Chili Mac n Cheddar Soup

Yep, we're going to start writing about food here on The Smoller Family. Brady is still plenty entertaining, but food is a pretty important part of our lives as well. Besides, it gives me more writing material.
Last night I tried out a new recipe from Real Simple magazine. Chili Mac n Cheddar Soup. It turned out fantastic, though it looks pretty average in the picture. It was even better today for lunch with the cold and rainy weather. And I have now decided, it's really just homemade Hamburger Helper! I loved Hamburger Helper and this really is pretty much the same thing, save for waaaaay fewer preservatives and ingredients that can't be pronounced.
The recipe says to brown the hamburger with sauteed onions and since it was a rookie try, I stuck to the recipe. Next time, I'm adding peppers to that mixture to pump up the veggie value and add a little color to the dish. We dished it on top of crushed tortillas chips and it was tasty. Got the stamp of approval from Mr. Smoller, too!
Want the recipe? Well, you have to leave a comment on this post and then I would gladly send it to you!

More football

Amy and I with the B-man during the game. He got awfully tired in the 2nd quarter, so he just took himself a little nap in Amy's lap.
Aaaah, sleepy time.

And after the power nap, AWAKE! And so excited after we got to watch the fireworks. It was a big day for Brady. Needless to say, he crashed once we got home. All that wears a kid out!

Football

Pictures from the football game vs. UMASS, courtesy of our good friend, Susan. She's a great photographer and it's so nice to have pictures from somebody else's viewpoint!. This was Brady's first football game and his first tailgate. He did a great job. Here's the whole family before the game started.
The back of B-man's shirt.

Cheering for the Cats. I just love this shot.

Practicing our Touchdown cheer. We've got to work on that one.

Stay tuned for more.

18 Miles

So, were you just wondering what I did Saturday morning? Well, let me tell you about Saturday morning. I did a little 18-mile jaunt on the bike alongside my buddy Shelby, who completed all 18 glorious miles on her legs. See her blog for more info., including my muddy self post-ride - www.shelbysroadahead.blogspot.com

A little glimpse of Linear Trail. I love Linear Trail. Nice, wide paths, dirt/paved surfaces, kind people to pass; it's a slice of happiness on an early morning.
I love this part of the trail. The light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. It's just gorgeous when it's all tree-covered and tranquil.

So, what does 18 miles on foot feel like? Well, I don't know. The farthest I've ever gone is 13.1. But, I can SHOW you what 12 miles looks like. We needed some action shots, so here is Shelby around mile 12. She's the one in front.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Super Shelb!! And here she is!! Look, that's actually air between her feet and the ground. After 12 miles of running! She can still jump!

So, there you go. 18 miles was quite nice. Started off the 3-day weekend on a great note. More to come later.

Volleyball

The B-man and I went to the first home volleyball match of the year last Tuesday against UMKC. The ladies won in 4 sets. Tonight we host the South Dakota Coyotes at 7:00.
We sit in the first row of the bleachers now--gotta have some space to move around. The Baby Brigade is in full force in our section!

Happiness is . . .

an empty inbox (my inbox is the tray on top)
and a clean desk before a 3-day weekend.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend.

Swinging

We've been spending some quality time outside enjoying this mild summer weather. The grade school across the street from our neighborhood has a couple of little kiddo swings that we put Brady in. He doesn't get overly excited, nor overly upset when we put him in there. Very unlike his mother, who absolutely LOVES to swing. Even as an adult.

Look to the left.
Look to the right.

Look straight ahead!