Oh hot damn! [Grilled Jalapeno Poppers Recipe]

Wow!  Without even realizing it my blog has reached over 2,000 views!

I'm pretty pleased with myself, despite the fact that it's most definitely just the same 20 people reading every blog.  Including my Mom.  But oh well, I'll take what I can get.

I know most of my blogs have a theme, or I try to, in order to help myself stay focused and not ramble about nothing in particular.  But I feel like doing just that tonight, so I shall.  

1st thought.  Oliver's potty training is going well!  At 20 months he has become a master at knowing when he is going to pee and/or poop.  This is great, he will even take off his diaper to do it, even tho those who follow me on Instagram know that we pretty much let him be a pantless terror to make things easier on everyone.  Instagram: nicolehopefully in case you were wondering. 

Downsides so far.....he WILL NOT use his potty if there is already something in it.  If he has already peed/pooped and you haven't cleaned it out fast enough and he comes back to find it dirty he'll just pee or poop right next to his toilet.  Smart guy.  Only other obstacle we have had is he did happen to have one accident that unfortunately involved our iPad and it's Smart Cover.  Still trying to figure out how to clean that one.   Also if you happened to think we are awesome potty training geniuses cause Oliver is only 20 months you'd be wrong.  Jonas didn't get potty trained until almost 3 and had an incident involving his Nintendo DS and poop.  Ahh memories. 

In other news, school has started full swing!

I completed my first week back at college and feeling pretty happy about it.  I'm taking Human Development and little did I know it's something I'm actually interested in.  Hooray!  We did some Psych 100 review this week and next week we start on the Pre-Natal stuff.  I definitely feel outdated with my pen & notebook when all of the 18 year olds whip out their Mac books looking like Tumblr pictures or something but whatever.....my teacher looks like Liam Neeson so for some reason to me, it balances out. 

So, yep.  I am officially back in school & loving it!  It's much easier to appreciate an hour of calm 3x a week than it was when I was a teenager.  I know it won't always be this easy or exciting but I'm looking forward to this new-ish journey of becoming a student again.  And just to think, in 10 short years I may actually be a midwife?!  Ahh, to dream. 

And while I've been continuing my higher education the kids finally made it to their first co-op!  This is our first homeschooling co-op and I'm really looking forward to the year and everything that's to come. We meet every other Thursday and rotate teaching/snacks so we each end up doing it about twice a year.  At co-op they do music [the Mother dreaded recorder, or as I call it "screech of death"] along with art & science.  It helps the kids to learn how to listen to someone else and also let's them "socialize."  Eh, that was sarcasm but whatever. 

[All ready for their first day at Chestnut Grove co-op!]

I think I just realized my blogs do have to have a theme, there's no getting around that.  If there is a theme to this entry it's just that our lives are busy!  Even when we're trying not to do much there's still way too much to do, but I love, I crave it, and I wouldn't know how to live any other way.

In just the past few weeks of my Mom & sister leaving we've been to High Tea parties, learned about Essential Oils, cleaned, laughed, watched Hunger Games for the 3rd time.  I've had great talks with new friends, more Starbucks than I should have, and gotten the best mani/pedi ever.

I've started new books 7:An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess [which I'll blog about later] and Taking Charge of Your Fertility [which I should probably start reading now!]  I've had great talks with friends,  started working on American Heritage Girls badges with Lily [Sign Language is our First!]

Cleaned our van, contemplated changes, actually started getting ready for this little girl that is due in just 5 short weeks.  Gone to the library.  Gone to the park.  Gone to Whole Foods and spent way more money than we should have.  

So yeah, life is good.  I won't deny it.  Potty training.  Poop.  And all. :)

And tomorrow is my friend Dawn's baby shower!  

Almost everyone I know is expecting a little girl, and Dawn even with 2 beautiful girls before this is not an exception.  Looking forward to celebrating Alaula with her tomorrow and she requested my 

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers so here they are!  

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers!

You will need:

10 Jalapeños

1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese, packed

1 bar of Cream Cheese, however many ounces that is.  8?

Salt & Pepper to Taste

I package of Bacon, slices cut in half. 

Toothpicks

[1] Cut your jalapenos in half and using a spoon scoop out the seeds.

[2] In a mixing bowl or food processor combine your cheese, salt & pepper until well blended.

[3] Using a spatula, the easiest, fill the hollowed out jalapenos with the cheese mixture. 

[4] Take one half slice of bacon for each jalapeno and wrap it around, using a toothpick to secure it as well as you can.  BE CAREFUL.  If you poke the toothpick too hard and it goes through the jalapeno and under your fingernail you will be screaming bloody murder.  Trust me. 

Just try to get the bacon as secured to the jalapeno as possible.  As it cooks it will shrink and stay on better.

[5] Grill these on medium heat, turning as needed until the bacon is nice & crispy

 and the cheese is melted!  It's a party in your tummy! 

Three Tables Beach: North Shore [w/Grilled Zucchini Roll-Up && Roasted Pepper Hummus recipes.]

At first I thought, why do people care about what beaches I go to? 

But as a Mom I am always looking for things to do with my kids and it really helps if someone can give me the details beforehand, before we trek out there with 17 towels, 4 shovels, 2 coolers, etc. only to find out the waves are too rough, there's is absolutely NO parking,

 or hypodermic needles are hidden in the sand.

Besides that, this is also my personal blog, and I'll write about what I want to write about.  So, yeah.

Spent a great Memorial Day with our friends The Lipka's.  Both have lived in Oahu for almost their whole lives so they know the island a lot better than we do.  We had great plans to go camping above the cemetery in Mililani but after a few rainy days we decided wallowing in the mud didn't sound like much fun.  

We're always excited to try out a new beach,  everyone can be so different it's just amazing to see everything Hawaii has to offer.  The last time we lived here 2004-2008 we didn't really get out enough to just be thankful for what was all around us and it kind of made us go stir crazy, coming from California land of road trips & every kind of climate you could imagine was hard, this time around we decided to not be closed in and explore!

The Three Tables out in the ocean.  You can stand on top of them and the swim out isn't hard at all.

This beach is also located in a fish conservatory so the snorkeling was amazing!

Went for the first time in awhile and it was awesome to see all the Parrot fish, eels, sea cucumbers, coral & let the quickly growing belly float around in the ocean for a bit! 

[Awesome tide pools all around these rocks, Jonas had a blast just walking around this area.]

The Beach 411!

If you are coming from North Shore you will keep following the main road around past Waimea Bay.

Three Tables will be right past Waimea Bay on the left, if you hit the Pupukea Foodland you went too far.  Parking is actually more than some beaches but still not great, be prepared, you might have to haul your stuff quite a ways.  There are bathrooms but they are a little bit down along a paved path, so don't wait till they're screaming "I can't hold it anymore!"

Foodland [with a Starbucks!!!] is super close, less than a mile away, just in case your forgot any essentials.  There are some trees and shade but as always it's good to bring your own, especially with little kids.  The water is really nice, clear and warm.  Calm enough at the sand line and shallow but if you walk far enough out there is a drop off.  

Rock balancing near the bathrooms, crazy to see!

So as promised, here are my recipes for my contributions to the BBQ!

It was a great dish to try there because you can prep everything ahead of time, grill the zucchini and then just smear on the goat cheese & roll!  Just make sure to put leftovers in your cooler right after so they don't go bad.

Have a great day at the beach!

Zucchini Roll-Ups with Herbed Goat Cheese

2 large zucchini cut into wide strips

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Any combo of dried herbs you have on hand, I used thyme & rosemary

1/2 cup goat cheese

1/4 Kalamata olives, pitted & diced

[1] Slice your zucchini into strips and toss with oil, salt & pepper.

[2] In a separate container mix goat cheese with chopped Kalamata olives & herbs.

[3] Grill zucchini for 3-7 minutes each side, depending on thickness of strips and heat of grill.

Once they are tender and can be bent they are done!

[4] Smear goat cheese mixture on cooked zucchini & roll!  All done!  

Super easy, healthy & tasty side dish for any BBQ.

 I also brought some home made hummus, cause who doesn't love eating the day away at the beach?

Soaking up the sun, listening to some good tunes & swimming.snacking.swimming.repeat. 

I'm also always looking for ways to make things we like cheaper, healthier and fresher.

Hummus is one of those things!

Roasted Sweet Pepper Hummus

2 cans garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed

8 mini sweet bell peppers, assorted colors

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup olive oil

Juice of 2 large lemons

Sea Salt to taste

Cumin

Smoked Paprika

[1] Roast your sweet peppers, rub them with oil & season with salt.

Set one to the side & dice finely to garnish. 

Roast them in a 350 degree F oven for about 20 minutes or until soft and slightly charred looking.
Let cool.

[2] Drain & rinse your garbanzo beans and put them in a food processor.  

Put a small handful to the side for the top.

We have a Ninja, I use it for everything!  Love.

[3] Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt & seasonings.

[4] Once peppers are cool cut off stems and de-seed.

Throw those in the processor as well!

[5] Blend!  You might like your hummus thinner, chunkier, etc.  This is a recipe that is really easy to adapt to your tastes.  I personally love lemon so I think even 5 juiced lemons wouldn't be too much for me!

[5] Season to taste, blending a bit between each time so you can make sure it's not too salty, etc.

[6] Once your happy with the flavor transfer to a serving bowl, etc.

Top with more olive oil, smoked paprika, & reserved garbanzo beans and peppers!

This taste even better the next day too so it's a great make ahead food.