus, Andrew eats it too!

First, let me introduce you to quinoa if you haven't met already. It's healthier than rice or pasta and tastes just as great, I promise! Here's the recipe:

Veggie Parmesan Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1-2 cups diced veggies (zuccini, squash, peas, carrots, green beans, etc.)
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1/3 block of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup (more or less to taste) of Parmesan cheese
• a sprinkle of salt and fresh ground pepper
• a sprinkle of basil
• a sprinkle of garlic powder
• a splash of milk if needed 

Directions: 

--Cook your quinoa like you would rice, in a saucepan. Bring the quinoa, water and chicken broth to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cover with a lid for about 10-15 minutes. Stir now and again to check on it.

--Meanwhile, dice up your veggies and sauté them in olive oil and minced garlic until cooked (10 min or so)

I use whatever veggies we have in the freezer, mostly what I chopped and froze from last summer.  A little piece of summer in our meal!

--When the quinoa and veggies are done, pour the veggies (and any remaining juice from the olive oil) into the quinoa pan.

--Put in cheeses and spices

--Mix well, on a very low setting to let the cheeses melt into it.

--I usually add a splash of milk to it as well, to make it blend better. So good!

And one more...eating a snack is serious business!

Is it spring yet?

I think we all thought it was this weekend...60 degrees and sunny, we'll take it! If all of winter could be this way I think I would survive it with a much better attitude. We took advantage of the weather to be outside as much as possible of course! Also...Nate and I finally got a new camera and I've been taking way too  many pictures but I have to say they are way better quality than the old i-phone ones:)

 Washing the car with Dad

Christmas weekend

 We started Christmas Eve at my parents' house...each year they have an open house of sorts where lots of friends and family stop by. The night before, we had our family Christmas with them and my sisters but I didn't get one single photo because I forgot my camera...very unlike me!

 Grandpop and Andrew (my dad will not be a fan of this picture but we all know who we'll be looking at, right?

 Cousins! (Kelly, me and Laura)

 Mark and Erin...hard to tell but she is due next month!!!

Christmas morning we got up bright and early and headed north to Ohio to celebrate with Nate's family. It was a quick visit but we are so glad we got to go. Andrew just adores his Omi and Opaw and is pretty much in heaven on these visits.

 They got him the cutest little red tricycle that I'm sure he'll be unstoppable on this spring and summer!

 Can't quite reach the peddles yet but had so much fun rolling around on this.

Helping Opaw open a gift. I didn't get any more pictures here either (so slacking with the picture-taking these days) but in between wrangling in a little boy who was everywhere and into everything, I hardly had a moment to breath while we were opening gifts! Drew loved helping people rip the paper off and he was quite entertained just being with his aunt Kelsey, Uncle Joe and grandparents (and great-grandma too!). It was so nice to see our extended family even for a short visit and we are lucky we are just a half-day's drive away.